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The Safest Sugar Substitute

According to the Mayo Clinic, "artificial sweeteners are chemicals or natural compounds that offer the sweetness of sugar without as many calories." However, past uncertainty has caused lingering concern over the safety of these products.

  1. Types

    • The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved several low-calorie substitutes for use in various foods. These include aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, neotame, tagatose, sucralose and polyols.

    Expert Insight

    • Although the FDA has approved artificial sweeteners for use, it also has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for each artificial sweetener. It is unsafe to consume more than the ADI.

    Warning

    • Aspartame is dangerous to anyone with the disease known as phenylketonuria, or PKU. Products containing this sweetener are required to provide a warning on the label.

    Identification

    • The FDA approved stevia, an herbal sweetener, as a dietary supplement. According to a 1997 FDA report by Luke R. Bucci, the product appears to lower elevated blood-pressure levels.

    Considerations

    • While stevia appears to be the most beneficial of the sugar substitutes, it is important to note that, while safe, you should not consider any sweetener to be nutritious food. If these products are mixed with white flour or dairy products, it is still possible to consume too much sugar.

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