A healthy guide to artificial sweeteners

If you're watching your weight, you can potentially slash major calories just by switching from regular soft drinks to diet. But is it a devil's bargain? Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener on the market, invented in 1879. Later it gained notoriety for reportedly causing cancer in lab animals. Today the reputation of artificial sweeteners has been rehabilitated — mostly.

No. There is little solid evidence that artificially sweetened foods and beverages increase the risk of cancer in humans. Most research suggests there's no harm in eating artificially sweetened foods in moderation.

• In 1911, a board of US scientists called saccharin an "adulterant" that should be banned from foods. Studies in the early 1970s showed that laboratory rats fed saccharin developed bladder cancer. Canada banned saccharin, while the US and other countries required warning labels on products containing it.
• There were problems with the studies: not only were the rats fed ultra-high doses of saccharin, but rodents process the sweetener in a unique way that doesn't happen in humans. Bladder cancer rates did not rise even after widespread saccharin use in World War II. Nor was there any evidence that bladder cancer was more common among people with diabetes, who presumably consumed more of the sweetener.
• In 2014, Health Canada approved saccharin in certain cases.

No. These concerns have been dismissed. In 1996, a group of scientists published a controversial paper showing that the rate of brain cancer had risen in the United States and several other industrialized countries since 1980, suggesting that the growing use of aspartame might be to blame. Critics said that by the same logic, you could also blame the rising tide of brain cancer on personal computers, rap music or any other phenomenon that flourished at that time.

• A study by the US National Cancer Institute involving nearly a half million men and women found no connection between aspartame and brain cancer.
• However, consuming large amounts of artificial sweeteners — the equivalent of nine or 10 cans of aspartame-sweetened pop per day — may modestly increase cancer risk.

Not for everyone. Some people should avoid foods that contain aspartame, while overindulging in certain sugar replacements may disrupt your digestion.

• Aspartame consumption raises levels of an amino acid called phenylalanine. People with phenylketonuria (PKU) lack an enzyme needed to break down phenylalanine, so consuming too much aspartame could be toxic.
• Other potential health threats are sugar alcohols like sorbitol, which are used in cookies, cakes and other fattening foods. Consuming too much sugar alcohol — especially mannitol and sorbitol — can cause bloating and diarrhea.
• Also, unlike artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols are not entirely calorie-free, so overindulging can pad your hips.

No. Based on research in lab animals, scientists theorized that artificially sweetened foods fail to dampen the appetite; but "train" the brain to perceive all sweet foods and drinks as calorie-free, leading to overindulgence.

• No one knows if it's true in humans, but a 2006 review of 24 studies estimated that replacing sugary foods with similar products sweetened with aspartame would result in a loss of slightly less than 225 grams (a half pound) per week.
• Other studies show that eating artificially sweetened foods over a long period may help keep the lost pounds off.
• One three-year trial showed that dieters who ate and drank products sweetened with aspartame regained less than half as much weight as a similar group that avoided it.

Artificial sweeteners might be the perfect way for you to satisfy your sweet tooth while sticking to your diet. Keep these tips in mind to understand the risks involved with consuming heavy amounts of artificial sweeteners.