You can purchase a wide variety of products sweetened with artificial sweeteners, as well as artificial sweeteners that you can use in your home. Artificial sweeteners have some possible health benefits, but they also carry some risks. Knowing the facts about these sweeteners can help you make an informed decision on whether you want to use them.
Types
Five types of artificial sweeteners have FDA approval for use in the United States. These include acesulfame-K, aspartame, neotame, saccharine and sucralose. Another, cyclamate, is approved for use in some other countries but not in the United States. Sugar alcohols, which manufacturers sometimes used in place of sugar, are made from either natural or artificial sources, and include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltitol, lactitol and erithrytol.
Possible Health Benefits
Most artificial sweeteners are calorie free, so they may help you to lose weight if you use them in place of sugar. Sugar alcohols do contain calories, but still a lot fewer calories than sugar, which is why manufacturers like to use them, especially in low-calorie or diet products. Neither of these types of sweeteners causes cavities, so they are better for your dental health than sugar and other nutritive sweeteners like honey. These sweeteners are beneficial for diabetics, since artificial sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels, and although sugar alcohols do raise blood sugars, they do so to a lesser extent than sugar.
Possible Risks
Much of the concern about artificial sweeteners is due to a possible cancer risk for some of these sweeteners, including saccharine and cyclamate. However, the evidence does not exist to support this concern, according to the National Cancer Institute. Some people are sensitive to aspartame, and find that they suffer from headaches and other side effects when they consume this artificial sweetener. If you have phenylketonuria you should avoid aspartame and products containing aspartame, as it contains phenylalanine. Consuming large amounts of sugar alcohols can cause bloating, diarrhea or gas.
Other Considerations
Foods that contain artificial sweeteners may still contain calories. Read the nutrition label so you know what you are eating and don't unintentionally consume more calories than you planned on. If you are trying to lose weight, don't use artificial sweeteners as a way to compensate for eating other high calorie treats during the day, since most people overcompensate and end up eating way more calories than they save with these sweeteners.
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