Characteristics of sweeteners used in foods and their effects on human health

Foodstuffs containing large amounts of sucrose, which is rapidly absorbed by the human body, cause a marked increase in blood glucose levels; for some people, especially those with diabetes, this is undesirable. Therefore, efforts were undertaken to produce food with a reduced calorie content, but maintaining a sweet taste. Additionally, food producers were interested in cutting costs by replacing sugar with a cheaper alternative. Saccharin, one of the first synthetic sweeteners, was discovered in the USA in the 2nd half of the 19th century. Subsequently, other sugar substitutes were developed: synthetic (e.g. aspartame or acesulfame K), semi-synthetic (xylitol, mannitol), or polyols.

The latter were used during the First and Second World War to increase the calorific content of the available food. Nowadays, the advancing obesity epidemic has resulted in the increasing popularity of synthetic and semi-synthetic sweeteners. However, from the beginning of their existence there have been controversies regarding their safety and impact on health. There have been many studies on individual sweeteners, specifying any adverse or side effects. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to summarizes the characteristics of the most popular sweeteners and their effects on human health.