Are Chemical, Low Calorie Sweeteners Safe Alternatives to Sugar?

To decrease sugar in the diet, many consumers of sweet snacks and soda turn to artificial sweeteners instead of sugar, but are artificial sweeteners safe?

There are a significant number of artificial sweeteners on the market approved by the Food and Drug Administration that include Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low, Sugar Twin), Acesulfame K (Sunnett, Sweet One) and Sucralose (Splenda).

Are Artificial Sweeteners Really Safe?

According to the Mayo Clinic, despite claims that artificial sweeteners can cause a variety of health problems, including cancer. The Mayo Clinic further states that there is no scientific evidence that any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States cause cancer and are safe for the general population.

What is Splenda Made From?Splenda is by far the most commonly used low calorie sweetener at this time and claims are that Splenda is made from sugar. This would lead consumers to believe that since it is made from sugar, it must be safe. It is just sugar without a molecule, right?

According to Businessweek, Sucralose (the chemical name for Splenda) is a sugar molecule with three of the hydroxyl groups replaced with chlorine atoms. The Businessweek article further states that Splenda is actually a highly processed chemical sweetener, created with chlorine and other compounds.

Aspartame Has Been Deemed Safe RepeatedlyDespite public fear that with increased aspartame consumption came an increase in cancer occurances, there appears to be no correlation between the two.

According to Dr. Gupta from CNN Health, "The fact is, current evidence does not support this idea that aspartame could cause cancer, or that it is unsafe. According to the American Dietetic Association, aspartame’s safety is documented in more than 200 objective scientific studies. The Food and Drug Administration has concluded that aspartame is safe, and there are no strong data out there to refute that."

Do Artificial Sweeteners Help People Lose Weight?The purpose of using artificial sweeteners for most consumers is to avoid unwanted calories and the potential to gain weight. It makes to most consumers that if calories are saved by using artificial sweeteners, the overall health benefit would be a trimmer waistline.

Artificial sweeteners may be linked to an increase in weight for some people according to the Boston Globe. Reporter Courtney Humphries writes, "A study published last year in the journal Behavioral Neuroscience raised concerns that artificial sweeteners might actually promote weight gain. Scientists at Purdue University found that rats fed artificially sweetened yogurt consumed more calories and gained more weight than rats fed yogurt sweetened with sugar. The authors suggested that artificial sweeteners interfere with the animals’ ability to regulate caloric intake, because they no longer link the taste of sweetness with calories."

Artificial sweeteners aren't for everyone. Although they are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, many consumers are still skeptical. Food that is found in nature is the most nutritious and the more processed a food item becomes, the less healthy it is for the consumer. It is important to remember with artificial sweeteners and that less is more. If it is sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

First published Aug 6, 2010 Melissa Nykorchuk

Bloomberg Businessweek, Gogoi, Pallavi. "How Far From Sugar is Splenda?" (date accessed August 5, 2010)

CNN Health, Gupta. "Is Aspartame Safe?" (date accessed August 5, 2010)

MayoClinic.com, "Artificial Sweeteners: A Safe Alternative to Sugar?" (date accessed August 6, 2010)

Boston.com, Humphries, Courtney. "Artificial Sweeteners and Weight Gain" (date accessed August 6, 2010)