Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org Sugar Substitute By TAREK ISMAIL KAKHIA 1 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org Sugar Substitute Packets of Assugrin, a brand of cyclamate. Contents 1 Introduction 2 Reasons for use 3 Health issues o 3.1 Weight gain and insulin response to artificial sweeteners 4 Food industry usage of artificial sweeteners 5 Sugar substitutes commonly used in food o 5.1 Aspartame o 5.2 Cyclamate o 5.3 Saccharin o 5.4 Stevia o 5.5 Sucralose o 5.6 Lead acetate (historic) 6 List of sugar substitutes and their equivalent sweetness to sugar o 6.1 Natural sugar substitutes o 6.2 Artificial sugar substitutes 1 – Introduction : A sugar substitute is a food additive that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste, usually with less food energy. Some sugar substitutes are natural and some are synthetic. Those that are not natural are, in general, called artificial sweeteners. 2 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org An important class of sugar substitutes are known as high- intensity sweeteners. These are compounds with many times the sweetness of sucrose, common table sugar. As a result, much less sweetener is required and energy contribution is often negligible. The sensation of sweetness caused by these compounds (the "sweetness profile") is sometimes notably different from sucrose, so they are often used in complex mixtures that achieve the most natural sweet sensation. If the sucrose (or other sugar) that is replaced has contributed to the texture of the product, then a bulking agent is often also needed. This may be seen in soft drinks that are labeled as "diet" or "light" and contain artificial sweeteners and often have notably different mouth feel, or in table sugar replacements that mix maltodextrins with an intense sweetener to achieve satisfactory texture sensation. In the United States, six intensely-sweet sugar substitutes have been approved for use. They are stevia , aspartame, sucralose , neotame , acesulfame potassium, and saccharin. There is some ongoing controversy over whether artificial sweetener usage poses health risks. The US Food and Drug Administration regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives . Food additives must be approved by the FDA, which publishes a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of additives. To date, the FDA has not been presented with scientific information that would support a change in conclusions about the safety of these approved high-intensity sweeteners (with the exception of Stevia, which is exempt under FDA's GRAS policy due to its being a natural substance in wide use well before 1958, and has been approved by FDA). The safe conclusions are based on a detailed review of a large body of information, including hundreds of toxicological and clinical studies. The majority of sugar substitutes approved for food use are artificially-synthesized compounds. However, some bulk natural sugar substitutes are known, including sorbitol and xylitol, which are found in berries, fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms. It is not commercially viable to extract these products from fruits and vegetables, so they are produced by catalytic hydrogenation of the 3 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org appropriate reducing sugar. For example, xylose is converted to xylitol, lactose to lactitol , and glucose to sorbitol. Other natural substitutes are known, but are yet to gain official approval for food use. Some non-sugar sweeteners are polyols, also known as "sugar alcohols." These are, in general, less sweet than sucrose but have similar bulk properties and can be used in a wide range of food products. Sometimes the sweetness profile is 'fine-tuned' by mixing with high-intensity sweeteners. As with all food products, the development of a formulation to replace sucrose is a complex proprietary process. 2 - Reasons for use Sugar substitutes are used for a number of reasons, including : To assist in weight loss — some people choose to limit their food energy intake by replacing high-energy sugar or corn syrup with other sweeteners having little or no food energy. This allows them to eat the same foods they normally would, while allowing them to lose weight and avoid other problems associated with excessive caloric intake. Dental care — sugar substitutes are tooth-friendly, as they are not fermented by the micro flora of the dental plaque. An example of a sweetener that can benefit dental health is xylitol. Xylitol works to prevent bacteria from adhering to the tooth surface, thus preventing plaque formation and eventually decay. The carbohydrates and sugars consumed usually adheres to the tooth eNamel. Bacteria can feed upon this food source allowing them to quickly multiply. As the bacteria feed upon the sugar, they convert it to acid waste that in turn decays the tooth structure. Xylitol cannot be fermented by these bacteria, so the bacteria have difficulty thriving, thus helping to prevent plaque formation. Diabetes mellitus — people with diabetes have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels. By limiting their sugar intake with artificial sweeteners, they can enjoy a varied diet while closely controlling their sugar intake. Also, some sugar substitutes 4 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org do release energy, but are metabolized more slowly, allowing blood sugar levels to remain more stable over time. Reactive hypoglycemia — individuals with reactive hypoglycemia will produce an excess of insulin after quickly absorbing glucose into the bloodstream. This causes their blood glucose levels to fall below the amount needed for proper body and brain function. As a result, like diabetics, they must avoid intake of high-glycemic foods like white bread, and often choose artificial sweeteners as an alternative. Avoiding processed foods — individuals may opt to substitute refined white sugar with less-processed sugars, such as fruit juice or maple syrup . Cost — many sugar substitutes are cheaper than sugar. Alternative sweeteners are often low in cost because of their long shelf-life. This allows alternative sweeteners to be used in products that will not perish after a short period of time. 3 - Health issues : 3 – 1 - Weight gain and insulin response to artificial sweeteners Animal studies have indicated that a sweet taste induces an insulin response in rats.[6] However, the extension of animal model findings to humans is unclear, as human studies of intragastric infusion of sucralose have shown no insulin response from analogous taste receptors. The release of insulin causes blood sugar to be stored in tissues (including fat). In the case of a response to artificial sweeteners, because blood sugar does not increase there can be increased hypoglycemia or hyperinsulinemia and increased food intake the next time there is a meal. Rats given sweeteners have steadily increased calorie intake, increased body weight, and increased adiposity (fatness). Furthermore, the natural responses to eating sugary foods (eating less at the next meal and using some of the extra calories to warm the body after the sugary meal) are gradually lost. 5 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org A 2005 study by the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio showed that increased weight gain and obesity were associated with increased use of diet soda in a population based study. The study did not establish whether increased weight gain leads to increased consumption of diet drinks or whether consumption of diet drinks could have an effect on weight gain.[9] 4 - Food industry usage of artificial sweeteners : The food and beverage industry is increasingly replacing sugar or corn syrup with artificial sweeteners in a range of products traditionally containing sugar. According to market analysts Mintel, a total of 3,920 products containing artificial sweeteners were launched in the U.S. between 2000 and 2005. In 2004 alone, 1,649 artificially-sweetened products were launched. According to market analysts Freedonia, the United States artificial sweetener market is set to grow at around 8.3% per year to $189 million in 2008. Aspartame is currently the most popular artificial sweetener in the U.S. food industry, as the price has dropped significantly since the Monsanto Company patent expired in 1992. However, sucralose may soon replace it, as alternative processes to Tate & Lyle's patent seem to be emerging. According to Morgan Stanley, this can mean that the price of sucralose will drop by thirty percent. Alternative sweeteners are highly consumed in America. According to research studies explained by The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, in 2003-2004, Americans two years of age and older consumed 585g per day of beverages and 375g per day of foods with caloric sweeteners. More than 66 % of Americans consumed these beverages with alternative sweeteners and 90.3 % of Americans consumed foods with added caloric sweeteners. On the other hand, 10.8 % of Americans in 2003-2004 consumed non-caloric alternative sweetener flavored beverages and 5.8% consumed non-caloric alternative sweetener flavored foods. 6 Copyright © Tarek Kakhia. All rights reserved. http://tarek.kakhia.org Some commonly consumed foods with alternative sweeteners are diet sodas, cereals, and sugar-free desserts such as ice cream. Alternative sweeteners are found in many products today due to their low or non-caloric characteristics. This can be used as a method of advertisement for dieters or those conscious of their sugar intake. Those with diabetes can greatly benefit from alternative sweeteners that do not affect their blood sugar levels drastically. This aids in maintaining low insulin use in the body and blood sugar levels. Alternative sweeteners such as xylitol and saccharin have many positive research results that show qualities of dental decay prevention. 5 - Sugar substitutes commonly used in food : 5 - 1 - Aspartame : Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by James M.