Eat 'Zero' to Lose Weight? ... A Comparison by Item [News Seolcham]

(17) What is the effect of zero intake during dieting?
Zero soju and beer have fewer calories and sugars than regular products
Zero drinks live up to their name... consuming 11 fewer sugar cubes
Zero desserts have zero sugar but watch out for calories

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Are "Zero" (Zero·0) foods really healthy? As the "Healthy Pleasure" trend continues, a zero-calorie craze with reduced calories and sugars is sweeping through beverages, snacks, and alcoholic drinks. However, some zero foods do not differ significantly in calories and sugars compared to regular foods, causing confusion among consumers. In fact, when compared, alcoholic beverages showed little difference in calories and sugars when considering alcohol content, whereas beverages showed a clear difference between zero and regular products, proving the value of "zero." In desserts, although sugar content is low, calories can be high, which may require caution during weight loss.

[Image source=Pixabay]

On the 11th, a comparison between Lotte Wellfood's zero dessert series, marketed as sugar- and sugar-free, and regular products revealed that while consuming zero foods can reduce sugar intake, they offer little help in calorie reduction for weight loss. Although Lotte's zero dessert series does not advertise low calories, ordinary consumers tend to misunderstand products with "zero" in their names as low-calorie foods. In fact, a survey by the Korea Consumer Agency of 2,000 consumers aged 20 to 69 found that more than half (53.3%) believed that foods labeled "zero" are mostly zero-calorie foods.

One of the zero series, the Zero Cookie & Cr?me Sandwich (total weight 96g), contains 0g sugar but 31g sugar alcohol (a sugar substitute), with 445 kcal. Lotte Wellfood's LotSand (Lotte Sandwich, total weight 105g) pineapple and glutinous corn flavors have 550 kcal, and considering the Zero Cookie & Cr?me Sandwich is 9g lighter, the calorie difference is not significant. The fat content also does not differ much: 24g in the Zero Cookie & Cr?me Sandwich and 28g in LotSand.

Dessert products from Lotte Wellfood. On the left, from the top: Zero Cookies & Cream Sandwich, LotSan Pineapple, LotSan Glutinous Corn. On the right, from the top: Zero Mild Chocolate, Ghana Mild Chocolate. Photo by Park Hyun-joo

Interestingly, sodium is higher in the Zero Cookie & Cr?me Sandwich. It contains 390 mg of sodium, while LotSand pineapple and glutinous corn contain 340 mg and 320 mg respectively.

The zero chocolate showed similar results. Comparing the calories per 10g of another zero series product, Zero Mild Chocolate, and a regular product, Ghana Mild Chocolate, they are 51 kcal and 55 kcal respectively, showing little difference. Per 10g, Zero Mild Chocolate contains 2.6g saturated fat, while Ghana Mild Chocolate contains 2.1g, meaning Zero Mild Chocolate has more saturated fat. However, compared to Ghana Mild Chocolate, which contains 38g sugar, Zero Mild Chocolate contains 0g sugar and 20g sugar alcohol, thus less sugar.

Zero soju and beer also revealed that the "zero" label is closer to marketing. While zero sugar soju contains no sugar, regular soju naturally contains a low sugar level of about 0.12g per 100ml, which qualifies it to be labeled zero sugar. Diluted soju on the market sometimes adds fructose or sweeteners instead of sugar during production, but only in very small amounts. According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety standards, if sugar content is less than 0.5g per 100ml, a no-sugar claim can be made. Calories also did not differ significantly when considering alcohol content. According to the Korea Consumer Agency's survey, zero sugar soju's calories were 2.60 kcal to 14.70 kcal lower per 100ml compared to regular soju.

By product, Hite Jinro's zero sugar soju "Jinro" and "Chamisul Fresh" had sugar levels of non-detectable and 0.12g respectively. Their calories were 88.49 kcal and 91.66 kcal, showing little difference. Lotte Chilsung Beverage's zero sugar soju "Cheoeumcheoreom Saero" and "Cheoeumcheoreom" had sugar levels of non-detectable and 0.06g respectively, with calories of 88.78 kcal and 91.38 kcal.

This contradicts consumers' expectations that zero alcoholic beverages would have lower calories than regular products. According to a consumer survey, 68.4% of respondents believed zero sugar soju would have significantly lower calories than regular products. Although healthy drinking itself may pose health risks, consumers naturally want to choose zero alcoholic beverages that are relatively less harmful if they must drink, but this expectation is not met.

However, zero beverages showed a positive effect. Compared to regular products, calories and sugars were significantly lower, making choosing zero beverages beneficial for health. The Korea Consumer Agency compared 20 zero products sold on the market with regular beverages and found that all 15 zero products sold by Pepsi, Coca-Cola, and others had zero sugar and zero calories.

Five products with sugar and calories?▲Milkis Zero (0.4g sugar and 3.20 kcal per 100ml), ▲Monster Energy Zero Sugar (0g sugar and 4.51 kcal per 100ml), ▲Jinro Tonic Water Zero (0.67g sugar and 3.33 kcal per 100ml), ▲Epro When Lacking Aqua Zero (0.2g sugar and 2.00 kcal per 100ml), and ▲Powerade (0g sugar and 0.67 kcal per 100ml)?also complied with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's food labeling standards.

Zero beverages had on average 39.83 kcal fewer calories and 9.89g less sugar per 100ml compared to regular beverages. Considering a typical beverage can size of 355ml, this means an average reduction of 141 kcal intake. Sugar reduction is equivalent to 11.6 sugar cubes (3g each).