Artificial Sweetening Agents

Artificial sweetening agents are chemicals that sweeten food. Unlike natural sweeteners, they do not increase the body's calorie intake. C. Fahlberg, a student of American scientist Ira Remsen, found the first artificial sweetener in his lab. After creating a commercial synthesis, he filed for a patent in 1885 and called the product saccharin. Compared to sucrose, artificial sweeteners are sweeter and have fewer calories. People with diabetes and those on weight loss diets frequently utilize artificial sweeteners. According to experiments, those who consume significant amounts of artificial sweetness may be endangering their health. The United States and the United Kingdom banned the artificial sweetener Cyclamates in 1970. Examples of artificial sweeteners include alitame, sucrose, aspartame, and saccharin. The following is an explanation of them.

1. Saccharin

Saccharin is a synthetic sweetner. Petroleum and toluene are used to make it. It has no food value and no carbohydrates, yet it is roughly 300 times sweeter than table sugar. Additionally, saccharin leaves a bitter aftertaste. People with diabetes and those on weight loss diets frequently use saccharin as a substitute for sugar. It is manufactured as a liquid, powder, or small tablets. Saccharin is used by manufacturers to make low-calorie soft beverages, sugar-free chewing gum, puddings, jams, jellies, and salad dressings. According to tests, saccharin may occasionally result in cancer. Johns Hopkins University scientist Constantin Fahlberg made the discovery of saccharin in 1879. From 1900 onwards, it has been offered for sale commercially.

2. Aspartame

Aspartame was discovered in 1879. Aspartyl phenylalanine-1-methyl ester is the chemical name of this dipeptide methyl ester. It is frequently used in many different foods and as a tabletop sweetener. It loses its sweetness and breaks down into amino acids when heated, therefore baked foods cannot use it. It is exclusively utilized in cold foods and soft drinks because it becomes unstable at cooking temperatures. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is 100 times sweeter than sugar cane and about 200 times as sweet as sugar. A number of countries including USA and UK have approved its use. Diabetics Patients can use Aspartame.

3. Sucralose

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is a trichloro variant of sucrose. Sucralose is a better alternative to sugar and an artificial sweetener. Since the body cannot break down most of the ingested sucralose, it is noncaloric in nature.

4. Alitame

Alitame is a more stable artificial sweetener than Aspartame. Alitame is 2000 times sweeter than sucrose.