Natural and Artificial Sweeteners

Introduction:

There are so many different artificial sweeteners present in food products, it sometimes seems impossible for consumers to avoid them. This information is designed to educate the patient so that informed decisions can be made regarding all of these different sweeteners. Many artificial sweeteners may be used by food companies in combination with other sweeteners.

Concerns about artificial sweeteners:

A study by Andreatta et al entitled, “Artificial sweetener consumption and urinary tract tumors in Cordoba, Argentina,” compared artificial sweetener use with occurrence of urinary tract tumors. Individuals reported on a questionaire how long they have been consuming the artificial sweeteners saccharin, aspartame, and acesulfame. According to the study, a 118% increase in risk of developing urinary tract tumors was seen after subjects reported consuming artificial sweeteners for a period of greater than or equal to 10 years and a 10% increase in risk of urinary tract tumors with short term consumption of artificial sweeteners. (1)