![]() ![]() It’s suited for cooking and baking and sold under the brand names Sunnet or Sweet One. Also known as acesulfame K, it’s 200 times sweeter than table sugar. Sold under the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, or Sugar Twin, aspartame is 200 times sweeter than table sugar. The following artificial sweeteners are allowed for use in the United States and/or European Union ( 3, 4): They provide virtually zero calories, as your body can’t break them down. SummaryĪrtificial sweeteners taste sweet because they are recognized by the sweetness receptors on your tongue. Given that only very small amounts of artificial sweeteners are needed to make foods taste sweet, you consume virtually no calories ( 1). Only a minority of artificial sweeteners have a structure that your body can break down into calories. This is how they provide a sweet taste without the added calories. However, they are generally too different from sugar for your body to break them down into calories. When you eat, your taste receptors encounter food molecules.Ī perfect fit between a receptor and molecule sends a signal to your brain, allowing you to identify the taste ( 2).įor example, the sugar molecule fits perfectly into your taste receptor for sweetness, allowing your brain to identify the sweet taste.Īrtificial sweetener molecules are similar enough to sugar molecules to fit on the sweetness receptor. The surface of your tongue is covered by many taste buds, each containing several taste receptors that detect different flavors ( 2).
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