Here's Everything To Know About Artificial Sweeteners

The global rate of diabetes is almost 10% globally. In this condition, the glucose levels in the blood reach higher than normal and the Insulin productions become too limited. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for helping the absorption of glucose from the food in the blood. So, when the insulin production in the pancreas takes a toll, that’s when your blood sugar levels start shooting up and you are advised to reduce/completely stop the intake of sugars.

And you stop sugar intake, you need something to help you settle in with the tasteless food. Because we are conditioned to eat sugar and when we don’t eat them we do have trouble eating, that is the point when artificial sweeteners enter your life. Thus, if you are someone who uses artificial sweeteners, then here are some things you must know about them.

How They Work

• Artificial sweeteners are tricky, to understand how they work, we must understand the mechanics that work around the concept of how our body perceives taste when we consume something, particularly 'sweet' in this case.
• According to medical science, our tongue is made up of thousands of taste receptors or taste buds that cover its entire surface. These receptors are solely responsible for detecting different flavours and signalling that taste information to our brain.
• So, when we consume something, as soon as the food molecules interact with our taste buds, the receptors send an electrical signal to the brain, which in turn allows us to identify a particular flavour.

• Now, as far as artificial sweeteners are concerned, they are engineered to replicate sugar molecules. As soon as they interact with the taste buds on the tongue, artificial sweeteners tend to fool our taste receptors into perceiving their taste as sweet because of their genuine similarity to sugar molecules.
• Also, a very small amount of artificial sweeteners is required to trigger an intensely sweet taste which is considered hundreds to a thousand times sweeter when compared to a tablespoon of sugar.
• Because of this fact and comparatively lower amount, our body generally doesn't break them up into calories and they're usually excreted entirely. This is why artificial sweeteners also don't tend to contribute to excessive weight gain or other health-related ailments. Because they're practically calorie-less.

Benefits Of Artificial Sweeteners

• Artificial sweeteners can work like magic for people suffering from diabetic conditions, particularly type 2 diabetes.
• In a diabetic person, the body struggles to generate enough insulin in order to break down sugar and get rid of it.
• Because of this, a large amount of glucose gets build up in the bloodstream which leads to dangerous consequences.
• Consumption of artificial sweeteners allows such a person to experience sweetness but without practically consuming sugar at all. So, replicating artificial sweeteners with real sugar content can seriously help in controlling blood sugar levels significantly, which is way healthier for a diabetic person.
• Now, too much sugar is one major reason for obesity in people. Obesity can lead to numerous health ailments related to the heart and proper functioning of organs.
• Artificial sugar can be an amazing substitute for sugar for people looking forward to shedding some extra kilograms off their bodies but also experience sweet flavour in their favourite foods or drinks at the same time without worrying about weight.

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Side Effects Of Artificial Sweeteners

If consumed in limited quantities, artificial sweeteners may not be harmful to you. But certain studies have found the risk of cancer that they pose on your bladder. Although it hasn’t been scientifically proven that these sweeteners are completely hazardous, they do contain a certain amount for daily consumption, and eating more than that could then lead to serious health conditions. Therefore it is advisable to see a doctor before taking the artificial sweeteners.

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