Often, I am asked about the safety of various types of artificial sweeteners (aka, sugar substitutes or non-nutritive sweeteners). You may be more familiar with the "pink," "blue," or "yellow" packets.
A resource that I really trust to give me an unbiased low-down in these colorful packets is the Center for Science in the Public Interest, one of the nation's top consumer advocates for issues related to health, nutrition, food safety, alcohol policy, and sound science.
According to CSPI, the pink (Sweet N' Low or Saccharin) and blue packets (Equal or Aspartame) should be avoided due to potential safety concerns, but the yellow (Splenda or Sucralose) can be consumed safely. A newer addition to the colorful packets is Stevia, which you will find labeled as PureVia or Truvia. This sugar sub comes from a shrub, Yerba Dulce, grown in Brazil, Paraguay, southeast Asia, and elsewhere. Stevia has been quickly adopted by some health advocates, however it must be remembered that just because something is natural does not mean it is safe. Stevia was sold as a dietary supplement for sometime until the FDA granted it GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) labeling in 2008. GRAS substances are subject to less scrutiny that other food additives. CSPI and some toxicologists were displeased with the FDA's decision to grant the GRAS status to stevia due a lack of research on the product's safety. If future tests do not find any major risks, this may be a great substance to sweeten beverages without added calories. Until then, many feel there is too much left unknown about this product.
In addition to the colorful packets, Acesulfame-K is a non-nutritive substance often added to diet soft drinks. You will not find this substance in a packet, but it is often added to diet drinks in conjunction with Splenda or Sucralose. CSPI puts Ace-K on it's AVOID list due to the limited safety testing that has been performed on the product.
So what to do? If you are normal weight and do not have diabetes, a little bit of sugar or honey here and there is perfectly acceptable. If you like your drinks really sweet or are looking to lose weight or have diabetes, stick with Splenda to sweeten your beverages until we know more about some of the other products out there. Remember that many diet beverages have Ace-K in addition to Splenda, so check labels. And, there's nothing wrong with drinking more plain water!
For more information about food additives, chemicals, food dyes, etc, please refer to CSPI's food additive safety chart.
