Sugar is sweet, but the extra calories it contains are often unwelcome. The calorie-conscious thus turn to artificial sweeteners: Non-nutritive products that contain low or no calories. However, nowadays with rumors swirling about the potential dangers of popular sugar substitutes, choosing a product can be troubling -- but not for long .
It’s time to dispel myths and focus on the facts of sugar substitutes as we take a long, hard look at the health effects of sweeteners.
Saccharin
Sweetness: 300 times sweeter than sugar
Pregnancy: Avoid when pregnant
Fun fact: Saccharin has been banned as a food additive (but not as a tabletop sweetener) from Canada since the '70s.
Discovered in 1879, saccharin is the oldest of sugar substitutes; however, its use only became widespread following the sugar shortage during World War II. While early lab studies showed that saccharin caused cancer in rats, numerous organizations, including the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the U.S. National Toxicology Program, have since removed saccharin from their list of suspected cancer-causing chemicals. Their reasoning: The process by which saccharin causes cancer in rats is not applicable to humans.
Aspartame
Sweetness: 200 times sweeter than sugar
Pregnancy: Safe
Fun fact: Aspartame cannot be used for baking or cooking as it becomes unstable when subjected to heat. (Lesson: Don't microwave Diet Coke).
Aspartame has caused the most controversy of all the sugar substitutes. It has been rumored to have been originally developed as a rat poison (however, like most sweeteners, it was discovered by accident), and was further subjected to a storm of internet-generated controversy dating back to the late '90s. While aspartame should be avoided by people diagnosed with phenylketonuria, a rare hereditary disease, allegations that aspartame causes lupus, seizures, cancer or brain tumors, or is dangerous to diabetics, are simply not supported by current research. Numerous organizations, including the European Scientific Committee for Food (SCF), the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization, Health Canada, and the FDA all concur that aspartame is safe for consumers.
Cyclamate
Sweetness: 30 times sweeter than sugar
Pregnancy: Avoid when pregnant
Fun fact: Cyclamate was discovered by accident when graduate student Michael Sveda noticed a sweet taste on his cigarette after placing it down on a lab work bench.
Cyclamate remains banned in the U.S. since its incarceration in the 1970s, despite being available in over 55 countries, including Canada (although only as a tabletop sweetener). Back in 2000, the manufacturer of cyclamate submitted a petition for its re-approval into the U.S. on the grounds that the prior ban was due to an old study on rats from which results have not since been reproduced. The petition is currently being held under consideration by the FDA, while more research is gathered (although almost no new research is being done). Other organizations, including the European SCF, have revised previous opinions on cyclamate, concluding that the sugar substitute is safe for human consumption.
Sucralose
Products: Splenda
Sweetness: 600 times sweeter than sugar
Pregnancy: Safe
Fun fact: Although sucralose is made from table sugar, the human body does not recognize it as a sugar and does not obtain any energy by breaking it down (meaning no calories).
Sucralose may be the least contested of all the sugar substitutes in terms of its health effects on humans. More than 100 scientific studies conducted over a 20-year period have supported the safety of sucralose. The FDA considers sucralose safe for all types of people, including those with chronic health problems such as diabetes, and has approved its use in all foods. Other agencies such as Health Canada and JECFA have similarly supported the use of sucralose.
Acesulfamine Potassium (ace-K)
Products: Sunett
Sweetness: 200 times sweeter than sugar
Pregnancy: Safe
Fun fact: Tastes horrible on its own, but works synergistically with other sweeteners to enhance overall sweetness.
Despite nearly 90-plus studies showing the safety of ace-K, controversy has once again reared its ugly head as far as the public's perception of ace-K is concerned. Claims that ace-K causes cancer in rats or is mutagenic have been squashed by numerous agencies, including the FDA and the European SCF. In fact, no human health problems related to the consumption of ace-K have been reported in scientific literature, despite more than 15 years of use across numerous countries.
Bittersweet Sweetners
Any time corporate interests are tied to popular consumer products, there will always be whistle-blowers out to scrutinize and this is, after all, a good thing. However, when the ones blowing the whistles are full of nothing but hot air, one has to question the cause for concern. But, hey, life without controversy is just too sweet, right?
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