Endocrinologist Zukhra Pavlova said that stevia is most similar in taste to sugar. This is the “opinion” of the brain.”
The doctor cites the results of a study in which experts compared the body's reaction to regular sugar and sweeteners in about 150 mice. We are talking about xylitol, glycyrrhizin, mogroside and stevia. Conclusions were made based on cellular calcium levels and neuronal activity in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus.
—The brain's reactions to stevia and sugar turned out to be as similar as possible. This suggests that stevia could potentially be the most beneficial sweetener for the brain, Pavlova wrote in her blog.
Stevia is a natural sweetener that is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, but has absolutely no calories. It has a pronounced specific aftertaste, which some characterize as unpleasant.
More about the research that Pavlova writes about.
Researchers from Shanghai University of Science and Technology (China), Henan University of Technology (China), Chinese Academy of Sciences, The University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Guangzhou Southern Medical University (China) compared how the brains of mice react to different sweeteners. The scientific article was published by the journal Neuroscience Research.
The experiment involved 150 eight-week-old mice, which were divided into six groups of 25 each. Mice in the control group were fed a combination of different sweeteners, while the others were fed sugar, stevia, xylitol, glycyrrhizin or mogroside.
More about sweeteners.
Yes two main types of sweeteners: natural (or those that participate in metabolic processes) and synthetic. Natural ones include fructose, sorbitol, erythritol and stevia. Synthetic ones include sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate and acesulfame K.
Natural ones contain calories, but compared to sugar, they are absorbed more slowly and do not cause a surge in insulin in the blood. Synthetic ones have zero calorie content and are completely eliminated from the body.
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Important! Information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Zukhra Pavlova Medicine endocrinologist