Would Mary Poppins use Splenda?

Part II of a II part series "SWEET!"-a look at artificial sweeteners.

For hundreds of years Sugar enjoyed an unrivaled rule as the king of sweeteners. Yes, plain old Sucrose (table sugar) was the choice for afternoon tea, holiday sugar cookies, and to "help make the medicine go down" if you found yourself in a 1960s Disney film. Since the late 70's, though, there have been emerging rivals to the throne. Nonnutritive sweeteners have been met with both applause and fear. While many hail artificial sweeteners as the dieters best friend, others shout warnings about cancer, cognitive damage, and birth-defects. So who is right? It turns both groups are wrong.

As previously discussed in SWEET! part I, regular artificial sweetener use can contribute to weight gain. In addition, a review of the literature found that there were no peer-reviewed, controlled, published scientific studies that showed disease or defect caused by any of the 5 FDA approved nonnutritive artificial sweeteners when consumed within recommended limits [1].

So here is a brief overview of the FDA approved sweeteners and their ADIs (acceptable dietary intake) [1,2]:

Sucralose- Commonly known as Splenda, this sweetener is made from a modification process of Sucrose and is 600 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Sucralose is very stable under heat which makes it easy to be used in baking. ADI: 5mg/kg per day

Aspartame- Commonly known as Nutra-sweet or Equal. This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than table sugar and is after-taste free. However, Aspartame breaks down under heat and is therefore not recommended for cooking or baking. Also- it is important to note that this sweetener breaks down into two amino acids (phenylalanine, aspartic acid) and should NOT be consumed by individuals with PKU. ADI: 50mg/kg per day

Saccharin- one of the oldest artificial sweeteners, Saccharin has been around since the early 1900s and is commonly known as Sweet-and-low. Saccharin is 300 times sweeter than table sugar, but has a bitter after-taste. ADI: 15mg/kg per day

Acesulfame-K- Commonly known as Sunette and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. This sweetener is stable under heat and does not break down during cooking or baking. ADI: 15mg/kg per day

Neotame- This sweetener is one of the sweetest, a whopping 8000 times sweeter than table sugar. Neotame is not broken down by the body, but it does contain phenylalanine and therefore should not be consumed by individuals with PKU. This sweetener is relatively new and is mostly used in drinks and packaged food items although it is heat stable and can be used for cooking and baking. ADI: 18mg/kg per day.

There are other sweeteners out there called Alcohol sugars, and plenty of different types of natural sugars, but we'll save those for another day and another blog.

Please remember, while FDA artificial sweeteners are safe alternatives to sugar, moderation is key. Too much of anything can be a bad thing!

References:

[1] Herman JR. Dietary Sugars and Alternative Sweeteners. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. T-3175. http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2397/T-3157web.pdf

[2] FDA CEDI Database

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