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Is diet soda bad for you?
By Dr. Gayle Jennings GateHouse News Service, Apr 29, 2011
DARTMOUTH — The consumption of diet soft drinks has elicited much attention recently, and
it likely will for more time to come. Is it a good beverage choice? Does it cause someone to eat
more? How safe are artificial sweeteners? These are among many questions that abound when it
comes to diet soft drinks.
The earliest type of sweetener on the market was saccharin, released in 1977, and it is found in
Sweet'N Low. Aspartame, the sweetener found in Equal and NutraSweet, was first used in 1981.
This type is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used in sodas and snack foods. Acesulfame
potassium, or acesulfame K, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1988. It
is about 180 times sweeter than sugar, and it is sold under the names of Sunett and Sweet One.
Sucralose was approved by the FDA in 1998 and is 600 times sweeter than sucrose. This is found
in Splenda and contains sucralose, a sugar derivative that tastes similar to sugar. Stevia, a natural
sweetener, about 300 times sweeter than sugar, was approved by the FDA in 2008. It is derived
from the leaves of stevia rebaudiana, an herb grown in South America that is related to the daisy
plant. This is sold under the brand names of Truvia, PureVia and OnlySweet.
All of these types of sweeteners have undergone rigorous testing by the FDA to gain approval.
They have all been determined safe for human consumption. The FDA has established a safe
level of consumption for diet sodas containing aspartame, acesulfame K and sucralose. This
level, known as the Acceptable Daily Intakes, is the maximum mount considered to be safe for
daily consumption. The ADIs for artificial sweeteners, based on the amount of sweetener
typically found in a 12-ounce can of diet soda, is:
• 18-19 cans of diet soda containing aspartame
• 30-32 cans of diet lemon-lime soda containing acesulfame K
• 6 cans of diet soda containing sucralose
The consumption of this much artificial sweetener is unrealistic to most individuals. So, it is safe
to say that the consumption of diet soft drinks with non-nutritive sweeteners is safe for most
individuals. Non-nutritive sweeteners can, therefore, assist in the management of weight,
diabetes and other chronic diseases because they do not contain calories. Consumers who want
the added sweetness without added energy may choose these options.
It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that "consumers can safely enjoy a range
of nutritive and non-nutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by current
federal nutrition recommendations, such as the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Dietary
References Intakes, as well as individual health goals."
Readers may have seen television programs or articles concerning the research showing the
negative effects of artificial sweeteners in diet soft drinks. We’ll take a closer look next week at
the "unknowns."