When you consume ordinary sugar, your blood carries it to your cells, where it either becomes a source of immediate energy or is stored for later use. Sugar can be converted into fatty acids and stored as glycogen or as fat cells. The majority of artificial sweeteners, on the other hand, are manufactured compounds that the human body was not intended to process. That said, some artificial sweeteners cannot be absorbed by human bodies. For instance, sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and xylitol are not absorbed.
The body recognizes the artificial sweetener as a foreign substance or toxin if it is absorbed. Artificial sweeteners flow directly to our liver, bypassing other cells in our body. Similar to how your liver reacts to drinking alcohol, the liver then has to get rid of them.
Advantages of Artificial Sweeteners
- Artificial sweeteners' ability to make food sweeter without actually adding sugar is one of their primary selling features.
- Controlling calories: Sugar substitutes have a lot fewer calories than actual sugar. The majority of them don't actually have zero calories in them, but they do have so little that the labels may say "No Calories" on them.
- A person may be used to consuming sugary foods and beverages before starting a weight-loss program. Artificial sweeteners can act as a "bridge" for those who are transitioning to new dietary habits. It enables people to gradually cut back on sweetened foods and beverages and wean themselves off of actual sugar.
- Patients treating diabetes or pre-diabetes can benefit from artificial sweeteners because they don't alter blood sugar the same way that actual sugar does.
Disadvantages of Artificial Sweeteners
- Numerous research has looked into the potential connection between artificial sweeteners and numerous malignancies and disorders.
- The majority of artificial sweeteners, with the exception of stevia and sugar alcohol, are synthetic substances that don't naturally occur. This shows that the biological capacity of the human body to handle these substances is inadequate.
- Artificial sweeteners might not fulfill your sugar cravings because they aren't actual sugar, which could result in increased sugar cravings. To satiate these urges, this may result in binge eating.