All of the information available on artificial sweeteners can be confusing, so here’s a table from the Mayo Clinic that spells it out for you. Remember, just because they aren’t sugar doesn’t mean that the products they are found in are calorie free. If you choose and your physician agrees, include them as part of a healthy, well balanced diet.
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Artificial sweetener
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ADI*
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Estimated ADI equivalent**
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OK for cooking?
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Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)
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50 milligrams (mg) per kilogram (kg)
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18 to 19 cans of diet cola
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No
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Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, SugarTwin)
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5 mg per kg
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9 to 12 packets of sweetener
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Yes
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Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One)
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15 mg per kg
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30 to 32 cans of diet lemon-lime soda***
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Yes
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Sucralose (Splenda)
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5 mg per kg
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6 cans of diet cola***
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Yes
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*FDA-established acceptable daily intake (ADI) limit per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight.
**Product-consumption equivalent for a person weighing 150 pounds (68 kilograms).
***These products usually contain more than one type of sweetener.
Sept. 13, 2008
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