Other “Sugar–Free” Sweeteners

Stevia

In recent years, a sweetening product called stevia (stevioside or steviol) has received much public attention. It is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar. To date, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved it for use as a sweetener in the United States. However, stevia may be sold as a dietary supplement.

There is conflicting data about the safety of stevia. The FDA says that available toxicological information on stevia is inadequate to demonstrate its safety as a food additive. Some studies using mutagen assays suggest that the main chemical in stevia can be converted into a mutagen—a compound that causes changes in genes. More study is needed to learn whether the same changes, which might lead to cancer, could occur in people.

Sugar Alcohols 

Sugar alcohols are reduced–calorie sweeteners, which means they do contain some calories. Familiar names of sugar alcohols include sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and isomalt. Sugar alcohols are partially, but not completely, broken down by the body. For this reason, they provide an average of half the calories of sugar and other carbohydrates.

Sugar alcohols may cause gas and discomfort in the stomach and may cause diarrhea in some people when large amounts (more than 20 grams per day) are consumed. Therefore, foods with a significant amount of certain sugar alcohols bear the statement “Excess consumption may have a laxative effect.”