People use various ingredients to sweeten food. Sweeteners are classified into two categories, nutritive and non-nutritive. Nutritive sweeteners contain energy while non-nutritive sweeteners do not. Though nutritive sweeteners provide calories to the body, they can have side effects such as dental decay and imbalance in body sugars. The U.S Food and Drug Administration approves specific non-nutritive sugars with recommendations on intake.
Approved Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Non-nutritive sweeteners are artificial sugars containing no calories. They are used to replace natural sweeteners in foods and beverages. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved five non-nutritive sweeteners, as of September 2011, including saccharin, which is known by various brand names, including Sugar Twin, and serves as a tabletop sweetener; aspartame, packaged as Nutrasweet; sucralose, sold by the brand name Splenda; neotame, which is commonly used in baked products and beverages; and acesulfame K, found in baking products and marketed under the brand name Sunette.
Nutritive Sweeteners
Nutritive sweeteners are natural sugars that contain caloriea and add flavor in foods and are a source of energy. Table sugar or sucrose is the most commonly known type of nutritive sugar. Others include fructose, corn syrup, lactose, honey, beet, molasses and sugar alcohols such as sorbitol. Nutritive sweeteners vary in their compound configuration. They contain different levels of calories and nutrients. The absorption rate affects how the body uses the sugars and how long they last in the body's systems.
Impact of Nutritive Sweeteners
Nutritive sugars are a quick source of calories that can provide an energy boost. They are commonly used to add flavor to food. Though natural sweeteners can be beneficial, ensure you use them in moderation to avoid side effects, including obesity due to high levels of carbohydrates and related ailments such as heart disease and diabetes. Nutritive sugars also can cause dental decay.
Impact of Non-Nutritive Sweeteners
Non-nutritive sweeteners do not contain calories. People opt for non-nutritive sugars to control weight. But non-nutritive sugar can prompt hunger, leading to overeating and posing the same challenges as nutritive sugars.
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