Facts on Artificial Sweeteners

Stevia

Stevia is a sugar substitute that comes from the leaves of the stevia plant, a shrub found in South America. The extract, called rebaudioside A can be added to foods and beverages. Several formulations of stevia have been given GRAS (generally regarded as safe) status by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so you can now find it sold as a sweetener in grocery stores. It’s considered the first natural, sugar-free substitute. On a label, stevia is also called Reb A, and rebiana. The names you can find stevia used are Truvia, PureVia, Sun Crystals and Sweet Leaf.

Know your Sugar Substitute Colors

Sugar substitutes are color coded according to their main ingredient.

  • Pink Packets contain saccharin (Sweet’N Low) which dates back to the 1800’s
  • Yellow Packets contain sucralose (Splenda), which is 600 times sweeter than sugar but is not digested so has no caloric value and no effect on blood sugar. Splenda has been on the market since 1998.
  • Blue Packets contain aspartame (Equal and Nutra Sweet). Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener make up of two amino acids which are the basis of proteins. It has no effect on blood sugar.
  • Green Packets contain stevia, a natural, zero-calorie substitute. Stevia, also, has no effect on blood sugar.

Are sugar substitutes dangerous to your health?

In the past, the artificial sweeteners aspartame and saccharin have raised cancer concerns from the general public. In 2007, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviewed scientific evidence and reaffirmed that aspartame is safe for the general population. And the National Cancer Institute found that there is no evidence that saccharin used at normal levels poses health risks. Those with the hereditary disease phenylketonuria (PKU), are advised not to use aspartame. Sucralose ( Splenda) has an excellent safety profile, after conducting 20 years of safety testing the FDA approved it in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and later as a general purpose sweetener for all foods.

Fructose

Fructose is a type of sugar found primarily in honey and fruit. It is unique because it does not cause blood sugar spikes. Fructose is often confused with high high fructose corn syrup. High fructose corn syrup as well as corn syrup and crystalline corn syrup are all made from the same ingredient: corn. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains both glucose and fructose. Corn syrup mainly contains glucose, and crystalline corn syrup is primarily fructose.

Do artificial sweeteners raise blood sugar?

Some artificial sweeteners can raise blood sugar. The artificial sweeteners that do not raise blood sugar levels are: aspartame (Nutra Sweet, Equal), saccharin ( Sweet’N Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet), acesulfame potassium (Sunett and Sweet One), neotame (not yet marketed under a brand name) and sucralose (Splenda). Another group called reduced-calorie sweeteners, often used in processed foods, are known as sugar alcohols (even though they don’t have any alcohol in them). These are commonly used in sugar-free chocolate products. Because sugar alcohols contain carbohydrates and calories, they do raise blood sugar. They include: sorbitol, mannitol, lactitiol, maltitol, xylitol, isomalt, erythritol , and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates. The American Diabetes Association recommends subtracting half of the sugar alcohol grams when calculating a food’s total carbohydrate count. Because manufacturers are starting to blend nonutritive sweeteners with sugar and other sugar substitutes to improve taste or make them more suitable for baking, look carefully at packaging so that you can properly calculate calories and carbohydrates.

Cooking Anyone??

Aspartame is the only artificial sweetener on the market today you should not cook with. Aspartame can lose its sweetness when included in recipes requiring longer baking times. Baking with artificial sweeteners is a science, and some recipes just won’t work without at least some sugar. Splenda and Equal both are sold blended with sugar, specifically for baking.

Agave??

Agave nectar is a natural sugar alternative that comes from a Mexican fruit. Because agave gets its sweetness from fructose, it doesn’t cause blood sugar spikes. While many people enjoy its mild taste, it does contain slightly more calories than sugar. One teaspoon of sugar has 50 calories, and agave has 56. However, because it’s naturally sweeter than sugar, you can also use less. An example, substituting two-thirds cup of agave nectar for one cup of sugar cuts 180 calories.

Sources:

  • dlife.com
  • “Showdown at the Coffee Shop”
  • U.S. Food and Drug Administration
  • Equal.com/healthfacts
  • Splenda.com
  • Purevia.com
  • Truvia.com
  • Cancer.org
  • Mayo Clinic. “artificial sweeteners: safe alternative to sugar”
  • American Heart Association