Ice cream vs Sherbet - Health impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Ice cream is a popular semi-frozen food. Its main ingredients are sugar, cream, flavoring, and milk. Given its composition, ice cream is considered a dairy product because it is mainly done with milk, cream, or butterfat. 

Ice cream can be made to be full fat, low fat or reduced fat, and light fat. The fat content of milk in ice cream ranges from 10 to 15%. Light fat ice cream is the one with the lowest composition of milk fat at 5%. 

Ice cream can have creamy flavors, like vanilla, chocolate, cookie, etc. In addition, it can be fruity or sweet, like melon, banana, bubble gum, etc.

Sherbet is made from fruit puree, sugar, and very low amounts of milk fat, 1-2%. It is a sorbet with added milk fat. Stabilizing elements can be added into sherbets, like vegetable gum, egg yolk, etc. The stabilizing elements enhance the texture of the sherbet. 

Nutritional content comparison

Fat

Ice cream contains more milk fat than sherbet, the fat content of ice cream is higher than the fat content of sherbet.

Ice cream has more saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, and cholesterol.

Ice cream contains 6.79g of saturated fat compared to sherbet which contains 1.16g. The daily recommended value of saturated fat is less than 20g. 

The monounsaturated fat content of milk is 2.9g, whereas, sherbet contains 0.53g 

The cholesterol content of ice cream is 44mg and sherbet contains far less cholesterol, nearly considered negligible, 1mg.

Sherbet is lower in fat and cholesterol content compared to ice cream. 

Protein

Ice cream contains higher amounts of proteins compared to sherbet, this is due to the dairy content of ice cream. Ice cream has 3.5g of protein compared to sherbet which has 1.1g.

Carbohydrate 

When it comes to carbohydrates, sherbet contains higher amounts of carbs (30.4g per 100g) compared to ice cream (23.6g per 100g). This is due to the fact that sherbet is based on fruit puree and added sugar compared to ice cream which is based on dairy. 

The glycemic index of sherbet is lower than the glycemic index of ice cream. Sherbet has a glycemic index of 51 which is the highest level in the low glycemic index range, and for ice cream, the glycemic index is 61 which is considered as a medium glycemic index food. 

Calories

Sherbet has 218 calories per 100g and ice cream has 313 calories per 100g.

Vitamin content comparison

Sherbet is richer in vitamin C compared to ice cream. However, ice cream contains more vitamins A and B2.

The vitamin C content in sherbet is 2.3mg and for ice cream 0.6mg, with the daily requirement being 65-90mg. 

Ice cream contains 126mcg of vitamin A, keeping in mind that the daily requirement for males is 900mcg and for females is 700mcg. For vitamin B2, the amount in ice cream is 0.24mg with the daily requirement for males is 1.3mg and for females is 1.1mg.

Ice cream also contains some amounts of vitamin D, B12, B5, however, their amounts are not of importance. 

Mineral content comparison

Sherbet and ice cream have similar mineral profiles, however, their distribution is different;

• Calcium: sherbet contains 54mg while ice cream contains 128mg. The daily requirement is 1000mg a day.
• Sodium: sherbet contains 46mg while ice cream contains 80mg. 
• Zinc: sherbet contains 0.48mg and ice cream 0.69mg. The daily requirement is 8mg for women and 11mg for men. 

Ice cream also contains 200mg of potassium. 

As seen in the data above, the mineral profile of sherbet and ice cream is similar when content is discussed, however, the amounts are 2-2.5x higher for ice cream. 

Health impacts

Individuals who have cholesterol or blood fat disorders must be careful when consuming ice cream in unmoderated quantities. 

Ice cream contains probiotic characteristics than influence the gut bacteria, the normal flora. (1)

Ice cream having a glycemic index above the low threshold contributes to developing acne in teenagers. (2)

Ice cream or sherbets for diabetics

Sherbets sometimes are considered healthier alternatives than ice cream because of the lower fat content. However, the sugar content of sherbets is higher compared to ice cream. For individuals who are diabetic and consider consuming a refreshing dessert, it is a better alternative to consume ice cream, in low amounts, instead of consuming sherbets. 

Varieties

Sherbets and ice creams have a wide range of flavors. Thus, the mineral, macronutrient, and vitamin contents can vary accordingly. 

A vanilla ice cream has different sugar and fat content compared to brownie or cookie ice cream. 

Similarly, sherbets with different flavors like raspberry, lemon, orange have different vitamin and mineral differences between them. These changes do not necessarily mean that there is a drastic change in the vitamin and mineral contents, however, the variation must be taken into consideration. 

A famous party beverage is the sherbet punch, the sherbet punch is made with different fruit juices, or a lime soda (7up). The sugar content must be taken into consideration because the amount of sugar tends to be high in them. 

Ice cream has an above low-level threshold glycemic index and is associated with acne formation in teenagers. In order to prevent this or reduce the risk of acne development or intensity lower, moderate amounts of ice cream are recommended to be consumed. 

Another aspect of both sherbet and ice cream is in the methods of producing them. Additives are usually added that can be harmful to the body and gut microbiomes. It is recommended to avoid ice creams and sherbets that have additives in them. 

Summary

In summary, sherbet is rich in vitamin C and has higher amounts of carbohydrates, and a lower glycemic index and calories. In comparison, ice cream is richer in calcium, zinc, sodium, potassium, vitamins A and B2, protein, and higher amounts of fats and cholesterol.

References

1. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384947-2.00385-8
2. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-5945-12-13