Special Contributor to Real Mama, Inc.
Quick facts: Despite approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, artificial sweeteners have been suspected to cause everything from mood and behavioral disorders to headaches, multiple sclerosis, obesity, heart disease and cancer. The National Cancer Institute denounces any connection that these sweeteners may have with cancer and the American Dietetic Association gives them a pass, at least for adults. But, just because researchers have yet to document a specific harm from artificial sweeteners, does not mean these products are fit for our children. Read on to learn more about artificial sweeteners so that you can make an informed decision for your family.
Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in this country and our increased sugar consumption is partly to blame. We as Americans consume as much as 2-3 pounds of sugar per week or almost half our body weight in sugar yearly. This love affair with sugar can lead to numerous health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. Many consumers are turning to artificial sweeteners to curb that sweet tooth and limit the calorie intake. Is this a safe alternative? Are they safe for kids?
Despite approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), artificial sweeteners have been suspected to cause everything from mood and behavioral disorders to headaches, multiple sclerosis, obesity, heart disease and cancer. Some individuals may attribute these various symptoms to artificial sweeteners; however, there are no published, peer-reviewed, controlled scientific studies in humans to support these accusations. As a matter of fact, according to the National Cancer Institute, there is no scientific evidence that any artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United States cause cancer. The American Dietetic Association says that adults can safely enjoy a range of non-nutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by federal nutrition recommendations such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. So why is there still controversy surrounding artificial sweeteners? And if there are possible negative effects on adults, what about our kids and their developing bodies?
The Scoop on Sweeteners
Although several government agencies report no evidence to support negative effects of artificial sweeteners on human health, there continues to be serious debate in the scientific community about three sweeteners in particular: saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame-K.
Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K, manufactured by Hoechst, a giant German chemical company, is widely used around the world. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. In the United States, for several years acesulfame-K (the K is the chemical symbol for potassium) was permitted only in such foods as sugar-free baked goods, chewing gum, and gelatin desserts. In July 1998, the FDA allowed this chemical to be used in soft drinks, thereby greatly increasing consumer exposure.
The safety tests of acesulfame-K were conducted in the 1970s and were of mediocre quality. Two studies of its impacts on rats suggested that the additive might cause cancer. In 1996, the FDA was urged to require better testing before permitting acesulfame-K in soft drinks. Another issue of concern is one of the breakdown products of acesulfame-K, acetoacetamide. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, acetoacetamide has been shown to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.
Saccharin
Saccharin, also known as Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sween’N Low, and Necta Sweet, does not contain any calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Starting in 1907, the USDA began investigating saccharin’s safety. Those early studies proved inconclusive. Studies beginning in 1977 showed bladder tumors in male rats with the ingestion of saccharin. The FDA proposed a ban on saccharin based on the Delaney Clause of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, enacted in 1958. This clause prohibits the addition to the human food supply of any chemical that had caused cancer in humans or animals. Congress intervened after public opposition to the ban and allowed saccharin to remain in the food supply as long as the label carried this warning: “Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals.” Further research was required to confirm the tumor findings.
Since then, more than 30 human studies have been completed and found that the results found in rats did not translate to humans, apparently making saccharin safe for human consumption. The original study published in 1977 has been criticized for the very high dosages given to the rats; the doses were hundreds of times higher than “normal” ingestion for humans. In May 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services removed saccharin from its list of cancer-causing chemicals. Later that year, Congress passed a law removing the warning notice.
Aspartame
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), a chemical combination of two amino acids and methanol, was initially thought to be the perfect artificial sweetener, but now may be linked to cancer or neurological problems, such as dizziness or hallucinations.
A 1970s study suggested that aspartame caused brain tumors in rats. However, the FDA persuaded an independent review panel to reverse its conclusion that aspartame was unsafe. The California Environmental Protection Agency and others have urged that independent scientists conduct new animal studies to resolve the cancer question. In 2005, Italian researchers conducted the first such study. It indicated that rats first exposed to aspartame at eight weeks of age developed lymphomas and leukemias. However, the European Food Safety Authority reviewed the study and concluded that the tumors probably occurred just by chance.
In 2007, the same Italian researchers published a follow-up study that began exposing rats to aspartame in utero. This study found that aspartame caused leukemias, lymphomas and breast cancer. It is proposed that the new studies found problems that earlier company-sponsored studies did not because the Italian researchers monitored the rats for three years instead of two. The recent Italian tests remain controversial, with the industry contending that they were flawed in several ways, and the FDA stating its scientists could not evaluate the studies because the researchers refused to provide their original data.
Further, in a 2006 study, researchers at the U.S. National Cancer Institute studied a large number of adults between 50 and 69 years of age over a five-year period. There was no evidence that aspartame posed any risk. However, the study was limited: the subjects had not consumed aspartame as children and it was not a controlled study (the subjects provided only a rough estimate of their aspartame consumption, and people who consumed aspartame might have had other dietary or lifestyle differences that obscured the chemical’s effects).
Another controversial ingredient in aspartame is methanol. This ingredient is known to be poisonous even when consumed in relatively modest amounts. Disorders caused by toxic levels of methanol include blindness, brain swelling, and inflammation of the pancreas and heart muscle. Although the FDA states that exposure to methanol through aspartame consumption is not of “sufficient quantity to be of toxicological concern,” the cumulative effects of high doses of aspartame are unknown.
You Decide
The controversy remains – are artificial sweeteners safe for adults and/or our kids? Granted, no studies have confirmed negative effects in humans, but numerous studies have found impacts in animals. Reactions to chemical sweeteners may vary among people, especially among children. Children who drink diet colas and eat foods with artificial sweeteners may be reacting to the chemicals in their foods when they complain of a tummy ache, headache, “down in the dumps” or various other ailments. Overall physical fitness and a balanced diet with moderate sugar intake are crucial to maintaining weight and achieving overall health. Artificial sweeteners may or may not affect your health, but why take the chance, especially when it comes to your children? Perhaps as long as the safety of factory-made sweeteners remains in question, following the safest route makes the most sense: when in doubt, leave it out!
To help you reduce sweetener consumption, here are some common food items containing artificial sweeteners:
- Diet soda
- Yogurt
- Hot cocoa mix
- Chewing gum
- Syrups
- Sauces
- Toothpaste
- Salad dressing
- Jelly
- Baked goods
- Medicines
Information used in this article was found at the following sources, which you can visit if you want to find out more about this topic:
www.cancer.gov — National Cancer Institute website. Includes results of studies on aspartame
www.fda.gov — Food and Drug Administration website. Site with study results on several artificial sweeteners
www.usda.gov — US Department of Agriculture website. Information on saccharin studies
www.eatright.org — American Dietetic Association website. Indicates the position of the association and artificial sweeteners.
Erika Niedernhofer is a Registered Dietitian. She lives in Solana Beach, California with her husband and two children, daughter 8 years and son 6 years and their beloved Corgi. An east coast native, Erika relocated to California in 2000. She enjoys spending time with family, running and reading.
Tags: Acesulfame-K, artificial sweeteners, Aspartame, harmful health effects, Saccharin
