Popular Sweeteners and Their Health Effects Interactive Qualifying Project Report Submitted to the Faculty of the WORCESTER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science By __________________________________ Ivan Lebedev __________________________________ Jayyoung Park __________________________________ Ross Yaylaian Date: Approved: __________________________________ Professor Satya Shivkumar Abstract Perceived health risks of artificial sweeteners are a controversial topic often supported solely by anecdotal evidence and distorted media hype. The aim of this study was to examine popular sweeteners and their health effects based upon valid scientific data. Information was gathered through a sweetener taste panel, interviews with doctors, and an on-line survey. The survey revealed the public’s lack of appreciation for sweeteners. It was observed that artificial sweeteners can serve as a low-risk alternative to natural sweeteners. I Table of Contents Abstract .............................................................................................................................................. I Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... II List of Figures ................................................................................................................................... IV List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... VI Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................................... VII 1.0 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 1 2.0 Objective ................................................................................................................................................. 3 3.0 Methodologies ....................................................................................................................................... 4 4.0 Common Sweeteners and Their Production ........................................................................................ 9 4.1 Natural Sweeteners ................................................................................................................. 10 4.1.1 Honey ....................................................................................................................... 10 4.1.2 Maple Syrup ............................................................................................................. 12 4.1.3 Molasses .................................................................................................................. 15 4.1.4 Stevia ........................................................................................................................ 17 4.1.5 Sucrose ..................................................................................................................... 19 4.2 Artificial Sweeteners ............................................................................................................... 26 4.2.1 Ace-K ........................................................................................................................ 27 4.2.2 Aspartame ................................................................................................................ 28 4.2.3 Cyclamate ................................................................................................................ 32 4.2.4 HFCS ......................................................................................................................... 34 4.2.5 Neotame .................................................................................................................. 37 4.2.6 Saccharin .................................................................................................................. 38 4.2.7 Sucralose .................................................................................................................. 40 4.3 Sugar Alcohols ......................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.1 Sorbitol ..................................................................................................................... 42 4.3.2 Xylitol ....................................................................................................................... 43 II 5.0 Sweetener Metabolism ....................................................................................................................... 45 5.1 Biological Pathways for Metabolism of Natural Sweeteners ............................................... 46 5.1.1 Glycolysis .................................................................................................................. 46 5.1.2 Fructolysis ................................................................................................................ 46 5.2 Metabolism of Artificial Sweeteners ...................................................................................... 47 6.0 Health Effects of Artificial Sweeteners ............................................................................................... 54 6.1 Cancer ...................................................................................................................................... 54 6.2 Obesity ..................................................................................................................................... 56 6.3 Gastrointestinal Tract ............................................................................................................. 64 6.4 Brain Damage .......................................................................................................................... 67 7.0 Results .................................................................................................................................................. 69 7.1 Public Knowledge .................................................................................................................... 69 7.2 Applied Artificial Sweeteners ................................................................................................. 76 7.3 Health Practitioners’ Concerns ............................................................................................... 82 8.0 Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 84 8.1 Inquiry Into the General Public ............................................................................................... 84 8.2 Artificial Sweeteners in Use .................................................................................................... 87 8.3 Doctors’ Advice........................................................................................................................ 88 9.0 Conclusions ........................................................................................................................................... 90 References .................................................................................................................................................. 94 Appendices ................................................................................................................................................. 99 Appendix A .................................................................................................................................... 99 Appendix B .................................................................................................................................. 101 III List of Figures Figure 1: Composition of Honey(68) ................................................................................................................................... 11 Figure 2: Sweetener pH Levels(69) ..................................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 3: Chemical Structure of Molasses (71) ............................................................................................................... 15 Figure 4:Nutrients in Blackstrap Molasses(73) .............................................................................................................. 16 Figure 5: Chemical Structure of Stevia(6) ..................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 6: Chemical Structure of Sucrose(6) .................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 7: Sugar Production Flow Chart(72) .................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 8: Uses for Common Artificial Sweeteners(75) ................................................................................................. 26 Figure 9: Chemical Structure of Ace-K(4) ........................................................................................................................ 28 Figure 10: Chemical Structure of Aspartame(6) ..........................................................................................................