Low-Calorie Sweeteners for Health-Conscious Foods

Low calorie sweeteners (LCS) are prevalent in the food supply for their primary functional property of providing sweetness with little or no energy. Though tested for safety individually, there has been extremely limited work on the efficacy of each LCS. It is commonly assumed all LCS act similarly in their behavioral and physiological effects. However, each LCS has its own chemical structure that influences its metabolism, making each LCS unique in its potential effects on body weight, energy intake, and appetite. LCS may have different behavioral and physiological effects mediated at the sweet taste receptor, in brain activation, with gut hormones, at the microbiota and on appetitive responses. Further elucidation of the unique effects of the different commercially available LCS may hold important implications for recommendations about their use for different health outcomes.

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Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are zero- or low-calorie alternatives to caloric sugars and substituting caloric sweeteners with NNS is expected to reduce energy intake. The aim of this study was to examine appetite and food intake following the consumption of a beverage preload containing a natural zero calorie sweetener or caloric sweeteners (sugars). This was a randomised controlled double-blind crossover study. Healthy participants (n = 20, 9 males, mean body mass index 21.8 kg/m2) completed five separate visits, corresponding to five study beverages: 330 mL of water (control-no calories and no taste) and either 330 mL of water containing 40 g glucose or sucrose (sweet taste and calories), maltodextrin (calories and no sweet taste), or 240 ppm all natural sweetener, stevia (Truvia RA-95-sweet taste and no calories). Subjective appetite ratings and blood glucose was measured at baseline and then study beverages were administered, with appetite ratings and blood glucose again measured at 15, 30 and 60 minutes. At 30 minutes participants were offered an ad libitum lunch and food inta... Read More

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The intense sweeteners currently authorised in Europe comprise ten compounds of various chemical natures. Their overall use has sharply risen in the last 20 years. These compounds are mainly used to formulate reduced-calorie products while maintaining sweetness. This extensive analysis of the literature reviews the data currently available on the potential nutritional benefits and risks related to the consumption of products containing intense sweeteners. Regarding nutritional benefits, the available studies, while numerous, do not provide proof that the consumption of artificial sweeteners as sugar substitutes is beneficial in terms of weight management, blood glucose regulation in diabetic subjects or the incidence of type 2 diabetes. Regarding nutritional risks (incidence of type 2 diabetes, habituation to sweetness in adults, cancers, etc.), it is not possible based on the available data to establish a link between the occurrence of these risks and the consumption of artificial sweeteners. However, some studies underline the need to improve knowledge of the links between intense ... Read More

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Abstract Over the past several decades, rates of diet-related chronic diseases have risen dramatically, posing a significant public health concern. In an effort to reduce sugar intake and promote weight management, non-nutritive sweeteners are increasingly utilized as a dietary substitute for nutritive sugar consumption, to satiate the desire for sweet taste while simultaneously reducing caloric intake. Although non-nutritive sweeteners are widely consumed, there is little agreement on whether they are helpful, neutral, or detrimental toward weight maintenance and risk for chronic disease, with many studies reporting equivocal or conflicting findings. This chapter highlights the latest research investigating neuroendocrine processing of non-nutritive sweeteners. Emerging preclinical findings suggest that by uncoupling sweet taste from calories, non-nutritive sweeteners may interfere with evolved neurophysiological responses that regulate feeding behavior, thereby paradoxically stimulating food intake. To that end, a small but growing body of literature demonstrates that heightened ex... Read More

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Over the past few decades, the scientific community has been highly concerned about the obesity epidemic. Artificial sweeteners are compounds that mimic the sweet taste of sugar but have no calories or carbohydrates; hence, they are very popular among patients suffering from diabetes or obesity, aiming to achieve glycemic and/or weight control. There are four different types of sweeteners: artificial, natural, rare sugars, and polyols. Artificial and natural sweeteners are characterized as non-nutritional sweeteners (NNSs) since they do not contain calories. The extended use of sweeteners has been reported to have a favorable impact on body weight and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and on tooth decay prevention. However, there is concern regarding their side effects. Several studies have associated artificial sweeteners’ consumption with the development of insulin resistance, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), gastrointestinal symptoms, and certain types of cancer. The present review focuses on the description of different types of sweeteners and the ... Read More

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At present, with the continuous improvement of living standards, people are paying increasing attention to dietary nutrition and health. Low sugar and low energy consumption have become important dietary trends. In terms of sugar control, more and more countries have implemented sugar taxes in recent years. Hence, as the substitute for sugar, low-calorie sweeteners have been widely used in beverage, bakery, and confectionary industries. In general, low-calorie sweeteners consist of high-intensity and low-calorie bulk sweeteners (some rare sugars and sugar alcohols). In this review, recent advances and challenges in low-calorie bulk sweeteners are explored. Bioproduction of low-calorie bulk sweeteners has become the focus of many researches, because it has the potential to replace the current industrial scale production through chemical synthesis. A comprehensive summary of the physicochemical properties, physiological functions, applications, bioproduction, and regulation of typical low-calorie bulk sweeteners, such as D-allulose, D-tagatose, D-mannitol, sorbitol, and erythritol, is ... Read More

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Artificial sweeteners, also known as nonnutritive sweeteners have many benefits like low calories count. It is frequently used for reducing weight, controlling blood sugar levels and decreasing the chances of dental decay. This study evaluated the effects of NNS in the kidney function. Using the blood sample of the albino rats, the level of creatinine and urea was calculated after the use of NNS for 3 weeks. 70 rats were equally divided into 7 groups. The groups were given Stevia 200mg/kg/day, 10% solution of sucrose, Sucralose 3g/kg/day, Saccharine, Aspartame 250mg/kg/day and Acesulfame-k 250mg/kg/day respectively. In the controlled group, distilled water was used as a placebo. The results indicated that saccharin and aspartame both caused the urea to increase to 37±0.5 mg/dl from initial 30±1.5mg/dl and acesulfame-k represented the most increase in the urea, which elevated the levels from 30 mg/dl to 38±1.5 mg/dl. Additionally, saccharine and aspartame increased the creatinine levels from from 0.1 to 0.85±0.05 mg/ dl and sucralose elevated the level of creatinine from 0.1 mg/dl to ... Read More

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Introduction: Metabolic syndrome is a wide-spread disease that affects even 30% of Polish population. The mentioned syndrome consists of: glucose intolerance, obesity, dyslipidaemia and high blood pressure. Change of lifestyle, particularly diet, is a crucial part of treatment of those issues. Artificial sweeteners are low-calorie or non-nutritive substances that are made for lowering sugar amounts in sweetened beverages. The use of artificial sweeteners rises among those, who want to lower their weight. Artificial sweeteners are well known substances, but their impact on health is still a matter of studies. We want to summarize the current knowledge about their impact on metabolic syndrome and its elements. Objectives: The review and presentation of the current state of knowledge on impact of artificial sweeteners on metabolic syndrome and its components. Material and methods: Review of the studies available on open access sources at PubMed, Google Scholar, National Library of Medicine and Coachrane. Conclusions: Currently there is no evidence of positive impact of artificial sweete... Read More

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Natural sweeteners, especially those derived from plants, have become popular as low-calorie options compared to traditional sweeteners. Such discussion explores the world of natural sweeteners, emphasizing the growing demand for alternatives to artificial ones like saccharin and cyclamates. These sweeteners, sourced from plants, fruits, and honey, provide a healthier choice with fewer calories. Stevia, extracted from the Stevia rebaudiana plant, is a notable natural sweetener due to its zero-calorie content and strong sweetness. The review explores the background of Stevia, its glycoside compounds, and how it attains its sweetness. The pharmacological aspects of Stevia are also explored, highlighting its potential benefits in managing Type 2 diabetes, reducing blood pressure, alleviating inflammation, acting as an antioxidant, and showing anticancer properties. Studies suggested that Stevia’s active ingredients, are primarily Stevioside and Rebaudioside A, contribute to its sweetness. The chemical composition of these active ingredients is influenced by factors like geographical loc... Read More

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Sweetener composition for use in foods and beverages that provides a pleasant taste without crystallization issues, especially in cold or frozen products. The composition contains a low-calorie sweetener like erythritol or xylitol, along with an anti-cystallizing component like lecithin or glycerol. The sweetener is dissolved in the food, preventing crystallization. The anti-cystallizing component keeps the sweetener dissolved at low temperatures. This allows using high concentrations of the sweetener in cold foods without crystals.

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The prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes continues to grow, which determines the need to develop new methods of prevention in order to reduce the population risks of developing these diseases. The current direction is to limit the consumption of easily digestible carbohydrates and use low-calorie or non-calorie sweeteners instead. Currently, there is an increase in the use of non-calorie sweeteners in the manufacture of food. In this regard, the study of their possible effects on metabolic processes is of great importance. This review presents studies that have shown different effects of non-calorie sweeteners on carbohydrate and fat metabolism, body weight, the composition of intestinal microbiota, as well as the regulation of eating behavior. Some studies show that low-calorie sugar substitutes can be used in obese people as part of a comprehensive weight loss program, as well as in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with the aim of reducing postprandial hyperglycemia. Other studies demonstrate the negative effect of a number of low-calorie sweeteners on carbohydrate metab... Read More

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Sugar consumption is known to be associated with a whole range of adverse health effects, including overweight status and type II diabetes mellitus. In 2015, the World Health Organization issued a guideline recommending the reduction of sugar intake. In this context, alternative sweeteners have gained interest as sugar substitutes to achieve this goal without loss of the sweet taste. This review aims to provide an overview of the scientific literature and establish a reference tool for selected conventional sweeteners (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) and alternative sweeteners (sucralose, xylitol, erythritol, and D-allulose), specifically focusing on their important metabolic effects. The results show that alternative sweeteners constitute a diverse group, and each substance exhibits one or more metabolic effects. Therefore, no sweetener can be considered to be inert. Additionally, xylitol, erythritol, and D-allulose seem promising as alternative sweeteners due to favorable metabolic outcomes. These alternative sweeteners replicate the benefits of sugars (e.g., sweetness and gastroin... Read More

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Noncaloric or low-caloric sweeteners have become popular worldwide, although debates persist regarding their impact on health. To investigate whether the sweeteners are favorable for glucose homeostasis, our study assessed the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid monoglucuronide (GAMG) and several commonly used sweeteners [glycyrrhetinic acid (GA), stevioside, erythritol, sucralose, and aspartame] on glycometabolism and elucidated the underlying mechanisms. The C57BL/6J male mice were exposed to different sweeteners for 10 weeks, and our results showed that GAMG significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels (FBG-control: 3.81 ± 0.42 mmol/L; FBG-GAMG: 3.37 ± 0.38 mmol/L; p < 0.05) and the blood glucose levels 15 and 30 min after sucrose or maltose loading (p < 0.05). Furthermore, it improved glucose tolerance (p = 0.028) and enhanced insulin sensitivity (p = 0.044), while the other sweeteners had negligible or adverse effects on glucose homeostasis. Subsequent experiments showed that GAMG inhibited α-glucosidases potently (IC50 = 0.879 mg·mL–1), increased three SCFA-producing bac... Read More

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Sweetener compositions for enhancing the sugar-like characteristics of foods, beverages, and other consumables. The compositions contain specific ratios of steviol glycosides, namely reb M, reb AM, and reb N2, to provide maximal response, flavor profile, temporal profile, adaptation behavior, and mouthfeel similar to sugar. The compositions can replace sugar in reduced/no-calorie products without sacrificing taste.

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Numerous systematic reviews (SR) and meta-analyses (MA) on low calorie sweeteners (LCS) have been published in recent years, concluding that LCS have beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects on various health outcomes, depending on the review.

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The article discusses the main natural and artificial sweeteners, explains the possibilities of their use in people with excess body weight and diabetes, and describes the negative effects of long-term use of a number of sweeteners.

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Low-calorie sweeteners (LCS) and LCS-containing beverages have been proposed as appropriate substitutes for caloric sugars in recent years. In this Perspective, we highlight the recent findings from observational and interventional studies, focusing on obesity, gut microbiome, and cardiometabolic health. We provide public health actors and healthcare professionals with an insightful overview of recent evidence to bridge the gap between research and practice.

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High sugar intake is associated with many chronic diseases. However, non-caloric sweeteners (NCSs) might fail to successfully replace sucrose due to the mismatch between their rewarding sweet taste and lack of caloric content. The natural NCS erythritol has been proposed as a sugar substitute due to its satiating properties despite being non-caloric. We aimed to compare brain responses to erythritol vs. sucrose and the artificial NCS sucralose in a priori taste, homeostatic, and reward brain regions of interest (ROIs).

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Low-calorie sweetener (LCS) consumption is prevalent among lactating females, yet infants' exposure to LCS in human milk is not well-characterized.

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Human beings have a natural craving for sweets. The intensity of this craving varies with genetic and environmental factors; however, excessive use of table sugar has been associated with adverse health outcomes, including increased risk of obesity, diabetes mellitus, and cardiovascular disease. As such, the World Health Organization has called for restricting sugar consumption to less than 5% of total energy intake. For those who have a "sweet tooth," implementing these guidelines is not easy. Hence, the interest in alternative sweeteners. There are eight high-intensity sweeteners that are either approved by the Food and Drug Administration or designated as generally regarded to be safe. The safety of the currently available sweeteners has been questioned. Large cohort studies have reported a positive correlation between sweetener use with weight gain and metabolic risk. A recent meta-analysis, however, concluded that using low- or no-calorie sweetener was associated with small improvements in body weight and cardiometabolic risk factors without evidence of harm. Nevertheless, the W... Read More

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