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Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-.
| Non-nutritive sweeteners | Nutritive Sweeteners | ||||||||||
| Names | Aspartame | Acesulfame-K | Saccharin | Sucralose | Neotame | Advantame | Steviosides | Mannitol | Xylitol | Sorbitol | Erythritol |
| Brand names | NutraSweet®, Equal®, others | Sunett®, Sweet One® | Sweet’N Low®, Sweet Twin, Sugar Twin®, Necta Sweet® | Splenda® | Used as ingredient in food products. | Used as an ingredient in food and beverage products | Stevia®, Truvia™, Sun Crystals®, PureVia™, Sweetleaf Sweetener™ | Used as ingredient in food products. | XyloSweet | Used as ingredient in food products. | Zerose |
| Definition | Synthetic sweetener composed of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. | A combination of an organic acid and potassium. | Synthetic sweetener in forms of sodium or calcium saccharin. | A sugar derivative by replacing 3 hydroxyl groups with 3 chlorine atoms on the sugar molecule. | Dipeptide methyl ester derived from aspartic acids and phenylalanine. | Synthetic sweetener produced in a 3-step process that ultimately combines aspartame and HMPA | Derived from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana plant in South America. Known as “sweet leaf.” | A hexose alcohol extracted from seaweed. | An intermediate product of carbohydrate metabolism from xylan-containing plants. | A hexose alcohol from hydrogenation of glucose and fructose with nickel catalyst. | A tetrose alcohol derived from the cultivation of yeast-like fungi on glucose. |
| Characteristics | Loses sweetness with high heat. | Highly heat stable for cooking and baking. Metallic aftertaste. | Highly heat stable for cooking and baking. Bitter metallic aftertaste. | Highly heat stable for cooking and baking. | Highly heat stable for cooking and baking. Clean sweet sucrose-like taste. | Heat Stable for cooking and baking. Clean sweet sucrose like taste. Ultra high potency. | Heat stable. Licorice aftertaste. Enhances sweet and savory flavors. Lacks bulking property. | Heat stable. High melting point. Non-hygroscopic(does not pick up moisture). | Sweetest of sugar alcohols. Quickly dissolves. Produces cooling effect in the mouth. | Heat stable and highly soluble. Does not cause browning. Humectant (retain moisture). | Very water-soluble. Non-hygroscopic. |
| Non-nutritive sweeteners | Nutritive Sweeteners | ||||||||||
| Metabolism and Excretion | Broken down into aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol upon digestion. All compounds are metabolized normally, except in individuals with PKU. | Not metabolized and excreted unchanged by kidneys. | Not metabolized and excreted unchanged by kidneys. | Not randomized and excreted by the kidneys and in feces. | Partially absorbed and excreted in feces and urine. | Not absorbed in small intestine. Degraded into steviol by bacteria in the colon, where it is absorbed. Excreted in the feces and urine. | 25% is absorbed and excreted in the urine. Unabsorbed portion is fermented by colonic bacteria. | 50% absorbed and excreted. Unabsorbed portion is fermented by colonic bacteria. | 25% is absorbed and excreted in the urine. Unabsorbed portion is fermented by colonic bacteria. | 90% is absorbed. Rapidly excreted in the urine and feces within 24 hours. | |
| Relative sweetness compared to sucrose* | 180 | 200 | 300 | 600 | 7000 - 13000 | 20000 | 200 - 300 | 0.5 - 0.7 | 1 | 0.5 - 0.7 | 0.6 - 0.8 |
| Kcal/g | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.6 | 2,4 | 2,6 | 0.2 |
| ADI (mg/kg/d) ** | 50 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 18mg / NA | 1970 mg/day | 0-4 (as steviol) | Not specified. | Not specified. | Not specified. | Not specified. |
| ADI for 70kg person / Cans of soda equivalent | 3500mg / 28 | 1050mg / 21 | 350mg / 4 | 350mg / 6 | 18mg / NA | 1970 mg/ NA | 0 – 280mg / 5 | NA / NA | NA / NA | NA / NA | NA / NA |
| Year of approval by FDA and as GRAS. | 1981 | 1988 | Prior to 1958. Reapproved again in 2000. | 1998 | 2002 | 2014 | GRAS in 2008 | 1986 | 1983 | GRAS 1982 | GRAS in 2001 |
| Chemical Structures | Aspartame | Acesulfa me-K | Saccharin | Sucralose | Neotame | Advantame | Steviosides | Mannitol | Xylitol | Sorbitol | Erythrit |
| Non-nutritive sweeteners | Nutritive Sweeteners | ||||||||||
| Uses | Tabletop sweetener, ingredients in foods and diet soft drinks. Limited use in bakery products. | Tabletop sweeteners, baked goods, frozen desserts, candies, beverages, cough drops, and breath mints. | Tabletop sweetener, soft drinks, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, candy, dessert toppings, salad dressings. | Tabletop sweetener, beverages, chewing gum, frozen desserts, fruit juices, gelatins. | Flavor enhancer, baked goods, soft drinks, chewing gum, frozen desserts, jams, puddings, gelatins, processed fruits. | Flavor enhancer, baked goods, soft drinks, chewing gum, frozen desserts, jams, puddings, gelatins, processed fruits. | Tabletop sweetener, juices, tea beverages. (Used extensively in Japan for pickles, dried seafoods, and confections). | Dusting powder for chewing gum, ingredient in chocolate-flavored coating agents for ice cream and confections. | Chewing gum, hard candy, oral health products, cough syrups and cough drops, children’s chewable multivitamins, foods for special dietary needs. | Sugar-free candies, chewing gums, frozen desserts, pastries | Bulk sweetener in diet food products, candies, beverages, fat-based creams, chewing gums, confection, yogurt. |
| Health benefits | Virtually calorie free. | Calorie free. | Calorie free. | Calorie free. | Calorie free. | Calorie free. | Calorie free. Claimed to have a hypoglycemic effect. | Low calorie content. Non-cariogenic. Low glycemic response. | Low calorie content. Reduces dental plaque and caries and may promote tooth remineralization. Low glycemic response. | Low calorie content. Slow absorption and metabolism independently of insulin might benefit for diabetics. | Calorie free. Unlikely to have a laxative effect. Non-cariogenic.. Low glycemic response. |
| Non-nutritive sweeteners | Nutritive Sweeteners | ||||||||||
| Health concerns | All should be used at levels below the ADI. | Strong laxative effect at >20 mg/day. | Strong laxative (> 50 mg/day) and also diuretic effects. Flatulence and diarrhea. | ||||||||
| Comment | Requires a label that product contains phenylalanine. | Does not require a label for phenylalanine content due to negligible amount used and low availability of phenylalanine from the neotame. | Requires a warning label for a possible laxative effect. | Requires a warning label for a possible laxative effect. | |||||||
| *Relative sweetness as compared to sucrose (table sugar). 1= reference value which is the sweetness of sucrose. ** ADI = Acceptable Daily Intake *** Other non-nutritive low-calorie sweeteners (Alitame, Thaumatin, Neohesteridine, and Glycyrrhizin) are not yet approved as both sweeteners and as GRAS in the US. See text for details.http://beverageinstitute.org/ | |||||||||||
From: Dietary Treatment of Obesity
This electronic version has been made freely available under a Creative Commons (CC-BY-NC-ND) license. A copy of the license can be viewed at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/.
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