Packaged in trademark blue packets, Equal appears on the tables of diners, restaurants and coffee shops. The active ingredient is used to sweeten coffee, tea, diet soda and other beverages. This product skyrocketed in popularity after saccharine was found to cause cancer in rats in the 1970s.
Aspartame
The active ingredient in Equal is aspartame. The body breaks aspartame down into two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are found in meat, milk and other high-protein foods. There are essential amino acids needed for a healthy diet.
Safety
MayoClinic.com reports that no credible evidence exists to show that aspartame causes cancer. This is very different from cyclamates and saccharine, which cause cancer in rats who consumed large doses of these chemicals for long periods of time. However, unless diet sodas are fortified with vitamins and minerals, they are not part of a healthy diet.
Nutrients
Equal contains no carbohydrates, sodium, protein, vitamins or minerals. Since it is entirely lacking in nutrition, it could be called empty calories -- except that this artificial sweetener contains no calories.
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