{"id":1829,"date":"2016-06-29T10:12:58","date_gmt":"2016-06-29T14:12:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/?p=1829"},"modified":"2017-04-28T08:06:50","modified_gmt":"2017-04-28T12:06:50","slug":"ask-an-expert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/caloriecontrol.org\/ask-an-expert\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask an Expert"},"content":{"rendered":"

Do you have questions about low-calorie sweeteners? Want to learn more about maintaining a healthy lifestyle? You asked and we listened. Our resident Registered Dietitians answered the most popular questions about low-calorie sweeteners, as well as aspartame, sucralose and stevia\u2014 take a look below.<\/p>\n

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<\/span>Why are some food and beverage companies removing aspartame from their products? Does this mean it\u2019s not safe?<\/div>
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That decision has nothing<\/em> to do with the safety of aspartame. It is one of several sweeteners approved by the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, with a long history of use around the world, and is found in more than 6000 products. There has been no change in its safety status.<\/p>\n

The truth is, food companies reformulate their products all the time for a variety of reasons — to satisfy our changing taste preferences or to reach a different consumer audience and to stay competitive in their market sector.\u00a0 A quick look at the number of yogurts in your grocery store makes it easy to see how competitive sales are for that product. If a company offers something new or different, it just might capture your attention and make you reach for their brand instead of one of the others, and that\u2019s a sale for them!<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>What is the best sugar substitute for people who have diabetes?<\/div>
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Choose the one you like best!<\/p>\n

While they all taste sweet, they don\u2019t all taste the same, so picking the one you like best makes sense. However, all of the FDA approved sweeteners, such as aspartame, sucralose, stevia and saccharin, are recommended for people with diabetes since they don\u2019t raise blood glucose or insulin levels, and when used to replace sugar they can help lower carbohydrate intake at meals.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>How many packets does it take to replace one cup of sugar in a recipe?<\/div>
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A simple answer cannot be provided because it\u2019s not the same for every sweetener. Our advice is to check the conversion charts on the product or website to be sure you get it right. And keep in mind that the amount of sweetener needed to replace a cup of sugar when using the packets is not<\/em> the same as when using the bulk products<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>Could I completely eliminate sugar if I switched to artificial sweeteners?<\/div>
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The answer is yes, you could, but it wouldn\u2019t necessarily be easy. That\u2019s because sugar is found in many foods for reasons other than making them taste sweet, so you\u2019d have to carefully read ingredient lists for all sources of added sugars and prepare from scratch any foods that aren\u2019t available without added sugars.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>

<\/span>Does aspartame cause headaches?<\/div>
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The FDA reviewed more than 200 research studies done on aspartame to see if it had any side effects, and found no evidence that it causes headaches \u2013 even when consumed in amounts that greatly exceed recommended levels.\u00a0 People get headaches for many reasons, and most are caused by non-diet factors like stress, lack of sleep, and environmental allergies, so it\u2019s important to find out what\u2019s triggering yours so you can properly deal with it.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/span>Which sugar-substitute is healthy & good for me since there are so many options on the market? I am presently using Splenda.<\/div>
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Splenda (a brand name) also known as sucralose is a great option.\u00a0 The short answer to your question is to choose the one you like best!\u00a0 The longer answer is that while all sugar substitutes taste sweet, they don\u2019t all taste the same.\u00a0 Everyone perceives taste differently so what might appeal to one person might not appeal to someone else. The good news is that all of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sweeteners, such as sucralose, are safe, can help lower carbohydrate intake at meals, and do not raise blood glucose or insulin levels. \u00a0This is important for people with diabetes who need to manage and control the amount of carbohydrate they consume in order to help control their diabetes.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

<\/span>I heard from my doctor that Splenda or sucralose is extremely harmful to the liver especially over a period of time. Has there been extensive studies conducted on sucralose and the liver?<\/div>
Before sucralose was approved, it was extensively and thoroughly tested.\u00a0 In the U.S. , all food ingredients including sugar substitutes such as sucralose must undergo rigorous safety testing to ensure that they are safe for all people, even the most vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, pregnant and breastfeeding women.\u00a0 The majority of sucralose is not absorbed and leaves the body totally unchanged in the feces. \u00a0\u00a0The small amount that is absorbed is excreted unchanged in the urine. \u00a0Sucralose has not been shown to build up in the liver or other organs in the body.\u00a0 Thus, there is no reason as to why sucralose would be harmful to the liver.