What I learned in my Organic Chemistry Class!

smit6211
smit6211 Posts: 15
in Food and Nutrition
Ok so you no the "zero calorie" sweeteners? Well if the brand you are using is made from sugar. Like the blue and green packets. It is zero calories in the packet but once it reaches your stomach our bodies naturally convert it back to sugar. So really its not zero calories! It still is less than regular sugar but your still getting calories. Now the pink packet does not do this because it is man made, But I know some people do not like artificial sweeteners.

I just thought I would share what I learned.

Replies

  • ktleeanderson414
    ktleeanderson414 Posts: 6 Member
    weird! but cool!
  • taylor5877
    taylor5877 Posts: 1,792 Member
    The main reason "non-calorie" sweeteners aren't non calorie is that the main ingredient in most packets is maltodextrin which is a complex carbohydrate that actually gets burned almost as fast as a simple sugar.

    The packets actually have 2-3 calories, but labeling laws allow them to say 0.
  • Zenagizmo
    Zenagizmo Posts: 1
    Hi,
    So I use a product called E-Zsweetz...how does that rate ?
    interesting info. you gave Thanks
  • shinjite
    shinjite Posts: 51
    "zero calories" does not mean no calories at all. It means zero calories in the packet you are consuming. Meaning that 1 packet might be 0 cals but 2 packet together might be 1.99 calories because food companies do not count anything lower than a full calories. At least that is what a food scientist I met told me.
  • smit6211
    smit6211 Posts: 15
    Yeah its like the spray butter. I heard the more sprays you use you are actually getting some calories. I do not know how many but that is what I have heard.
  • smit6211
    smit6211 Posts: 15
    @Zenaglzmo:

    It is made from Sucralose, which is artificial. So you should be good. It is only the ones that are made from sugar like they say on the commercials. But as some people mentioned on here depending on how much you use you could be getting some calories, but your body would burn that off cause your body used energy to turn it into some caloric form so that energy your body used more than likely burned those calories off.

    Hope this helps. I am no scientist, yet! Haha but I found it interesting in my class and was thinking thank goodness I use the pink packet.
  • PercivalHackworth
    PercivalHackworth Posts: 1,437 Member
    Well it's just a norm, industry has the right to mention "0 calories" when it produces less than 5 calories, when it's stated 0 calories, means {0-5} calories.

    @taylor5877 : not at all, depends on the sweetener, dextrose is sometime used along the main components (acesulfame K, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, etc...)

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