The insider’s guide to artificial sweeteners – things you should know

According to Money Control, India has the maximum number of diabetes patients in the world. Another worrisome statistic revealed by the International Diabetes Federation is that the country is likely to see a rise in diabetes patients to 123 million by 2040.

With the statistics in place and the mammoth amount of problems that accompany diabetes, the increased use of artificial sweeteners is not a surprise. Catering to multiple uses, artificial sweeteners come in multiple varieties and categories that one can choose from.

Following are the artificial sweetener names that you can easily get in the market:-

Saccharin

Suitable for use in both hot and cold food preparation, saccharin is a common sugar substitute. It also comes handy when you want to bake some delicacies. However, it is recommended that pregnant and breastfeeding women should avoid it.

Aspartame

Similar to saccharin, this artificial sweetener can be used with both warm and cold food. Although 200 times sweeter than sugar, it tends to lose some sweetness at high temperatures. People with phenylketonuria should look for an alternative choice. You can opt for brands like Equal, NaturaSweet, Truvia, Zydus Wellness and more.

Sucralose

Derived from sugar without the calories, sucralose is one of the most popular artificial sweetener that people opt for. Brands like Splenda, Zydus Wellness and Mankind are amongst some of the most famous for sucralose.

600 times sweeter than sugar, a conversion chart needs to be referred to, in order to understand the amount of sucralose to be used in a dish.

Stevia

No calories, lasts longer than sugar and can be used for both baking and cooking. Stevia, similar to sucralose needs to be used with care. The amount of this artificial sweetener to be incorporated in a dish, needs to be checked from a conversion chart.

A variety of all the options from multiple brands are available in the market. With increasing popularity, the artificial sweetener list is growing. The usage is slowly growing, not only amongst diabetic patients, but also amongst people who are health conscious, and want to do away with sugar.

Although the bright side is that the overall sugar intake is reduced, artificial sweeteners side effects are something that cannot be ignored.

• People with sensitive digestion should avoid excessive consumption of artificial sweeteners. It can lead to problems like bloating, gas and diarrhea.
• Saccharin and stevia both have a bitter aftertaste.
• A debate about sucralose molecule having chlorine atoms has also surfaced. There are questions if it is good for human consumption or not.
• Some people are prescribed to stay away from sulfa drugs. Saccharin falls under the category of sulfonamide, and thus can cause allergic reactions to these people.
• Saccharin is also known to have caused cancer to the animals that it was tested on. It is also known to cause bladder cancer, and comes with a warning printed on the packaging. Stevia on the other hand was known to cause infertility and cancer in lab tests.

With a widespread use of artificial sweeteners, both the positive and negative claims stand in the market. Making a wise choice based on these facts, and identifying what’s best for usage is important.