Are "light" products effective?

The success of "light" products continues to grow. Today, lightweight fit into all the rays, salty or sweet cakes, chocolate, chewing gum, butter, margarine, cooked dish, snack, etc. Why? Are they effective?


The paradox of light products

Two opposite trends developed in parallel. One is the popularity of low-fat products, attracted by lower energy requirements due to physical inactivity and the "ideal slimming." The other is the ongoing provisioning of food becoming richer and more fat and sweet promoting caloric consumption. Thus man has sought alternatives to high-calorie products that meet new consumer trends: sweet, snack, creaminess lipid textures, etc. Here the "light" products could match the urge to power subtract calories without giving up the pleasure.

The light in sugar and fat

In practice, there are two types of relief: relief in fat and sugar reduction. To reduce the consumption of sugar (sucrose), while preserving the sweet taste, recourse to intense sweeteners: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame and polyols. Once incorporated into food products, they are called "light". Furthermore, intense sweeteners are sold in tablet or powder to yourself sweeten your food, drinks, your desserts. Concerning relief in fat, we can subtract fat, as is the case with dairy products (skimmed or partially skimmed), making sauces low fat or lighten the butter and margarine. But we can also replace fat with a substance mimicking the creamy texture of lipids. This is the case of certain derivatives of dietary fiber (derived from tapioca, corn, gums or algae), sucrose polyesters and olestra.

Are light products beneficial?

The answer is disappointing. No study to say that they prolong life expectancy, decrease the risk of cancer or avoid vascular or cardiac events. Similarly, it is not proven that they allow to lose weight or control their weight long term. In theory, they should facilitate the introduction of low-calorie diets. But only if actually subtract the calories. That is to say that you should not eat a cake in addition because it is light, but eating a diet cake instead of a normal cake. Do not eat more light, but the light at the normal site. Examples: replace six pieces of sugar a day in your coffee or tea with sweeteners removes 120 calories from your daily energy intake; replace butter 30g (216 cal) by light butter 30g (108 cal) saves 108 calories; but replacing chocolate 10g (54 cal) reduced by 10g chocolate (50 cal) spares only 4 calories.

Some clinical trials in obese and normal weight subjects show that reducing fat is effective because not compensated, and that actually helps lower energy intake and weight loss. But in real life, it is not certain that taking these diet products is not offset by increased consumption of other products. This phenomenon is found with sweeteners. And then remains the question of subsisting profits.

In conclusion, what we can remember is that the only diet products are not a quick fix. Used judiciously, they can assist in monitoring a decrease in weight program, including physical activity and balanced diet, but not conclusively proven. About to people who pay attention to their line, they can reap the benefits, provided not to use these products as an excuse to eat more.