Natural vs artificial sugar
BY Katrina Creer body+soul
They are added to soft drink, chewing gum and desserts – but it is not always regular sugar making treats taste so good.
A growing number of foods appearing on supermarket shelves contain natural or artificial products that act like sugar but contain almost no calories.
So how can you tell the difference between the two – and does it matter?
Dietitian Dianne Harvey from Diabetes Victoria says it is important to look for the codes on food labelling to know exactly what you are consuming.
There are two groups of sugar alternatives: non-nutritive sweeteners (also known as artificial or "intense" sweeteners) and nutritive sweeteners (made from plants).
Both are classed as additives by Australia New Zealand Food Standards Codes (FSANZ).
"There is often no room on the label for the actual name of the product so they will use the code but many [consumers] don't really know what that means,'' Ms Harvey says.
"Even natural alternatives still have to be derived in a chemical process, so people may want to be aware whether it is regular sugar or not.''
Excess consumption of plant-based sugar products such as sorbitol (also knows as glucitol) and xylitol can have a laxative effect – a warning that will often appear on its labelling.
Known as sugar alcohols or polyols, these substitutes can't be broken down in the small intestine and essentially act like fibre which can upset tummies.
More positively these sugar alternatives do not cause tooth decay and have low effect on blood glucose levels.
Know the sugar codes
The FSANZ classifies most sugar alternatives as intense sweeteners, although some are listed in the code as sugar alcohols and others as novel foods.
They must undergo a comprehensive safety assessment and public consultation before being approved for usage. In the numerical list of additives, most sweeteners are under the numbers 420s, 950s and 960s.
"If you want to know if a sweetener is in your food, you can look at the ingredient list on the food label where you will find the additive's name and number," a FSANZ spokesman said.
"The name of the sweetener must be spelt out in full on a food label if it doesn't have an appropriate class name or if a number hasn't been allocated to it."
What to watch out for
Labelling is important for consumers with a rare genetic disorder called Phenylketonuria (PKU). Sufferers are born without the ability to break down an amino acid called phenylalaine, which is contained in the sweetener Aspartame (951). It is often used in chewing gum or diet soft drink or any product containing NutraSweet and Equal.
All newborns are screened for the PKU by a blood test. If left untreated it can cause a range of health problems including developmental delays and seizures.
Artificial sweeteners have been linked to different types of cancers and even banned in some countries despite a lack of scientific evidence.
Saccharin, a low-calorie sugar substitute, was once listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a possible carcinogen in humans after a study showed a risk of bladder cancer in rats. It has since been removed after subsequent studies showed no evidence supporting the theory. Products containing saccharin, however, are still banned in Canada.
So are artificial sweeteners unsafe?
The Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for sweeteners in Australia is high, meaning a person of average weight would have to consume a dozen or more of cans of soft drink to be at risk of any potentially dangerous side effects.
"While sweeteners are not perfect, there is no evidence to support they are unsafe,'' says Steve Pratt, nutrition manager from the Cancer Council of Western Australia.
"The flip side to the debate is that really the best thing you can drink is water.
"It also takes a masses amount of energy to make sweeteners so that might be of concern to the bigger picture.''
What the experts recommend
At the end of the day what's better for your health? Stevia, one of the most popular natural sweeteners from the stevia rebaudiana plant, is nutritionist Joanna MacMillan's pick as the best alternative to sugar.
"It drops the kilojoules and there is no doubt that part of our problem with weight control is to do with having too much added sugar," she said.
"It doesn't mean we should see it as the answer to having a whole load of sweet stuff, but used in the correct way, it is a great answer."
If you still need a sugar fix, the natural sweeteners xylitol, erythritol, mannitol and sorbitol are preferable to artificial substances.
Popular nutritive sweeteners
These are natural based, low kilojoules and most have low effect on blood glucose levels. Products may be labelled as "carbohydrate modified". Found in lollies, chewing gum, toothpaste, mouth washes, frozen desserts and drinks.
- Stevia (960)
- Sorbitol (420)
- Mannitol (421)
- Xylitol (967)
- Isomalt (953)
- Thaumatin (957)
Popular non-nutritive sweeteners
These are chemical-based sugars, essentially free from kilojoules and have no effect on blood glucose levels. You'll find them in diet cordials, chewing gum, drinks, jellies, ice cream, prepared desserts and cakes.
- Saccharin (954)
- Cyclamate (952)
- Alitame (956)
- Steviol Glycoside (960)
- Aspartame (951)
- Sucralose (955)
- Acesulphame K (950)
Nutrition Most Popular
Your chance to Win
It's time to get into some healthy cooking!
A great bottle set for all mums-to-be