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Journalism of Courage
A variety of substances are available nowadays which provide fewer calories with sweet taste. These broadly fall into two categories 8212; alternative sweeteners and artificial sweeteners.
The alternative sweeteners are also referred to as sugar substitutes or sugar replacers. These are not free from calories but the body absorbs them more slowly than the regular sugars. This slow response is a very desirable quality. The sugar alcohols 8212; Fructose, Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol 8212; are the alternative sweeteners. The flip side is that when taken in reasonable amounts they can cause excessive gas, discomfort in the abdomen and diarrhoea. This is why these sugars cannot compete with the popularity of artificial sugars. However, a lot of this sugar is used in chewing gums and packaged foods and medications. The bacteria in our mouths cannot metabolise them and so eliminating dental cares.
The artificial sweeteners are also called the non-nutritive sweeteners as they yield no calories or negligible calories. The most widely used is Aspartame, which also makes it the most studied sweetener. It is 200 times sweeter than table sugar. Long-term consumption in moderation has not indicated any adverse health effects. Aspartame does carry a warning for those with a rare metabolic disease 8212; phenyketonurea. The protein part of Aspartame cannot be processed by those suffering from the disease. The other disadvantage of aspartame is its heat sensitivity, which is why it cannot be used while cooking and baking.
Suralose is the newest sweetener available in India. This is 600 times sweeter than sugar and very stable. It is actually a sugar molecule derivative with a varied structure, which the body cannot recognize as a carbohydrate and it passes through the digestive tract without being absorbed. It is available under several brand names 8211; Zero, Splenda, Blowcal etc.
Senior nutrition consultant, PSRI, New Delhi
