Saccharin was discovered accidentally in 1879 when a researcher noticed a sweet taste on his hand where he had spilled a chemical. He tracked down the sweet substance, and by 1907 it was being used in foods for diabetics. Saccharin is a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it provides no calories.
Characteristics
Saccharin is 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar. It is so sweet the makers of Sweet'N Low explain that powdered forms must be combined with dextrose to dilute the chemical and to make the sweetener measurable for consumers. Saccharin is available in powdered form, tablets, brown sugar varieties and liquid. It does not change with temperature, allowing it to be used in baking as a sugar substitute.
Safety
Saccharin.org reports this sweetener is one of the most extensively researched food ingredients around. For decades, studies were conducted due to concern that saccharin might promote cancer. The concern stemmed from research findings of bladder tumors on male rats when fed the equivalent amount of saccharin found in hundreds of cans of diet soda on a daily basis. In 1977, products containing saccharin were required to bear a warning label stating the chemical had been determined to cause cancer in lab rats. By 2000, a report from the National Institutes of Health recommended saccharin be removed from the list of potential carcinogens after generations of people had been using the product safely. The warning label was lifted in 2001.
Uses
Saccharin is used as a tabletop sweetener in products by the names of Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin, Necta Sweet and Sweet Twin. It also is used in place of sugar in many foods and beverages on the market, including sodas, candy, syrups, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, dessert toppings and salad dressings. Replacing sugar with saccharin lowers the calorie content and the carbohydrate content of the final product.
Benefits
Saccharin has no calories. Each calorie-free packet of Sweet'N Low can replace 2 tsp. of sugar, which provide 32 calories. Saccharin is carbohydrate-free and can be used on low- or no-carbohydrate diets. Ingesting saccharin has no effect on blood sugar levels, which makes it desirable for people with diabetes. Saccharin does not cause tooth decay, meaning the candies and gum containing the artificial sweetener do not promote cavities as do those with sugar.
Fun Facts
Saccharin was used during the two world wars when there were shortages of sugar. Up until the 1970s, saccharin was the only non-nutritive sweetener available. The product also is used in cosmetic products and some vitamins. Saccharin is not metabolized: It passes through the body unchanged. Saccharin is used in more than 100 countries around the world.
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