甜味剂是否真的安全又健康？

你喜欢吃甜食吗？你担心糖的摄入量过高吗？你也许听过甜味剂这个东东但对它真的了解吗？甜味剂真的像传说中那样又甜又健康吗？在英国，甜味剂产业估值约为六千万英镑。但甜味剂能有效帮助缓解英国肥胖人数增长的趋势吗？

For many of us, the relationship we have with sugar is love at first taste, and that love usually lasts a lifetime. But what price do we have to pay for this truly addictive, sugary love? Rotten teeth? Heavier bodies? Raised blood sugar levels? Or even type 2 diabetes?

Time to quit perhaps? Easier said than done. What's the alternative? Many would suggest using sweeteners as a substitute. But are sweeteners healthier than sugar?

Sweeteners are usually low-calorie or calorie-free substances that have a similar taste to sugar. It is estimated that more than a quarter of British households buy artificial sweeteners to help cut their sugar intake.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved some of the health claims food manufacturers have made about sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol and sucralose. These include preventing tooth decay and controlling blood sugar levels.

According to the National Health Service in the UK, sweeteners are safe to use and are especially helpful for those who are diabetic. Sioned Quirke, a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association says, "As a dietician, I support and promote the use of sweeteners in cooking and diet." She also says that "There is no evidence to suggest that low-calorie sweeteners, such as saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, are harmful or bad for you."

But many have concerns over the long-term effects caused by using sweeteners.  Dr Robert Lustig, author of 'Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar' would not endorse sweeteners as an alternative to sugar because, "We have a dearth of data". According to Dr Lustig, organisations like EFSA only require studies which test if something will poison a person in a short period of time, otherwise known as acute toxicity studies. But we still don't know what the long-term effects are.

Dietician Emma Carder says on the NHS Choices website, "While more research is needed, sweeteners continue to have a useful role in offering a sweet taste without adding extra calories."