The Home & Garden Information Center provides research-based information on landscaping, gardening, plant health, household pests, food safety and preservation, nutrition, physical activity, and health. This HGIC fact sheet provides information on non-nutritive sweeteners

Clemson University, Cooperative Extension Service

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Several different types of non-nutritive sweeteners on the market.Danielle McFall, ©2020, Clemson Universityhttps://hgic.clemson.edu/NON-NUTRITIVE SWEETENERSFactsheet | HGIC 4372 | Published: Feb 27, 2020What are Non-Nutritive Sweeteners?Non-nutritive sweeteners are sweetening agents that have a higher sweetening intensity and a lowercaloric content than caloric sweeteners like sucrose or corn syrup. Non-nutritive sweeteners may bederived from plants or herbs, or even sugar itself. Some artificial sweeteners are not metabolized by thebody, meaning that they pass through the digestive tract, essentially unchanged.Non-Nutritive Sweeteners and Safety: Most non-nutritive sweeteners in the United States areregulated by the Food and Drug Administration(FDA) as food additives. In 1906, Congress passeda law regulating all food additives, and in 1958, itpassed a food additives safety amendmentrequiring safety to be proven on the basis ofscientific evidence. These food additives may begranted the status of Generally Recognized As Safe(GRAS).The review process from the FDA for non-nutritivesweeteners considers short- and long-term toxicity,carcinogenicity, and reproduce toxicity studies. Themain factor in the evaluation of the safety of a foodadditive is the relationship between its probablehuman intake from use in food to the level wherenegative effects are observed. Acceptable dailyintakes (ADIs) and estimated daily intakes (EDIs) guide decisions about safe consumption levels.Types of Non-Nutritive SweetenersThe first non-nutritive sweetener discovered was saccharin in 1878. From 1970 to 1981, saccharin wasthe only non-nutritive sweetener available in the United States. After almost 100 years of use in 1972, itwas removed from the GRAS list based on findings from a Canadian study linking the sweetener tobladder cancer in rats. Additional studies later determined that the bladder tumors in rats were notrelevant to humans, and human epidemiology studies have shown no consistent evidence that saccharinuse has increased rates of bladder cancer. In 2000, legislation was passed repealing the warning labelrequirement for saccharin.Since 2019, the FDA in the United States has approved eight non-nutritive sweeteners. These includeaspartame, acesulfame potassium, luo han guo (monk) fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia, sucralose,and advantame (see Chart 1).Chart 1: Types of Non-Nutritive SweetenersNon-nutritiveSweetenerBrand Name DescriptionChemically producedAcesulfamepotassiumSunett® and Sweet One® Usually used in combination with othernon-nutritive sweetenersFrequently found in sugar-free sodasNeotame 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugarUsed in low-calorie foods and beveragesSaccharin Sweet ‘N Low®, Sweet Twin®, andSugar Twin®Oldest artificial sweetener on the market200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugarSucralose Splenda® and Equal Sucralose Used as an alternative for sugar in cookingand bakingUsed in many low-calorie foods andbeveragesAdvantame Newest non-nutritive sweetener approvedby the FDA20,000 time sweeter than sugarNot commonly used at this timeAspartame Equal® or NutraSweet® 200 times sweeter than table sugarUsed in a variety of foods and beveragessuch as cereals, yogurt, candy, diet sodas,and other productsNaturally ProducedStevia Truvia®, Stevia in the Raw®,SweetLeaf® Sweet Drops™, SunCrystals®, and PureVia®Extracted from the leaves of the steviaplant (native to South America)Used in a wide range of foods andbeverages or a tabletop sweetenerLuo han guo Monk Fruit in the Raw ® Made from crushed monk fruitNew non-nutritive sweetener on the marketUsed in China for almost 1,000 yearsNon-Nutritive Sweeteners and DiabetesIn addition to some controversy over the safety of non-nutritive sweeteners, there are other questionsrelated to the benefits of these low-calorie sweeteners, especially for individuals who have diabetes. Theuse of non-nutritive sweeteners has the potential to reduce the overall caloric and carbohydrate intake ifthey are substituted for caloric sweeteners. Non-nutritive sweeteners may influence health outcomes inpeople with diabetes by improving glycemic control and weight management. Non-nutritive sweetenershave few or no calories, compared with about 16 calories in 1 teaspoon (4 grams) of sugar.To Sweeten or Not to Sweeten?Overall, non-nutritive sweeteners listed on the GRAS list are considered safe to consume withinmoderation for most individuals. The FDA-approved sugar substitutes are considered safe in the amountspeople usually drink and eat. However, there is inconsistency in dietary recommendations forconsumption across different health organizations. Some individuals with certain medical conditions,such as phenylketonuria (PKU), should avoid certain non-nutritive sweeteners. If you have specificquestions about which sweeteners are safe for you, you should consult your physician. In general, peopleare encouraged to decrease both sweetened and non-nutritive sweetened beverages and use otheralternatives such as water.Sources:1. Lohner, Szimonetta, et al. “Non‐Nutritive Sweeteners for Diabetes Mellitus.” The Cochrane2. Database of Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 27 Nov. 2017,www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6485995/.3. Shwide-Slavin, Claudia, et al. “Nonnutritive Sweeteners: Where Are We Today?” Diabetes4. Spectrum, American Diabetes Association, 1 May 2012,spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/2/104.5. Siervo, M., et al. “Health Outcomes of Non-Nutritive Sweeteners: Analysis of the Research6. Landscape.” Nutrition Journal, BioMed Central, 1 Jan. 1970,nutritionj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12937-017-0278-x.7. “Sugar Substitutes.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15166-sugar-substitutes–non-nutritive-sweeteners.Originally published 02/20If this document didn’t answer your questions, please contact HGIC at hgic@clemson.edu or 1-888-656-9988.Author(s)Danielle McFall, Extension Associate, Field Operations, Clemson UniversityCarley Mahanna, (PHS Student) UPIC Intern Experiential Education, Clemson UniversityThis information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement of brandnames or registered trademarks by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied, nor is anydiscrimination intended by the exclusion of products or manufacturers not named. All recommendations are for SouthCarolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. Use pesticides only according to the directions on the label. Allrecommendations for pesticide use are for South Carolina only and were legal at the time of publication, but the status ofregistration and use patterns are subject to change by action of state and federal regulatory agencies. Follow alldirections, precautions and restrictions that are listed.Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender,religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equalopportunity employer.Copyright © 2023 Clemson UniversityClemson Cooperative Extension | 103 Barre Hall Clemson, SC 29634864-986-4310 | 1-888-656-9988 (SC residents only) | HGIC@clemson.edu

Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

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Non-Nutritive Sweeteners

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