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Artificial Sweeteners

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Camila Nalin
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44 views2 pages

Artificial Sweeteners

Uploaded by

Camila Nalin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are sweeteners that are not found in nature. These sweeteners contain few or no calories. They are
often used in place of sugar or other caloric sweeteners in processed foods marketed as diet-friendly or “sugar-free.”

In the United States, several artificial sweeteners have been approved for use in food. The table below lists these sweeteners,
their common associated brands, and common products in which they are found.

Artificial Sweetener Associated Brand Names Found In

Acesulfame-K Sunette® Combined in products with other artificial sweeteners for a


(acesulfame potassium) Sweet One® more sugar-like taste
Swiss Sweet®

Advantame Baked goods, processed foods

Aspartame Equal® Instant tea and coffee, powdered drink mixes, pudding, soft
Natra Taste® drinks, yogurt, chewing gum
NutraSweet®

Neotame Newtame® Baked goods, processed foods

Saccharin Sweet’N Low® Baked goods, candy, canned fruit, jams, salad dressings, soft
Sugar Twin® drinks, chewing gum, lip gloss, mouthwash, pharmaceuticals,
Necta Sweet® toothpaste, vitamins

Sucralose Splenda® Baked goods, frozen dairy desserts, fruit juices, gelatins, soft
drinks, chewing gum

Stevia PureVia® Baked goods, processed foods, soft drinks


Rebiana®
Splenda Naturals®
Truvia®

Tagatose Nutrilatose® Milk, ice cream, other dairy products

Food manufacturers began developing artificial sweeteners and marketing them as healthy alternatives to refined sugar
as early as 1880. These types of sweeteners became increasingly popular in the 1960s, and are still widely used today. The
FDA endorses the safety of artificial sweeteners, but there is a lack of high quality, evidence-based research on humans to
encourage their use.

Version 1 © 2017 The Institute for Functional Medicine


Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe?
One of the main concerns about artificial sweeteners is their potential to cause harm in the body. Some have been
linked to attention-deficit disorders, birth defects, diabetes, digestive upset, headaches, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD),
seizures, and some forms of cancer. For this reason, consumption of artificial sweeteners is not recommended for children
or pregnant women.
Another concern about artificial sweeteners is how they affect the body and brain’s ability to gauge how much has been
eaten. Providing sweetness without calories confuses the body’s normal digestive processes. This can lead to intense food
cravings, overeating, storage of extra calories as fat, and metabolic diseases and disorders.
For best health, it is recommended that only minimal amounts of sugars, natural sweeteners, and artificial sweeteners be
consumed regularly. A balanced diet rich in whole foods and minimal inclusion of processed foods and additives
is preferred.

A Note about Stevia


Stevia is marketed as a natural, no-calorie alternative sweetener. It is made from the plant Stevia rebaudiana, but packaged
stevia and other sweeteners made with stevia aren’t always 100% natural. To make it shelf stable, some brands include
additives and fillers that can cause adverse reactions to food. To be sure you are choosing the most pure, natural form of
stevia, choose brands with only one ingredient: organic stevia leaves.

References
n Artificial Sweeteners. The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/artificial-sweeteners/. Accessed December 4, 2016.
n Hitt MM. The Evolution of the Sugarcoated American Food Market and the Paradox of Artificial Sweeteners. 2016:1-19.
n Shankar P, Ahuja S, Sriram K. Non-nutritive sweeteners: Review and update. Nutrition. 2013;29(11):1293-9. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nut.2013.03.024.

© 2017 The Institute for Functional Medicine

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