Dieters can safely enjoy both full-calorie and low-calorie sweeteners, according to an updated position paper from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) called “Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners,” published in the May issue of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Added sugars result in higher caloric intake and lower diet quality. Low-calorie sweeteners are a safe way to restrict calories in the diet, according to the paper, which supports the safety and benefits of acesulfame potassium, aspartame, monk fruit, neotame, polyols, saccharin, stevia and sucralose as sweeteners.
Some studies have suggested that some artificial sweeteners are processed chemicals and bad for one’s health. For example, some research said aspartame might cause cancer in rats when consumed at the amounts typical in a soda. But the Food and Drug Administration has also said that aspartame is safe to use as a sweetener.
For more information, visit www.eatright.org.
— Anne Aurand, The Bulletin
