You're SO Sweet!-- Artificial Sweeteners

Our efforts to lower calorie consumption while still enjoying sweet treats have led many people to use sugar substitutes or products that contain them. While alternatives began debuting decades ago, the arguments over benefits & safety still rage on.

Commonly available sugar substitutes include:

- Sucralose (e.g., Splenda)

- Acesulfame Potassium

- Rebiana or Stevia (e.g., RebA or Truvia)

- Aspartame (e.g., Equal)

- Saccharine (e.g., Sweet & Low)

- Sugar Alcohols (often end in -itol, such as xylitol or sorbitol)

For descriptions, uses, & taste test results, check out WebMD's A Buyer's Guide to Sugar Substitutes.

 

To learn about how blood sugar levels are impacted by sugar substitutes, check out Diabetic Living's Sugar Substitutes page. There's also baking tips & low sugar dessert ideas.

Safety of sweeteners

Many sugar alternatives are currently considered safe when consumed in moderation. Children & pregnant women are recommended to limit or avoid substitutes. There is also a small segment of the population who are allergic or have a sensitivity.

However, there have been cancer studies done with conflicting results. This led to the status of some substitutes changing over time (e.g., saccharine).

For a conservative approach, check out the Center for Science in the Public Interest's (CSPI) Food Additives (below the list, there's explanations of each alphabetically; for a brief overview, check out the Artificial Sweeteners listing).

More recently, several studies have focused on the relationship to weight. Oddly enough, many are finding that the calorie free sweeteners have not led to statistically significant weight loss. Some studies have actually indicated weight gains when substitute sweetened items (e.g., diet soda) are consumed.

For details, check out:

- MedicineNet's Artificial Sweeteners Symptoms, Causes, & Treatment (Some theories for weight gain are explained. Click on the box to right for related topics of interest.)

- National Center for Biotechnology Information's (part of NIH) Sugar Substitutes: Health Controversy Over Perceived Benefits (It's long & technical but has some really good info like why study results are unclear & why certain sweeteners may be less safe.)