When you look at the ingredient list of many products advertised as sugar-free, you’ll find that they have replaced sugar with a multitude of artificial sweeteners. But we have decided that just like we won’t use sugar in our drinks, we are also not going to use artificial or alternative sweeteners. Here’s why:
The risks of artificial sweeteners
While sweeteners may seem like a healthy alternative to sugar, there is growing evidence that they may come with their own set of health risks. Here’s what you should know about artificial sweeteners and their potential effects on your health:
- Weight gain: Some studies have found that people who use artificial sweeteners may actually be at an increased risk of weight gain. This may be because artificial sweeteners can interfere with the body’s natural ability to regulate calorie intake based on the sweetness of food.
- Insulin response: Despite being low in calories, many artificial sweeteners can still trigger an insulin response in the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps to regulate blood sugar levels, and an insulin response can lead to an energy crash and cravings for more sweet foods.
- Gut health: This is a big one for us. Some research has suggested that artificial sweeteners may disrupt the balance of good and bad bacteria in the gut, leading to digestive issues.
What we use instead of sugar or artificial sweeteners
Instead of using sugar or artificial sweeteners, we rely on the flavours from our botanical ingredients to create an amazing drinking experience. We use tannins from up-cycled wine skins or grape seeds to help us create an amazing mouth feel. The grape skins are also responsible for the colour of our drinks.
It’s hard to create great flavours without using sugar or sweeteners, but we think it’s worth putting the extra work in to make sure that our drinks don’t just taste great, they are great.
