ScienceToday

Most Americans see sweeteners as ‘natural’ and healthier options

One of the most popular artificial sweeteners in the United State is aspartame. Aspartame is usually present in diet sodas, sugar-free candy and chewing gum. However, as recent studies show, it seems that sales of products containing aspartame and saccharin (a similar sweetener) have declined in past years.

They’re now replaced by sucralose (Splenda) and rebaudioside A (known as stevia) which became more popular in recent years, as study shows. Stevia is a nonnutritive sweetener, which means it has zero calories. It comes from a South American plant, and researchers theorize that people are perceiving it as natural.

Even though stevia is totally fine to consume, Bonnie Taub-Dix, registered dietitian nutritionist, author of Read It Before You Eat It — Taking You from Label to Table suggests that it shouldn’t be seen as a natural plant food.

“Stevia seems as if it’s all natural, but the reality is it’s a white powder. That’s not how it’s grown,” she said. “Unless you’re cutting up the leaf and putting it in your dessert, it still is processed.”
As new research has shown, it can be a good option for those who have diabetes and need to keep their blood sugar levels in check. However, it’s important for consumers to know that the amount is crucial, as well as the time of the day it’s consumed.

As previously mentioned, many companies have cut back on the sugar in products and replaced it with artificial sweeteners, without making them less sweet. Artificial sweeteners have been long used in producing sweet products without adding the calories in sugar. Additionally, manufacturers are combining sugar with sugar substitutes in products and label it as “low added sugar content.” This strategy is also used for products you wouldn’t associate as sweet, like ketchup or vegetable juices.

Even if it’s true that sweeteners can provide a sweet taste without adding the additional calories of sugar, as evidence suggests, it might not have such a positive effect on health or weight.