Natural vs. Artificial Sweeteners – Better Bears Foods
Sweet taste is nothing short of an amazing experience. People love the taste of a sweet gummy bear as it hits the tongue and overtakes the palette with a blissful sensation. There are few things as instantly satisfying as the taste of a sweet gummy igniting all of your taste buds in a single serving.
However, not all sweet treats are natural. While Better Bears is committed to providing naturally sweetened gummies, there are brands that inject artificial sweeteners into their products rather than rely on organic natural ingredients to sweeten the experience. Those differences can impact the taste of the gummies, as well as the benefits to your bodily system.
So what are the key differences between natural vs. artificial sweeteners? This post will explain some of the most notable differences and how the impact of natural vs. artificial sweeteners contribute to the overall quality of the products.
What are artificial sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners are one type of a sugar substitute to replace regular sucrose. These sugar substitutes are often available in diners and restaurants as alternatives to standard table sugar, allowing people to sweeten their meals and drinks without ingesting pure sugar into their bodies.
Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes, but they may be obtained from sugar itself or other natural sweeteners. They’re known for being several times more sweeter than standard sugar and, as a synthetic sweetener, they have very few calories compared to natural sweeteners.
What are the types of artificial sweeteners?
Now that we’ve highlighted what artificial sweeteners are and how they function, the next logical question is: what are the types of artificial sweeteners? This is a list of some of the most common sweeteners used by brands.
Saccharin
Saccharin is a commonly used artificial sweetener. It’s known as a zero-calorie substitute for traditional sugars, but it’s also a product that’s up to 700 times sweeter than standard sugar. It also has the ability to withstand high degrees of temperature, which makes it a popular substitute to include when baking.
Aspartame
Aspartame is commonly found in a variety of products, especially diet sodas. Unlike saccharin, aspartame is not able to withstand high temperatures. As a result, it’s most commonly used as a table substitute for sugar and to enrich products like sodas rather than as a supplement for baked goods.
Acesulfame potassium
Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace-K, is an artificial sweetener that’s around 200 times sweeter than natural sugar. Unlike other commonly used artificial sweeteners, acesulfame potassium is known to have a bitter aftertaste that lingers on the taste buds. As a result, it’s often combined with other sweeteners to minimize the bitterness.
Sucralose
Sucralose is a very popular sweetener, often available under the brand name Splenda. It is much sweeter than traditional sugar, but it contains far fewer calories, which helps make it a popular substitute sweetener. It can often be found in chewing gum.
Advantame
Advantame is a relative newcomer in the pool of artificial sweeteners. Tests have suggested that advantame can be used to replace 40% of sugar and have no effect on the overall taste of a product.
Neotame
Neotame, or Newtame, is a low calorie artificial sweetener, but don’t let that sour your thoughts on the taste. It is one of the sweetest sugar substitutes on the market, up to 13,000 times more sweeter than table sugar. It also has a high tolerance for high temperatures, which makes it a very popular sweetener to enhance the taste of baked goods.
Are artificial sweeteners safe?
Artificial sweeteners are generally safe for human consumption. People with healthy immune systems and no underlying medical conditions shouldn’t experience any harm or side effects from consuming artificial sweeteners as part of a healthy diet.
What are natural sweeteners?
Natural sweeteners are healthier versions of sugar that maintain the sweetness of the taste while also providing a healthy dose of supportive benefits. They typically contain traces of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and other remedies that are lacking in both traditional sugars and artificial sweeteners.
However, like artificial sweeteners, natural sweeteners should be consumed in moderation to protect your own health and well-being. Sugar, consumed in excess, is not good for your body so make sure that you control your daily intake.
Examples of natural sweeteners
There are a number of natural sweeteners that are very popular in manufactured products, popular beverages, and even the occasional delicious gummy bear! Among the most common natural sweeteners are:
- Honey
- Dates
- Sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Maple syrup
- Molasses
- Agave nectar
Additionally, many people add Stevia as a natural sweetener to enhance the taste of their favourite treats. Naturally sweetened with real berry and tropical fruit flavours and stevia leaf extract, it’s a very positive alternative to refined sugars.
Each and every one of these sweeteners are commonly used to enrich the taste of a delicious treat while ensuring that people are not overloaded with an excessive sugar intake.
Are all natural sweeteners better?
According to dietician Dr. Anna Taylor, the sweeteners that are best for your health include most of the natural sweeteners listed above. However, the greatest sweetener that she recommends is one found within fresh or frozen fruit. Fruit is rich in sweetness, vitamins, and minerals, but lacks many of the empty calories that are bad for people’s health, which makes it such a popular treat for health conscious consumers.
Natural sweeteners used by Better Bears
Better Bears are gummy candy that are plant-based, naturally-sweetened and that are low in calories. Without compromising in taste or texture, choosing Better Bears over traditional gelatin and sugar-based gummy candy is part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle for all kinds of people. With only 50 calories per bag, Better Bears are the ultimate snack food.
At Better Bears, we stand for naturally sweetened gummies so that you have zero guilt for consuming them. Eat and enjoy!
