How much equal is safe

But for people who need to limit carbohydrates, whether because of diabetes or dieting, artificial sweeteners can add sweet flexibility to an otherwise limited meal plan. Let's take a look at the three most popular artificial sweeteners - saccharin Sweet n' Low , aspartame Equal , and sucralose Splenda. All three are FDA-approved.

Saccharin Remember Tab? That fab pink and white can was hailed as a godsend by many dieting women in the 60s and 70s. The popular soda contained saccharin, which had actually been around for decades. But in , rat studies suggested that saccharin could increase the risk of bladder cancer. The problem was that the rats were given an amount of saccharin that in humans would equal hundreds of cans of diet soda per day over an entire lifetime.

And while a large human study did not show an overall increased risk of cancer in humans, there is a slightly higher risk of bladder cancer in heavy smokers who use saccharin. Acceptable Daily Intake : 5 milligrams for each kilogram of body weight. Divide your weight by 2. So for a pound person, milligrams of saccharin a day would be in the safe range.

That said, there is one group of kids who can't eat all artificial sweeteners: those with phenylketonuria, or PKU. People with PKU aren't able to metabolize phenylalanine, an amino acid in aspartame, so they're advised to steer clear of aspartame. If your child is eating the occasional artificially sweetened food you have nothing to worry about.

But, before you stock your fridge with artificially sweetened foods and drinks, remember that many of these — such as sugar-free ice cream and fruit flavored drinks — aren't always the most nutritious choices and can still fill kids up with empty calories.

Make sure you're offering a wide variety of fruits for kids to satisfy their sweet cravings. What is aspartame? Is aspartame safe? Is there any truth to the negative information about aspartame I see on the Internet or in the media? What products contain aspartame and how can I tell? Who can use aspartame? Why do I see "contains phenylalanine" on labels of products containing aspartame?

How is aspartame handled by the body? Is Equal safe for those with diabetes? Does Aspartame cause allergies or food intolerance? Does Equal help people lose weight? First Name. Last Name.