Best Sugar Substitutes for Weight Loss

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Artificial sweeteners. From synthetic chemicals to natural extracts, there are many options to choose from. But how do they compare to each other? Are there sweeteners that are better or worse for weight loss or diabetes?

I’ll give you my overall opinions at the end, but it’s a difficult question to answer, and to understand why, let’s dive into the world of alternative sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners

Acesulfame potassium

Acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K, is a man-made sweetener that’s often teamed up with other sweeteners to hide its slightly bitter flavor.

You might find it sold as Sunett or Sweet One. It can withstand high heat, so it’s all good for cooking and baking.

Similar to many other artificial sweeteners, there have been studies that have raised potential health concerns.

However, since we don’t yet have solid proof that they can cause these problems in humans, the subject remains a controversial one.

Aspartame

Aspartame, a synthetic sweetener, is a chemical made from two amino acids: phenylalanine and aspartic acid. If you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition, you’ll want to steer clear of aspartame because of its phenylalanine content.

In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) put aspartame in the spotlight, labeling it as a potential carcinogen, particularly for liver cancer.

The FDA, however, didn’t quite see eye to eye on this, but they both agreed that the existing daily intake limits don’t need any changes.

You might spot aspartame under the names Nutrasweet, Equal, or Sugar Twin. Just remember, it’s a bit sensitive to heat and when things get too hot, it breaks down. So, its role in cooking is a bit limited.

Advantame

Advantame is essentially an improved version of aspartame. Certain modifications boost its sweetness to over 100 times that of aspartame, while also toning down its bitter aftertaste and enhancing its stability in heat.

Back in 2014, the FDA granted its approval, making it one of the most recent and potent artificial sweeteners approved today.

However, it’s important to note that Advantame is not yet widely accessible in North America.

Cyclamate

Cyclamate, an artificial sweetener with relatively mild sweetness, used to have concerns about its contribution to cancer in rodents.

However, studies have found no proof that cyclamates could contribute to cancer in humans.

Despite this, the US banned their use in 1970, even though it continues to be safely used in over 55 countries, including Canada, Australia, and the European Union.

Oddly enough, the US continues to bans the use of cyclamates, even though the IARC classifies it as Group 3, or “Not classifiable as to its carcinogenicity to humans”, while the US continues to allow the use of aspartame, which the IARC classifies as Group 2B, or “Possibly carcinogenic to humans”.

Neotame

Neotame stands out as a potent synthetic sweetener, ranking among the strongest options in the world of artificial sweeteners.

Marketed under the name Newtame, it shares a similarity with advantame in that it’s not commonly found in North America.

Saccharin

Saccharin, one of the earliest artificial sweeteners, was actually discovered way back in 1879. Back then, there was a big fuss about a potential connection to bladder cancer in lab rats.

However, subsequent research involving humans revealed that the concerns stemming from rat studies weren’t applicable to humans, and that saccharin posed no harm to us. Despite this, the notion that saccharin could lead to cancer still lingers today.

You might have come across it on shelves labeled as Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet’N Low, or Necta Sweet. It can handle heat reasonably well, but be cautious as heating it could bring out some of the nasty off-flavors.

Sucralose

Sucralose, a man-made sweetener, is essentially a modified form of regular table sugar. What’s cool is that modification stops it from being processed by our bodies as regular sugar, which means it won’t mess with our blood sugar levels. And the neat thing is, it’s way sweeter than plain old sugar.

Because of this similarity to sugar, it’s one of the sweeteners that comes closest in taste to the real deal. You might recognize it by its brand name, Splenda.

Recently, new research suggested that sucralose could potentially harm our DNA and contribute to a leaky gut.

While this might sound shocking to some, it’s important to realize that these studies involving cells and animals aren’t the first to raise concerns about the health effects of sucralose.

In fact, many previous observational studies in humans have also pointed to possible health risks with using many of the other artificial sweeteners. Nevertheless, the FDA maintains that it’s safe to use.

Natural sweeteners

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit is from Southern China and it contains something called mogrosides, which is partially what makes it taste sweet.

But there’s a common downside to these extracts – they have a strange herbal aftertaste to it that can be quite off-putting.

Monk fruit extracts are also safe to cook with. Like many of the other natural sweeteners from plants, the FDA labels it as being Generally Recognized As Safe.

Stevia

Stevia comes from a plant in South America. Its extracts contain something called steviol glycosides, which are purified and turned into a sweetener.

But just like monk fruit, stevia can have a peculiar aftertaste to it that’s been described as metallic or bitter.

When used in cooking, stevia remains stable to some extent, but it might lose some of its natural sweetness at higher heat.

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols are a bunch of carbs that show up naturally in certain fruits and veggies, but are also man-made. This group of sweeteners include xylitol, erythritol, sorbitol, and maltitol.

Now, they don’t get into our systems the same way as sugar, and they don’t pack as many calories, which is a plus. But they’re also not quite as sweet as the real deal.

However, because they are carbs, they still have some calories when consumed. So, just a heads-up, they’re not exactly carb or calorie-free, just carb and calorie reduced.

Also, since they’re not as sweet as sugar, you might need to use a bit more to get that same level of sweetness you’re after.

Thaumatin

Thaumatin is a protein that’s extracted from the Katemfe fruit of West Africa. Its sweetness doesn’t come on instantaneously like the other sweeteners here. It takes time for your taste buds to detect it, which is a bit unusual.

It also hangs around for a bit longer, leaving behind a lingering licorice-like aftertaste that might catch you off guard.

Thaumatin might also break down at high heat, making it more suitable for low heat cooking.

Effective for weight loss?

The question as to whether using these sweeteners actually help with weight loss remains shrouded in mystery, because the evidence seems to point in both directions.

The general belief is that the replacement of high-calorie sweet foods and sugary beverages with ones containing alternative sweeteners will reduce the overall calories consumed, and likely has a beneficial effect on weight and diabetes.

However, many studies have not found this to be the case, and numerous studies show the opposite to be true, with the use of these sweeteners potentially causing weight gain in the long run.

Additionally, many studies have also found that long term use of these sweeteners was found to be associated with an increased risk of diabetes, and may be no better compared to regular sugar for the prevention of type 2 diabetes.

I believe there are a few reasons for this discrepancy.

Compensatory overeating

Firstly, some individuals may believe that by using these sweeteners, they can eat more sweet food. It allows for a more guilt-free indulgence, which could lead to overeating.

As a result, they may end up consuming more calories from other sources which would negate the reduced calorie intake from zero calorie sweetened foods or beverages.

Altered taste perception

Secondly, these sweeteners are often intensely sweet, and consuming them regularly might alter taste preferences and increase cravings for even sweeter foods. This could lead to a preference for and overconsumption of high-calorie, sugary foods.

Effect on gut

Thirdly, these sweeteners might affect the body’s metabolic responses, such as insulin sensitivity and glucose regulation by negatively affecting the gut bacteria.

Research suggests that some artificial sweeteners can influence the composition and function of the gut microbiome, which can in turn impact metabolism and energy regulation.

Does 0 calories = 0 calories?

Something you should also know is that even the sweeteners that are considered zero calories will realistically still contain some calories, just slightly less.

This is because while the body does not metabolize and receive calories from the actual chemical itself, the sweetener needs to be delivered in a bulking agent, which is often just a regular sugar derivative that contains calories, to properly dissolve it properly in water.

Also these sweeteners are hundreds to thousands of times sweeter than sugar, and trying to portion out a tiny amount of the pure chemical would be nearly impossible.

For example, 1 tsp of sugar weighs about 4 grams. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, meaning to portion out the equivalent of 4 grams of sugar, you’d need only about 20 mg pure of aspartame.

This is a very small portion size to try and measure out, and it gets even more ridiculous once you get to more intense sweeteners.

So to make it easier to portion out into sachets or scoops, most artificial sweeteners are mixed with a bulking agent which often contains maltodextrin or dextrose, both of which are simple carbs and sugars.

This is why many of these artificial sweeteners do actually contain some carbs and calories, albeit less than regular sugar.

Best sweetener for weight loss?

So which sweetener is the best for weight loss? If I was really pushed to answer this question, the best ones to use in my opinion are the sugar alcohols xylitol and maltitol, and the natural sweeteners stevia and monk fruit.

This is because the overall evidence suggests that these sweeteners are less likely to have a negative impact on weight and health.

The worst one is probably saccharin. Although it’s safe to use, there is a small body of evidence to suggest that saccharin may increase the risk of obesity and diabetes in the long term.

Dr. Brian’s take

That being said, my practical answer to which ones are best or worst for weight loss is that they’re all suitable options, and the one you should pick should just be the one you can easily get, and don’t find the off-flavors or aftertaste to be repulsive.

And to be quite frank, the research would suggest that there may not be much benefit to your weight in the long run by using any of these sweeteners over just regular sugar.

For example, if you plan on using them to sweeten that one cup of coffee you have in the mornings, the amounts you use in that cup of coffee are likely insignificant to your weight in the grand scheme of things, and it might not matter much which sweetener you use.

You might even be able to get away with using regular sugar in many cases. A sachet of Splenda contains 4 calories, while a packet of sugar contains around 16 calories. That’s a difference of 12 calories.

If you walk for 2-3 minutes you’ll burn 12 calories. So if you only use tiny amounts every day, it likely doesn’t even matter if you end up using a sweetener or just sugar.

But if you’re using these sweeteners to satisfy a sweet tooth, and you’re consuming quite a lot of sweet foods everyday, using them to replace sugar may help briefly in the short run, but probably won’t be very helpful to your weight in the long run.

Your best bet is to reduce the overall amount of sweet foods you’re consuming every day. Cravings for sweets is a very real addiction, and constantly feeding this addiction, even if it’s with non-sugar sweeteners, will just continue to drive these cravings for sweet things.

So if it’s an addiction to sweets you’re trying to kick, avoiding all sweet tasting foods in general might be your best course of action.

Trying to replace a sugar addiction with artificially sweetened food or drink isn’t going to help your weight or health in the long run.

Top sugar substitute choices

• Erythritol
• Monk fruit
• Stevia
• Xylitol

Learn more about

• Is Diet Coke Good For Weight Loss?

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