Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes

Here is a question I received from FOODPICKER.org

Q: What is the best sugar substitute to use for baking and daily use for diabetics?

A: There are several sugar substitutes available in the marketplace, however no particular one is better than another for daily use, so experiment. Try all of the different types to see which one suits your tastes and needs.

Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing a sweetener:

Saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sugar Twin, Necta Sweet) –

• 200-700 times sweeter than regular sugar
• No calories
• Heat stable (so it works in hot foods/drinks and/or cooking and baking)
• Bitter aftertaste

Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) –

• If you have phenylketonuria, or PKU, you should avoid aspartame
• 180-200 times sweeter than sugar
• 11 calories per teaspoon
• Not heat stable (will lose its sweetness in hot drinks and foods)

Acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet and Sunett) –

• 200 times sweeter than sugar
• No calories
• Often used as a flavor-enhancer or sweetness preservative
• Bitter aftertaste
• Heat stable

Sucralose (Splenda) –

• 600 times sweeter than sugar
• 2 calories per teaspoon
• Heat stable

Neotame –

• 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sugar It is
• No calories
• Chemically similar to aspartame but without the phenylalanine dangers for individuals with PKU
• Has limited heat stability

Sugar Alcohols – (Maltitol, Xylitol, Isomalt, Arabitol, Sorbitol, Mannitol, Isomalt, etc)

• Not usually found at grocery stores, can be found in some health stores
• Not sugar or alcohol
• Low calorie – exact amount depends on which sugar alcohol
• If eaten in excess, may have a laxative effect
• Varies

Stevia – (This artificial sugar has not been approved by the FDA as of yet)

• 200-300 times sweeter than sugar and has
• No calories
• Heat stable

Even though these sugar sweeteners are low, or no, calorie, don’t get the impression that you can eat in excess. As with everything else, eat in moderation. Eating too much of these sweeteners can equal the same amount of calories as a food containing sugar, not to mention it could lead to some undesired side effects.

Buen provecho!

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Mandy Seay is a registered and licensed dietitian. She works as a nutrition consultant in Austin, Texas specializing in diabetes, weight loss, lipid control and preventative nutrition. For more health articles and nutrition information, check out Mandy’s website Nutritionistics.

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