A nutritionist has warned of the dangers of consuming too many sweeteners instead of sugar. Everyday household sugar, often added to teas and coffees or used in baking, is a more refined food with few essential nutrients.
On the other hand, saccharin, a common artificial sweetener, is a carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides: glucose and fructose. Due to its composition, saccharin is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing a surge in glucose levels, which could pose health risks for some.
Nutritionist Maria Merino weighed in on the sugar vs sweetener debate in a originally posted in Spanish but roughly translated. She argued that people should opt for sugar over sweeteners due to the way it's absorbed.
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She stated: "If I eat a biscuit now, yes, it might be unhealthy due to its type of flour, sugar, or fat. But nothing reaches the microbiota or colon to ferment. However, sweeteners cause fermentation; they are worse for your microbiota."
In the same video, Dr Jaume Fontanals countered that sugar could actually be more harmful as it triggers spikes in glucose levels. He asserted: "You will have insulin and glucose spikes that ultimately slow down your metabolism. You will have less metabolic flexibility in the future."
He suggested that if people are determined to avoid sugar, they should instead use pure Stevia. Despite the back and forth between the two health professionals, they concluded that the discussion around risks of both substances should be focused more on the amount and frequency they are consumed.Maria added: "We concluded that regular sugar consumption might be worse than sweeteners, but sweeteners are also very harmful to the microbiota".
Meanwhile, Dr Fontanals added: "If I gradually give you a little sugar every day, it will eventually create an addiction for you, and you won't be able to stop consuming it-sugar or sweetener.
"You will develop an addiction because you're feeding certain types of bacteria in your gut that are getting used to it. It will then be much harder to stop than to continue consuming it."
According to the , the following sweeteners are approved for use in the UK and can be found in a variety of drinks, desserts, toothpastes and more:
NHS guidance also highlights that sweeteners in the UK undergo a "rigorous safety assessment" before they can be used in food and drink products. It notes that such sweeteners are "considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar".
A popular misconception is that consuming sweeteners directly increases the risk of cancer. However, Cancer Research UK has emphasised that there's not enough evidence linking sweeteners to cancer.
That said, individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) - a rare inherited condition that prevents the metabolism of phenylalanine in aspartame - may be advised to steer clear of certain sweeteners like aspartame. For comprehensive information on NHS guidelines regarding sweetener consumption, click
