The preference for sweet is innate to us humans and we do not like to give up this taste experience. However, fruit cakes, desserts, etc. have the major disadvantage that they are very high in calories. The sweeteners that can be used as alternative sweeteners are: Acesulfame, aspartame, cyclamate, neohesperidin DC, saccharin and thaumatin.
Advantages of sweeteners over sugar
Sweeteners have (virtually) no calories, or their calories are negligible due to their high sweetening power. Here they offer a decisive advantage over household sugar, as calorie savings and weight reduction play a significant role for many people. The sweetening power of sweeteners is also considerably higher than that of sugar (35-2000 times). Therefore, only very small amounts are needed to sweeten food. Sweetener does not ferment even at less than optimal temperatures. Thus, sweetened foods are more durable and hygienic than sugar-sweetened foods. Sweeteners cannot be fermented by oral bacteria to form acids, which then attack the teeth (no cariogenic effect). Sweeteners have no effect on appetite. Insulin and blood sugar levels also do not change after eating sweeteners.
Saccharin
The oldest sweetener on the German market is saccharin. It is 550 times sweeter than sugar. Saccharin is very stable and can be stored well and is excellent for cooking and baking. Saccharin is slowly absorbed by the human organism, but is not utilized and is excreted unchanged. In combination with other sweeteners, saccharin has a synergistic effect, i.e. these sweetener combinations are sweeter than the sum of the individual sweeteners.
Cyclamate
Cyclamates were discovered by accident in 1937. With a sweetening power about 35 times higher than sugar, it has the lowest sweetening power among sweeteners. Cyclamate finds wide application in foods and beverages, especially in combination with saccharin, due to its good stability, cooking and baking properties. The synergistic effect also applies to cyclamate.
Aspartame
Aspartame is composed of two amino acids, L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. One gram of aspartame contains 4 calories. However, due to its high sweetening power – about 200 times sweeter than the equivalent amount of sugar – these calories do not matter. Aspartame loses its sweetening power when exposed to heat for a long time and is therefore not suitable for cooking and baking. All products sweetened with aspartame must bear the words contains phenylalanine on the label. This is a warning to people who suffer from the metabolic disorder phenylketunorie.
Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame tastes 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is also a component of sweetener blends. Acesulfem-K is heat resistant and can therefore be used for cooking and baking.
Thaumatin
Thaumatin is a low-calorie sweetener derived from the West African catem fruit. Thaumatin has a flavor-enhancing and flavor-enhancing effect. Since it has a very high sweetening power (about 2000 – 3000 times sweeter than sugar), its energy content (4 kcal per g) can be neglected. Neohesperidin DC is extracted from citrus fruits and is a calorie-free sweetener that is about 400 – 600 times sweeter than sugar. Like thaumatin, neohesperidin DC has a flavor-enhancing effect.
Tips on how to use sweeteners
Sweeteners are commercially available in the form of tablets, liquid sweeteners and sprinkle sweeteners:
- One sweetener tablet is usually equivalent to one teaspoon of sugar; one teaspoon of liquid sweetener sweetens as intensely as four heaping tablespoons of sugar.
- Tablets are suitable for sweetening for all hot liquids.
- Liquid sweetener is used in cold drinks, cold milk dishes, cereals, fruit salad, cottage cheese, jams and co, dressings, marinades and pastries.
- Sprinkle sweeteners are ideal for sprinkling fruit and fruit cakes, waffles, desserts – but of course also for calorie-saving baking.
In baking, liquid sweeteners have the disadvantage that they do not achieve the binding effect and volume of sugar and sugar substitutes due to their low mass. Yeast, kneaded and choux pastry doughs can be made with sweetener without any problems; however, for sponge and sponge doughs, it is recommended to replace part of the sweetener with sugar. The sweetener spreads better if it is stirred into a liquid (e.g., egg, milk, yogurt) and then added to the cake batter.
| Sugar | Sweeteners | Sugar alcohols | Sugar alcohols | |
| Energy intake (kcal/g) | 4 | none | 2,4 | 4 |
| Sweetness factor | 1 | 30-30.000 | 0,5 | 1,2 |
| Influence on insulin level | Strongly | none | low | low |
| Influence on the digestive system | neutral | none | may have a laxative effect | neutral |