Research laboratories have provided us with synthetic chemical products to take the place of sugar. These products have few or no calories and are many times sweeter than sugar. Artificial sugars are synthetic substitutes that by definition do not derive from natural sources.
Acesulfame-K, or Acesulfame Potassium
Sold in the United States as Sunett, Sweet One, or Sweet & Safe, this sweetener is 2,000 times sweeter than white sugar. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved acesulfame-K for use as a general-purpose flavor enhancer and sweetener. It already appears as a sweetener in ice cream, beverages and gum. Food chemists can blend the sweetener with other synthetic sweeteners, and more than 100 countries approve its use.
Aspartame, Neotame
NutraSweet and Equal are both commercial forms of aspartame. This sweetener is between 180 and 200 times sweeter than white sugar. The FDA approved it for use in many types of foods including soda, candy and desserts. Phenylalanine, an amino acid, is the main ingredient of aspartame, which chemists produce by combining phenylalanine with aspartic acid. Aspartame will lose its sweetness if exposed to some types of acids or used in cooked or sterilized foods. In complaints to the Department of Health and Human Services, consumers have attributed at least two dozen symptoms to aspartame consumption. Neotame, a modified version of aspartame that the FDA approved in 2002 as a general sweetener, has yet to appear in commercial food in the U.S. as of January 2011.
Cyclamate
A graduate student at the University of Illinois discovered sodium cyclamate accidentally in 1937. Originally, cyclamate was meant to alleviate the bitter taste of some antibiotics in the United States. It is 30 to 50 times sweeter than white sugar. Commercial producers combine cyclamate with other sweeteners such as saccharin. Cyclamate has a slightly unpleasant aftertaste. As of January 2011, the FDA has not approved it for use in food, although other countries have.
Saccharin
Saccharin is 400 times sweeter than white sugar. This sweetener has been around since the late 1800s, but its widespread use did not begin until World War I. Manufacturers make saccharin by reacting anthranilic acid with nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine and ammonia. Saccharin has a bitter, metallic aftertaste. Saccharin is not digested by the body. Instead, it passes directly through the digestive tract. Unlike aspartame, saccharin remains stable when heated.
Sucralose
Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than white sugar. This sweetener is also known by the name Splenda. Scientists manufactured sucralose by substituting three hydroxyl groups found in regular white sugar with chloride. This sweetener is used in many types of foods, including breakfast bars, canned fruit and soft drinks. The FDA approves its use in all foods and beverages.
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