The Sweet Facts about “Artificial” Sweeteners

NutraSweet^®, Equal^®, Truvia^®, Splenda^®, Sweet ‘n’ low^®. Chances are if you’re trying to lose weight, you may use some or all of these during your day. Although wildly popular, some people have concerns about their safety. Hopefully this article will answer some of those questions.

What is considered an “artificial” or “non-nutritive sweetener”?

The term “artificial sweetener” isn’t technically accurate. The FDA and food manufacturers now refer to these food ingredients more appropriately as non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS). They are by definition, intense sweeteners that contribute very little or no calories to the diet. Some come from natural sources, while others are created, so they were often referred to as “artificial sweeteners.” The FDA has approved these food additives much like they would any new flavorings or preservatives¹, the technical names (and brands associated with them) include: Acesulfame K (Sunett^®, Sweet One^®), Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Saccharin (Sweet ‘n’ low), Stevia (Truvia), Sucralose (Splenda), Luo han guo extract( Nectresse™),and Neotame.

Why use them?

NNS are 150-13,000 times sweeter than table sugar, so they can be used in very small quantities to make food and beverages taste sweet. As a result, the foods they are added to are lower in calories, and often referred to as “diet” or “low-calorie” foods.

Will they help me lose weight?

The American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association recently released new guidance indicating that NNS can be used judiciously to facilitate reductions in added sugars intake, and decrease total energy to promote weight loss or weight control, and promote the beneficial effects on related metabolic parameters. However, these potential benefits will not be fully realized if NNS aren’t used to replace calorie-containing foods². The lead author Christopher Gardner, PhD, of Stanford University, put it simply, "Smart use of non-nutritive sweeteners could help you reduce added sugars in your diet, therefore lowering the number of calories you eat."³

Both the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans agree that NNS can be consumed safely and as part of a healthy diet to displace calorie-containing sweeteners as a means to manage weight.⁴ This is how they are utilized in both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the HMR program.

Do they cause cancer?

In 2009, The National Cancer Institute released a statement indicating there is no clear evidence that the NNS currently available in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans. Before approving any sweetener, the FDA reviewed more than 100 safety studies, including studies to assess cancer risk. “The results of these studies showed no evidence that these sweeteners cause cancer or pose any other threat to human health.”⁵

How much should you use?

Many people who are using reduced calorie foods are consuming different types of NNS from multiple sources. To help you decide the right amount to consume, the FDA has determined an “acceptable daily intake” or ADI for all approved NNS. This is the amount that is considered safe for consumption on a regular basis. All of the ADIs are based on a person’s weight in kilograms (kg). To convert your weight from pounds to kg, divide by 2.2. (No calculator handy? click here).

As an example; the ADI for Sucralose (Splenda) is 5 mg/kg of body weight. This would be the equivalent of 363 mg/day for a 160 lb person⁶. A packet of Splenda weighs 1 gram, of which 12 mg is sucralose (the rest is filler) and most single serving diet beverages contain less. The “estimated daily intake” or the amount commonly consumed in the US is far less than that, approximately 0.1-2.0 mg/kg BW or 8-145 mg per day for a 160 lb person⁷. The average daily consumption in the US is between one half and 12 packets of Splenda per day (for a person of 160 lbs), and this same person would need to consume more than 30 packets of Splenda per day to exceed the ADI.
If you prefer a Pink or Blue packet to Yellow (Splenda), click here to determine the ADI for your favorite sweetener.

For someone consuming shakes, flavorings and diet beverages with NNS, you are likely consuming a variety of sweeteners, and therefore less likely to reach the ADI for any particular type.

The bottom line

Non-nutritive sweeteners have been determined to be safe in the quantities typically consumed in the US by both the FDA and the European food safety agencies. They have been endorsed by the AHA and ADA as well as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans as a practical way to aid in weight loss and weight-loss maintenance if used in place of calorie-containing sweeteners.

Sources

1. http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodIngredientsPackaging/GenerallyRecognizedasSafeGRAS/default.htm
2. http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2012/07/09/CIR.0b013e31825c42ee.citation
3. http://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/prevention/33672
4. http://www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=8363
5. National Cancer Institute. National Cancer Institute fact sheet: Artificial sweeteners and cancer. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners
6. FDA. Food additives permitted for direct addition to food for human consumption: Sucralose. http://gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-1998-04-03/pdf/98-8750.pdf
7. Renwick AG. The intake of intense sweeteners—An updated review. Food AdditContam. 2006;23(4):327-338
 

 

by DrJeanene on 09/03/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, HMR, nutrition