These days, we have several players in the ever-growing $1.5 billion artificial sweetener industry. Sugar substitutes are used in place of sucrose, or table sugar, to sweeten food or drinks. They are sweeter than regular sugar and, therefore, smaller quantities can be used to sweeten food to the same sweetness level. These compounds or chemicals sweeten food without the significant calories and also help diabetics to live a normal live. So what’s the catch?
The FDAs Position on Artificial Sweeteners
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several low-calorie artificial sweeteners to be used in various foods. The agency has also set a certain limit with regards to the maximum amount considered safe to ingest on a daily basis, an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) per kilogram of body weight.
Types of Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame are the five artificial sweeteners that the FDA has approved for use in the US today.
Aspartame approved in 1981, found in NutraSweet and Equal, is 200 times sweeter than sugar with an ADI of 50 mg/kg.
Saccharin approved in 1879, found in Sweet’ N Low and SugarTwin, is 300 – 500 times sweeter than sugar with an ADI of 5 mg/kg.
Acesulfame potassium (ACK) approved in 1988, found in Sunett and Sweet One, is 200 times sweeter than sugar with an ADI of 15 mg/kg.
Sucralose was approved in 1998, found in Splenda, is 600 times sweeter than sugar with an ADI of 5 mg/kg.
Neotame approved in 2002, a general purpose sweetener, is 8,000 times sweeter than sugar with an ADI of 18 mg/kg.
They’re FDA Approved, So Why The Concern?
The FDA has approved these artificial sweeteners and clearly states that there is no clear evidence that artificial sweeteners are associated with cancer in humans. However there is still a growing concern about the effects that “unclear evidence” may have on the body.
Aspartame has been connected to a variety of health concerns, such as brain cancer, cancer of the central nervous system, lymphomas and leukemias. However, despite initial findings the FDA cannot establish a clear link between these conditions and the consumption of aspartame. It has, however, been reported to cause headaches, as well as various neuropsychiatric disorders.
Initial saccharin testing caused bladder cancer in lab animals. However, further studies could not provide clear evidence to associate the sweetener with cancer in humans. The product did, however, come with a warning label stating that “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health”. However, after further studies, the warning label was repealed.
Acesulfame potassium was found to stimulate insulin secretion, in a fashion similar to that of being dose-dependent, and was shown to possibly aggravate reactive hypoglycemia. It also produced lung and breast tumors, leukemia, and other chronic respiratory diseases in lab animals.
The Better Sweetener
In 1969, the FDA banned an artificial sweetener that, up until that time, had been regarded as safe. This sweetener called cyclamate was linked with bladder cancer in lab animals. However, reexamination led to the conclusion that the sweetener is, in fact, not carcinogenic. However, the FDA has not re-approved the product due to other concerns.
Stevia is a naturally derived sweetener, and in fact, preferred by many natural-food advocates in the U.S. This sweetener comes from stevia plant leaves and can be up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. The FDA, however, still has not included it in the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) category. This sweetener can be quite costly but is a natural alternative to other artificial sweeteners on the market.
