Does coffee with sugar free creamer break a fast

The “Big 2” sugar-free commercial coffee creamers, Coffee-Mate and International Delight, each contain the two same artificial sweeteners: sucralose and acesulfame potassium. You’re probably familiar with the first one, but may not know about the second.

If you regularly use sugar-free coffee creamers that you buy in the supermarket – or the ones that are commonly served in restaurants and sit next to office coffee machines – you should know the facts about both of these sweeteners.

Sucralose

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is calorie-free, even though it’s actually made from sugar. It’s produced by changing the chemical makeup of sugar molecules, allowing it to pass through the body without being digested; that means it doesn’t contribute carbs or calories to the diet, and doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. That change also makes sucralose about 600 times sweeter than the sugar it’s produced from.

Even if you haven’t heard of sucralose, you probably know about (and have used) Splenda. The word sucralose and the brand name Splenda are often used interchangeably, but they’re really not the same. Explaining the reason requires a slight detour, but we think it’s important to understand the difference.

Sucralose is the primary ingredient in the sugar substitute Splenda. What most people don’t know, though, is that Splenda also contains a small amount of maltodextrin (a processed carbohydrate) and dextrose (a form of sugar). Why? Sucralose is so sweet that only a tiny amount is needed to provide the sweetness found in a teaspoon of sugar. The manufacturers have to use other sweet ingredients in order to make Splenda user-friendly. So sucralose is calorie-free and zero-carb, but Splenda isn’t.

With that bit of trivia out of the way, back to sucralose.

Sucralose is commonly used as a sweetener in all types of foods. That’s because in addition to being extremely sweet and zero-calorie, it also remains extremely stable when cooked, baked or frozen.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has classified sucralose as “Generally Recognized as Safe.” That doesn’t mean, however, that it’s the best choice.

First of all, research has shown that sucralose and other zero-calorie artificial sweeteners can stimulate the appetite, leading people to crave sugary foods that do contain calories. That’s borne out in the end result; studies show that most people who swap artificial sweeteners for sugar end up gaining weight, not losing it.

And even though sucralose is “safe,” that doesn’t mean there are no health concerns surrounding it. There’s some evidence that the substance changes the makeup of the gut microbiome, potentially causing inflammation that could lead not just to digestive system issues, but also to more widespread inflammatory issues ranging from joint pain to migraines.

Acesulfame Potassium

This sweetener may sound more familiar when it’s described by its other names, acesulfame-K or Ace-K. Acesulfame-K is a synthetic sugar substitute marketed as Sweet One, and it’s not as sweet as sucralose, “only” 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Like sucralose, though, Ace-K is classified GRAS by the FDA, it’s calorie-free and doesn’t impact blood glucose levels, and it’s used to sweeten many “sugar-free” products because it’s a stable substance that holds up well to heat and cold.

There’s a downside, though. Like sucralose, it’s an artificial sweetener – meaning it could have a negative impact on weight and the gut microbiome.

Are there better alternatives to sucralose and Acesulfame potassium? Yes, and we’ll get to them after we finish dissecting the ingredient lists for popular sugar-free coffee creamers.

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