Artificial sweeteners are manufactured and have 200 – 13,00 times the sweetness of table sugar. Therefore, it takes only a very small amount to get sweetness, which also means they do not provide any calories.

There has been a lot of negative press associated with artificial sweeteners, however, it is important to know that these products have been rigorously tested and have been deemed safe for use by Health Canada and the FDA providing you do not exceed the acceptable daily intake. Some people do experience side effects when consuming these products (such as headaches), so in those cases, you may not want to consume them.


Sweetener Brand Name Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI)
Acesulfame
Potassium (Ace K)		 Sweet One® (US)
Cannot buy as single ingredient in Canada		 ADI = 15 mg/kg body weight per day
(For example: a 150 lbs person could drink 30 –32 cans of diet soda/pop a day)
Aspartame Equal®
NutraSweet®		 ADI = 40 mg/kg body weight per day
(For example: a 150 lbs person could drink 18 – 19 cans of diet soda/pop per day)
Cyclamate Sucaryl®
Sugar Twin® (Canada)
Sweet ‘N Low® (Canada)		 ADI = 11 mg/kg body weight per day
(For example: a 150 lbs person could have 2 packets of sweetener per day)
Saccharin Hermesetas® (Canada)
Sweet ‘N Low® (US)
Sugar Twin® (US)
NectaSweet® (US)		 ADI = 5 mg/kg body eight per day
(For example: a 150 lbs person could have 9 –12 packets of sweetener)
Sucralose Splenda® ADI = 9 mg/kg body weight per day
(for example: a 150 lbs person could have 6 cans of diet soda/pop per day)
Neotame No consumer products available yet ADI = 18 mg/kg

Sugar Alcohols

Contrary to their name, sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohol. They can be found naturally in fruits and vegetables and are also manufactured. Sugar alcohols are not completely absorbed by the body so they still provide some calories and carbohydrate. Common names of sugar alcohols:

  • Lactitol
  • Maltitol
  • Mannitol
  • Sorbitol
  • Xylitol

It is important to know that high intakes of sugar alcohols (more than 10 grams/day) can cause symptoms of bloating, gas and diarrhea, therefore you may want to watch how much you eat!