Despite heavy criticism, the FDA has approved saccharin on multiple occasions. Warning labels were placed on all saccharin-containing products between 1997 and 2000 while the substance underwent further FDA review in response to concerns that it could cause tumors in humans. As soon as more research indicated the substance was safe, all warnings were removed.
- Where it's lurking: chewing gum, diet soda, jams, salad dressings, candy, canned fruit, baked goods, some vitamins and pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics.
- How much is too much? Saccharin's ADI clocks in at 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day—the equivalent of a 150-pound person eating nine packets of Sweet N' Low. (OK, depending on the day, maybe some of us could get to this point...)
More: 6 Strategies to Eat Better
Sucralose (Splenda)
Over 100 studies have helped affirm sucralose's safety since it was created in the late 1960s. In one study, rodents exposed to 16,000 milligrams of sucralose per kilogram of their body weight per day—the equivalent of a human chugging 16,000 cans of diet soda—showed no significant side effects. Nor did a group of diabetic people who consumed 500 milligrams of the stuff per day.
- Where it's lurking: yogurt, protein bars, frozen desserts, syrups, baked goods and diet beverages.
- How much is too much? Like saccharin, sucralose's ADI is 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day. So a 165-pound person could (in theory) safely snack on 31 packets of Splenda per day.
Acesulfame Potassium
Another accidental discovery, this sweetener gained approval in 1983, a couple decades after German chemist Karl Claus just so happened to lick his chemically doused fingers in a lab one day to discover the compound. (Sound familiar, saccharin?) Rather than standing on its own, acesulfame potassium (200 times sweeter than regular sugar) is usually combined with aspartame or saccharin to enhance the flavor of low-cal treats and mask other artificial sugars' bitter aftertastes.
- Where it's lurking: soft drinks, diet iced teas, tabletop sweeteners, candy and chewing gum, marinated fish, rice pudding, ice cream, yogurt, and pickled vegetables. See also: toothpaste, mouthwash, and some medications.
- How much is too much? On its own, acesulfame potassium has an ADI of 15 milligrams per pound of body weight. That's about as attainable as downing oh, say, 4,930 Coke Zeros between breakfast and bedtime. (Please don't consider this a challenge.)
More: 7 Tips to Avoid Processed Foods
Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
Surpassing saccharin as the most extensively researched and widely used artificial sweetener, aspartame was also discovered by a chance finger-lick. (Clearly we'd be on different career paths had we also blatantly ignored Chemistry 101's lab rules.) Aspartame, which can taste up to 220 times sweeter than natural sugar, entered the mainstream market after gaining FDA approval in 1974. It was re-approved in the early 1980's after additional studies disproved numerous claims over its adverse health effects.
- Where it's lurking: Aspartame is currently used in over 6,000 American products, ranging from soft drinks and candy, to yogurts, desserts, fruit spreads, nutrition shakes, protein bars, cereals, gum, and some pharmaceuticals.
- How much is too much? Aspartame's ADI stands at 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. To exceed this amount, a 150-pound adult would need to down more than twenty 12-ounce cans of diet soda. (Even the most enthusiastic aspartame consumers across the U.S., one study found, only down about the amount equal to three diet sodas per day (for our 150-pound friend).
Neotame (Sweetos)
A close cousin of aspartame, this flavor enhancer clocks in with a sweetness between 7,000 and 13,000 times that of regular sugar. Neotame withstands higher temperatures and has a longer shelf-life than aspartame, and it's been proven safe in a number of clinical trials conducted in mice, rats, dogs and rabbits. NutraSweet holds a patent for the stuff, and it's been gaining steam in India under the brand name Sweetos.
- Where it's lurking: Though neotame received FDA approval in 2002, it hasn't yet been used in U.S. products. So stay tuned...
- How much is too much? Given that neotame is between 7,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than regular sugar, it's safe to say that no one is expected to need—or want—to consume too much of it. Neotame's ADI has been set just under 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day, but since it's not yet on any ingredient lists, we can't give you some outlandish equivalent.
