Sugar Free – Four Types of Sugar Substitutes
Welcome to the second in a two-part series on Sneaky Sugars. Our first post was all about Added Sugars. Our first post was all about Added Sugars. This post will provide an introductory overview of Sugar Substitutes. They are either no- or low-calorie – but that doesn’t mean they fit will with every type of diet.
Added sugars are easier to spot than Sugar Substitutes because added sugars are just that, sugars. When a product is advertised as “Sugar Free”, it usually contains some other sugar alternative. Sugar substitutes fall into four categories: Natural Sweeteners, Artificial Sweeteners, Sugar Alcohols, and Sugar Fibers. I have to admit, prior to researching this post, the term sugar fiber was new to me!
Are sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners common?
Instead of talking about all the possible sweeteners out there, let’s keep it real, and only talk about those that are actually used in grocery products today. To understand how common each sugar substitute type is (based on the foods in our app), see the graph below. You’ll see for instance that Aspartame, is not that common anymore. Keep in mind while you’ll see the most common substitute is sugar alcohols, in certain categories like “diet sodas”, artificial sweeteners are more common.
Non-nutritive Natural Sweeteners
You are likely familiar with the natural sweeteners that add calories to your diet, like maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, etc. But how about the natural sweeteners that add NO calories to your diet? Examples of these non-nutritive natural sweeteners are Monk fruit (or luo han guo) and Stevia*. Monk fruit and stevia extract have no calories or carbohydrates. Both these sweeteners are likely known to you, but now you know how they’re different from the caloric natural sweeteners.
*One thing to be aware of, is that the packaged ‘branded’ stevia products like Trivia, Sweetleaf, and even Stevia in the raw, are a mix of stevia and other sugars or sugar alcohols.
Artificial Sweeteners
In 1879, purely by accident, the first artificial sweetener was developed: Saccharin! Intentional development of artificial sweeteners started from the 1930s. Artificial sweeteners are a synthetic substitute for sugar, some of which are derived from naturally occurring substances. Well-known examples of artificial sweeteners are Aspartame, Acesulfame K, and Sucralose.
Artificial sweeteners are not metabolized by the body and release no energy, meaning they have virtually no calories, but they “taste” intensely sweet.
While there are six artificial sweeteners, also considered “high-intensity sweeteners,” approved as “food additives” by the United States Food & Drug Administration (FDA), not all are commonly used anymore. For instance, in all 30,000 products in our database, saccharin was not used once! The three most common artificial sweeteners are:
- Sucralose – (Splenda) 600 x sweeter than table sugar
- Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) (Sweet One) 200 x sweeter than table sugar
- Aspartame – (Equal, NutraSweet) 200 x sweeter than table sugar
Food manufacturers and consumers appreciate artificial sweeteners because they do not add calories, carbs, or sugars to your diet, so they are beneficial to cavity prevention, weight loss, weight control, and diabetes management.
One potential negative side effect of artificial sweeteners is the possible association with increased calorie consumption due to cravings and increased fat storage due to metabolic changes. Increased cravings could lead to increased eating, which results in just the uptick in calorie consumption you were trying to avoid in the first place.
Most research to date has been on rodents, so we welcome the new randomized controlled clinical trials that are becoming more common and hope to see more research on the long-term effects of artificial sweeteners on cravings and metabolism. Let us know if you want us to dig deeper into Artificial Sweeteners for a future post!
Sugar Alcohols
Let’s start by clarifying that sugar alcohols are NOT alcoholic. Not that there’s anything wrong with mixing a little liquor with your sweets, but for this post, we are sticking with “sugar alcohols,” not alcohol-infused sugar!
Sugar alcohols are sugar substitutes derived from naturally occurring carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables; plant-based sugar alcohols can also be manufactured. With the exception of Isomalt and Glycerin, the easy way to spot a sugar alcohol in a list of ingredients is by the suffix “-ol,” as you can see in the list below.
- Glycerol (Glycerin): 60-75% relative sweetness to sugar but a few more calories per gram
- Maltitol: 80-90% relative sweetness of sugar
- Sorbitol: 50-60% relative sweetness of sugar
- Isomalt: 40-50% relative sweetness of sugar
- Erythritol: 70-80% relative sweetness of sugar
- Xylitol: almost the same relative sweetness of sugar.
Notice in the list above that most of these sugar alcohols taste LESS sweet than table sugar, whereas the artificial sweeteners above taste MORE sweet than sugar. What effect do you think these different sweetnesses have on taste and cravings?
While sugar alcohols are not as sweet as table sugar, they do provide some calories, about 2.6 calories per gram (except glycerol which provides more), vs the 4 calories per gram you find in sugar. Even though they add calories, sugar alcohols will never be included in the nutrition panel’s “added sugars” section. They are included under carbohydrates. where some manufacturers will voluntarily list the number of grams per serve. This is important as calories or carbohydrates can start to add up as you increase your serving size.
Sugar alcohols are not commonly used in home food preparation but are found in many processed foods (7% of grocery products). Food products labeled “sugar-free,” including hard candies, cookies, chewing gums, soft drinks, and throat lozenges, often contain sugar alcohols. They are frequently used in toothpaste and mouthwash too.
Because of their reduced calories and sugar, sugar alcohols can help prevent tooth decay and weight gain. However, since sugar alcohols aren’t as sweet as sugar, you can actually end up eating more of them to satisfy your sweet tooth. So what was once a pro can be a con if you don’t apply moderation!
It is important to remember that sugar alcohols can raise blood sugar levels (a crucial piece of information for diabetics). Sugar alcohols are less absorbed in your body (hence the lower calories per gram), but they may still cause a change in blood sugar, albeit smaller. The sugar alcohol erythritol raises blood sugar levels the least, making it more acceptable for diabetic diets.
However, as sugar alcohols are not well-absorbed, eaten in large amounts, they can cause bloating, gas, diarrhea, or even have a laxative effect; if you want to enjoy a treat sweetened with sugar alcohols, without spending too much time in the bathroom, do not overindulge.
Sugar Fibers
Before researching this post, I hadn’t heard the term “sugar fiber” before. How about you, reader? Are you familiar with the term “sugar fiber?”
Sugar fibers are not digested in the upper GI tract, so they have a reduced caloric value, making them useful as a fat and sugar replacement in reduced-calorie foods. And an added benefit of sugar fibers is that they do not increase blood glucose or stimulate insulin, making them a wise choice for diabetics. In addition, popular sugar fibers, like inulin and oligofructose, improve the flavor and mouthfeel of fat-reduced foods. These sugar fibers are generally known as prebiotics, helping feed the good bacteria in the intestines. While they are sometimes derived from natural plants like chicory root, these are relatively new in the processed food industry. Therefore we expect quite some research will still come out on the potential benefits and side effects. The most common sugar fibers are Inulin, Allulose, Oligofructose, Isomalto-oligosaccharide (IMO) and Fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS)
Next time you choose a fat- or calorie-reduced item from the online or brick-and-mortar store, check your Eatiquette app and see if you spot either of these sugar fibers in the ingredient list.
Are Sugar Substitutes safe for my FODMAP / KETO / Diabetic Diet?
Sugar substitutes may not have a place in all diets, but there are definitely some specific diets where sugar substitutes can play an important role. If you or a loved one follow the FODMAP diet, a diabetic-friendly diet, or the Keto diet, see the table below for a brief overview of which sugar substitutes are best for you.
Here are the types of sugar substitutes you should AVOID for specific diets:
- FODMAP / IBS – Many people with IBS try a Low FODMAP diet. Monash suggests to avoid: all sugar alcohols except erythritol and glycerol, as these may be better absorbed in the upper gut. Pure stevia (without the mix with alternative sweeteners!) is thought to be safe to consume for people with IBS. The sugar fibers (oligosaccharides) are the O in FODMAP and are generally not recommended.
- Keto – Most non-nutritive sugar substitutes are compatible with Keto except maltitol because it has a higher glycemic index (GI). You should avoid most natural sugars, such as honey, coconut sugar, agave nectar, maple syrup, and dates.
- Diabetes – Avoid or consume sugar alcohols in moderation, as they contain carbohydrates and can increase blood sugar levels, which is especially salient if you eat too many. However, erythritol, which hardly increases blood glucose levels, should be safer to consume. IMO has been shown to raise blood sugar levels.
Phew, that was a sweet mouthful! We hope you feel more informed after this brief introduction to sugar substitutes, because we sure do!
Eatiquette is dedicated to ingredient transparency. To be truly empowered about your food choices, we believe that you need to know the ingredients in your food and the effect of those ingredients on your body. Use the Eatiquette app to scan labels in the aisle or search specific food items, and empower yourself with the knowledge of what is in your food!
