Artificial Sweeteners: Pros, Cons and Alternatives

Artificial sweeteners are a controversial topic in the nutrition world. Some argue that a no-calorie alternative is better than high calories from sugar, while others argue that artificial sweeteners may lead to more negative health effects than a high-sugar diet. As added sugars make up a significant portion of the average American diet, food manufacturers are constantly looking for a low-calorie substitute.

To make things easier to navigate, here are some pros and cons to consider when thinking about whether to include artificial sweeteners in your diet.

When you eat regular sugar, your blood transports the sugar to your cells, where it’s either turned into energy or put into storage for later use. Sugar can be stored as glycogen (the body’s storage form of sugar) or turned into fatty acids and deposited into fat cells.

Meanwhile, most artificial sweeteners are man-made chemicals that the human body wasn’t designed to process. That said, our bodies are unable to absorb some artificial sweeteners. For example, sugar alcohols like xylitol or sorbitol don’t get absorbed. They sit in the GI tract, where they can cause gas, bloating, or diarrhea.

If the artificial sweetener is absorbed, the body recognizes it as a foreign substance or toxin. Instead of going to different cells in our body, artificial sweeteners travel straight to our liver. The liver then has to get rid of them, similar to how your liver responds to drinking alcohol.

Generally, it’s better to consume small amounts of something natural than high amounts of something artificial. There are many natural sweeteners that can be used instead of artificial sweeteners.

The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day for women (equivalent to 24 grams or 100 calories) and less than 9 teaspoons per day for men (equivalent to 36 grams or 150 calories).

My Choices when it comes to Artificial Sweeteners

Stevia is a naturally sweet herb that has been used for hundreds of years in South America. Available as a powder in individual serving-size packets, as a liquid, and as a mix for baking. Follow package instructions for ingredient substitutions.

My Choices when it comes to Natural Sweeteners (in order)

Pure Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees. The sap is boiled down into a sweet, delectable syrup. Grade A maple syrup is golden brown and has a delicate flavor. Grade B is thicker, darker, and is better for baking because it has a stronger flavor--and it costs less. Although maple syrup is only 60% as sweet as sugar, use ¾ cup for every cup of white sugar and decrease the amount of liquid by 3 tablespoons to compensate for its liquid state.

Agave nectar is made from the sap of the agave cactus. It is a natural sweetener that is sweeter than sugar and has a lower glycemic index. This means that it does not cause a spike in blood sugar. However, while it is lower on the glycemic index than other sugars, agave nectar still contains a high level of fructose.  Agave nectar contains more fructose than other sweeteners, such as honey and high fructose corn syrup. Excessive fructose consumption can have harmful health effects.  It has greater potential to cause adverse health effects, such as increased belly fat and fatty liver disease.