Sweet Taste — Without the Calories

Cutting back on calories or carbohydrates (carbs), but like foods and beverages that Do not use low-calorie sweeteners or sugar-free foods taste sweet? Try low-calorie sweeteners! to treat low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia). Commonly referred to by the color of their packaging — “pink,” “blue,” “green” or “yellow.” Low-calorie sweeteners are also carbohydrates and calories and should be • Advantame is much sweeter than known as sugar substitutes, sugar included as part of your overall carb aspartame so only a small amount is replacements, no-calorie sweeteners, or budget. Be sure to read the Nutrition Facts needed. For this reason, foods non-nutritive sweeteners. When used in Panel for a product’s nutrition and containing advantame do not bear a place of sugar, low-calorie sweeteners ingredient information! PKU information statement. decrease the total number of carbs and calories found in foods and beverages, Types of Low-calorie 3. Aspartame which may help with weight management Sweeteners Packet color: Blue and blood glucose control. • More than 200 studies support Low-calorie sweeteners may be found on aspartame’s safety. Low-calorie sweeteners can decrease restaurant tabletops and grocery store • Aspartame is a source of your calorie and carbohydrate intake in shelves, as well as in foods and phenylalanine — an ingredient that several ways: beverages. Other products — such as people with the rare condition • Replacing sugary beverages made vitamins, medications, sugar-free cough phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid. with fruit-flavored powder mixes drops, toothpaste and mouthwash — • Products that contain aspartame must containing a low-calorie sweetener may contain these types of sweeteners, feature a warning label to alert those like sucralose will typically provide less as well. The following eight low-calorie with PKU. than five calories per eight-ounce sweeteners are either approved by the serving. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) • Having soft drinks made with or have been placed on the Generally aspartame, another low-calorie Recognized As Safe (GRAS) list. Each has sweetener, will only cost you one been found through numerous scientific calorie or less per 12-ounce serving. studies to be safe for consumption. • Adding a packet of sugar substitute to Because they provide more than 100 your coffee or tea does not add any times the sweetening power of sugar, calories or raise your blood glucose only a very small amount is needed. levels, like regular sweeteners can. • Drinking a 12-ounce diet soda can 1. Acesulfame-potassium save about 140 calories and 39 grams Other names: Ace-K of carbohydrate over a regular soda, • Acesulfame-potassium is generally which may contain ten teaspoons of blended with other low-calorie sugar or more. sweeteners.

Some low-calorie sweeteners contain 2. Advantame bulking agents such as fiber, which • Made from aspartame and vanillin contribute carbohydrates and a small • Heat stable amount of calories. In addition, sugar/ • Advantame is a source of non-nutritive sweetener blends contain phenylalanine 4. Luo Han Guo fruit extracts What does “sugar-free” mean?” Are low-calorie sweeteners Siraitia grosvenorii Swingle fruit extract (SGFE) is also know as monk fruit If a food or beverage is labeled “sugar- safe? • 100-250 times sweeter than sugar free,” it means that white sugar, brown The FDA has found low-calorie • Plant is native to Southern China sugar or any other sugar-based sweeteners to be safe. For each non- sweetener such as honey, agave, nutritive sweetener permitted for use in 5. Neotame high-fructose corn syrup or dextrose has foods and beverages, the FDA has • Neotame provides 7,000-8,000 the not been added to the product. established an acceptable daily intake, or sweetening power of sugar. However, the words “sugar-free” on the ADI. The ADI represents the amount of a • While it contains phenylalanine, the front of the package do not mean the food ingredient (in this case, low-calorie small amount of neotame needed food is carb or calorie-free. In addition, a sweetener) that can be safely used on a result in the levels of phenylalanine “sugar-free” product, according to FDA, daily basis over a lifetime without risk. being clinically insignificant. Therefore, can contain up to 0.5 grams of sugars. Studies show that the use of low-calorie products sweetened with neotame are sweeteners does not approach the ADI not required to carry a warning label It is important to read the Nutrition amount. for people with PKU. Facts Panel to understand how much of a sugar-free food or drink can be Through its Evidence Analysis Library, the 6. Saccharin included in your meal plan. For example, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Packet color: Pink diet soft drinks are calorie-free and are, suggests long-term studies on the safety Also available in liquid form therefore, carb-free and may be used as and efficacy of low-calorie sweeteners • Saccharin has been used in foods and an unlimited or “free” food. However, continue, to help ensure the ongoing beverages for over 100 years. sugar-free cookies are not a “free” food. safety of low-calorie sweeteners in our • Studies in laboratory rats conducted in They will add calories (and carbs) and food supply.1 the 1970s that linked saccharin to must be worked into your meal plan and bladder cancer were dismissed by FDA carb budget. While including low-calorie sweeteners when researchers found that the as part of your eating plan may help studies were not relevant to humans. Polyols (or sugar alcohols) are another reduce carbs and calories, the choice is low-calorie option. Examples of polyols yours. If you have questions on the use of 7. Steviol Glycosides include erythritol, polyglycitol, isomalt, low-calorie sweeteners, seek help from a Other names: Stevioside, Rebaudioside A lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and registered dietitian nutritionist and/or B, C, D, F, Dulcoside A, Rubusoside, and xylitol. Polyols are found in some certified diabetes educator. Steviolbioside sugar-free foods, including sugar-free Packet color: Green chewing gum. Polyols are not Where can I learn more about Also available in liquid form, granulated, completely absorbed by the body. and baking blends Unlike other forms of carbohydrates low-calorie sweeteners? • Unlike stevia leaf extract, which is highly that provide four calories per gram, Visit the Academy of Nutrition and purified, the stevia plant, stevia leaf most polyols contain carbohydrates and Dietetics (www.eatright.org), the powder, and crude stevia extract are not about 2 calories per gram and need to International Food Information Council allowed as food ingredients in the U.S., be counted as part of your meal plan. Foundation (www.foodinsight.org), and but may be sold as dietary supplements. The exception is erythritol, which the American Diabetes Association • The stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) plant is provides zero calories and does not (www.diabetes.org) websites for more native to South America. need to be counted as a carbohydrate information. as part of your your meal plan. Note: For 8. Sucralose some individuals, sugar alcohols, 1. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Position Packet color: Yellow especially in large amounts, may cause Statement on the Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive bloating, gas or diarrhea. Sweeteners, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition Also available in liquid, dissolvable and Dietetics, May 2012: 112; 739-758. tablets, granulated and baking blends. • 600 times sweeter than sugar • Heat stable • More than 20 years of research and over 110 scientific studies support sucralose’s safety.

© 2012 Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group. Revised 2016. Permission to reproduce is granted for non-profit educational purposes. Authors: Andrea Dunn, RD, LD, CDE and Nell Stuart, MS, RD, LD, CDE who are members of the Diabetes Care and Education Dietetic Practice Group of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Produced in cooperation with International Food Information Council Foundation. For more information, visit www.foodinsight.org. For more information, contact the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics at www.eatright.org or 800-877-1600. Funding organization has had no influence on the content of this educational handout.