Sugar substitute: Key facts for their use – A review

Abstract

A simple, unidirectional schematic depicts the hypothesized pathways by which sugar-sweetened beverage consumption may lead to the development of chronic cardiovascular/cerebrovascular and metabolic diseases, chronic kidney disease, cancer, and gout. Sugar containing dietary foods could be replaced by the use of sugar substitutes available on the market today, both noncaloric and caloric, which have a low or even no cariogenic potential, sugar substitution is an important part of caries prevention and improving the overall health of an individual. The most common sugar substitutes used in Europe today are the caloric sweeteners xylitol, sorbitol, lycasin (hydrogenated starch hydrolysate), maltitol and mannitol and the non-caloric sweeteners accesultame-K, aspartame, cyclamate, and saccharin. They are currently replacing sugar in a wide range of products, such as sweeteners for coffee and tea, confectionery and chewing gum, medicines and soda pop. The need for a safe, palatable, non-nutritive, sweetening agent has prompted new approaches to the development of synthetic sweeteners. One interesting approach is based on the concept called “anatomical compartmentalization,” whereby the molecular weight of a sweet compound is increased to the point where no intestinal absorption occurs, thus eliminating systemic effects. Initial attempts at linking low molecular weight sweeteners to macromolecules have generally yielded products with unsatisfactory taste.