Sugar -vs- sweeteners

[tyred]

In the past few years I've worked on improving my diet and reducing sugar and processed foods and have cut out fizzy drinks, white bread and other things, upped my consumption of fruit, veg, nuts and am pleased to have lost three stone in the process.

A new year has dawned and I look for further improvements. I like baked beans, they are supposed to be healthy and are a convenient Godsend for he who dwells alone. However, I don't eat them so often nowadays as they tend to contain a lot of added sugar.

I was excited when I discovered "no added sugar" beans in my local supermarket (and supermarket own-brand too, so pretty cheap). Instead of sugar, it appears they add artificial sweeteners instead (Saccharrin). Obviously the sugar content is much lower but is it really healthier? I've tried reading some stuff online but nothing I've seen gives a straightforward answer. The full sugar beans taste nicer and my gut instinct would be to go with something natural rather than something artificial but I'm interested in other opinions. Is it worthwhile to buy the sugarfree beans? Probably the healthiest option would be to eat something else instead!

 

[classic33]

Sweetners can be more addictive than sugar. Your body gets the signal that it's just received a dose of sugar, in sweetner form, but the brain recognises the difference, demanding that more be eaten.

You may end up eating more in sweetner form, than you ever did in sugar.

 

[sleuthey]

Surely a bit like the helmet Vs no helmet debate - pros and cons to each option.

If your keeping an eye on your calorie intake and now want to stabilise your weight I would personally have the Normal (higher sugar) beans. Something else will obviously have to give in order to not have too many calories. I say this as I feel better allround after a little sugar (more perky mentally and physically)

 

[raleighnut]

Did someone say beans,

View: https://youtu.be/VPIP9KXdmO0

 

[vickster]

Surely most of the calories in baked beans come from the beans and not the sauce? What’s the actual calorie difference between the two variants? (Edit about 25 for half a tin, hardly going to make a difference)
Are there other brands without artificial sweeteners/additives lower in calories than Heinz?
If your aim is to eat less processed food, you could always make your own baked beans, they won’t taste the same but you’ll know exactly what goes in (which will include some form of sugar but you can control the amount)

 

[johnblack]

I think most of the artificial sweetener is bad for you issues have been either debunked or countered with research at at least the same level of the original piece. I use sweeteners as an alternative, but don't use a lot, so don't have an issue as I'm happier to drop a decent amount of calories for an insignificant drop in taste.
I suppose it comes down to the same old thing, everything in moderation.

 

[Threevok]

I was doing a bit of research into diets recently and I came across quite a few that prohibited sweeteners, but none that prohibited sugar. I can't remember why, but something about them inhibiting weight loss

Mrs V's Zumba instructor (who is qualified in such things) told her not to drink diet fizzy drinks, but the normal sugared ones instead as they were better for her.

She also said the same about butter vs low fat spreads too.

I think cutting your salt intake is more important than sugar intake -assuming you take sugar in moderation.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

You do not eat beans often so it will be neither here nor there. Personally I would stick with sugar. Your body is evolved to deal with sugar but gets confused by saccharin. The latter been around a while, since at least the 70's.

 

[Javabob]

I’ve been having sweetener in tea/coffee. Slowly trying to wean my self off them and have almost given up the fizzy drink too.

 

[tyred]

Thanks to everyone for their replies and thoughts.

I suppose I'm not so much interested in the calories as such; after losing three stone in 2017 my weight is now within the BMI guidelines (for what it's worth) ever since that has remained pretty stable apart from a blip over Christmas, in fact the general trend has been downwards with another few pounds slowly going last year. I'm satisfied my calorie intake is roughly where it should be.

It's just I've been looking more closely at what I have been eating, trying to move it to less processed foods and also a reduction in sugar, white bread, etc as there is a family history of diabetes so I think it may be prudent to reduce sugar. I'm just trying to decide whether it's actually healthier to use foods with artificial sweeteners or just have sugar in limited quantities.

I don't drink tea or coffee and tended to drink a lot of orange or blackcurrant squash which throws up the same question - the "no added sugar" versions have artificial sweeteners (why does fruit juice need sweetened anyway?). It's easy to consume a lot of sugar without even realising it by drinking these things but on the other hand, the artificial sweeteners may actually cause more long-term damage? I guess nobody really knows. I have also seen it suggested that the body cannot tell the difference between the real sugar and the sweeteners and it produces the same spike in insulin levels and the same problems. I don't know if that's true either. In the past week I have just removed this issue entirely by giving up the cordials altogether and drinking plain water, sometimes with half a lime squeezed into it the glass to add some flavour.

And yes, I did look into the possibility of making my own baked beans but it seems a very time-consuming process...

 

[Fab Foodie]

You do not eat beans often so it will be neither here nor there. Personally I would stick with sugar. Your body is evolved to deal with sugar but gets confused by saccharin. The latter been around a while, since at least the 70's.

This^^^^

 

[vickster]

Thanks to everyone for their replies and thoughts.

I suppose I'm not so much interested in the calories as such; after losing three stone in 2017 my weight is now within the BMI guidelines (for what it's worth) ever since that has remained pretty stable apart from a blip over Christmas, in fact the general trend has been downwards with another few pounds slowly going last year. I'm satisfied my calorie intake is roughly where it should be.

It's just I've been looking more closely at what I have been eating, trying to move it to less processed foods and also a reduction in sugar, white bread, etc as there is a family history of diabetes so I think it may be prudent to reduce sugar. I'm just trying to decide whether it's actually healthier to use foods with artificial sweeteners or just have sugar in limited quantities.

I don't drink tea or coffee and tended to drink a lot of orange or blackcurrant squash which throws up the same question - the "no added sugar" versions have artificial sweeteners (why does fruit juice need sweetened anyway?). It's easy to consume a lot of sugar without even realising it by drinking these things but on the other hand, the artificial sweeteners may actually cause more long-term damage? I guess nobody really knows. I have also seen it suggested that the body cannot tell the difference between the real sugar and the sweeteners and it produces the same spike in insulin levels and the same problems. I don't know if that's true either. In the past week I have just removed this issue entirely by giving up the cordials altogether and drinking plain water, sometimes with half a lime squeezed into it the glass to add some flavour.

And yes, I did look into the possibility of making my own baked beans but it seems a very time-consuming process...

Cordial surely isn't fruit juice, or at least not in any great quantity

 

[tyred]

Cordial surely isn't fruit juice, or at least not in any great quantity

Probably not much fruit juice I wouldn't have thought but surely there has to be at least some in it.

Edit: Ribena claim 32% fruit concentrate according to the label on the bottle in my cupboard.

 

[vickster]

Probably not much fruit juice I wouldn't have thought but surely there has to be at least some in it.

It presumabky says on the bottle, unless it's a bargain own brand, in which case I doubt there's much natural stuff in it

 

[tyred]

It presumabky says on the bottle, unless it's a bargain own brand, in which case I doubt there's much natural stuff in it

Ribena claim 32% fruit concentrate.