Sugar Alternatives for Diabetics Beneficial or unsafe?
While diabetics have to maintain physical activity and exercise caution when it comes to their sugar intake, they need to also be aware that the many options that are out there to avoid sugar may or may not be the advantageous. Just because artificial sweeteners help diabetics maintain their A1-C levels, some may cause other health issues to be concerned about, such as cholesterol spikes and cancer risks, among others.
So what are the advantages and disadvantages of artificial sweeteners? Here goes a list of FDA-approved artificial sweeteners that have low calories:
Advantages
Stevia is a sweetener that’s free of calories. It is made up of a pleasant smelly plant called Stevia rebaudiana. Stevia is 300 times sweeter than actual sugar. The FDA says the appropriate intake of stevia is 4 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of a person’s kilogram. Tagatose is another sweetener that is believed to help people with type 2 diabetes. This sweetener is helpful in combating obesity, and it can help diabetics with lower glycemic index diets.
Sucralose and Neotame are sweeteners that can survive heat. So these sweeteners are perfect for baking purposes. Most artificial sweeteners don’t have that potential, as it loses its flavor when it is exposed to heat. Five milligrams per body weight of sucralose is the appropriate intake in a day. It is 600 times sweeter than table sugar.
Acesulfame Potassium is considered safe and, like aspartame, is around 200 times sweeter than sugar. 15 mg/kg body weight of acesulfame potassium intake per day is considered safe. Saccharin is a sweetener that contains low calories. It is 200-700 times sweeter than sugar. The appropriate intake of saccharin per day is 15 mg/kg of body weight.
Disadvantages
Aspartame contains some components of amino acids, aspartic acid, phenylalanine and a small amount of ethanol.
Despite some of its benefits, such as pain reliever and inflammation reduction, this is a controversial sweetener because of its many health risks. It has shown allergic symptoms like hive and swelling in sensitive individuals.
However there are also controversies on this sweetener, as it has so many health risks. The study, Investigation of Solid-State Reactions Using Variable Temperature X-Ray Powder Diffractometry. Aspartame Hemihydrate, showed allergic symptoms like hives and swelling in sensitive individuals. But it is not identified which component of aspartame is responsible for these allergic reactions.
Saccharin was the first original artificial sweetener, synthesized in 1879 by Remsen and Fahlberg. But the research, Sugar Substitutes, saccharin is found to cause weight gain. Through animal studies that linked saccharin to bladder cancer in laboratory rats, saccharin was banned in Canada and the USA in 1977. But since there was no clear evidence that showed its harm in humans, it’s back on the market. So take it at your own risk.
Cancer risk
While the FDA approves sucralose, research shows a growing malignant tumor in a mice test. Malignant tumors are cancerous that rapidly spread to nearby tissues.
In a study that was tested on laboratory rats in the early 1970s, saccharin was linked to bladder cancer. But on a somewhat safer note, the mechanistic studies showed its effect on rats only. Since there is no evidence that proves it has harmed humans, it’s been approved and deemed as a safe substitute, but users should be wary and follow up on latest developments regarding this alternative.
Weight gain
The most common sweetener blamed for weight gain is Acesulfame Potassium, as it affects the gut micro biome and body weight gain in CD-1 mice. As research shows, sweeteners increase the desire to eat more sweet foods instead of developing a palate for nutritious foods, resulting in continuous indulgence. In fact, the study on laboratory rats indicates an addictive component to sweeteners, complicating the matter even further.
The test conducted on laboratory rats showed a 36% greater risk of metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of heart disease and a 67% increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
A Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study conducted on laboratory rats showed that consuming sweeteners on a daily basis can increase the risk of metabolic syndrome by 36%, which increases the risk of heart disease. It also can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes by 67%.
Unpleasant feelings
Even though sweeteners have low calories, it may provide unpleasant feelings after intake. After taking stevia, some people experience nausea, bloating, and an upset stomach. Tagatose may also cause nausea, flatulence and diarrhea.
Because of the bitter taste of stevia, some companies have added sugar in an attempt to reduce its bitterness. But sugar increases calories in stevia, reducing its overall benefit.
Even Better Alternatives
Fruits are another natural alternative to be consumed instead of sugar. Bananas, oranges, and other sweets can be added to foods or beverages to give a sweet taste.
Using honey instead of sugar is a healthier option since honey has fewer calories than sugar, as well as being moisturized. Honey holds minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. If a diet is rich with antioxidants, it may reduce the risk of many diseases, such as heart disease and certain cancers. However, diabetics must still be aware of how much honey they are consuming because it may also increase blood sugar if not taken in moderation.