A Rundown on the Kinds of Artificial Sweeteners

Because of the sudden need of America to suddenly go dieting, a lot of low calorie artificial sweeteners have been flooding the market. There have been a lot of speculations as to how safe these artificial sweeteners are. All of those being sold legally in the market has of course been tested and approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration.

Despite this, there are still some doubts on the safety of the products and a lot of misconceptions on how these products can affect the body. For instance, pregnant women can use artificial sweeteners unless of course they are warned or asked by their doctor not to for some reasons; Yet a lot of expectant mothers still feel that they have to avoid taking in these kinds of artificial sweeteners for fear of harming their babies.

Below are some of the low-calorie artificial sweeteners in the market. Read on and find out something about each of them.

Aspartame

This artificial sweetener has been in the market for quite sometime, being sold in brand names like NutraSweet®, Sugar Twin®, Canderel® and Equal®. Aspartame was actually discovered way back in 1965 and has already been in the shelves since the 1980s. Aspartame is created when two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, are combined. This sweetener is actually 200 times sweeter than ordinary table sugar without the calories that go with it. In fact, one small packet of this sweetener is equivalent to the taste of two teaspoons of sugar.

Although it has already been evaluated as safe by agencies, there has been a lot of talk of how aspartame is linked to headaches, epilepsy and even cancer. One indication though that people should remember is that people afflicted with phenylketonuria (PKU) should not use this because they are unable to metabolize phenylalanine.

Saccharin, another form of artificial sweetener under the brandnames Sweet’N Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet. It is a non-caloric sweetener that is not metabolized by the body. Produced from an organic compound, it is 375 times sweeter than table sugar. In fact, this can be used in moderation by diabetics because of the non-existent caloric content.

Acesulfame K, which is being sold under the product names, Sunett and Sweet One, Sweet and Safe is another sugar substitute that is not metabolized by the body and is actually excreted by the body through the kidneys. In addition to being used by diabetics, Acesulfame K is also used in cooking and baking.