My Latest Ice Cream Obsessions: But Is The New Artificial Sweetener Healthy or Unhealthy? Could Both Ice Creams Increase Your Body Fat?

My Latest Ice Cream Obsessions: Could Both Increase Your Body Fat?

I noticed a new sweetener I’d never heard of before, contained in my new favorite obsession: “Halo Top Ice Cream.”

As is my habit, when I perused the ingredient list, I was alarmed when I saw it was sweetened with “erythritol.” I knew it had to be a sugar alcohol (because of the “tol” at the end of the word).  I was alarmed, as several non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS), including sugar alcohols like sorbitol – as well as others commonly used such as saccharine, sucralose and aspartame – increased insulin resistance, a pre-curser to diabetes, and even increased abdominal fat, the unhealthiest – and most unsightly, as I watch mine expanding – type of body fat, according to many recent studies. Since people rely on my advice for their health, I had to research the additive to make sure it was safe.

I switched to Halo Top Mint Chip Light Ice Cream because I was getting addicted to the 7-Eleven brand ice creams, one of which was “Mint Cookies ‘N Cream,” with a cool natural minty flavor (it’s not colored green!) melded with swirls and bits of intense dark chocolate, and a smooth, rich mouth feel… Delicious! But as I was eating carton after carton, the calorie and saturated fat content were getting under my skin – literally – and probably in my arteries too, especially given how often I indulged (Oops!). I and my Georgetown neighbors discovered the 7-Select ice creams compared very favorably to top brands like Haagen Daz and Ben & Jerry’s, but with a cheaper price tag.

So, when I saw “Halo Top” Mint Chip with only 310 calories in the whole pint, compared with 7-Select’s (and Haagen Daz and Ben & Jerry’s) 1,000 calories, I decided – reluctantly and after months of avoiding it – to give it a try based on many of my clients’ recommendations: I found it delicious and rich, light and airy too. I loved it! Of course, it’s not Mint Cookies ‘N Cream, but is a very welcome and satisfying substitute.

The explanation for this surprising news about the negative affect of non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) is the disturbance the NAS seem to cause in your microbiome, the 100 million bacterial organisms in your digestive tract, collectively called the microbiome and are akin to a fully functioning organ. The studies, described in the journal Cell Metabolism, have been consistent and repeatable. In one study, healthy volunteers who were not consumers of NAS were fed saccharine daily for one week. A majority of the subjects experienced poorer glycemic response (a precurse to diabetes, and a cause of excess body fat) within one week and had altered intestinal microbiota. Other studies one published in Nature, found similar results.

Bad news for people with or without diabetes.

But what about erythritol in so many of my new favorite treats for those of us who are sweet junkies? Is it okay? It is healthy? Unhealthy? Does it increase body fat, too?

Erythritol seems unique among NAS, even compared to other sugar alcohol sweeteners such as sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, and maltitol. That’s because it has a slightly different, but significant, chemical make-up. Erythritol has many advantages over any NAS. It naturally occurs in nature so does not contribute to environmental damage as does sucralose. It’s not as sweet – 60 to 80 percent of sugar, and easily mixes with other sweeteners (Halo Top Mint Chip adds Stevia, a natural sweetener known for its healthy qualities, but not as palatable as erythritol). Erythritol has no aftertaste. It improves mouth feel. Most of it is not metabolized by the body – 90 percent of it travels through the GI tract unchanged, so it doesn’t lead to the diarrhea caused by other sugar alcohol sweeteners. On top of all of those benefits, erythitol is a free-radical scanvenger, that is, an anti-oxidant – with potential health improving qualities. It even prevents dental carries. Crazy, huh?

Erythritol has been approved as an artificial food sweetener in 60 countries. It’s used as a sweetener, but also has other sensory qualities, such as texture, flavor and color. But it’s expensive to produce, which explains why these new delicious low calorie products using erythritol tend to be much more expensive than other “diet” foods.

All of that said – I’m putting my readers and clients on notice. I’ll be really pissed off if Halo Top’s Mint Chip starts disappearing from grocery store shelves – especially those at my local 7-11. Be warned!