Sugar Alternatives: What Are Their Benefits and Risks?

- Sugar substitutes are materials used instead of sweeteners that contain sugar or sugar alcohols, and they are also known by other names such as artificial sweeteners, non-nutritive sweeteners, and calorie-free sweeteners. Sugar substitutes can be beneficial for people who are looking to lose weight; they add a sweet taste to foods and beverages without adding a lot of extra calories, as most of them are almost completely free of calories.

Additionally, using sugar substitutes instead of regular sugar may help prevent tooth decay according to the medlineplus website of the National Library of Medicine in the United States, and it may also contribute to controlling blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Sugar substitutes can be added to food when consumed, and they can be used during cooking and baking preparation.

Most "sugar-free" or low-calorie food products are made using sugar substitutes. Commonly used sugar substitutes include: Aspartame: a nutritive sweetener that contains calories, but it is very sweet; therefore, only a very small amount is needed.

Aspartame is made from a combination of two amino acids: phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, or table sugar, but it loses its sweetness when exposed to heat.

No serious side effects have been reported from it to date, and it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sucralose: a non-nutritive sweetener, meaning it contains no calories or only a very small amount of them, and it is 600 times sweeter than sucrose.

Sucralose is used in many foods and beverages, gum, frozen dairy desserts, baked goods, and gelatin. It can be added to food at the time of consumption or used in baking.

Sucralose is an approved sweetener by the Food and Drug Administration. Saccharin: a non-nutritive sweetener but is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sucrose.

It is used in many foods and beverages intended for dietary purposes. Saccharin can leave a bitter or metallic taste in some liquids and is not used in cooking or baking.

This sweetener is also considered approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Stevia: a non-nutritive sweetener; it provides no calories as the body does not break it down to produce energy.

It is extracted from the plant "Stevia rebaudiana" which is grown for its sweet-tasting leaves. Stevia is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is approved as a food additive, and is classified as a dietary supplement.

Acesulfame K: A non-nutritive sweetener, it is 200 times sweeter than regular sugar (sucrose). This sweetener is thermally stable, so it can be used in cooking and baking, and can also be added to food at the time of serving. It is used with other sweeteners in low-calorie soft drinks and other products.

It is considered the most similar to table sugar in terms of taste and texture, and it is also approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Neotame: A non-nutritive sweetener, it is chemically related to aspartame, but it is distinguished by its stability when exposed to heat.

Neotame is 7000 to 13000 times sweeter than sugar, so it is used in many diet foods and beverages, in baked goods, and as a sweetener added directly to food or drinks. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Monk fruit: A non-nutritive sweetener extracted from monk fruit, which is a round green fruit resembling a melon that grows in southern China, and it is 100 to 250 times sweeter than sucrose. This sweetener is characterized by its stability when exposed to heat and can be used in baking and cooking, and it is more concentrated than sugar. It is classified as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Advantame: A non-nutritive sweetener, it is 20,000 times sweeter than sugar. It is used as a general sweetener and is characterized by its thermal stability, so it can be used in baked goods. Brazin: A protein extracted from the fruit of Pentadiplandra brazzeana found in West Africa; it can also be produced using yeast, bacteria, and genetically modified plants.

The Food and Drug Administration approved it in 2024 as a substance recognized as safe. People often question the safety of sugar substitutes and their health effects.

Numerous studies have been conducted on sugar substitutes approved by the Food and Drug Administration, proving them to be safe. However, aspartame is not recommended for individuals with phenylketonuria, as their bodies cannot break down one of the amino acids present in aspartame.

In 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization classified aspartame as "possibly carcinogenic to humans," while the Food and Drug Administration disagrees with this assessment. The Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization also did not recommend any change in the acceptable amount of aspartame that can be safely consumed.