Differences Between Splenda And Sweet & Low

The FDA's approval of artificial sweeteners has been a boon for dieters, diabetics and anyone else who watches their sugar intake. If you compare the labels between a 12-oz. bottle of a regular soft drink and a diet soft drink of the same size, you'll see that the difference is about 130 calories. Both Splenda and Sweet'N Low deliver sweetness without calories, and they are very similar. But there are some minor differences.

Digestion

Splenda is sucralose and Sweet'N Low is saccharin. Both deliver virtually no calories because your body can not easily break either substance down and use it in the digestive process. A small percentage of Splenda is absorbed and metabolized by your body, but Sweet'N Low passes directly through your system.

Processing

Splenda starts out as sugar. A chemical process changes its chemical composition from a natural substance to a synthetic substance when chlorine atoms replace hydrogen-oxygen atoms. The processing of Sweet'N Low is very similar, but saccharin comes from a compound called toluene, not sugar. Toluene derives from petroleum.

Health Effects

The FDA regulates and has approved both Splenda and Sweet'N Low as food additives. Saccharin, the source of Sweet'N Low, got a bum rap in the 1980s for causing bladder tumors in rats, but the study was flawed, according to Dale
Buss, writing to for the Brandchannel website. In 2000, saccharin was removed from the U.S. National Toxicology Program's "Report on Carcinogens," and according to the National Cancer Institute, the sweetener is no longer considered a carcinogen.

Studies

Splenda has undergone more than 100 research studies proving it safe, but not all these studies were on humans. Sweet'N Low has undergone more than 30 studies on humans, proving it safe. According to the FDA, you can consume up to 12 packets of Sweet N' Low per day without risking any sort of adverse health effects, and the same is true of Splenda.

Taste

Both sweeteners reportedly leave an aftertaste. Splenda is sweeter, about 600 times sweeter than regular sugar, compared to about 300 times sweeter for Sweet'N Low. Both can substitute for sugar in recipes. Sweet'N Low packaging comes with a conversion chart so you know how much to use. Splenda is easier for cooking, because you can purchase it in a form that measures out the same as sugar: if a recipe calls for 1/2 cup, you would use 1/2 cup of Spenda.