Which option is healthier: sugar or artificial sweeteners?

Both sugar and artificial sweeteners are used to sweeten dishes and recipes. They are also widely used by the food industry and are found in many processed products. In some cases that is very obvious, such as in soft drinks or pastries. However, they are also present in other products that we would never think of, such as boiled ham, sliced bread or sugar-free biscuits. 

Examining sugar 

Sugar is currently one of the most feared foods, but is it really that bad? 

Sucrose, widely used as granulated sugar, is a disaccharide. This is a type of carbohydrate that is made up of two molecules (monosaccharides). Sucrose, for example, contains one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule.  

Sugar consumption is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes, as well as higher blood triglyceride levels and elevated blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease. In addition, there is extensive research pointing to correlation between consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (soft drinks) and obesity.  

There are many myths about sugar, such as that it is necessary for our brains or that children need sugar to grow. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our body does not need sucralose or added sugars in food products. What it does need are the sugars (carbohydrates) naturally present in foods such as fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, etc. 

In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends reducing sugar consumption to 5% of daily calorie intake. This includes sugar added by the manufacturer, the cook and/or the consumer.  

What about artificial sweeteners? 

Some of the best-known artificial sweeteners are saccharin, aspartame, erythritol, sucralose, etc. They are found in many food products labelled 0% sugar or sugar-free, such as sugar-free jellies, yoghurts, biscuits, nougat, chocolate, etc. 

The main difference with sugar is that artificial sweeteners are acaloric (they do not provide calories). For this reason, they are often used in weight loss diets. However, they also have their shortcomings. On the negative side, the consumption of artificial sweeteners has been linked to imbalances in gut microbiota. In addition, their sweetening power is greater than that of sugar and, as a result, tastebuds become attuned to even sweeter tastes.  

Sugar or artificial sweeteners?

In short, a healthy diet should be based on the consumption of real (unprocessed) foods. It is therefore necessary to minimise the intake of ultraprocessed foods, which often contain added sugar or other sweeteners. Occasional consumption of these products isn’t necessarily harmful for your health. The real concern is when these products are consumed daily, even if you are under the impression that they are healthy choices.  

Therefore, on a day-to-day basis, choosing to sweeten coffee with sugar or an artificial sweetener will not make that much of a difference. However, avoiding artificial sweeteners is recommended for those who have gastrointestinal problems or are particularly sensitive.