by Justin Mullin

Created on: October 02, 2008   Last Updated: October 06, 2008

With so many sugar substitutes on the market, navigating which options are the safest, the best tasting and appropriate for each specific purpose, has the potential to throw many dieters into a flat spin.

The three biggest artificial sweeteners which can be found on the tables of most restaurants around the country and the easiest to obtain commercially are saccharin (e.g., Sweet N

Low), aspartame (e.g., Equal, NutraSweet) and sucralose (e.g., Splenda)

How do they rate? Taste, health risks and diversity of use will be the criteria used to evaluate each sweetener- hopefully giving you, the dieter, the information needed to make an informed choice of what sweetener is best for each specific purpose.

Saccharin, also known as Sweet N
Low, was approved for use in 1958. Saccharin or benzoic sulfinide has no food energy which is a bonus for people concerned with limiting calories; however there is a downside as far as taste is concerned. Saccharin has a characteristically unpleasant metallic or bitter aftertaste.

Is this sweetener a health risk? For a long time it was believed that saccharin had the potential to cause cancer. In 1972 the USDA even attempted to ban the substance entirely. Eventually Congress placed a moratorium on the ban and instead declared that a warning label be placed on all products containing the sweetener.

According to an article published by DM. R.
Weihrauch and V. Diehl in the Annals of Oncology (2004), "Despite
some rather unscientific assumptions, there is no evidence that aspartame is carcinogenic." His finding was determined after assessing all studies conducted and published in English speaking journals.

Saccharin can be used for baking because it will not break down when heated.
Saccharin can also sweeten beverages because it dissolves easily.

Aspartame (e.g., NutraSweet) is derived from the two amino acids- aspartic acid and phenylalanine and has low food energy. A point to consider is that aspartame might not taste exactly like sugar because it reacts with other food flavors. The taste is better than saccharin, but still not as good as sugar.

Is aspartame safe? There are studies linking its consumption to brain tumors and cancer in rats. After all the controversy, Aspartame appears to be safe. "We conclude that aspartame is safe for the general population," said Paul A. Spiers, a visiting scientist in the Clinical Research Center (CRC) in an MIT article of the News Office.

Aspartame is a good choice for sweetening beverages because it dissolves well. On the other hand, it is a poor choice for cooking or baking.

Sucralose (e.g., Splenda) had the highest sales of the three. It is made by replacing three hydroxyl groups with three chlorine atoms on an ordinary sucrose molecule. As far as taste is concerned sucralose tastes the closest to sugar. It wins the taste test.

Of the three, sucralose has the least potential for health risk. An FDA Talk Paper stated, "In determining the safety
of sucralose, the FDA reviewed data from more than 110 studies in humans and animals. Many of the studies were designed
to identify possible toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects. No such effects were found,
and FDA's approval is based on the finding that sucralose is safe for human consumption." For cooking and baking sucralose has the advantage over the others. It is the most stable and best tasting for use
in beverages and foods.

Sucralose takes the cake in every category, from taste to health risks to multiple uses. Feel at ease to add that
packet of Splenda to your coffee, tea, oatmeal or muffins.

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