2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
In recent years, there has been a real paranoia about the harm that white sugar causes. That is why more and more people rely on foods with artificial sweeteners, believing that they are both sweet and healthy. But is this really the case?
Gradually, the curtain began to fall around some of the most widely used sweeteners, and the information is shocking to say the least. Another sweetener that arouses conflicting opinions is acesulfame K.
Most of the foods that people consume daily are sweetened with artificial sweeteners. One of the most commonly used sweeteners is acesulfame K, also known as E950. Acesulfame K was discovered quite by accident by the German chemist Karl Klaus in the distant 1967.
In 1988 acesulfame K is approved as a substitute for sugar. It is allowed for use in various foods, chewing gum, powders for instant drinks and many others. It is a low-calorie sweetener that is very common in combination with the well-known aspartame.
Sources of acesulfame K
As we mentioned, acesulfame K is used in the production of carbonated beverages, sweets, chewing gum. It is widely mixed with aspartame in soft drinks. Contained in gelatin desserts.
Acesulfame K leaves a very specific bitter taste in the mouth for some time after consumption. Therefore, in products that contain it, manufacturers add sodium ferrulate, which masks this taste. Acesulfame is not absorbed by the body.
Harms from acesulfame K
It's considered that acesulfame K is one of the closest cousins of aspartame, and the damage from the latter is numerous. According to some experts, acesulfame K can cause tumors of the mammary glands, lungs, leukemia and rare tumors.
Some animal studies show that acesulfame K repeatedly stimulates insulin secretion, causing an attack of low blood sugar.
Experiments with acetoacetamide (a decayed product of acesulfame) have shown that it causes very rapid development of benign thyroid tumors in rats.
Acesulfame K is 200 times sweeter than sugar. By comparison, it is about as sweet as aspartame; half sweet compared to saccharin and has ¼ of the sweetness of sucralose.
Like cyclamate, aspartame and saccharin, it is not absorbed by the body and is rapidly excreted.
The methyl ether contained in acesulfame impairs the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Aspartic acid in it has a stimulating effect on the nervous system and over time can lead to addiction.
Products that contain acesulfame K, not recommended for children, pregnant and lactating women.
Critics of acesulfame K point to insufficient research on a possible carcinogenic effect, while its proponents point to the lack of data on side effects as the main evidence of the safety of the sweetener.
Daily doses of acesulfame K
The safe daily dose is considered to be no more than 1 g per day. Among the several advantages of the sweetener are the fact that it is non-caloric, has a long shelf life and does not cause allergic reactions.
