A Safe Susbtitute?

Have you ever gone to add a packet of Splenda or Equal ito your coffee or tea, or order a diet soda, only to have a well-meaning passerby tell you “You’re going to get cancer”? If so, you’re not alone: a large number of the general population believe that the consumption of artificial sweeteners cause cancer or disease.

What’s the real truth behind those innocent looking yellow and blue packets?

First, let’s look at why someone might include artificial sweeteners in their diet. One packet of artificial sweetener is the taste equivalent of 2 tsp of sugar. One packet of artificial sweetener contains 0 Calories. 2 tsp of sugar contains 33 Calories. This may not seem like much, but most people would use a lot more than 2 tsp, and Calories add up fast. Additionally, the majority of people vastly underestimate how many Calories they are actually consuming.

Artificial sweeteners are also the ingredient in Diet beverages that allow them to contain either zero Calories, or fewer Calories than the original product. A bottle of Coca-Cola from a convenience store contains 240 Calories, while a bottle of Coca Cola Zero contains 0.

Therefore, the lack of Calories in these “diet” or “light” products allows the people consuming them to easily maintain or lose weight by reducing the amount of sugar that they would be consuming by choosing s full sugar product.

Sugar doesn’t just come in the form of white sugar, by the way: Sugar comes in the form of white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and syrup. It is found in a wide array of products, including juice, yogurt, pudding, soft drinks, and jams (as well as the obvious baked goods, etc.). For instance, Smucker’s Sugar-Free Jam, sweetened with Splenda, contains only 10 Calories per Tbsp. Smucker’s Regular Jam contains 50 Calories per Tbsp. 1/4 cup of regular syrup contains around 220 Calories, while 1/4 cup of Sugar-Free syrup contains less, ranging from 15 Calories-45 Calories.

So, what about those disease claims?

Alternative Sweetener s have been determined safe for use in all ranges of individuals: men, women, and children,including those with diabetes.
Aspartame (aka Equal, NutraSweet), in particular, has been claimed to have highly negative effects on health. However, Aspartame has been on the market since 1981, and has been rigorously tested, with no correlation between its consumption and cancer ever being found. Additionally, no scientific evidence has been found to provide a link between Aspartame and brain tumors, Alzheimer’s, and nerve disorders.

"For more than three decades, research has found aspartame to be safe, and today it is approved for use in more than 100 countries," says Robert E. Brackett, PhD,. "In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has confirmed the safety of aspartame 26 times over a period of 23 years.”

However, those with a rare disease called phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot consume aspartame, as they are unable to metabolize it as a typical person would. All babies born in the USA are tested for the disease at birth, so don’t worry about potentially having the disease being unaware of it.

Sucralose (AKA Splenda) is the other most commonly available Alternative Sweetener approved for mass consumption. Also, because it is heat stable, it can be used in a large variety of products, including gum, baked goods, canned fruits, ice cream, beverages, salad dressing, and gelatin products, amongst others. Safety studies concerning Sucralose have not found any adverse side effects due to Sucralose consumption.

How much of these products can I consume?
There is currently an ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) set by the FDA for safe Alternative Sweetener consumption. In fact, the ADI is so high that it would be difficult to surpass the intake limit. A 150 pound adult would have to consume either: 30 cups of Diet Soda, 34 cups of Diet Powdered Soft drinks, 42 containers of sugarless Jell-o, or 97 packets of Artificial Sweetener to exceed their limit.