Are sweeteners harmful to human health?

What are sweeteners and what are they used for?

Sweeteners are all products which are used as a substitute for the popular refined table sugar - sucrose - which is a combination of glucose and fructose. Their main purpose is to sweeten meals, which explains their use in a variety of ways. From cakes, baked goods, cold desserts (e.g. ice creams, creams) to drinks (e.g. tea, coffee or cocktails). What is the essential difference between the two?

Practically all popular sweeteners have significantly fewer calories than typical white sugar. As a result, they do not promote weight gain and allow for the maintenance of a healthy body weight. Moreover, sweeteners have a number of other valuable aspects for human health. These certainly include:

• lower glycemic index (GI) value
• support during weight loss and weight management
• reduction of increased body fat accumulation
• reduction of the desire for unhealthy and high-calorie sweets
• reduction of the risk of caries and bacterial proliferation in the oral cavity

Are the popular sweeteners really harmful to our health?

Over the years, there has been a great deal of controversy surrounding sweeteners and their supposedly harmful effects on human health. The main reason is that products such as acesulfame K, aspartame and sucralose are obtained synthetically. Their lack of natural origin and the need to produce them under industrial conditions have caused quite a panic among the public. Many theories were put forward in a short period of time, attributing new properties to them, ranging from cancer-promoting effects to serious damage to the nervous system or the eyesight.

What does this look like in practice? Nutritionists and professional dietitians demystify the demonisation of sweeteners and the treatment of them as being something evil. Although using them in really large quantities, which often border on the extreme, may prove harmful to human health, such portions are impossible to consume. Sugar substitutes are by definition much sweeter than the popular sucrose, which at the same time translates into the use of sweeteners in small quantities. These quantities in turn are completely safe for humans - even with long-term and regular use.

However, it is worth remembering that all extremes are dangerous to health. Maintaining healthy moderation and using sweeteners in accordance with generally accepted standards does not pose a risk of harmful effects. Especially since substitutes have been developed for diabetics who are looking for a safe alternative.