Sugar and sweeteners are everywhere today
And this is a global problem
Humans have a weakness for sweet tastes, since fruit or honey was an important source of energy for our ancestors. But in the last decade, there has been an explosion in the use of sugar in all kinds of food and drink, which can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes and poor dental health. So, companies started using instead of sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners that have little or no kilojoules and include artificial ingredients like aspartame or natural ones like stevia.
A new study shows that the use of sugar and sweeteners in food and drinks has increased significantly in the last decade on a global scale. Looking at data from 2007 to 2019, the researchers found that the average consumer is consuming 36% more non-nutritive sweeteners in beverages and 9% more sugar in packaged foods.
The amount of sugar that a man’s body can accept is less than nine teaspoons a day, and a woman’s less than six. However, because sugar is added to so many foods and drinks, the average Australian for example consumes over 14 teaspoons a day.
The research showed that in richer, more saturated countries, manufacturers offer less sweet, more “healthy” products, while in poorer countries there is a high concentration of sweeteners. In countries where there are more laws to reduce sugar consumption, there is a significant increase in non-nutritive sweeteners.
Although the effects of sugar consumption are well known, sweeteners are not so innocent either. Despite the lack of dietary energy, recent research has shown that these are also linked to type 2 diabetes, cause heart disease and disrupt the gut microbiome. Quite a few are considered environmental pollutants since they do not dissolve in water. In addition, many foods that do not contain sugar but have sweeteners may be labeled as health food, deceiving the public.
Researchers are urging governments to keep a close eye on the rise of sweeteners in food and drinks, as they could shape our future dietary preferences and human health on a global scale.
