We increasingly see products on supermarket shelves that are light variants: they contain less sugar, fat or calories compared to the normal variant, but taste (almost) the same. Light products are therefore seen as a healthy alternative, but is this really the case?
Are light products healthy?
A product is officially ‘light’ if it contains 30 percent fewer nutrients than the original product. This means less fat, less sugar or fewer calories. The only requirement is that the packaging states which of these nutrients has been reduced. A light product therefore contains fewer of these nutrients, but to maintain the same taste as the normal variant, other ingredients are increased. This includes alternative sweeteners or starches. For example, a light variety of chips contains less fat, but much more starch. And with diet soft drinks, the sugar is removed, but is replaced with other (chemical) sweeteners. Less healthy than you think.
How does your body react?
As we now know, light products are supplemented with, for example, (chemical) sweeteners and starch. Starch is a cheap filler that is often used in the production of light products. In addition, it is a carbohydrate that your body converts into sugar. This causes peaks and valleys in sugar levels. Sugars give your body a lot of energy in a short time, which causes a high peak. After a while, this peak drops about as low as it went high, making you very tired. This can also increase your need for carbohydrates and fast sugars.
(Chemical) sweeteners are often used when a product contains less or no sugar. The most commonly used sweeteners are xylitol, lactitol, acesulfame and aspartame. These sweeteners are not real sugars, so the body does not recognize them as sugar. As a result, the body cannot process this properly and more insulin is produced. Sweeteners in light products therefore cause an increased insulin level, which is an important cause of obesity. Excess insulin enters the body and is stored as a fat reserve. In addition, you will not get satiated by these sweeteners, and you will continue to crave unhealthy products.
