NEW YORK, August 3, 2004
Sweeter Than Sugar
A Look At Three Popular Artificial Sweeteners
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Play CBS Video Video All Sweeteners Are Not Equal There are bigger differences between artificial sweeteners than just the color of their packets. NYU clinical nutritionist Samantha Heller explained on The Early Show.
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(CBS/AP)
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Samantha Heller, a senior clinical nutritionist from the New York University Medical Center, dropped by The Early Show to share some information
They're all three very different chemicals, but all are very sweet. Among them, the most important factor is a person's taste preference. Some people think saccharin leaves an aftertaste, but other people love saccharin.
The artificial sweeteners are hundreds of time sweeter than sugar:
All three of these are safe to ingest. They have been deemed safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. For people who want to lose weight, these products can help cut calories they're getting from sugar.
For example if you have a nice, big, giant cup of coffee, and you add five, six or seven teaspoons of sugar, that can add up. Using a sweetener can help save the calories from the sugar. Don't make up for it by adding a lot of half and half. You have to see where the calories are coming from. It's not just from sugar.
Also, the sweeteners are great for diabetics.
While all these artificial sweeteners are chemicals, according to the American Dietetic Association, they can be a part of a healthy diet. But Heller acknowledges that there is controversy. In the case of saccharin, the FDA took it off the list of possible carcinogens, but there are some consumer groups, such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which oppose that move and hold that saccharin should not have been removed from that list.
Equal, which is aspartic acid and phenylalanine combined, is not for people who have a rare genetic disorder called phenylketonuria (pku). They should never have aspartame.
Also, some people seem to be sensitive to artificial sweeteners and may get headaches or allergic reactions. If this is the case, they should stop using them.
İMMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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