A Scientific Review on Sweeteners

Manisha Mavai*¹, R.C. Gupta¹, Sandeep K Mathur², Raaz K Maheshwari^3
1Department of Physiology, M.G. Medical College, Jaipur (Raj), India
²Department of Endocrinology, SMS Medical College & Hospitals, Jaipur (Raj.), India
³Department of Chemistry, SBRM Govt. PG College, Nagaur (Raj), India 

A B S T R A C T
Sweeteners are food additives that are used to improve the taste of everyday foods. Artificial sweeteners are used in such small quantities that they don’t increase calorie intake. However, they react with receptors on the tongue to give people the sensation of tasting something sweet without the calories associated with natural sweeteners, such as table sugar. They are just one type of sugar substitute. Refined white sugar has been linked to dental cavities, increased cholesterol levels, heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and nutritional deficiencies; therefore, many people have turned to high-intensity sweeteners like aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin as a way to reduce the risk of these consequences. NAS consumption is considered safe and beneficial, yet scientific data remain sparse and controversial. These low calorie sweeteners are associated with a wide range of adverse health effects too. This review article provides a brief overview on use and effects of sweeteners.
Keywords: Acesulfame-K, artificial sweetener, aspartame, neotame, saccharine, Non-caloric artificial sweeteners NAS, sucralose.