Natural sweeteners come mainly from table sugar (sucrose), fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose). Artificial sweeteners are low calorie substances used as sweeteners to replace sugar and other caloric sweeteners.

Many kinds of artificial sweeteners are available, notably saccharin, cyclamate, aspartame, alitame, neotame and, more recently, acesulfame-K, sucralose and Stevia (which is not yet approved by the US FDA).

These sweeteners are also referred to as intense sweeteners, alternative sweeteners, very low-calorie sweeteners, and artificial sweeteners. The celebration and consumption of nonnutritive sweeteners came to a halt in the '70s when cancer connections were discovered. To this day, there is a great deal of controversy surrounding the safety of nonnutritive sweeteners. For every compelling positive argument in favor of using these sweeteners, there is an equally compelling negative argument opposing their use.

SACCHARIN (Sweet ‘N Low)

Used in: Some toothpaste like Crest and Colgate, as well as diet sodas
What is it: Sulfur dioxide, chlorine, ammonia, and biochemical acids
Tastes like: Bitter with a metallic finish
Strength: 400-500 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 1/8 calorie per teaspoon

Possible side effects: In 1977, the FDA made all products containing saccharin add a warning label stating that it was determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals. In May of 2000, it was removed from the National Toxicology Report on Carcinogens.

Another claim made against saccharin is the possibility of allergic reactions. The reaction would be in response to it belonging to a class of compounds known as sulfonamides which can cause allergic reactions in individuals who cannot tolerate sulfa drugs. Reactions can include headaches, breathing difficulties, skin eruptions, and diarrhea. It's also believed that the saccharin found in some infant formulas and can cause irritability and muscle dysfunction. For these reasons, many people still believe that the use of saccharin should be limited in infants, children, and pregnant women.

ASPARTAME (NutraSweet & Equal)

Used in: Diet sodas,breath mints, sugar-free gums, frozen yogurt
What is it: Aspartic acid and phenylalanine
Tastes like: Chemical tasting
Strength: 150-200 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 0 calories

Aspartame is today one of the most used artificial sweeteners because it does not leave a bitter aftertaste as saccharin does. It is marketed under several band names (including Canderel^® and NutraSweet^®) and is used in diet soft drinks, food preparations and as table sweeteners.

Possible side effects: Some studies are trying link a multitude of illnesses such as headaches/migraines, dizziness, nausea, weight gain, muscle spasms, depression, fatigue, insomnia, heart palpitations, vision and hearing problems, anxiety attacks, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain, Emotional Disorders, Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, brain tumors, brain cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Epilepsy, birth defects, and diabetes to the overuse of aspartame.

SUCRALOSE (Splenda)

Used in: Numerous low carb or sugar-free products
What is it: Sugar bonded with chlorine atoms
Tastes like: Slightly chemical tasting
Strength: 600 times sweeter than sugar
Calories: 0

Possible side effects: A lot of the controversy surrounding sucralose stems from the fact that it was discovered while trying to create a new insecticide. The presence of chlorine is thought to be the most dangerous component of sucralose. Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics. The digestion and absorption of sucralose is not clear due to a lack of long-term studies on humans. The majority of studies were done on animals for short lengths of time. The alleged symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations (rash, hives, redness, itching, swelling), wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains, palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes.

ACESULFAME K

Acesulfame K has been an approved sweetener since 1988, and yet most people are not even aware that this is a nonnutritive sweetener being used in their food and beverages. It is listed in the ingredients on the food label as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium, Ace-K, or Sunett. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) and is often used as a flavor-enhancer or to preserve the sweetness of sweet foods. The FDA has set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of up to 15 mg/kg of body weight/day. However, Acesulfame K contains the carcinogen methylene chloride. Long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans.

So you think you are following a sugar-free diet - Think again. A food is likely to be high in sugar if any one of these names appears first or second in the ingredients list on your food label:

Brown sugar, Corn sweetener, Corn syrup, Dextrose, Fructose, Fruit-juice concentrate, Glucose, High-fructose, corn syrup (HFCS), Honey, Invert sugar, Lactose, Malt syrup, Maltose, Molasses, Raw sugar, Sucrose, Syrup

Mannitol occurs naturally in pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes and carrots. It is extracted from seaweed for use in food manufacturing. Mannitol has 50-70 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar, which means more must be used to equal the sweetness of sugar. Mannitol lingers in the intestines for a long time and therefore often causes bloating and diarrhea.

Sorbitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is manufactured from corn syrup. Sorbitol has only 50 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar which means twice as much must be used to deliver a similar amount of sweetness to a product. It has less of a tendency to cause diarrhea compared to mannitol. It is often an ingredient in sugar-free gums and candies.

Xylitol is also called “wood sugar” and occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Xylitol has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is found in chewing gums.

Lactitol has about 30-40 percent of sugar's sweetening power, but its taste and solubility profile resembles sugar so it is often found in sugar-free ice cream, chocolate, hard and soft candies, baked goods, sugar-reduced preserves and chewing gums.

Maltitol is 75 percent as sweet as sugar. It is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum, chocolate-flavored desserts, baked goods and ice cream because it gives a creamy texture to foods.

Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. HSH are nutritive sweeteners that provide 40 - 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. HSH do not crystallize and are used extensively in confections, baked goods and mouthwashes.