Sweet Substitutes

Just how healthy – and safe – are sugar substitutes when it comes to managing diabetes?

- CAROLYN WILLIAMS

The family of low-kilojoule sugar substitutes has almost quadrupled since the 1990s. Those familiar pink and blue packets are now joined by dozens of other granular, icing, liquid, and brown-sugar-like products, not to mention a host of packaged foods that incorporate sugar substitutes. All of these products can be helpful if you’re trying to limit kilojoules or carbs, but how do you know which options to choose?

All About Sugar Subs

WHAT KINDS ARE THERE?

Nonnutritive sweeteners include saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, advantame, stevia, and monk fruit extract. The first six are developed in a lab, which is why they’re often called “artificial sweeteners.” Stevia and monk fruit extract are the newest additions to the market and are both plantbased, meaning their sweetness is derived from plants. They’re marketed as “natural” sugar substitutes, although research has not suggested that “natural” necessarily offers an advantage over artificial.