|  | Diet Nutrition | Nutrition

Kinds of Artificial Sweeteners

Sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners are designed to replace sugar, brown sugar, molasses and corn syrup in food products. They have fewer calories than traditional sweeteners and are used in a variety of diabetic and diet products. The most common artificial sweeteners are Aspartame, Saccharin, Sucralose and Neotame.

  1. Aspartame

    • Aspartame is a low-calorie additive that is used to sweeten foods while adding fewer calories than sugar or corn syrup. It is commonly found in diet drinks and reduced-calorie foods including cereals, ice cream, drink mixes, juices and yogurts. Aspartame is also available as a table-top sweetener in individual packets under the names Equal and NutraSweet. The artificial sweetener is made from the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame is 180 to 200 times sweeter than table sugar, and although it loses its sweetness at a high temperature, it is used in a variety of baked goods and candies.

    Saccharin

    • Saccharin was discovered by a researcher at Johns Hopkins University in 1879 and has been used as a sugar substitute for over 100 years. It is available as a table-top sweetener under the names Sugar Twin and Sweet 'N Low in both granular and liquid forms. It is also available in bulk form and can be used as a sugar substitute in most recipes. Saccharin came under fire when it was discovered that male rats who had been fed large quantities of the product developed stomach tumors, but after extensive testing the sugar substitute has been found to be safe for human consumption.

    Sucralose

    • Sucralose, also known as Splenda, is produced when a small amount of chlorine is added to sugar, causing the molecule to experience a chemical change. The change produces a no-calorie sweetener that is used in food products including low-calorie fruit juices, maple syrups, breakfast cereals and dietary supplements. The product can be used as a table sweetener, and because it is heat-stable, it can also be used in cooking and baking. It is available in a variety of forms including individual sweetening packets, bulk brown sugar blend for baking, bulk granulated sugar blend for baking, and individual fiber packets.

    Neotame

    • Neotame is a relatively new flavor enhancement product, as of 2011, that is produced by the Nutra Sweet Company. It is composed of amino acids, aspartic acids and phenylalanine. The product is normally combined with other artificial sweeteners to enhance sweetness levels of products and increase flavor intensity. After extensive testing, the Food and Drug Administration has deemed Neotame safe for the general public, children, pregnant and lactating women, and diabetics.

Nutrition - Related Articles