From cola and cider to soju and ice cream, a 'zero (0) sugar' craze is sweeping the market. These are low-sugar products with alternative sweeteners like allulose instead of sugar. They are sweet but have lower calorie burdens, gaining great popularity as the number of diabetes patients has increased recently.
According to the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA), the number of diabetes patients in the country rose from 3.23 million in 2019 to 3.83 million in 2023, an increase of 19%. Many are also seeking to manage their weight. Market research firm Fortune Business Insights predicts that the global alternative sugar market will grow from $88.9 billion (122 trillion won) in 2024 to $131.1 billion (179 trillion won).
The medical community expresses concern that while alternative sweeteners are better than sugar, they can still be harmful to health if consumed excessively. Just because a product is labeled as zero doesn’t mean it has zero calories or no carbohydrates at all. Instead, they advise that changing dietary habits to seek less sweetness is a sure way to protect health.
◇Sweetness higher than sugar, with nearly 0 calories
In the past, fructose was used to create sweetness. Fructose, a simple sugar found in fruits and honey, is easily absorbed by the body, raising blood sugar levels. Overconsumption can lead to diabetes or weight gain. Unlike fructose, alternative sweeteners are not easily absorbed by the body and are excreted through urine, resulting in a lower calorie burden.
At one time, aspartame was widely used as an artificial sweetener. Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar but has almost no calories. However, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization (WHO), designated aspartame as a carcinogen in 2023, leading to controversy. Although the WHO’s Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives stated that it was safe to consume less than 40 mg per kg of body weight per day, there is a general reluctance to use aspartame.
Food companies are using sweeteners extracted from plants, such as allulose and stevia. Allulose is derived from figs and raisins, providing 70% of the sweetness of sugar but with only 10% of the calories. Stevia is extracted from asteraceae plants and is 300 to 900 times sweeter than sugar. Samyang Corporation uses allulose in its hangover remedy Refreshing Zero.
There is also sucralose, which alters some components of sugar. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar but is almost not used by the body for energy, thus considered to have 0 calories. Sucralose is usually used together with the artificial sweetener acesulfame potassium. The health functional food Highmun Protein Balance Active Zero from Ildong Foodis uses allulose, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. Hyundai Pharm's Miello Fiber Sparkling Zero contains sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
◇“Products with alternative sweeteners are not necessarily healthy.”
Just because a product is low in sugar does not mean you can eat it without concern. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency stated, "When using alternative sweeteners, it is important to consume within the daily allowable limits." For example, an adult weighing 60 kg can consume up to 900 mg of acesulfame potassium per day.
Also, while low-sugar products can suppress blood sugar spikes, they do not lower blood sugar. Professor Song Gi-ho from the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department at Konkuk University Hospital noted, "Drinking zero-calorie beverages is better than drinking regular carbonated drinks, but it does not improve blood sugar levels" and emphasized, "It is important to manage diet and exercise regularly."
There has also been controversy regarding alternative sweeteners replacing sugar, questioning their health benefits. The WHO recommended in its 2023 guidelines on non-sugar sweeteners that consumption of products containing artificial sweeteners for weight loss should be stopped. A review of 283 recent studies found that long-term consumption of alternative sweeteners increased the risk of type 2 diabetes and stroke.
The International Sweeteners Association responded that "(non-sugar sweeteners) help in obesity and diabetes management." The scientific community remains divided over the WHO guidelines. Experts agree that while consuming alternative sweeteners is better than sugar, it is preferable to avoid sweetness altogether.
Experts advise that managing blood sugar can be better achieved by changing sweet preferences and consuming enough dietary fiber. Dietary fiber slows the absorption of food in the intestines, preventing rapid spikes in blood sugar.
Zero sugar does not mean there is no sugar at all. Currently, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety allows products to be labeled as sugar-free if they contain fewer than 5 grams of sugar per 100 grams. This labeling method will change next year. Considering that products emphasizing zero sugar may mislead consumers into thinking they are less sweet and lower in calories, the Ministry will change its labeling practices next year to include how much sweetener is present, such as 'Zero sugar (contains sweetener, OO calories).'