Low-calorie sweeteners sweeten foods, don’t add calories, and don’t raise blood glucose levels. They do not count as carbohydrates, fats or any other exchange. And they can be added to the diet of a person suffering from diabetes.
Even the severe FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) approved the use of these low-calorie sweeteners. The American Diabetes Association accepts the FDA’s conclusion that these sweeteners are safer and can be part of a healthy diet to control diabetes.
All low calorie sweeteners undergo extensive testing before approval. The results showed that low-calorie sweeteners are safer for everyone, including children and pregnant . However, people with a rare condition called phenylketonuria should limit their intake of aspartame, one of the low-calorie sweeteners.
Saccharin, Aspartame, Acesulfame potassium and Sucralose
Saccharin
Saccharin can be used to sweeten hot and cold foods. Saccharin is the most widely used artificial sweetener since it is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar), and it is used as a food additive (E-954) that is added to a wide range of foods, soft drinks and low-calorie products to give them a sweet taste. It also has important applications in other fields such as personal hygiene products, toothpaste production, etc.
You may recall some studies in which large amounts of saccharin were given to rats that raised concerns that saccharin might cause cancer, but many studies along with years of use have shown saccharin to be safe in the amounts used by consumers.
Aspartame
Aspartame is another low-calorie sweetener. Aspartame is a white, odorless powder that is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used in many foods around the world. It is marketed under various brand names, such as Natreen, Canderel or Nutrasweet, and corresponds to the code E951 in Europe. Aspartame is stable when dry or frozen, but breaks down and loses its sweetening power over time when stored in liquids at temperatures above 30°C.
Acesulfame potassium
Another low-calorie sweetener on the market is acesulfame potassium, also called acesulfame-K. That sweetener is heat stable and can be used in cooking. Acesulfame K, or acesulfame potassium, is a non-caloric sweetener approved for use in 1988. It is an organic synthetic salt. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, has a synergistic effect with other sweeteners, a stable shelf life, and is heat resistant. It is excreted unchanged through the human digestive system, and is therefore non-caloric.
Sucralose
Sucralose is the newest low-calorie sweetener on the market. Unaffected by heat and maintains sweetness in hot beverages, baked goods, and processed foods. Sucralose is a high-quality, calorie-free sweetener that is made from sugar and tastes like sugar. It is approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. Splenda is the brand name for the sweetener ingredient sucralose. Sucralose is a generic or common name.
Low-calorie sweeteners in cooking recipes
Low-calorie sweeteners are useful for adding flavor or sweetness to your foods and provide little or no additional calories.
If you like to cook, you know that sugar doesn’t just add sweetness to hot foods, especially sweets like cakes and cookies. It also affects the way food is cooked and the final texture. Substituting a low-calorie sweetener for sugar may affect texture and flavor. Many people use a combination of sugar and a low-calorie sweetener to reduce total calories and sugar intake and still get acceptable results.
All of the low-calorie sweeteners mentioned can help people who are overweight or with diabetes to reduce calorie intake and stay on a healthy eating plan. In addition, these sweeteners are useful for reducing calorie and carbohydrate intake when used in place of sugar to sweeten coffee, tea, cereals, and fruit.
