Sugar substitutes

Erythritol

Main article: Erythritol

Brazzein

Main article: Brazzein

2025: Sugar substitutes accelerate cognitive decline

Some sugar substitutes can negatively affect long-term brain health and accelerate cognitive decline. A study of seven low-calorie and non-calorie sweeteners found that people with the highest intake levels showed faster impairment of thinking ability and memory compared to those who consumed minimal amounts. Study author Claudia Kime Suemoto, MD, PhD, of the University of São Paulo in Brazil, presented the findings on September 3, 2025.

The study is published in the journal Neurology and covered 12,772 Brazilian adults with an average age of 52. Participants were followed for eight years to track changes in cognitive function. The association between consumption of artificial sweeteners and decreased brain activity was found to be particularly pronounced in people with diabetes.

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Фото: Freepik

The study examined seven artificial sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol and tagatose. These substances are predominantly found in ultra-processed products including flavored water, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, yogurts and low-calorie desserts.

Participants completed nutrition questionnaires at the start of the study, detailing the foods and beverages consumed over the previous year. The researchers divided them into three groups based on the total amount of artificial sweeteners consumed. The group with the minimum intake consumed an average of 20 milligrams per day, and the group with the maximum intake consumed 191 milligrams per day.

For aspartame, this amount is equivalent to one jar of dietary soda. Sorbitol showed the highest intake level with an average of 64 milligrams per day among all sweeteners studied.

Participants were given cognitive tests at the start, middle and end of the study to track memory, language skills and thinking abilities. Testing included assessment of verbal fluency, working memory, recall of words, and speed of information processing.^[1]

2024

Sales of girasol syrup, which replaces sugar in drinks and baked goods, in Russia for the year increased by 19% and reached 2.25 thousand tons

Sales of girasol syrup in Russia in 2024 increased by 19% and reached 2.25 thousand tons. This was announced by the analytical company BusinesStat in October 2025.

For the period from 2020 to 2024, sales of girasol syrup in Russia increased by 50% - from 1.5 thousand to 2.25 thousand tons. The company prepared "Analysis of the girasol syrup market in Russia." Sales grew by an average of 11% annually. The main increase occurred in 2023-2024 - from 11% to 19% per year.

Girasol syrup is used mainly as a natural sweetener. Against the background of the global and domestic Russian trend towards a healthy lifestyle and the desire to control their diet, syrup is positioned as a healthier analogue of sugar and honey. Consumers pay attention to the composition of products and choose natural substitutes for traditional sweeteners.

Analysts highlighted several competitive advantages of girasol syrup. The product contains inulin - a prebiotic that does not dissolve in the upper gastrointestinal tract and is absorbed only partially by the body. In girasol, the content of inulin is one of the highest - up to 70% of the dry matter of tubers.

Syrup has a low glycemic index. The higher this indicator, the faster the carbohydrates from the product are absorbed and the more they increase blood sugar levels. The glycemic index of girasol syrups is 10 to 15 units. For comparison, the glycemic sugar index reaches 65 units, honey - 50-60 units. Among the most common sweeteners and sugar substitutes, the index is lower only in stevia and erythritol.

The calorie content of girasol syrup is lower than most other sweeteners. The average calorie content of girasol syrups per 100 grams of mass is 200-205 kilocalories. The average calorie content of sugar reaches about 400 kilocalories. Honey and agave syrup contain 300-350 kilocalories. Coconut sugar has a calorie content of 350-400 kilocalories.^[2]

Cancer, DNA destruction. WHO warned of the dangers of soft drinks with sugar substitutes

Regular consumption of sugar-free soft drinks in the long term can result in health problems, including the development of certain types of malignancies. This is stated in the study, the results of which TAdviser got acquainted with in early August 2024.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that adults and children reduce their daily consumption of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy consumption. Further reduction to less than 5% or about 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day will provide additional health benefits. Against this background, many people around the world choose dietary soft drinks, which taste similar to ordinary ones, but are sugar-free. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharin and sucralose may be used instead.

However, research suggests that people who regularly consume dietary soft drinks are more likely to develop certain metabolic diseases, including diabetes and heart disease. WHO notes that based on the available evidence for human cancer (namely hepatocellular carcinoma, a type of liver cancer), the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified aspartame as possibly a human carcinogenic sweetener.

However, biologist Tracy Schafer from the University of Florida claims that the human body is not able to break down sucralose. Some studies also suggest that artificial sweeteners have effects on the intestinal microflora and even provoke DNA damage inside cells. Consumption of dietary soft drinks has also been linked to liver disease and tooth erosion.^[3]

2023

WHO recognizes Coca-Cola sweetener as cancer-causing carcinogen

On July 14, 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the Joint Committee of Experts on Food Additives (OCEPD) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) released the results of a study according to which the sweetener from Coca-Cola is recognized as a carcinogen causing the development of malignancies. Read more here.

WHO - Sugar substitutes increase stroke risk by 19%

On May 15, 2023, the World Health Organization (WHO) published the results of a study on the consumption of sugar substitutes. Experts came to the conclusion that artificial sweeteners can harm health, increasing, among other things, the risk of stroke and death.

It is said that the use of sugar substitutes in order to control body weight is inappropriate. Scientists, conducting a systematic review of the available data, found that the use of artificial sweeteners instead of sugar does not provide any advantages in the long term in terms of reducing fat deposits in adults or children.

Artificial sweeteners can harm health, increasing the risk of stroke and death, among other things

The authors of the report emphasize that daily artificial sweeteners are consumed by millions of people around the world - in products such as diet soda. Among the most common substances are named acesulfame K, aspartame, advants, cyclamates, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia and stevia derivatives. However, the accumulated data show that sugar substitutes increase the risk of stroke by 19%, the development of cardiovascular diseases - by 32%, manifestations of hypertension - by 13%. However, there is no association between the use of artificial sweeteners and malignant formations.

In general, as noted in the study, people who want to reduce their consumption of free sugars need to consider alternative options, for example, eating more fruits or, if possible, excluding sugary foods and drinks from the diet. However, this recommendation does not apply to persons with diabetes mellitus. In addition, we are not talking about artificial sweeteners in medicines and personal hygiene products, such as toothpaste, skin creams, etc.^[4]

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