Maltitol is a common sugar substitute in sugar-free foods
It is widely favored by young people because of its low energy
But why does it cause diarrhea?
Can low-sugar foods made from sugar substitutes be eaten with confidence?
The Yangtze River Daily reporter asked for advice on this
Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University
Deputy Director of the Department of Endocrinology
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There are so many kinds of "delicious sugar"
Love of sugar, inscribed in human genes
Substitute analysis, after eating carbohydrates, decomposed into glucose in the intestine, absorbed into blood, to provide energy for the human body, excess glucose is converted into fat, becoming the body's "reserve", which is very valuable to ancient humans who lacked a stable food source. Therefore, when sugar is ingested, the human brain will begin to secrete dopamine, which makes people feel happy, so as to continue to ingest sugar and increase fat reserves.
Ancient humans mainly ingested more complex sugar substances, most of which occurred naturally in nature. However, modern people take in more simple structures and more easily digestible carbohydrates, including: glucose in carbohydrates such as polished rice and white noodles; fructose in fruits, honey and high-fructose corn syrup; sucrose extracted from sugar cane; lactose contained in milk.
With the development of the food industry, all kinds of artificially synthesized sugar substitutes have gradually become a commonly used sweet additive in the food industry.
Sugar substitutes are also safe for use as prescribed
What is the problem of diarrhea caused by mooncakes?
Only a little sugar substitute is added to get a sweetness similar to sucrose and fructose, but with less energy. For modern people who have improved living standards and need to control fat reserves, "sugar-free food" made using sugar substitutes is a more suitable choice.
In supermarkets, there are special sugar-free food counters that sell snacks and drinks with added sugar substitutes; in cake shops, some pastries are made of sugar substitutes; in some milk tea shops, you can also choose to make drinks with sugar substitutes.
"Whether I'm buying a drink or a snack, I prefer sugar-free or low-sugar foods. I have always thought that this kind of food is healthier, but I did not expect that it would cause diarrhea and leave hidden dangers. Citizen Ms. Liu said. In response to such questions, Zhihu responded that ignoring the maltitol used as an alternative to sucrose may cause some people to become intolerant.
Daizhe said that the addition of substitute sugar in strict accordance with the standard range stipulated by the state is in line with food safety. However, people with sensitive constitutions should pay attention to controlling their intake.
Maltose is a sugar alcohol, and other sugar alcohols, a small amount of consumption has basically no effect on blood sugar, but it is not suitable for a large amount of consumption, it is generally recommended to eat less than 100 grams in a short period of time, eating more may cause diarrhea.
Maltitol can only be partially digested in the human body and the absorption rate is extremely low, which is easy to cause the osmotic pressure in the large intestine to rise, resulting in water being easily absorbed by the intestine. If excessive intake, it will cause stomach cramps and bloating, and gastrointestinal discomfort such as bowel sounds and diarrhea.
The tolerance of several sugar alcohol substitutes is high to low: erythritol> xylitol> maltitol> sorbitol
According to the husk, not only does maltitol cause diarrhea, but also xylitol, erythritol, and sorbitol. However, the thresholds at which they cause diarrhea vary, some high and some low. Erythritol, which is common in sugar-free beverages, is the one that is least likely to cause diarrhea; erythritol in each bottle of drink is also below the diarrhea threshold.
Sugar substitute foods do not equal healthy foods
Can't "eat and drink openly"
In order to reduce the intake of sugar, humans have studied sugar substitutes. But from a professional point of view, eating multiple generations of sugar also has health effects. Sugar-free foods cannot be "eaten and drunk openly.".
Eating multiple sugar substitutes may cause flatulence or diarrhea; foods made with sugar substitutes will also make people mistakenly think that they will not gain weight, and as a result, they will eat a lot, but increase their food intake, leaving the hidden danger of gaining weight.
Sugar-free foods can also make people more "obsessed" with sugar. The brain is accustomed to the stimulation of high concentrations of sweeteners, which makes people want to eat more, sweeter foods.
In addition, there is also literature that eating sugar-free foods also affects insulin and hormone secretion, disrupts the balance of the intestinal flora, and increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
"Whether it is 'sugar' or sugar substitutes, it is not advisable to eat more." Dai Zhe reminds that low-sugar mooncakes, low-sugar snacks, low-sugar drinks and other sugar substitute foods cannot be eaten and drunk because they are "sugar-free".
Bright sweet is easy to hide, dark sugar is difficult to defend
These daily foods are big "hidden sugar" households
And some common foods in life, we must also pay attention to controlling intake.
For example, cereal cereals, bread, snacks, drinks, yogurt and other dairy products, biscuits, seasonings and sauces, dried fruits and other fruit processing snacks and desserts, etc., are all large households full of "hidden sugar", these foods contain high carbohydrate levels, easy to cause blood sugar, blood lipids, blood uric acid and other metabolic abnormalities and obesity.
Dai Zhe suggested that from the perspective of dietary choices, it is best to follow the dietary pagoda recommended by the "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents", distribute staple foods, vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs and milk in a balanced manner, and minimize the intake of processed foods, "this is the king of health."
Reporter | Wang Chunlan correspondent | Li Han
Source: Wuhan Evening News