Over the years I've performed enough tests to know that while there are taste and textural differences, most of these more distinctive sweeteners are fine stand-ins for sugar. Dieters take note: This category of sweeteners is not low-cal.
For diabetics, however, many of these sweeteners have a low glycemic index, which means they don't cause the highs and lows that come with sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Artificial sweeteners or zero-calorie sweeteners include the big three: Sweet'N Low, Nutrasweet, and Splenda. These synthetically produced food additives offer sweetness without calories—but having no calories means they give your body no energy.
These sweeteners pass through the body undigested. And they're so intensely sweet that they must be diluted with fillers like dextrose or maltodextrin to approximate the sweetness—and bulk—of sugar. Almost all artificial sweeteners have a distinct aftertaste, but regular users find them to be good sugar substitutes in drinks and tend to be passionate about their favorite. But do these sweeteners bake up well? To test their performance, I made simple yellow cakes from a standard cake formula 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups self-rising flour, 4 eggs.
As a category, artificial sweeteners did not impress in the oven. They may mimic the taste of sugar in a latte, but they don't perform like sugar in a cake. There are two issues. Artificial sweeteners lack sugar's bulk. Compared with sugar-sweetened cakes, artificially sweetened ones are dense and squat. You could solve the volume problem by increasing the batter, but that means more flour and butter carbs and calories.
Artificial sweeteners don't melt like sugar, so the cake's texture is often dense, dry, and lumpy—more like a biscuit than a cake. Acesulfame potassium or acesulfame K or ace-K is about times sweeter than sugar and has no calories.
Brand names: Sunett, Sweet One very limited retail distribution, available only in small packets. Because Sweet One is not available in my area and comes only in small retail packets, I did not test this brand. Aspartame is also about times sweeter than sugar and is completely broken down by the body into its two component amino acids—aspartic acid and phenylalanine and a small amount of methanol or wood alcohol.
It actually contains 4 calories per gram, but since so little is used there are only trace calories per serving. Aspartame is not safe for those with the rare but serious metabolic disorder phenylketonuria PKU.
Those with PKU cannot process the amino acid phenylalanine, and too much of it in the body's system can lead to mental retardation, low IQ, and behavioral problems. Used for baking: Some sources said yes; others said heat caused it to lose its sweetness.
The latter, in fact, is true. The cake I baked was not sweet. Neotame is made by Nutrasweet. The newest of the artificial sweeteners, it is about 40 times sweeter than aspartame making it 8, times sweeter than sugar and is metabolized like aspartame. Used for baking: It is said to be much more stable than aspartame for baking and cooking.
Since it is not available in retail outlets, I did not test it. Saccharin or benzoic sulfimide , the oldest of the artificial sweeteners, was accidentally discovered by a chemist working on coal tar derivatives more than years ago. Depending on its use, it can be to times sweeter than sugar. Used for baking: Yes. Although the cake I baked was dense and lumpy, it was surprisingly tender and very sweet, with that unmistakable metallic Sweet'N Low aftertaste. Sucralose or chlorinated sugar was accidentally discovered in by a researcher and was approved for use in the U.
The company makes several different varieties for different uses. For example, the packets and spoonable products are used the way that you might use table sugar in coffee or sprinkled onto fruit or cereal. The company also makes Sweet Complete Granulated All-Purpose Sweetener which is a Truvia-based, cup-for-cup replacement for sugar in recipes.
The product bakes and browns just like sugar. There is also a zero-calorie brown sugar alternative that can be used as a cup-for-cup replacement in your favorite sweet recipes. And there are several sweeteners erythritol and stevia combined with sugar that can be used to decrease—but not eliminate—calories from sugar in your foods and recipes. Truvia, specifically, has not been studied substantially for its health benefits. But the main ingredients—stevia and erythritol—have been studied.
Since stevia will be discussed in the next section, the health benefits of erythritol will be discussed here. Erythritol is believed to have some anti-diabetic and antihyperglycemic effects. In a published review investigating several artificial sweeteners, study authors write that since "erythritol does not affect insulin levels or glucose , it is an appropriate sugar substitute in diabetes patients, and also for individuals who wish or need to regulate their blood sugar levels because of prediabetes or compromised carbohydrate metabolism.
May Improve Dental Health. There is also evidence suggesting that foods containing erythritol may help improve dental health in both adults and children when consumed instead of sugar-containing foods. Specifically, it may reduce the incidence of dental caries cavities. May Have Antioxidant Properties. Lastly, some studies also suggest that erythritol may have anti-oxidative and endothelium-protective properties and might increases malabsorption of fructose fruit sugar.
Studies indicate that erythritol is not likely to produce adverse effects when consumed as it is intended in food, in appropriate quantities.
Research suggests that the repeated ingestion of erythritol in amounts of 1 gram per kilogram body weight is well tolerated by humans. The estimated average daily intake from all sources—including fruits and vegetables of erythritol is estimated to be 1.
However, even though studies have suggested that erythritol does not affect plasma glucose, insulin concentrations, or gut microbiota, there is still some evidence suggesting that the sweetener may have an impact on gut health in some people.
But the evidence is somewhat contradictory. Authors of a research review indicate that polyols consumed in moderation could induce shifts in the gut microbiome in healthy people. Researchers added that the laxative effects of polyols need to be considered when they are consumed by patients with inflammatory bowel disease IBS. Authors of one report that "sugar alcohols—with the exception of erythritol—should generally be avoided as part of low FODMAPs diet.
Fructans occur naturally in some foods such as artichokes, asparagus, leeks, garlic, and onions. Chicory root is fibrous and acts as a prebiotic in your gut. It can cause gas, bloating, and stomach pain in some people, especially those with IBS.
Truvia is a versatile product that is organic , non-GMO , and gluten-free. It contains no animal byproducts so it is compliant with vegan and vegetarian diets. Because it can be used just like sugar it makes a great substitute for those wanting to cut sugar calories from their food and recipes. While some people report an aftertaste, this sweetener is often suggested as the sugar alternative that best matches the taste and texture of the real deal.
The cooling aftertaste that some people experience is sometimes considered desirable because it tones down the lingering sweetness that the sugar alternative provides.
Sugar alternatives can be pricey, and Truvia is no exception. For instance, a 9. So, if you're on a budget, the cost of the sweetener can be a drawback. However, Truvia is not necessarily more expensive than other sugar alternatives.
Also, as with most other sugar alternatives, some people experience a displeasing aftertaste with erythritol. While some like the cooling effect, some don't.
And even though studies suggest that erythritol has fewer gastrointestinal side effects, some people still report problems as noted by dietitian comments below. Stevia is not a brand name but rather a generic term for a sugar alternative made from the stevia plant S rebaudiana Bertoni , which is native to South America.
Stevia leaf extract is made by steeping the leaves of the stevia plant to extract the sweet compounds from the leaf material. Stevia is considered a "natural" sweetener because it is derived from a plant. Stevia has been used as a sweetener for hundreds of years.
You'll find many different brands of stevia-based sweeteners on grocery store shelves, specifically in the baking aisle near sugar and other sugar alternatives. Some products contain only stevia, and some contain other additives like Truvia.
But they also provide a legacy listing specifically for stevia. The following information is provided for a one-packet 1 gram serving of stevia extract. If you look at the nutritional information for stevia, at first glance it might look like it provides fewer carbs than Truvia.
But in fact, the number is only different because the serving size provided by the USDA is different. The nutritional information provided by the USDA for Truvia is for a one-teaspoon serving which is about three grams. The serving size above is for a one-packet serving, which is one gram. So the carb count for both stevia and Truvia is actually the same.
The level of sweetness of stevia will depend in part on the product that you buy. Purified stevia leaf extracts can contain one steviol glycoside or several different glycosides, which can be up to to times sweeter than sucrose.
But each brand might have a different formulation. Stevia In the Raw, for example, says that one of their packets has the sweetness equivalence of two teaspoons of table sugar. The taste and texture of your stevia may also depend on the brand that you buy. The FDA opinion is based on limited studies that suggest raw or crudely refined stevia products can damage heart and reproductive health, and might do harm to the liver. Truvia is a commercial product created by the Coca-Cola Company and the food and chemical company Cargill.
Truvia is made from refined stevia. It also has added ingredients, including erythritol and natural flavoring. Stevia itself, as well as Truvia, has virtually no calories. No calories means that stevia-based products could be a helpful part of a weight loss plan. But remember that any food can increase your weight if you eat more calories than you expend. One of the biggest advantages of stevia-derived sweeteners over other non-sugar sweeteners is that you can heat them and use them in cooking and baking.
Truvia is also sold in blends that contain some table sugar and brown sugar. Stevia has been studied for many effects, good and bad. A recent study published in a Chilean health journal suggests stevia could have a positive mood effect on the brain, while also reducing sugar cravings. Other studies suggest stevia could help stop diarrhea and the dangerous rotavirus.
Remember however, that most of the stevia available in this country is a processed and refined version of the real stevia plant. Stevia is growing in popularity as a plant-based, calorie-free alternative to sugar. According to the Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes, published in January in Diabetes Care , nonnutritive sweeteners, including stevia, have little to no impact on blood sugar.
The FDA has approved the use of certain stevia extracts, which it has generally recognized as safe a term that is applied to food additives that qualified experts deem as safe, and therefore not subject to the usual premarket review and approval process.
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center notes that people have reported side effects, like gastrointestinal symptoms, after eating high amounts of stevia. But to date, there is no solid scientific research to prove these claims. A lb individual would need to consume nine tabletop packets of the artificial sweetener per day to reach that limit. Sugar alcohols, or polyols, are derived from the natural fibers in fruits and vegetables, according to the Joslin Diabetes Center.
Though sugar alcohols are relatively low in calories and more blood sugar—friendly than carbohydrates, they may have a laxative effect and cause indigestion , bloating , and diarrhea in some people, the FDA points out. Products containing sorbitol and mannitol must bear a label warning that excess consumption can cause a laxative effect, per the FDA. She explains that unabsorbed carbohydrates from these sweeteners pass into the large intestine, where they are fermented by gut bacteria to produce gas.
See how you respond to a small amount before incorporating them into your daily diet. Also, keep in mind that sugar alcohols do contain some carbohydrates and are nutritive sweeteners, so they can affect blood sugar levels. Swerve measures cup-for-cup like sugar, and you can use it like table sugar, or in cooking and baking recipes that call for sugar. If other sugar alcohol sweeteners give you tummy trouble, this may be a better option for you.
It is less likely to produce the gas, bloating, and diarrhea that happen from fermentation by gut bacteria because only about 10 percent of the erythritol you consume enters the colon, per past research. The rest leaves the body through your urine.
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