| Sweetener | Forms & uses | Others things you should know |
Sugar alcohols & polydextrose - Lactitol
- Xylitol
- Maltitol
- Polydextrose
- Mannitol
- Isomalt
- Polyols
- Palatinit
- Sorbitol
- Polyol syrups
- Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH)
| - Used to sweeten foods labelled “sugar free” or “no added sugar”
- May be found in cough and cold syrups and other liquid medications (e.g. antacids)
| - Sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohols. Small amounts are found naturally in fruits and vegetables. They can also be manufactured.
- They are only partly absorbed by your body, have fewer calories than sugar and have no major effect on blood glucose (sugar).
- Check product labels for the number of grams of sugar alcohols per serving. If you eat more than 10 grams of sugar alcohols a day, you may experience side effects such as gas, bloating or diarrhea.
- Talk to your dietician if you are carbohydrate counting and want to use foods sweetened with sugar alcohols.
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Commonly used sugar substitutes
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates artificial sweeteners as food additives. Food additives must be approved by the FDA, which publishes a Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list of additives.
| Sweetener | Forms & Uses | Other things you should know |
Acesulfame Potassium
(Ace-K) | - Added to packaged foods and beverages only by food manufacturers
| - ADI = 15 mg/kg body weight per day.
- For example, a 50 kg person could have 750 mg of Ace-K per day. One can of diet colddrink contains about 42 mg of Ace-K.
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| Aspartame | - Available in packets, tablets or granulated form
- Added to drinks, yogurts, cereals, low-calorie desserts, chewing gum and many other foods
- Flavour may change when heated
| - ADI = 40 mg/kg body weight per day.
- For example, a 50 kg person could safely have 2000 mg of aspartame per day. One can of diet colddrink may contain up to 200 mg of aspartame.
- Individuals with a predisposition for phenylketonuria should avoid aspartame.
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| Cyclamate | - Available in packets, tablets, liquid and granulated form
- Not allowed to be added to packaged foods and beverages
- Flavour may change when heated
| - ADI = 11 mg/kg body weight per day.
- For example, a 50 kg person could have 550 mg of cyclamate per day.
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| Saccharin | - Available as tablets
- Not allowed to be added to packaged foods and beverages
| - ADI = 5 mg/kg body weight per day.
- For example, a 50 kg person could have 250 mg of saccharin per day.
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| Sucralose | - Available in packets or granulated form
- Added to packaged foods and beverages
- Can be used for cooking and baking
| - ADI = 9 mg/kg body weight per day.
- For example, a 50 kg person could have 450 mg of sucralose per day. One packet contains 12 mg of sucralose; one cup (250 ml) contains about 250 mg of sucralose.
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| Steviol glycosides | - Table top sweeteners
- Added to drinks, breakfast cereals, yogurt, fillings, gum, spreads, baked products, snack foods
| - ADI = 4 mg/kg body weight per day. For example, a 50 kg person could have 200 mg of stevia per day. A 30 g portion of breakfast cereal may contain 11 mg of steviol glycosides.
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As long as you comply with the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of these sugar substitutes there is no reason to avoid GRAS-list approved sweeteners. However, it does keep the sweet cravings alive and therefore it is recommended to gradually decrease the intake of both sugar and alternative sweeteners.
