Comparing Artificial Sweeteners

So, you’ve decided to cut excess sugar from your diet, eh? Good for you! Added sugar(not the sugar that naturally occurs in fruit and dairy products) is a leading cause of obesity. The American Heart Association recommends that added sugar be limited to at most no more than 6-7 % of your total calories. So what should you use instead? The shelves of artificial sweeteners is often twice as full as the shelves of sugar. If you need a good primer on the basics about artificial sweeteners, read this article from WebMD. What is the difference between the difference sweeteners and which should you choose? Thanks to this info*, you’ll be able to make that choice with ease. Read on, Rock Heads!

Acesulfame Potassium (Sunett and Sweet One)

• Calories: 0
• History: was approved by the FDA as a general-purpose sweetener in 2002
• General Info: 200 times sweeter than regular sugar; the body can’t break it down, so it’s excreted from the body unchanged,
• Pros: no evidence of its connection to an increase in cancer risk or affect to blood-sugar levels; approved for consumption by pregnant women in moderation
• Cons: has a bitter taste on its own; the consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest believes that studies on this sweetener were poorly done and that they didn’t test its potential cancer-causing risks
• Used for baking? Yes

Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal)

• Calories: 4 calories per gram
• History: in 1996, the FDA approved its use in foods and beverages
• General Info: 80 to 200 times sweeter than regular sugar; 70 percent of all aspartame is used in diet sodas; The FDA has set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) at 50 mg per kilogram of body weight which translates to about four (12-oz.) cans of diet soda per day;
• Pros: approved for consumption by pregnant women, as long as they follow the FDA’s guidelines; FDA sees no connection between aspartame and cancer
• Cons: some people may have a sensitivity to aspartame and may experience headaches, dizziness, mood changes, or skin reactions after consuming it
• Used for baking? No

Neotame

• Calories: 0
• History: approved by the FDA in 2002
• General Info: 8,000 times sweeter than regular sugar; it’s a chemical derivative of aspartame
• Pros: approved for pregnant women; safe for diabetics since it doesn’t affect insulin levels; no evidence of its connection to an increase cancer risk
• Cons: consumer groups contend that neotame may be as toxic (or more) as aspartame, since both sweeteners contain a compound that breaks down to methanol
• Used for baking? Yes

Saccharin (Sweet’N Low)

• Calories: 0
• History: the FDA proposed a ban on it in 1977 when lab rats that were fed huge amounts contracted bladder cancer. The ban was never enacted though, and the warning label was dropped in 2000
• General Info: 300 times sweeter than regular sugar; it’s a molecule made from petroleum
• Pros: since 1981 government reports had listed it as an “anticipated human carcinogen,” but it was removed from the list in 2000
• Cons: few studies have been done regarding its effects on infants and children, although its use in formula may cause irritability and muscle dysfunction, so they should consume it in small quantities or not at all; although the FDA has not imposed any limitations, studies show saccharin crosses the placenta and may remain in fetal tissue, so pregnant women are advised to use saccharin sparingly or not at all
• Used for baking? Yes

Sorbitol and Mannitol

• Calories: 2.6 calories per gram
• History: the FDA approved them in 1971 and designates them as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS)
• General Info: both are sugar alcohols that occur naturally in fruits but are usually derived from corn syrup
• Pros: absorbed by the body slowly; combines well with other ingredients; no evidence that it has adverse health effects on humans
• Cons: may cause digestive upset or have laxative effect when consumed in large quantities
• Used for baking? Yes

Stevia

• Calories: 0
• History: Stevia leaves are not yet approved by the FDA, but highly purified Rebaudioside A (derived from Stevia leaves) is considered GRAS
• General Info: Stevia extract is made from the Stevia plant, which is native to South America; has been used in South America for centuries and in Japan for the past 30 years
• Pros: it’s naturally derived although some argue that it is an artificial sweetener since commercially made Stevia extract involves a refining process; some research shows it can lower blood pressure and blood sugar levels; safe for pregnant women
• Cons: since Stevia is sold as a dietary supplement, the FDA does not regulate it
• Used for baking? Yes

Sucralose (Splenda)

• Calories: 0
• History: approved by the FDA in 1999
• General Info: contains maltodextrin to bulk it up, is 600 times sweeter than regular sugar
• Pros: after 110 studies and over 20 years of research, the FDA concluded that sucralose has no toxic or carcinogenic effects and poses no reproductive or neurological risks to people
• Cons: bulking agents add about 12 calories per tablespoon of Splenda (although the nutritional info doesn’t list these calories)
• Used for baking? Yes, yet has an artificial taste

Xylitol

• Calories: 2.4 calories per gram
• History: approved by the FDA in 1963 as a food additive
• General Info: can be derived from various berries, oats, and mushrooms, as well as corn husks, but commercially is made from xylan, which is extracted from hardwoods or corncobs; used as a diabetic sweetener
• Pros:it can actually benefit the teeth; doesn’t affect insulin levels; has been shown to reduce the incidence of acute middle ear infection
• Cons: may have a laxative effect; is a life-threatening toxin to dogs; consuming extremely high doses for long periods (over three years) may cause tumors, safety for pregnant and nursing moms is unknown
• Used for baking? Yes

Information c/o FitSugar.com