Nutritional sweetener means that when a certain sweetener has the same sweetness as sucrose, its calorific value is more than 2% of the caloric value of sucrose. Non-nutritive sweeteners are defined as having a calorific value lower than 2% of the caloric value of sucrose.
Natural non-nutritive sweeteners have received increasing attention and are the development trend of sweeteners. WHO pointed out that more than 50 million people with diabetes have reached more than one-quarter of Americans who require low-calorie foods. Among sucrose substitutes, aspartame is mainly used in the United States, which accounts for more than 90%, while Japan is dominated by steviol glycosides, and Europeans are more interested in AK sugar (acesulfame K). These three non-nutritive sweeteners can be used in China.
From the perspective of market demand and research on sweeteners, the development trend of sweeteners mainly has two aspects: [7]
High sweetness sweetener
High-sweetness sweeteners have the advantages of high sweetness, low calories, less caries, high safety, etc., and most of these sweeteners are non-sugar substances, which are not controlled by insulin during the metabolic process and will not cause obesity And blood pressure rise, suitable for diabetes and obesity patients as a sweet substitute.
Functional sweetener
Functional sweeteners (mainly oligosaccharides at this stage) not only have the characteristics of low calorie, high stability, safety and non-toxicity, but also have the unique function of promoting the reproduction of probiotics and inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria. The physiological functions of functional oligosaccharides currently confirmed mainly include the following aspects:
1. It is not easy to be absorbed by the human body, and provides very low or no calories, and can be used for diabetics, obesity patients and hyperglycemia patients.
2. Activate bifidobacteria in the intestines and promote their growth. Functional oligosaccharides are the proliferation factors of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract, and the most obvious proliferation target is bifidobacteria. Human trials have shown that certain functional oligosaccharides, such as isomalto-oligosaccharides, are used by bifidobacteria and certain lactic acid bacteria in the large intestine after being ingested into the human body, while the harmful intestinal bacterium Perfringens and Clostridium spoilage Bacteria cannot be used because the surface of bifidobacteria has oligosaccharide receptors, and many oligosaccharides are effective bifidus factors.
3. It will not cause tooth decay, which is good for maintaining oral hygiene.
4. It has some physiological functions of dietary fiber, such as lowering serum cholesterol and preventing colon cancer.
