The myth about the benefits of "low-calorie" desserts for weight loss has been debunked

Low-calorie healthy desserts appeared on the market 10 years ago, but they are experiencing a real consumption boom right now. People have started paying more attention to nutrition and monitoring their weight to prevent the development of diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular diseases.

As reported by BAKU.WS, Anastasia Lebedeva, Associate Professor of the Department of Dietetics at ROSBIOTECH University, told "Gazeta.Ru" about this.

Low-calorie desserts by themselves cannot help with weight loss, because weight loss is a complex process that involves creating a calorie deficit: we need to spend more and consume less.

"For weight loss, people go to the gym, and after intense workouts, the body demands to replenish the energy spent - that's why after fitness, one often craves sweets. Sugar is the simplest and fastest source of energy resources, however, this ingredient is considered dangerous for all those trying to lose weight due to its high calorie content and glycemic index," explained the expert.

That is why manufacturers took the next step - they introduced proper nutrition desserts, which instead of sugar add sugar substitutes: fructose, erythritol, stevia, aspartame, sucralose, and other ingredients. These components have many side effects and, as a rule, do not solve the problem of excess weight.

"Consumers of low-calorie desserts are at risk for several groups of diseases: cardiovascular system, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, skin, and, of course, cavities. Sugar substitutes are not beneficial, and many of them are sweeter than sugar and deceive our receptors and do not deliver glucose to the body, thereby creating conditions for increased insulin in the blood and the development of type II diabetes," emphasized the expert.

Nevertheless, the confectionery industry has found a safe solution for creating low-calorie desserts that will not provoke the development of serious diseases. In recent years, more and more confectionery factories have been producing products with the addition of sweet protein, which has proven its safety in clinical trials, the specialist concluded.