What effect do artificial sweeteners such as sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet & Low), aspartame (Nutrasweet), and acesulfame K (Sweet One) have on our gut bacteria? Erythritol doesn’t cause cavities and hasn’t been implicated in fibromyalgia, preterm birth, headaches, hypertension, or brain disorders like other low-calorie sweeteners. Calorie breakdown: 0% fat, 100% carbs, 0% protein. No Calorie Sweetener (Made with Sucralose). Although the information provided on this site is presented in good faith and believed to be correct, FatSecret makes no representations or warranties as to its completeness or accuracy and all information, including nutritional values, is used by you at your own risk. So what happens if you switch to artificial sweeteners? Erythritol may also have some antioxidant properties. Other such sweeteners, such as honey and maple, agave, and brown rice syrups don’t appear to offer much nutritionally. And stevia? The sugar alcohols sorbitol and xylitol may also be harmless, but they aren’t absorbed by the body and end up in the colon, where they can draw in fluid and cause diarrhea. The controversy surrounding aspartame’s neurological effects began in the 1980s when subjects with a history of depression seemed to experience such severe reactions to the sweetener that a study was halted prematurely. Personalized health review for Great Value No Calorie Sweetener: 0 calories, nutrition grade (C), problematic ingredients, and more. Is this information inaccurate or incomplete? The National Institutes of Health–AARP study, which followed hundreds of thousands of Americans for a decade, found that frequently drinking sweetened beverages may increase depression risk among older adults. Only a minority of artificial sweeteners have a structure that your body can break down into calories. As with any highly processed product, though, its utility should be confined to increasing your consumption of more healthful foods. Image Credit: Evan Amos / Wikimedia. The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. Is butter—and other saturated fats—bad for you or not? The World Health Organization considers up to 1.8 mg of stevia compounds per pound of bodyweight to be a safe amount, so having up to two stevia-sweetened drinks a day may be considered harmless. After only eight days on the higher-aspartame dose, participants exhibited more depression and irritability, and performed worse on certain brain function tests. The disconnect between sweetness sensations coming from our tongue, and the lack of a caloric feedback loop in the gut, may result in overeating. * The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. A related compound—erythritol—is absorbed and may have the harmlessness of xylitol without the laxative effect. Artificial sweeteners may be found in everything from breath mints and chewing gums to jams, jellies, and juices, and even nutritional bars and yogurts. All trademarks, copyright and other forms of intellectual property are property of their respective owners. Great Value keeps for years on the shelf, and does not lose its sweetness as it ages, or in heated foods as the sweetener in Equal Sweetener (aspartame) can. Artificial sweeteners may be found in everything from breath mints and chewing gums to jams, jellies, and juices, and even nutritional bars and yogurts. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. More recently, aspartame’s neurobehavioral effects were investigated in a population free from mental illness. Indeed, adding sugar to coffee may negate many of coffee’s positive effects on mood, and adding the artificial sweetener aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet) or saccharine (in Sweet ’n Low) was associated with an increased risk of depression. The reason artificially sweetened beverages have been associated with depression may be because of psychological disturbances recently tied to aspartame (“Equal” or “NutraSweet”). All sweeteners—natural and artificial; caloric and non-caloric—help maintain cravings for intensely sweet foods. The “best if used by” date stamped on the box top is three years hence from when I bought this sweetener. How should we parse the conflicting human data on intake of aspartame (Nutrasweet) and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, and pancreatic cancer? People consuming low-calorie sweeteners may overcompensate by eating more than they otherwise would. Calorie breakdown: 0% fat, 100% carbs, 0% protein. Premium White Chicken in Lemon Pepper Sauce, Sucralose Based Sweetener (Sugar Substitute), Fructose Sweetener (Sugar Substitute, Dry Powder), Monk Fruit in The Raw Monk Fruit Sweetener. Calorie breakdown: 1% fat, 98% carbs, 1% protein. There are 0 calories in 1 pack (2 g) of Great Value Stevia. A Harmless Artificial Sweetener Subscribe to NutritionFacts.org Videos By subscribing, you will automatically receive the latest videos emailed to you or … Diets centered around whole plant foods may help prevent Crohn’s disease through the benefits of fiber on the maintenance of intestinal barrier function and the avoidance of certain processed food additives such as polysorbate 80. There are 0 calories in 1 packet (1 g) of Great Value No Calorie Sweetener (Made with Sucralose). This image has been modified. Get full nutrition facts for other Great Value products and all your other favorite brands. If extra chewing is effective in suppressing your appetite when it comes to food, what about chewing gum as a weight loss strategy? There are 25 calories in 1 tablespoon of Diet Jelly (Sweetened with Artificial Sweetener). Learn the good & bad for 250,000+ products. Is one healthier than another? Sugar is no longer considered just empty calories, but an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Healthy individuals were split into two groups with half given a higher dose of aspartame (the equivalent of about three liters of Diet Coke’s worth) and the other half a lower dose (a single liter of Diet Coke’s worth). Then the groups switched. Is one healthier than another? Aspartame may be the reason that diet soda consumption during pregnancy has been linked to premature birth. Please note that some foods may not be suitable for some people and you are urged to seek the advice of a physician before beginning any weight loss effort or diet regimen. There are 0 calories in 1 tsp of Great Value Altern No Calorie Sweetener. Blackstrap molasses and date sugar may be the only two health-promoting caloric sweeteners.