A nutritionist has issued her advice for sugar over sweeteners (Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A nutritionist has issued a stark warning about the dangers of consuming too many sweeteners instead of sugar. The common 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 popular artificial sweetener, is a carbohydrate composed of two monosaccharides: glucose and fructose. Due to its composition, saccharin is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream, leading to a spike in glucose levels which could pose health risks for some individuals.
In a , originally posted in Spanish but roughly translated, Maria Merino weighed in on the sugar vs sweetener debate. She argued that people should opt for sugar over sweeteners due to the way it’s absorbed.
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.”
Meanwhile, Dr Jaume Fontanals countered in the same video that sugar could actually be more harmful as it causes spikes in glucose levels. He warned: “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 said: “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 NHS, the following sweeteners are approved for use in the UK and can be found in a variety of drinks, desserts, toothpastes, and more:
- erythritol (E968)
- acesulfame K (E950)
- saccharin (E954)
- sucralose (E955)
- steviol glycosides (E960)
- xylitol (E967)
- sorbitol (E420)
- aspartame (E951)
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 prevalent misconception is that consuming sweeteners directly increases cancer risk. However, Cancer Research UK has debunked this myth, stating there’s scant evidence linking sweeteners to cancer.
Nevertheless, individuals with phenylketonuria (PKU) – a rare genetic disorder preventing the metabolism of aspartame’s phenylalanine – are advised to steer clear of certain sweeteners like aspartame. Comprehensive NHS guidelines on sweetener consumption can be found