Compare sugar and sweetener | Pros and cons

Sugar is now found in almost all products. It is added to baked goods, canned food, marinades, sauces, sausages and much, much more. You can meet glucose even in those dishes where it — in theory — should not be. Just sugar is both a flavor enhancer, and a preservative, and just a food additive.

Of course, a modern person can worry about such a quantity of sugar everywhere. It remains only to control consumption in the home kitchen — or switch to sweeteners. Fortunately, there are a lot of them — fructose, and stevia, and aspartame, and xylitol …

It’s just not clear which is better — sugar or a sweetener, and what are the pros and cons of each product. We will understand the intricacies of carbohydrates in this material.

The benefits and harms of sugar

What we call «sugar» is glucose in its purest form. And she, in turn, is a pure carbohydrate.

Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy for the body. In the metabolic cycle, they break down into other useful substances and compounds. And the results of the transformation are used in all body systems — from the circulatory to the nervous. Glucose is important for muscle function, signaling within the nervous system, nutrition of internal organs, and many other vital needs.

Of course, when it comes to metabolism, balance is very important. And the use of carbohydrates requires the most responsible approach to this. The fact is that in the metabolic process, glucose breaks down into glycogen, and it, in turn, turns into fats.

Thus, excessive consumption of sugar and just sugary foods leads to obesity. Unless, of course, you do not “burn” excess carbohydrates with increased physical activity.

In general, the benefits of sugar are as follows:

1. Feeding the body with energy. It, in turn, is used to operate all systems, tissues, organs and cells in the body;

2. High decay rate. Glucose from sugar is extremely quickly digested and metabolized, thanks to which the body receives the necessary energy almost immediately after eating;

3. The most important part in the blood circulation of the brain and spinal cord. Without sugar, it will not be possible to achieve good blood circulation in the brain tissues. In addition, its absence or shortage can lead to sclerotic changes;

4. Reducing the risk of arthritis. Studies show that people who consume sweets in normal or increased amounts have a reduced risk of getting or developing arthritis.

But if sugar were so useful, no one would call it «white death.» The harm of sugar is as follows:

1. Increased risk of obesity. An excessive amount of sugar in the blood in the absence of physical training leads to the fact that it is deposited as fat. People who consume large amounts of glucose have an increased risk of developing obesity;

2. Increased load on the pancreas. It is this internal organ that takes part in the metabolism of sugar. With excessive use, the risk of developing its diseases increases;

3. Harm to teeth. Sugar, albeit indirectly, leads to the appearance and development of caries. Bacteria in plaque break down carbohydrates and increase acidity in the mouth. And it actively destroys the enamel.

Thus, the most pronounced harm of sugar is manifested in excessive use. But this does not mean that you can drop everything and rush to the store for cakes. As mentioned above, sugar is now found in almost all products.

This is due to two important characteristics of sugar as a culinary product:

1. Flavor enhancer. Sugar is a natural alternative to monosodium glutamate, although not as effective. It enhances the flavor of the ingredients and also makes it richer;

2. preservative. Although sugar is a food for some bacteria, it is even poisonous for others. Therefore, it may well be used as a preservative. Sugar is added to marinades, pickles and, of course, preserves and jams — it helps to extend the shelf life of the product.

As a result, it is very difficult to completely abandon sugar in home cooking. Meals will either not be tasty enough, or perishable, or both.

Therefore, it is better not to give up sugar completely, but to control its consumption. Let it remain on the tables, but it is consumed in extremely rare cases.

So, let’s sum up.

But the main disadvantage of sugar is, of course, its omnipresence. Almost all store products contain it. And that is why it is extremely important to control its consumption by replacing it with some kind of carbohydrate.

The benefits and harms of sweeteners

Sweeteners differ from sugar in chemical composition. They are made up of various complex compounds like fructose or stevioside, but in the body these substances are not metabolized along the glucose chain. As a result, they act on the body a little differently.

The different metabolic pathways lead to two important consequences:

1. You will not be able to instantly recharge your energy. Steviosides, aspartame, fructose, and other sweeteners are slowly metabolized and serve as a «long-term» source of energy. And, of course, they are useless in hypoglycemic crises;

2. Even with excessive use, they do not «transform» into fats. And this is a rather useful property of sweeteners. They can be used for weight loss at the fat burning stage, because then the body will use up carbohydrate and glycogen stores.

In general, any sweeteners are carbohydrates in various compounds. For example, stevioside, the sweet substance from stevia, is made up of a carbohydrate residue and a non-carbohydrate aglycone. That is, it can be used by the body as an energy source, but with two “buts”.

Firstly, energy will flow more slowly. This is very important to consider when doing physical work or training. Fatigue will come faster, drowsiness or other unpleasant factors will appear. Again, people with unstable blood sugar levels due to certain diseases of the pancreas or innate metabolic characteristics may experience a hypoglycemic crisis of varying severity.

Secondly, the amount of carbohydrates consumed will be lower than the amount of sugar substitute absorbed. On average, 100 grams of sweetener (including stevia) has 85 grams of carbohydrates.

Important also dispel a very important myth. Sweeteners have calories! Even in aspartame, which is positioned as completely devoid of these. Of course, the calorie content is much less than that of sugar, but not zero. For example, there are 400 kcal per 100 grams of aspartame.

The secret is that aspartame or stevia is significantly sweeter than sugar. For example, aspartame — 250 times. So in ready-made dishes it can be many times less than sugar to achieve a sweet taste.

So, it’s time to deal with the benefits and harms to health.

Despite the fact that there are studies confirming the absolute health benefits of sweeteners, there are still relative positive qualities. Among them:

1. Help with weight loss. Sweeteners can be helpful in treating obesity or simply trying to lose weight. They metabolize in a different way than glucose, and therefore do not lead to the appearance of excess fat. The organism, which needs glucose, is forced to burn its «reserves»;

2. Prevention of caries. Sweeteners do not form an acidic environment in the oral cavity, thereby not violating the integrity (including chemical) of the enamel.

However, they are not a panacea. The harm of sweeteners is manifested in the following:

1. risk of prediabetes. Excessive consumption of exclusively aspartame and similar substances can lead to the development of glucose tolerance. And this, in turn, can cause diabetes. Therefore, you need to use sweeteners wisely;

2. Decreased response. Some substances lead to a “slowdown” in the areas of the brain responsible for fine and gross motor skills. This, in turn, causes a decrease in reaction, which can be dangerous for drivers and professionals in other professions where quick action is required;

3. The appearance of bouts of hunger. Accustomed to the intake of energy from sugar, the body may experience a lack of carbohydrates when switching to sugar substitutes. And then it will cause bouts of hunger. It is worth remembering that the use of other products will not be able to completely satisfy them;

4. The appearance of problems with digestion. In people with sensitive digestive systems, taking sweeteners may cause diarrhea or similar disorders. Again, this is due to changes in local metabolic processes in the intestinal microflora, which also needs the usual glucose.

Another drawback follows from one of the previous ones. Accustomed to glucose, the body may begin to need a traditional source of energy so much that a person begins to spontaneously overeat sweets.

So, let’s sum up.

It is also worth considering that substitutes do not have the culinary properties of sugar. That is, they are neither preservatives nor flavor enhancers.

Which is better — sugar or sweetener?

So, let’s compare these two substances to determine what exactly to pour into the sugar bowl on the table.

Thus, it is not recommended to give up sugar for a long time in favor of sweeteners. The latter can be used for weight loss or control of carbohydrate intake.

Given the realities of the modern world and the presence of sugar in almost all products, it is recommended to do the following:

1. Keep sugar consumption to a minimum, leaving it only in consumed products;

2. In drinks and home cooking, replace sugar with a sweetener.

But with a complete rejection of sugar, it is better to first consult with nutritionists and endocrinologists, since this substance is extremely important for the body.