What is the difference between aspartame and splenda

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Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Updated visitor guidelines. You are here Home » Comparing Artificial Sweeteners. Top of the page. Topic Overview What are artificial sweeteners? The most common sugar substitutes are: Aspartame Equal, NutraSweet. It's mostly used to sweeten diet soft drinks. It's used in many diet foods and drinks.

Sucralose Splenda. It's in many diet foods and drinks. Acesulfame K Sunett. It's often combined with saccharin in diet soft drinks. Stevia is made from a herbal plant and is used in foods and drinks. Are sugar substitutes safe? Are artificial sweeteners safe during pregnancy and breastfeeding? Do artificial sweeteners raise blood sugar? Like many people, you've been watching your weight, but you're suddenly craving a can of soda. Due to your new motivation to drop a few pounds, you decide to try the diet version of your favorite brand.

The top pops, the bubbles fizzle, and as you tip the can, you feel pleased. You made a healthy decision — or did you? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. Diet beverages, along with many other low-calorie foods, aren't exactly what they seem. Even though they're artificial sweeteners, Splenda, sucralose and aspartame may increase both your glucose and insulin levels. Aspartame also acts as a chemical stressor that can increase cortisol, causing weight gain, as well as increase the production of free radicals.

But what are they exactly? A sugar substitute is just that: an alternative to sugar. These substances are either processed by chemical synthesis or made from plant extracts. One of the main ingredients in most diet beverages and sweetened, low-calorie foods is artificial sweeteners, like sucralose and aspartame. Although these sweeteners don't contain any calories or carbohydrates, they come with their own potential dangers.

Artificial sweeteners are a type of sugar substitute that's chemically created. In other words, they're made in a lab, rather than coming directly from nature, while some sugar substitutes, like stevia, are made from plants. These artificial sugar substitutes are added to food and drinks to make them sweet, but unlike sugar, they contain zero calories and are free of carbohydrates.

When you see the words "low-calorie," "zero-calorie," or "diet" on a box or bottle, but the food or drink inside still tastes sweet, it likely contains an artificial sweetener. According to a report published in Physiology and Behavior in October , the main consumption of sugar substitutes came from tabletop packets or from diet beverages, but now, these sweeteners are found in everything from candy, baked goods and "light" yogurts to reduced-calorie breads and everything in between.

The report notes, however, that diet beverages are still the largest source and that approximately 20 percent of Americans over the age of 2 consume at least one diet beverage sweetened with an artificial sweetener every day. These sugar substitutes include:.

Artificial sweeteners were developed for people who want a sweet taste without any of the calories. Food scientists figured out a way to give consumers what they wanted without any of the harmful side effects of sugar — or at least they thought they did. But, as studies delved deep into the effects of artificial sweeteners, like sucralose and aspartame, research began to surface showing that they may not be as safe as previously believed.

Sucralose, often sold under the brand name Splenda, is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners on the market. In addition to sucralose, other Splenda ingredients include maltodextrin, sugar and soluble corn fiber, depending on which product you choose.

Like all artificial sweeteners, sucralose was originally developed to give consumers a sweet taste without a resulting rise in blood glucose or insulin levels; however, research shows that it might not be that simple. Just as "Splenda" is a sucrose-based product, brands like "NutraSweet" and "Equal" are aspartame-based products.

Although aspartame is frequently recommended as a safe alternative to sugar for Type 2 diabetes, a report in Current Diabetes Reviews suggests that maybe it's not the best option. According to the report, aspartame may cause weight gain, rather than weight loss, and impaired response to glucose and insulin resistance, especially in people with Type 2 diabetes.

However, the authors of the study note inconsistencies in the findings and suggest more clinical research to support the dangers of aspartame. Drinking diet soda may confuse our bodies , says Susan Swithers, a professor of psychological sciences and a behavioral neuroscientist at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind. You can follow him on Twitter quantanamo.

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