October 10, 2007 – Health Canada has just authorized neotame, a new synthetic sweetener that is said to have a sweetening power of 7,000 times to 13,000 times greater than sugar1. Neotame is thus added to other food additives – aspartame, sucralose and acesulfame-potassium – in the category called concentrated sweeteners which allow the preparation of low-calorie foods.
Will consumers notice the difference between the newest member of the synthetic sweetener family and the rest? According to nutritionist Hélène Baribeau, this is probably good news for the food industry, because the sweetening power of neotame is so high that manufacturers will save money. “However, it is not certain that the consumer can see a difference in the taste or the price of the food,” she adds.
Avoid the sweetener trap
People who want to lose weight shouldn’t get caught up in “foods sweetened with concentrated sweeteners,” advises the nutritionist. “Although they contain little or no calories, says Hélène Baribeau, these sweeteners do not encourage people to listen to their feeling of satiety.” On the contrary, they will tend to eat more of a food called “low calorie”, on the pretext that it should not make them fat, she says. A sweet cake with an artificial sweetener won’t give you a lot of calories, but it’s a big boost in carbohydrates. “If you eat a lot of it, you get fat,” she gives as an example.
Diabetics also often consume foods prepared with concentrated sweeteners. Experts generally recommend that they use artificial sweeteners to reduce their sugar intake.
In trials with people with type 2 diabetes2, Quebec researchers have shown that aspartame could have effects similar to those of sugar on blood sugar. According to the researcher who conducted the trials, Annie Ferland, these results do not mean that concentrated sweeteners are dangerous. Diabetics should be aware, however, that an artificial sweetener will not necessarily ensure that their blood sugar is under control.
According to Isabelle Galibois, professor of nutrition at Laval University and specialist in diabetes, this type of sweetener can be useful for diabetics. “That doesn’t mean you have to consume it; it remains a personal choice, ”she explains. However, they must avoid these sweeteners replacing truly nutritious foods.
Pierre Lefrançois – PasseportSanté.net
1. Regulations Amending the Food and Drug Regulations (1433 â € ”neotame). Canada Gazette, Flight. 141, no 17, Canada 2007. http://canadagazette.gc.ca
2. Ferland A, Brassard P, Poirier P. Is aspartame really safer in reducing the risk of hypoglycemia during exercise in patients with type 2 diabetes?Diabetes Care. 2007 Jul; 30 (7): e59. Full text: http://care.diabetesjournals.org
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