Artificial Sweeteners (Overview)
Definition
A class of synthetic or semi-synthetic sugar substitutes that provide intense sweetness (100-20,000x sweeter than sugar) with zero or near-zero calories. Includes aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, acesulfame potassium (Ace-K), and neotame.
Why It Matters
A 2022 meta-analysis by the WHO found that long-term use of non-nutritive sweeteners provides no lasting benefit for body fat reduction and may be associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and all-cause mortality. Research in Cell (2022) showed that artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbiome in ways that can impair glucose tolerance — the very condition they are marketed to help.
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Related Terms
Aspartame (E951)
CautionAn artificial, non-nutritive sweetener approximately 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Composed of two amino acids — aspartic acid and phenylalanine — linked by a methanol molecule.
Sucralose (E955)
CautionA synthetic, zero-calorie sweetener created by chlorinating sucrose (replacing three hydroxyl groups with chlorine atoms). Approximately 600 times sweeter than sugar.