News Release Distributed 03/10/15

BATON ROUGE, La. – Sugar and sugar substitutes are two products we use to sweeten our foods, and understanding the difference will help consumers make an informed choice, according to LSU AgCenter registered dietitian Denise Holston-West.

Sweeteners are divided into two categories: those which have calories and provide nourishment – nutritive – and those that offer no nutritional benefits and are low in or calorie-free – nonnutritive.

“Sugars or nutritive sweeteners are naturally found in all foods that have carbohydrates, such as bread, fruit, vegetables, milk and yogurt,” Holston-West said. “Nutritive sweeteners include fructose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, glucose, sucrose, honey and corn syrup.”

Sugars can be added to food through processing or by consumers to make them sweeter. The dietitian said research shows that overconsumption of added sugars can lead to a higher risk of health problems such as cavities, obesity, prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

The World Health Organization's new guidelines for sugar consumption recommend 5 percent of daily caloric intake, which equals about six teaspoons. “National studies show adults in the U.S. are consuming an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugar per day,” Holston-West said.

“The over consumption of added sugars is what we need to watch out for,” she added. “The main contributor of added sugar in our diet is carbonated beverages.”

Nonnutritive sweeteners, also known as artificial sweeteners, are derived from plants, herbs or even sugar itself. Holston-West said they are most commonly used to sweeten soft drinks, candies, fruit juice, yogurt and ice cream.

Nonnutritive sweeteners include aspartame, acesulfame potassium, luo han guo (monk) fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia and sucralose. Polyols or sugar alcohols can also be used to sweeten foods with less carbohydrates and calories than sugar.

“Sugar substitutes that are approved and sold in the U.S. are safe to consume in moderation. They are on the market because they are deemed safe according to the FDA,” Holston-West said. Potential benefits of nonnutritive sweeteners include weight reduction and control, maintaining glucose levels for diabetics and prevention of tooth decay.

Consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive sweeteners and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed with a balanced diet, the dietitian said. She recommends following the World Health Organization’s guidelines of six teaspoons of sugar a day with a healthy balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, whole grain and lean protein.