{"id":86106,"date":"2023-09-30T04:28:10","date_gmt":"2023-09-30T04:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/?p=86106"},"modified":"2023-09-30T04:28:10","modified_gmt":"2023-09-30T04:28:10","slug":"time-to-ditch-sugar-most-of-us-love-a-sweet-treat-now-and-then-but-how-much-is-bad-for-our-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebritytidings.com\/lifestyle\/time-to-ditch-sugar-most-of-us-love-a-sweet-treat-now-and-then-but-how-much-is-bad-for-our-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Time to ditch sugar? Most of us love a sweet treat now and then, but how much is bad for our health?"},"content":{"rendered":"

You only need to look at our obsession with The Great British Bake Off to understand we\u2019re a nation with a sweet tooth. But aside from soggy bottoms and spectacular showstoppers, our collective love of sugar is giving rise to a serious issue \u2013 in which the \u201ccure\u201d is the culprit.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor years we\u2019ve been led to believe that sweeteners are a healthier alternative to sugar, and in many instances they are,\u201d says expert nutritionist Elizabeth Houston.<\/p>\n

Yet with recent concerns about substitutes such as aspartame being potentially harmful, we\u2019ve been made to consider whether there are other ways to satisfy our sweet cravings.<\/p>\n

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So what\u2019s safe and what\u2019s not \u2013 and are there alternatives to the alternatives?<\/p>\n

What are sweeteners?<\/h3>\n

Sweeteners are substances used to replace sugar in foods and drinks. Elizabeth says, \u201cWe\u2019re right to look for an alternative to sugar. It isn\u2019t healthy and is something we should consume in moderation, if at all, not least because of its high calorie content, addictive qualities and the harm it can cause to our health and teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are different types of sweeteners, however. Some \u2013 such as xylitol, erythritol, and stevia \u2013 are plant-based. \u201cXylitol is 100% natural, has 40% fewer calories than cane sugar and the properties in it actively clean your teeth and your mouth,\u201d adds Elizabeth.<\/p>\n

Others, such as aspartame, are chemical-based and totally man-made.<\/p>\n

Where do you find them?<\/h3>\n

You can find sweeteners in more products than you might expect, from specifically labelled \u201cdiet\u201d and \u201clow-calorie\u201d foods, to sweets, jelly, desserts, bread and cereals. Add to that list tinned foods, powdered drink mixes and dairy products \u2013 you can even find them in toothpaste.<\/p>\n

Elizabeth says, \u201cAspartame and other artificial, man-made sweeteners are everywhere \u2013 and often in seemingly \u2018healthy\u2019 looking products, from yoghurts to chewy vitamins, fruit juices to chewing gum.\u201d<\/p>\n

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What are the risks?<\/h3>\n

Regularly eating or drinking foods and drinks containing artificial sweeteners is linked with a greater risk of heart and circulatory diseases.<\/p>\n

A study \u2013 published last year in the British Medical Journal after researchers analysed the eating and drinking habits of around 100,000 people \u2013 found a 9% increase in the risk of cardiovascular diseases (heart problems) and an 18% increase in the risk of a stroke or transient ischaemic attack (or mini-stroke).*<\/p>\n

Because they are artificial, our bodies have trouble recognising a sweetener like aspartame in our system. \u201cConsequently [they have] a tough time working out how to digest it too,\u201d says Elizabeth. \u201cBut the bad news doesn\u2019t stop there. Aspartame has also been linked to cancer and was added to the World Health Organization\u2019s list of potentially carcinogenic ingredients. While it\u2019s been stipulated it might take a lot of aspartame on a daily basis to really be a risk \u2013 the link is there.\u201d<\/p>\n

She believes we should give a \u201cwide berth\u201d to sweeteners including aspartame, acesulfame K, saccharin and sucralose.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNot too bad for you\u201d sweeteners include sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, isomalt and lactitol. \u201cThey are naturally derived but sometimes compromise taste and they\u2019ve been known to cause digestive issues,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Plant-based sweeteners, which don\u2019t cause reactions, get the thumbs-up.<\/p>\n

Other alternatives to sugar<\/h3>\n

There are a range of things you can use to sweeten your food and drinks without reaching for a sugar cube or artificial sweeteners\u2026<\/p>\n