Who does not enjoy a tall glass of milkshake of their favourite fruit, be it the middle of the day or at the end of the day? But have you thought if that glass loaded with sugar, is healthy? While we all know that sugar can be fattening, we often tend to ignore the fact and binge on sweets and dishes made of sugar!
In today’s time, an appealing external appearance has become significant in every walk of life. While men aim for a perfect V shaped physique, women desire for hourglass body contours. In pursuit of such figures, everyone desires to lose their excessive layers of fat. Switching to sugar free drinks seems like the most convenient mode of weight reduction in recent times.
The markets are flooded with products formulated from sugar substitutes. The list includes drinks, jellies, ice creams, candies and yoghurt. The question that looms large on the minds of most consumers is that are these products actually safe for consumption. Let us scrutinise the actual ingredients.
Sugar substitutes are products that are devoid of the traditional form of sugar that is sucrose (1). Some of the variants under the umbrella of sugar substitutes are artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners, novel sweeteners and sugar alcohols. The terminology can be extremely confusing and misleading for a layperson. Manufacturers wrongly lure consumers under the false designation of sugar-free. In fact, some sugar substitutes sold as natural are actually processed during the manufacturing stage.
Sugar-free drinks are also referred to as diet or zero calorie drinks. These are actually sugar free carbonated drinks. Instead of sugar, they contain artificial sweeteners. Obesity is one of the leading factors behind diabetes (2). And the potential buyers of sugar-free drinks are patients of diabetes, those involved in vigorous sports activities and, of course, the large proportion of population desirous of weight reduction.
Whether you opt for sugar free energy drinks like Red Bull or Monster Energy or sugar free Diet Coke, it is cardinal to evaluate the safety of the product. Everything comes with its own merits and demerits. In contrast to the conventional sugar-laden drinks, these innovative forms of beverages are certainly low in calories. However, the question is if sugar free drinks are bad for you or if they are actually healthy to consume.
The biggest asset of sugar-free drinks is that they are non-nutritive in characteristic. With an almost zero level of calorie content, these beverages form a perfect weight reduction option. In contrast to this, a 12 ounce can of normal sweetened drink or cafe latte has the potential to add 125 calories to your system (3).
Sugar free drinks for diabetes sufferers are certainly a boon.The artificial sweeteners utilised in the production of such drinks are devoid of carbohydrates. Therefore, the drink does not elevate the blood sugar levels in the body. This paves way for patients with diabetes to enjoy such beverages without any health risks. However, some foods that are termed “sugar free” may have carbs, that can increase sugar levels (4). Hence, it is important to read the label to know what you are consuming!
There is a dichotomy in viewpoint with regards to the safety of artificial sweeteners. While the U.S. Food and Administration rates these products as safe, studies conducted at the Centre for Science state otherwise. Research highlights that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame potassium could result in potent health disorders. These constituent elements of sugar free drinks are believed to cause headaches, dizzy feeling, issues related to the thyroid. Recent studies also indicate that consumption of artificial sweeteners can be harmful during pregnancy and can lead to premature labour (5).
Aspartame is believed to levy extreme adversities on the nervous system (6). It has been linked to the onset of hallucinations and seizures. In rare cases, its consumption has even been associated with the deadly disease of brain tumour.
On the other hand, sucralose causes the disastrous effects of liver and kidney enlargement. It can even result in reducing the actual size of the thymus glands. This mars the gland’s potential of apt functioning. Some of the other side effects linked with sucralose include onset of rashes, pain in the stomach, loose motions and urinary complications.
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