Artificial Sweeteners

1. Artificial Sweeteners

2. Common Artificial Sweeteners • Acesulfame-K • Aspartame • Saccharin • Stevia Leaf Extract • Sucralose • Monk Fruit • Agave Nectar • (nutritive sweetener, alternative to sugar)

3. Acesulfame-K Sweet One, Sunnett • 200 times sweeter than table sugar • Commercial uses: Baked goods, frozen desserts, candies, beverages, cough drops, breath mints • Risk: Studies from the 1970’s report increased incidence of cancer in rats. Inadequately tested in humans. • Studies show 95% of Acesulfame-K is excreted

4. Aspartame Equal, NutraSweet • 200 times sweeter than table sugar • Commercial uses: General-purpose foods • Source of phenylalanine • Requires warning label to inform people with PKU • Risk: Study reported those who consumed products containing aspartame suffered from heachaches • Non-conclusive

5. Saccharin Sweet‘N Low • 300 times sweeter than sugar • General uses: Tabletop sweetener, baked goods, soft drinks, jams, chewing gum • Risk: Past studies linked saccharin consumption to bladder cancer in men. Saccharin was under consideration to be banned by the FDA. Since then, any food containing saccharin carried a warning label to declare it as potentially hazardous to your health. However, the warning label was lifted in 2000.

6. Stevia Leaf Extract • Two forms of sweetener can be extracted from the Stevia plant: • Reb A and Stevioside • Only Reb A has been approved by the FDA as generally recognized as safe (GRAS) • 200-300 times sweeter than sugar • Commercial uses: Prepackaged replacement of sugar • Risk: Unknown due to insufficient testing

7. Sucralose Splenda • 600 times sweeter than sugar • General uses: Tabletop sweetener, beverages, chewing gum, frozen desserts, fruit juices, gelatins • Risk: Non identified. The FDA has claimed this as a safe product, and has not found any potential risk

8. Monk Fruit • 300 times sweeter than sugar • FDA classifies as general recognized as safe (GRAS) • Risk: No reports of negative side effects • Study in 2011 reported the consumption of monk fruit may offer anti-cancer benefits due to containing high amounts of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

9. Agave Nectar • Contains components of sugar (fructose and glucose) • Provides calories • Lower glycemic index than sugar • Tastes similar to honey • General uses: Provides more palatable results in cooking and baking when compared to artificial sweeteners

10. Artificial Sweeteners and Weight Gain • The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that artificial sweeteners “have not been shown to cause weight gain, cravings for sweets, or increased hunger levels.” • The American Diabetes Association states that artificial sweeteners can be used to “help curb your cravings for something sweet.”

11. What about regular sugar (sucrose)? • Sugar is not bad! • Important to understand how it affects blood glucose levels • Incorporate sugar into your diet in moderation • Both sugar and artificial sweeteners are free of vitamins and minerals • Enjoy both in moderation • Know the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for artificial sweeteners

12. Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)The FDA has set the following ADI’s for artificial sweeteners: • Acesulfame-K: 15mg/kg BW or 6 cans of diet soda • Aspartame: 50mg/kg BW or 18-19 cans of diet soda • Saccarhin: 5 mg/kg of weight or 9-12 packets • Stevia: 4mg/kg BW • Sucralose: 5mg/kg BW or 6 cans of diet soda

13. Time for a taste test!

14. For more information please visit: The American Diabetes Association http://www.diabetes.org The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org Questions?