It’s well over 80 years old, just 2.2 centimeters tall and consists mainly of glucose syrup, sugar and gelatin. It is so popular that every German eats three kilos of them a year – we are talking about the gummy bear. The advertising promises: no fat! But they still make you fat, the popular fruit gums. We reveal what they contain and why even fat-free sweets should only be eaten in moderation.
Fruit gum makes fat
Sweets are popular with children and adults alike and are occasionally snacked on in quite large quantities. Ice cream, cookies, chocolate or snacks for breaks, they all contain not exactly little fat and sugar (carbohydrates). Their consumption is often associated with an increased risk of diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
Fruit gums, which include gummy bears, wine gums and jelly fruits, are distinguished from other sweets by the fact that they contain virtually no fat, but mainly sugar. Some manufacturers therefore advertise with slogans suggesting that fruit gums are suitable for weight loss or make it easier.
On the other hand, it is often claimed that it is precisely sugar that makes people fat. This is precisely what the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has been looking into.
Ingredients of fruit gums
Fruit jelly consists mainly of glucose syrup and sugar, and partly of dextrose, modified starch and/or gelatin and acidulants. The energy content of fruit gums ranges from 300 to 400 kilocalories per 100 grams, depending on the ingredients. One bag of them (300 grams) contains the equivalent of 78 pieces of sugar cubes.
The BfR now believes that it is not the amount of fat, protein and carbohydrates that is decisive for the risk of weight gain, but the overall energy balance. “If you hardly move, you consume little energy and quickly get into a positive energy balance if your energy intake is high at the same time.” In plain language: if you supply your body with more energy through food than it can consume, you gain weight.
Thus, the BfR does not see any special risk for fruit gums, because fruit gums have similarly high energy contents as other confectionery. The risk of gaining weight by unlimited snacking on fruit gums is therefore just as great as with other confectionery. However, the BfR points out that advertising claims such as “without fat” are superfluous and mislead consumers.
