Sugar-free beverages are sweetened mainly because of the added sugar substitute ingredient. Sugar substitutes are additive products that have a sweet flavor but are barely metabolized and absorbed by the body, and can be used to replace traditional sugars such as sucrose and dextrose. These sugar substitute ingredients are not only sweet but also low in calories, thus giving sugar-free beverages a sweet taste without adding extra calorie intake.
Specifically, two common types of sugar substitute ingredients in sugar-free beverages include artificial sugar substitutes and natural sugar substitutes. Artificial sugar substitutes such as aspartame, acesulfame, saccharin, sweetener, etc., which are often tens to hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose, but contain almost no calories or very low calories. Natural sugar substitutes, on the other hand, include erythritol, xylitol, steviol glycosides, etc., which are usually derived from natural plants and are also sweeter, while being relatively safer and healthier.
It should be noted that while sugar substitutes can help reduce sugar and calorie intake, excessive intake of certain sugar substitutes may also have adverse effects on human health. Therefore, while enjoying the sweetness of sugar-free beverages, you should also be careful to drink them in moderation and pay attention to the ingredients and content of sugar substitutes in the products.
In addition, apart from sugar substitute ingredients, some sugar-free beverages may also use low or no sugar ingredients such as citric acid and malic acid to increase the osmotic pressure of the beverages, making the beverages more full-bodied and mellow, and further enhancing the sensation of sweetness.
Overall, sugar-free beverages owe their sweetness mainly to the added sugar substitute ingredients and possibly other taste-enhancing ingredients.
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