Artificial Sweeteners - By Webefit.Com

True. Acesulfame-K was discovered in 1967 in Germany and is manufactured by Hoechst, a German chemical company.

150-200 times sweeter than sugar, it was first approved by the FDA in 1988 for use as a tabletop sweetener and other specific uses. In 1998 the FDA approved its use in beverages. Since that approval it has been combined with other artificial sweeteners to make reformulated versions of major soft drinks including Coke Zero and Pepsi One.

False. More than 110 studies have been conducted on sucralose to identify toxic effects including carcinogenic, reproductive and neurological effects. None have been found and sucralose has been deemed safe for human consumption.

True. There is a problem with aspartame. While it's not an allergen, some people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU) and pregnant women with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of phenylalanine in their blood) have a problem with aspartame. They are unable to effectively metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, one of aspartame's components.

High levels of phenylalanine in body fluids can cause brain damage. That's why the FDA has ruled that anything that contains aspartame must include a warning to phenylketonurics that the product contains phenylalanine.

True. Truvia and Purvia market themselves as all natural sweeteners made from the stevia plant. The reality is the primary ingredient in both products is the sugar alcohol erythritol.

If you're looking for 100% stevia, check the ingredient list. Stevia should be the only thing listed.

False. Sugar Alcohols do have calories, but typically only one half to one third of traditional sugar. Diabetics and hypoglycemics should be aware that sugar alcohols do raise blood sugar levels, just not as much as regular sugar. Sugar alcohols also aren't metabolized by oral bacteria, so they don't contribute to tooth decay.

False. Artificial sweeteners, when used appropriately can help quench cravings and reduce the huge amounts of excess sugar in the American diet. However, the hunger stimulating effects that diet sodas have on our bodies is not often compatible with long-term weight loss.

The staff of WeBeFit recommend drinking water or products like unsweetened tea for anyone trying to lose weight.

False. Don't let the consumer friendly name fool you. Sugar alcohols (also known as polyols) don't contain sugar or alcohol. Rather, their chemical structure is merely similar to sugars and alcohols. They occur naturally in foods and come from plant products like fruits and berries.

False. In a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency they said, "In the late 1990s, the National Toxicology Program and the International Agency for Research on Cancer re-evaluated the available scientific information on saccharin and its salts and concluded that it is not a potential human carcinogen. Because the scientific basis for remaining on EPA's lists no longer applies, the agency has removed saccharin and its salts from its lists."

Saccharin is the most tested of all the artificial sweeteners, with over 2,300 studies (and counting) done so far. As of March 2013, a definitive link between saccharin consumption and cancer in humans has never been made.

When cyclamate was banned in the United States, the evidence used to justify the ban was considered suspect and it remained for sale in Canada or Europe. In 1985 the Cancer Assessment Committee of the Food and Drug Administration concluded that Cyclamate is NOT a cancer-causing agent. The National Academy of Sciences did a review as well and came to the same conclusion.

Cyclamate is still sold in Canada and Europe with no reported problems. However, as of March, 2013, it is still banned in the United States.

Saccharin was discovered by Ira Remsen and Constantin Fahlberg of Johns Hopkins University in 1879. (That's not a typo, it really was discovered over 100 years ago.)

Remsen failed to thoroughly wash his hands after working in the lab and noticed the sweetener during dinner.

Mannitol & Sorbitol are the sugar alcohols most connected with “gastric distress.” Erythritol is a notable exception because it is absorbed in the small intestine and your body disposes of it through urine. Because of the way your body processes erythritol, it cannot cause “gastric distress.”

Thaumatin is called Talin and is created from the Katemfe fruit. Stevia comes from the plant known as Stevia Rebaudiana.

False. Xylitol is the sugar alcohol dangerous for dogs. September 1, 2004 the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association issued a warning that said, "xylitol - a sweetener found in some sugar-free chewing gums, candies, and other products can cause serious - possibly life-threatening problems for dogs."

It is believed that dogs who eat xylitol can experience significant insulin release, which then drops their blood sugar to levels so low it can be fatal.

Canada was the first to approve Sucralose for use in 1991, followed by Australia in 1993, New Zealand in 1996, the United States in 1998 and the European Union in 2004. By 2006 it had been approved for sale in over 60 countries.

James M. Schlatter discovered aspartame in 1965 while working for G. D. Searle & Company. He was synthesizing aspartame in the process of working on an anti-ulcer drug candidate. Some aspartame got on his finger, and then he licked it as he reached for a piece of paper. Noticing it was sweet, Schlatter tried some in his coffee and aspartame was officially discovered.

It took until 1981 for aspartame to be approved for sale as an artificial sweetener by the Food and Drug Administration.