from the association: Ada report
Position of the American Dietetic Association: Use of Nutritive and Nonnutritive Sweeteners

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Abstract

Sweeteners elicit pleasurable sensations with (nutritive) or without (nonnutritive) energy. Nutritive sweeteners (eg, sucrose, fructose) are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), yet concern exists about increasing sweetener intakes relative to optimal nutrition and health. Dietary quality suffers at intakes above 25% of total energy (the Institutes of Medicine’s suggested maximal intake level). In the United States, estimated intakes of nutritive sweeteners fall below this, although one in four children (ages 9 to 18 years) can surpass this level. Polyols (sugar alcohols), GRAS-affirmed or petitions filed for GRAS, add sweetness with reduced energy and functional properties to foods/beverages and promote dental health. Five nonnutritive sweeteners with intense sweetening power have FDA approval (acesulfame-K, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, sucralose) and estimated intakes below the Acceptable Daily Intake (level that a person can safely consume everyday over a lifetime without risk). By increasing palatability of nutrient-dense foods/beverages, sweeteners can promote diet healthfulness. Scientific evidence supports neither that intakes of nutritive sweeteners by themselves increase the risk of obesity nor that nutritive or nonnutritive sweeteners cause behavioral disorders. However, nutritive sweeteners increase risk of dental caries. High fructose intakes may cause hypertriglyceridemia and gastrointestinal symptoms in susceptible individuals. Thus, it is the position of The American Dietetic Association that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive 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. Dietetics professionals should provide consumers with science-based information about sweeteners and support research on the use of sweeteners to promote eating enjoyment, optimal nutrition, and health.

Section snippets

Position statement

It is the position of The American Dietetic Association that consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive 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.

Types of sweeteners

Although sweeteners can be grouped a number of different ways, the grouping “nutritive” and “nonnutritive” acknowledges a difference in the amount of energy provided. A variety of ingredients impart sweetness with an energy value that equals 4 kcal/g (Figure 1). Sugar alcohols or polyols sweeten with less energy per gram (averaging 2 kcal/g); because they are not fully absorbed from the gut, polyols are less available for energy metabolism (Table 1). Nonnutritive sweeteners offer no energy

As components of food and beverages

Sucrose and fructose, which are GRAS substances, are primary sugar sweeteners that occur naturally or are added to foods. However, a host of other ingredients are included in the nutritive sweetener category (Figure 1). As can be seen, nutritive sweeteners are described differently by regulatory agencies. In addition to their sensory qualities, nutritive sweeteners add functional properties to foods through their effects on physical (eg, crystallization, viscosity), microbial (eg, preservation,

Nonnutritive sweeteners

Up to nine in 10 consumers in the United States buy or use low-calorie products, including sugar-free and reduced-fat foods and beverages (67). Nonnutritive sweeteners have also seen increased use in European countries (due to the growing interest in health and an aging population) as well as in developing countries (with interest in making limited diets more palatable) (67).

High-intensity sweeteners can offer consumers a way to enjoy the taste of sweetness with little or no energy and or

Nonnutritive sweeteners not yet approved in the united states

Alitame is composed of L-aspartic acid, D-alanine, and a novel C-terminal amide moiety and is 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose without the bitter or metallic qualities of high-intensity sweeteners (105). This sweetener blends with other high-intensity sweeteners to maximize the quality of sweetness. From an oral load of alitame, 7% to 22% is unchanged and excreted in the feces. The remaining amount (77% to 96%) is hydrolyzed to aspartic acid and alanine amide. The aspartic acid is metabolized

Sweetener use and health

Over the years, the effects of nutritive and nonnutritive sweetener use on health have been a concern among health professionals as well as the public for a variety of reasons 13, 117. One area involves the safety of sweeteners for use by children, when sweetener intakes are high relative to body weight, and pregnant women, when the goal of the diet is to support maternal and fetal health (118). Concern about sweetener intakes has shifted from diabetes in the 1960s, to hyperactivity and

Implications for dietetics professionals

Nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners add to the pleasure of eating. Consumers can enjoy a wide range of sweeteners in a wide variety of foods and beverages. Consumers can incorporate nutritive sweeteners into a healthful eating plan and meet current guidelines for healthful diets. The range of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners allows choice in the type and amount of sweeteners to include in the diet. The ingredients declaration on the food label provides information to consumers on types

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