The popular lotus paste filling in many mooncakes already contains natural sugars, said Catherine Koh, the head of dietetics at Alexandra Hospital. It’s the added sugar that is replaced with artificial sweeteners such as erythritol or malitol to reduce the carbohydrate or sugar content, she said.
Unfortunately, these low-calorie sugar alcohols aren’t without controversy. Erythritol was found in a 2021 study to increase the stickiness of blood platelets, and could raise the risk of heart attack, stroke or other vascular issues.
Malitol, while better for dental health than sugar, can cause intestinal gas, cramping and diarrhoea when consumed in large amounts. In fact, scientists recommended staying under 10g of sugar alcohol daily to avoid those side effects.
Even without sugar, mooncakes’ fat content remains high. “Most mooncakes tend to use fat or oil that contains saturated fat, which is detrimental for people with high cholesterol and heart disease,” said Koh.
WHAT’S THE TOTAL DAMAGE?
Sugar aside, mooncakes are also high in calories, carbohydrates, fat, cholesterol and sodium. Here’s a look at the more traditional mooncake types available, according to Health Promotion Board’s Energy & Nutrient Composition of Food. Note that the values pertain to 100g or about half a regular-sized 180g mooncake with lotus-paste filling:
