Artificial Sweeteners

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What's in an artificial sweetener?

Artificial sweeteners are sugar substitutes added to foods and drinks to offer sweetness without the calorie load or cavity risk—and they generally don't raise blood sugar levels. Since these lab-produced substances are many times sweeter than table sugar, they can be swapped in at low levels to achieve the same flavor.

 

The six approved artificial sweeteners in the US include aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal), neotame (Newtame), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet'N Low), advantame, and acesulfame potassium (Sweet One and Sunett). These are distinct from other FDA-approved plant- and fruit-based sweeteners like stevia.
 

Use of sugar alternatives has risen in recent years amid ongoing health research, including some studies that linked certain sugar alcohol sweeteners (erythritol and xylitol) to elevated risks of heart attack and stroke. Though research in the 1970s linked multiple artificial sweeteners to cancer in lab rats, subsequent studies found those risks weren't true in humans, and the US Food and Drug Administration-approved compounds are now generally regarded as safe at moderate levels. The World Health Organization labeled aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic" in 2023, but says the substance remains safe at typical levels of daily consumption. 

... Read our full write-up on the pseudo-sugars here.

 

Also, check out ... 

> See how sugar stacks up against the sweetness of sugar alternatives. (View)

> The confusion around aspartame's health risks, explained. (Read)

> Many artificial sweeteners were discovered accidentally (when lab workers didn't wash their hands before eating). (Watch)
> What's a safe amount to consume? (Read)