 Acesulfame-K  Aspartame  Saccharin  Stevia Leaf Extract  Sucralose  Monk Fruit  Agave Nectar  (nutritive sweetener, alternative to sugar)

Sweet One, Sunnett  200 times sweeter than table sugar  Commercial uses: Baked goods, frozen desserts, candies, beverages, cough drops, breath mints  Risk: Studies from the 1970’s report increased incidence of cancer in rats. Inadequately tested in humans.  Studies show 95% of Acesulfame-K is excreted

Equal, NutraSweet  200 times sweeter than table sugar  Commercial uses: General-purpose foods  Source of phenylalanine  Requires warning label to inform people with PKU  Risk: Study reported those who consumed products containing aspartame suffered from heachaches  Non-conclusive

Sweet ‘N Low  300 times sweeter than sugar  General uses: Tabletop sweetener, baked goods, soft drinks, jams, chewing gum  Risk: Past studies linked saccharin consumption to bladder cancer in men. Saccharin was under consideration to be banned by the FDA. Since then, any food containing saccharin carried a warning label to declare it as potentially hazardous to your health. However, the warning label was lifted in 2000.

 Two forms of sweetener can be extracted from the Stevia plant:  Reb A and Stevioside  Only Reb A has been approved by the FDA as generally recognized as safe (GRAS)  times sweeter than sugar  Commercial uses: Prepackaged replacement of sugar  Risk: Unknown due to insufficient testing

Splenda  600 times sweeter than sugar  General uses: Tabletop sweetener, beverages, chewing gum, frozen desserts, fruit juices, gelatins  Risk: Non identified. The FDA has claimed this as a safe product, and has not found any potential risk

 300 times sweeter than sugar  FDA classifies as general recognized as safe (GRAS)  Risk: No reports of negative side effects  Study in 2011 reported the consumption of monk fruit may offer anti-cancer benefits due to containing high amounts of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents.

 Contains components of sugar (fructose and glucose)  Provides calories  Lower glycemic index than sugar  Tastes similar to honey  General uses: Provides more palatable results in cooking and baking when compared to artificial sweeteners

 The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics states that artificial sweeteners “have not been shown to cause weight gain, cravings for sweets, or increased hunger levels.”  The American Diabetes Association states that artificial sweeteners can be used to “help curb your cravings for something sweet.”

 Sugar is not bad!  Important to understand how it affects blood glucose levels  Incorporate sugar into your diet in moderation  Both sugar and artificial sweeteners are free of vitamins and minerals  Enjoy both in moderation  Know the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for artificial sweeteners

 Acesulfame-K: 15mg/kg BW or 6 cans of diet soda  Aspartame: 50mg/kg BW or cans of diet soda  Saccarhin: 5 mg/kg of weight or 9-12 packets  Stevia: 4mg/kg BW  Sucralose: 5mg/kg BW or 6 cans of diet soda

For more information please visit: The American Diabetes Association The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics