Artificial sweeteners, or sugar substitutes, are generally considered safe alternatives to sugar. Sugar is high in calories, so it can cause weight gain. Artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that are sweet like sugar without the added calories, making them an excellent part of a weight-loss or weight-control plan.

Generally, sugar substitutes are sweeter than the same quantity of sugar. Therefore, it takes a smaller amount to achieve the same level of sweetness. Foods made with artificial sweeteners are usually much lower in calories than their counterparts made with sugar.

Another benefit of artificial sweeteners is that they do not raise blood sugar levels, which makes them ideal for people with diabetes who want sweet-tasting foods that won’t raise their blood sugar (although the food the artificial sweeteners are added to may still affect blood sugar). However, artificial sweeteners should be used sensibly, since they are empty calories. A diet made up of sugar-free drinks and desserts would be severely lacking in healthy nutrients.

There are five artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States and considered safe for both children and adults. They are acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One), aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), neotame, saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet’N Low), and sucralose (Splenda). There are recommended limits on how much of any of these should be consumed on a daily basis. However, the average person takes in less than 2 percent of the limit per day, so it is extremely unlikely that someone would ingest too much through normal eating and drinking. Even the acceptable daily intake is intended to be 100 times smaller than the minimum amount that might cause health concerns. There is no scientific evidence that any of the sugar substitutes approved for use in the United States cause cancer.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

  1. Some foods are considered sugar free but actually contain one or more of the sugar alcohols mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. These are not artificial sweeteners and, in addition to raising your blood sugar, they may cause diarrhea.
  2. Aspartame is not safe for people who have a rare hereditary disease called phenylketonuria (PKU). Foods that contain aspartame must carry the warning label “PKU.”