Sugar Substitute Products

• Sugar substitute products have the effect of duplicating the taste of sugar with little to no calories. Early sugar substitutes, like saccharine, gained popularity in the 1960s and 1970s with the advent of diet cola. Sugar substitutes have been somewhat controversial and many studies have been conducted to determine their health effects. Controversial or not, they're still found in a wide variety of low-calorie, diet foods and diet sodas.

Saccharin

• Saccharin was first discovered in 1878 by a chemist named Ira Remsen. The use of saccharin increased after World War II, and was trumpeted as a safe alternative for diabetics and people watching their weight. Saccharin was nearly banned in 1977 because of a suspected link to bladder cancer, but Senator Ted Kennedy of the Senate Subcommittee on Health fought against banning it, in favor of placing warning labels on Sweet 'N Low packets. Its use then increased; however, in the following decades, aspartame eventually surpassed it in popularity.

Aspartame

• Aspartame is an artificial sweeter that is roughly 200 times sweeter than sugar. The FDA approved aspartame in 1974 and it is now widely used in a variety of foods and drinks as a low calorie sugar substitute. Because aspartame is converted to phenylalanine when ingested, people with phenylketonuria (PKU) are cautioned to avoid it.

Sucralose

• Sucralose was discovered by a British sugar refining company in 1976. By 1998, the FDA approved it for use in a large list of products. Sucralose, marketed under the name Splenda, is approximately 600 times sweeter than white table sugar. Due to safety concerns, sucralose has been tested on animals and diabetics to asses its long-term effects.

Stevia

• Stevia is a species of plant native to South and Central America. It's roughly 300 times sweeter than white table sugar. Stevia has been used as a sugar substitute in countries outside the U.S. for many years. In 1995, it became available in the U.S. as a nutritional supplement, but it wasn't allowed to be labeled as a sugar substitute at that time. Eventually, Coca Cola and Cargill jointly developed Truvia, a stevia-based sugar substitute, which was released to the American market in 2008.

Other Sugar Substitutes

• Agave nectar and brown rice syrup are natural sugar substitutes commonly available in health food stores. Agave nectar is derived from the agave plant and is considered a healthy alternative to processed sugar. Agave is known for its slow fructose release, making it a good sugar substitute for diabetics. Brown rice syrup is made by culturing brown rice, is lower on the glycemic index than table sugar and is easily digested.