John Myers
Less fat, less sugar = more health? If you believe the advertising promises of the food industry, this formula works. Light products are designed to help you lose weight and maintain weight. We’ll check what’s up.
Healthy or unhealthy? Light products
There are now many examples of light products. Beverages such as soda and candy are “relieved” of sugar, cheese, and chips of fat, and cigarettes of nicotine. By reducing or completely omitting ingredients that are considered harmful, light products are said to be the healthier alternative to conventional goods. But is that really true – or are such claims part of the nutritional myths? A look at the list of ingredients and nutritional information provides information. Manufacturers often compensate for less fat with more sugar and all sorts of additives in order to offer the consumer the taste they are used to. As a result, a bag of light chips, for example, can have as many calories as the non-reduced version. Or sweeteners are used, which critics view very skeptically.
Can the body be tricked?
Whether light products are harmful or simply do not serve their purpose is controversial. Nutrition experts and consumer advocates point out that low-calorie foods can tempt you to consume more. Since the guilty conscience is calmed, more is accessed. Artificially sweetened light products also release insulin to counteract the supposed hyperglycemia. Since this does not happen, the body reacts with ravenous hunger and counteracts the advantages of the light products. However, this theory could not be proven in scientific studies. If you want to be on the safe side, it is better to grab healthy snacks such as nuts and fruit and avoid light products, especially during pregnancy.
Comparing light products is worthwhile
In any case, you should also be vigilant if the legal labeling requirements are to be circumvented with tricks. Only products that contain at least 30 percent less fat than comparable foods may bear the label “low-fat”. In the case of “low-energy” goods, the calorific value must be 30 percent lower, “low-energy” are products with a maximum of 40 calories per 100 grams. If, on the other hand, “less sweet” is written on a product or “balance”, these legal requirements do not apply and sugar or Fat reduction is not guaranteed. So take a close look and compare the nutritional information of different products. When it comes to calories, a low-carb bread substitute doesn’t have to have less energy than regular bread. Instead of looking for a substitute, many nutrition experts consider a more conscious design of the menu to be the better way in the long term. Enjoy your breakfast muesli with a short list of ingredients: Then you don’t need expensive light products with numerous additives.
