Making life easier for the overweight
Dieting and fasting have failed in the fight against excess weight. The stricter the diet, the greater the response of the metabolism when normal eating patterns are resumed - the body stores extra fat against the 'lean' times ahead, and the dreaded yo-yo effect has begun.
Nobody - least of all people with a sweet tooth - can go without their favourite foods indefinitely. And nor should they, for the more you do without something the greater the craving for it becomes. You should allow yourself your favourite foods now and again and make a deliberate point of enjoying them. However, those who want to treat themselves to sweet foods rather too often and those who really do not like the taste of unsweetened tea or coffee should take advantage of the help offered by sweeteners.
How do sweeteners protect the teeth?
The most widespread disease caused by civilisation is caries. Even during childhood and the teens, major damage is caused to the teeth by inadequate cleaning and eating the wrong foods.
Sugar and starchy foods are a danger to dental enamel. In order to guard against caries and periodontitis, switching to sweeteners is recommended. They contain no carbohydrates and therefore cannot attack the teeth.
However, sweeteners are no substitute for regular cleaning and dental check-ups.
Can sweeteners play a part in the successful control of diabetes?
Both sweeteners and sugar substitutes are of particular benefit to people with diabetes since, in contrast to sugar, they do not affect insulin metabolism. Sweeteners have the additional advantage of reducing calorie intake even further because they, unlike sugar substitutes, play no part whatsoever in energy balance. People with diabetes are frequently overweight and need to lose a few pounds. Therefore sweeteners are often the better option for them.
