Low-Calorie Sweeteners: The Basics
All low-calorie sweeteners contribute no or very few calories to foods and beverages.
Each has undergone extensive safety testing which has been carefully reviewed by the
Food and Drug Administration. The scientific data clearly demonstrate that low-calorie
sweeteners are not linked to any adverse health reactions. In the United States, the FDA
investigates complaints from consumers. It has stated that there are no causal relation-
ships between dietary use of low-calorie sweeteners and alleged adverse reactions.
Acesulfame potassium
Acesulfame potassium or acesulfame K as it is abbreviated on food labels, is calorie-free
and about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Acesulfame K is highly stable and has been
approved for use in a wide variety of foods, beverages and baked products. Acesulfame
potassium is not broken down by the body and is eliminated without providing any calories.
Aspartame
Aspartame is a very low-calorie sweetener and is about 200 times sweeter than sugar.
It is made by joining two amino acids, aspartic acid and the methyl ester of phenylalanine.
The components of aspartame are also found naturally in common foods, including meat,
dairy products, fruits and vegetables. After ingestion, aspartame is broken down to its
components and utilized by the body in the same way as when derived in much larger
amounts from common foods.
Although aspartame is widely used in foods and beverages, is not recommended for use in
recipes that require lengthy heating or baking time, because of a loss of sweetness. It may,
however, be added at the end of the cooking cycle in many recipes.
Persons with a rare hereditary disease known as phenylketonuria (PKU) must control their
intake of phenylalanine from all sources, including aspartame. Although aspartame contains
only a small amount of phenylalanine, labels of aspartame-containing foods and beverages
must include a statement advising phenylketonurics of the presence of phenylalanine.
Saccharin
Saccharin is calorie-free and about 300 times sweeter than sugar. Because saccharin is
stable when heated, it is suitable for foods, beverages and in cooking and baking. It is
not broken down by the body and is eliminated without providing any calories.
Decades ago, there were questions about whether saccharin could cause bladder cancer,
based on animal studies. Numerous follow-up studies with animals and humans have shown
no overall association between saccharin consumption and cancer incidence. Recently,
the federal government removed saccharin from a list of potential cancer-causing agents.
For the time being, labels on products with saccharin must include a statement that
saccharin has caused cancer in laboratory animals.
Sucralose
Sucralose is calorie-free and is approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is made
from sugar through a patented, multi-step process. Sucralose is highly stable and can
be used in foods, beverages and in cooking and baking. Sucralose is not recognized
by the body as sugar or carbohydrate. It is not broken down by the body and is eliminat-
ed without providing any calories.
Polyols
Polyols (or sugar alcohols) are another group of reduced-calorie
sweeteners that contain some calories. Polyols are found naturally
in berries, apples, plums, and other foods, but are manufactured
from carbohydrates for use in sugar-free candies, cookies, chewing
gums and other reduced-calorie foods. Familiar names of polyols
include sorbitol, mannitol and isomalt.
Since polyols are partially, but not completely broken down by the
body, they provide, on average, half the calories of sugar and other
carbohydrates. Some polyols, such as sorbitol, may produce gas
and discomfort in the stomach and may cause diarrhea in some
people when large amounts are consumed. As a result, foods with
a significant amount of certain polyols bear the statement,
“Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”
