Since the 80's, the food industry has been using sweeteners to be able to add the mention "No sugar added" or "Light" on their products. This is a marketing strategy to sell better, because before applications or information such as Yuka or Nutriscore existed, consumers were not so informed about labels and ingredient lists!
Since the beginning of the project, Oh Oui ! has committed to never using intense sweeteners (aspartame, stevia extracts, sucralose or acesulfame k) or polyols used as sweeteners (sorbitol, xylitol, maltilol...) because despite their very low or zero glycemic index, they do not correspond to our values. We are not convinced by the taste they bring and their effects on health are disputed.
These artificial sweeteners give a sweet taste to food, but have no nutritional value, worse, they lure our brain which will never detoxify from sugar. These sweeteners cultivate the habit and the attraction of sweetness when it is precisely to be avoided. Also, sugar alcohols or polyols (sorbitol, manitol, xylitol) can cause gastrointestinal problems.
Be careful though, sugar is still acceptable as part of a balanced diet, you just have to find the right dosage. According to the WHO, the consumption of free sugars ( free sugars correspond to the sum of added sugars and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, pure fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates) should not exceed 10% of the total energy intake (48g for a person who should consume 2000 kcal). But going below 5% of the total energy intake (about 25g) would increase the health benefits!
To give you an idea, a can of soda alone is equivalent to 35g of sugar, so the limit is very quickly exceeded!
Even if the research work was longer for Oh Oui ! and many recipes were missed, we found natural alternative sugars to offer you ultra tasty and low glycemic index products: coconut sugar, agave syrup and grape sugar. If you missed our newsletter on the different sugars to use when you want to cook with a low GI, find our article here : Which sugar to use for low GI desserts? (ohoui.com)
