Stevia, Xylit & Erythrit – Lohnt sich der Zuckerersatz? | Ökochecker SWR

Many people enjoy eating something sweet. Alternative sweeteners are all the rage! But what do they do to the climate, the environment, and our bodies? Eco-checker Katharina takes a closer look! 0:00 Sugar Alternatives Put to the Test 2:00 The Baking Test 8:58 Xylitol, Erythritol, Stevia: How Sugar Alternatives Are Made 14:50 Sugar Alternatives: Natural and Good for the Environment? 16:46 Conclusion Sweet Treats Without Guilt – Sugar Alternatives Are Trending From pastries and specialty coffees to cold drinks: Many people enjoy something sweet at some point during the day. What most people probably know by now is that conventional sugar promotes tooth decay, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. That's why alternative sweeteners are so popular! They promise to be "of natural origin" and "much healthier than sugar"; yes, even to protect teeth from cavities. They are said to contain few to no calories, despite their intense sweetness. We want to know exactly what's behind these alternative sweeteners, where they come from, whether they live up to their promises, and above all: what effect do they have on the climate, the environment, and our bodies? Eco-checker Katharina takes a closer look! SWEETENERS CRITICAL IN TERMS OF CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT The sweetener based on stevia and the sugar substitutes xylitol and erythritol are highly processed and industrially produced sweeteners. Little of their plant origin remains in the final product. Furthermore, all three of these sweeteners are not regional products and are always associated with transportation emissions. The "birch sugar" xylitol and erythritol are not produced in Germany, mostly come from Finland or China, and are sometimes made from genetically modified corn. ORGANIC SEAL IS HELPFUL IN CHOOSING Look for the organic seal; this guarantees that the raw materials come from certified organic farming without pesticides or genetic modification. While steviol glycosides are produced in Germany, the Stevia rebaudiana plant, from which the compounds responsible for the sweet taste are extracted, does not thrive as well in our latitudes. Therefore, it must also be imported. Cultivation in Southern Europe poses less of an environmental problem, while in China, the humid climate necessitates the use of many pesticides. Stevia plants are also available from organic farming. However, processed foods with the organic seal are only permitted to contain erythritol as an additive; steviol glycosides and xylitol are not approved. Further links • DLG – Matthias Saß (2015): Steviol Glycosides – Compact Knowledge DLG Expert Knowledge 14/2015. At: https://www.dlg.org/de/lebensmittel/t... • Consumer Advice Center (2021): Coconut blossom sugar, birch sugar, stevia & Co. are not sensible sugar substitutes. At: https://www.verbraucherzentrale.de/wi... • Prof. Dr. Stephan Martin (2021): Sweetener instead of sugar? Apparently, it does little for weight loss. At: https://www.aerztezeitung.de/Medizin/... • German Medical Journal (2019): Sweet misconception: What are the benefits of artificial sweeteners? At: https://www.aerzteblatt.de/blog/10033... Credits Author: Hanna Messmann Moderator: Katharina Röben Editor (solisTV): Sarah Weihsweiler Editor (SWR): Inga Vennemann Image source: SWR Legal notice, netiquette, and more ► Subscribe to the Marktcheck channel: http://x.swr.de/s/13x1 ► Instagram @oekochecker:   / oekochecker   Ökochecker is produced by SWR ► https://www.swr.de/impressum ► Comments are welcome – but please observe our netiquette: http://www.swr.de/netiquette #Oekochecker #Sustainability #SugarReplacements