II. Uses
- Sweeteners suitable for non-heated use: All
- Sweeteners suitable for cooking and baking
- Excellent: Sucralose (Splenda)
- Good (blended with sugar): Acesulfame-K or Saccharin
- Sweeteners to avoid heating: Aspartame and Neotame
III. Precautions
- Non-nutritive Sweeteners are beneficial in limited amounts to reduce sugar use (esp. in Diabetes Mellitus)
- Modern Non-nutritive Sweeteners (e.g. Sucralose, Aspartame) appear safe based on longterm data
- Longterm effects of Artificial Sweeteners in children are unknown
- However, Artificial Sweeteners may cause a paradoxical increased craving for food and additional calories
- Artificial Sweeteners fail to result in same sense of reward from sweets
- Artificial Sweeteners have been associated with increased weight gain and Diabetes Mellitus risk
-
Palate can be trained to appreciate lower levels of sweatness
- Attempt to use lower amounts of Artificial Sweetener
IV. Contraindications
- Aspartame is contraindicated in Phenylketonuria
V. Preparations
- Acesulfame-K (Sweet One, Sunett)
- Approved by FDA in 1988
- Sweetness relative to sugar: 200 times sweeter
- Safety supported by >90 studies
- Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet)
- Approved by FDA in 1981
- Sweetness relative to sugar: 180 times sweeter
- Not heat stable
- Contraindicated in Phenylketonuria
- Safety supported by >100 studies
- No association with SLE, MS, Seizures, brain cancer
- Low level of formaldehyde and Methanol form on intake
- Also occurs with tomato and citrus intake
- Not considered a health hazard
- Saccharin (Sugar Twin, Sweet'N Low, Sweet-10)
- Discovered in 1879
- Cheap with long shelf life and heat stability
- Sweetness relative to sugar: 300 times sweeter
- Bladder Cancer occurred in rats at very high doses
- Less than 6 servings per day thought to be safe
- Safe use supported by FDA, NCI, AMA, ACS, ADA
- Sucralose (Splenda)
- Approved by FDA in 1998
- Safety supported by >110 studies
- Sweetness relative to sugar: 600 times sweeter
- Excellent shelf life without heat degradation
- Not digested, so does not add calories to food
VI. FDA Consumer Article on Sugar Substitute Safety
VII. Resources: Other
- David Emery's Urban Legends and Folklore
Images: Related links to external sites (from Bing)
Related Studies
| Definition (NCI) | A food additive which duplicates the effect of sugar on the taste, but with fewer calories. They are also called sugar substitutes. |
| Concepts | Food (T168) |
| MSH | D013549 |
| SnomedCT | 116274004 |
| English | Sweetener, Artificial, artificial sweeteners (medication), dietary supplements artificial sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, artificial sweetener, sweeteners artificial, Sweeteners, Artificial, Artificial sweetener (substance), Artificial sweetener, Artificial Sweetener, Artificial Sweeteners |
| French | Sucres artificiels, Édulcorants de synthèse, Édulcorants artificiels |
| German | Künstliche Süßstoffe |
| Czech | umělá sladidla |
| Norwegian | Kunstige søtningsmidler |
| Italian | Dolcificanti artificiali |
| Spanish | edulcorante (sustancia), edulcorante, endulzante artificial |
| Dutch | Kunstmatige zoetstoffen |
Ontology: Aspartame (C0003999)
| Definition (MSH) | Flavoring agent sweeter than sugar, metabolized as PHENYLALANINE and ASPARTIC ACID. |
| Concepts | Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein (T116) , Pharmacologic Substance (T121) |
| MSH | D001218 |
| SnomedCT | 11526002, 398791000 |
| English | Aspartame, Aspartylphenylalanine Methyl Ester, Aspartylphenylalanine, Methyl, Methyl Aspartylphenylalanine, Methyl Ester, Aspartylphenylalanine, L-Phenylalanine, N-L-alpha-aspartyl-, 1-methyl ester, Aspartame [Chemical/Ingredient], aspartame, ASPARTAME, Aspartame (product), Aspartame (substance), Aspartamine |
| Swedish | Aspartam |
| Czech | aspartam |
| Finnish | Aspartaami |
| French | Aspartam, Ester méthylique de l'aspartyl-phénylalanine, Aspartame |
| Italian | Metil-estere dell'aspartil-fenilalanina, Metil dell'aspartil-fenilalanina, Aspartame |
| Russian | ASPARTAM, ASPARTILFENILALANINA METILOVYI EFIR, АСПАРТАМ, АСПАРТИЛФЕНИЛАЛАНИНА МЕТИЛОВЫЙ ЭФИР |
| Japanese | アスパルチルフェニルアラニンメチルエステル, アスパルターム, アスパルテーム |
| Polish | Aspartam |
| Spanish | Aspartame, aspartamo (producto), aspartamo (sustancia), aspartamo, edulcorante de bajas calorías, Aspartamo, Éster Metilo de Aspartilfenilalanina |
| Portuguese | Aspartame, Aspartamo, Aspartilfenilalanina Metil Éster |
| German | Aspartam, Aspartylphenylalaninmethylester |
Ontology: Saccharin (C0036023)
| Definition (MSH) | Flavoring agent and non-nutritive sweetener. |
| Concepts | Pharmacologic Substance (T121) , Organic Chemical (T109) |
| MSH | D012439 |
| SnomedCT | 422323005, 27138006 |
| English | Saccharin, 1,2-Benzisothiazol-3(2H)-one, 1,1-dioxide, Saccharin (product), 1,2-Benzisothiazolin-3-one, 1,1-dioxide, 1,2-Dihydro-2-ketobenzisosulphonazole, o-Sulfobenzoic Acid Imide, 2,3-Dihydro-3-oxobenzisosulfonazole, Benzoic Sulphimide, Saccharin [Chemical/Ingredient], saccharin, SACCHARIN, Benzosulfimide, Benzosulphimide, Saccharin (substance) |
| Spanish | sacarina (producto), sacarina (sustancia), sacarina, Sacarina |
| Swedish | Sackarin |
| Czech | sacharin |
| Finnish | Sakariini |
| Russian | SAKHARIN, САХАРИН |
| Japanese | サッカリン |
| Polish | Sacharyna |
| French | Saccharine, Sulfimide benzoïque |
| German | Saccharin |
| Italian | Saccarina |
| Portuguese | Sacarina |
Ontology: trichlorosucrose (C0077046)
| Concepts | Carbohydrate (T118) |
| MSH | C026285 |
| SnomedCT | 418992009 |
| English | 1',4',6'-trichloro-1',4,6'-trideoxygalactosucrose, 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-beta-D-fructofuranosyl-4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, alpha-D-Galactopyranoside, 1,6-dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-beta-D-fructofuranosyl 4-chloro-4-deoxy-, trichlorogalacto-sucrose, trichlorosucrose, trichlorogalactosucrose, Trichlorosucrose, 1,6-Dichloro-1,6-dideoxy-beta-D-fructofuranosyl 4-chloro-4-deoxy-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, sucralose, SUCRALOSE, Sucralose (substance), Sucralose |
| Spanish | sucralosa (sustancia), sucralosa |
Ontology: Equals (C0439089)
| Concepts | Intellectual Product (T170) |
| SnomedCT | 276136004 |
| English | = (qualifier value), Equal symbol = (qualifier value), Equal symbol =, Equals, equals, = |
| Spanish | símbolo igual = (calificador), símbolo igual =, = (calificador), = |
Ontology: NutraSweet (C0733460)
| Concepts | Amino Acid, Peptide, or Protein (T116) |
| MSH | D001218 |
| English | nutrasweet, NutraSweet |
| Czech | NutraSweet |
Ontology: Splenda (C1742799)
| Concepts | Carbohydrate (T118) |
| MSH | C026285 |
| English | Splenda |
