I discuss aspartame & artificial sweeteners vs sugar debate as it pertains to the pros, cons and controversy around health and nutrition.
When it comes to the question of what to sweeten your coffee with each day, there is a lot of confusion and noise. Is sugar the root cause of all human disease? Are artificial sweeteners toxic? Should I reach for something more trendy like Stevia or Agave? WHY DO I NEED TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS BEFORE I’VE HAD COFFEE!?
Well, the following infographic will hopefully become something you will bookmark as your one-stop-shop for everything about sugars and artificial sweeteners like aspartame and splenda. Led by two of my fantastic Ryerson Nutrition student volunteers, Olivia Maida and Alexis Silver- we’ve compiled all of the information you may be curious about into one place. All of the following sugars and artificial sweeteners are approved by Health Canada as safe (at least below the recommended intake levels) but they each present their own unique set of pros, cons and controversy.
Sugars vs Artificial Sweeteners – the Facts
Is Aspartame Really Poison?
So I would say that is using some super strong language but it’s not something I consume a lot of thanks to the impact on gut microflora which I think we will start to see is the KEY to a lot of chronic disease.
So then which sugars or artificial sweeteners do I think are best?
Honestly, it’s a tough call. Originally, I wanted to rank them for you but after going through the literature myself, I quickly realized it would be an arbitrary order. The recommendation I can stand behind is this: whatever sweetener you choose, whether they be caloric sugars or artificial sweeteners, just try to choose less of it. I’m not saying you should never have a Diet Coke again and should start drinking your coffee black. I’m just saying that it’s in all of our best interests to try to ease ourselves off our dependence on “sweet”. With less added sweet in our lives, we will actually start to appreciate the natural sweetness inherent in fruits, grains, and even vegetables. Yep, Brussels sprouts can actually start to taste sweet when you cut down on the amount of Splenda you throw in your tea.
Updated on September 1st, 2022
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Jack Hughes says
Hi Abbey,
Thanks for putting this together. Your recommendation to just try and minimise the use of sweeteners definitely makes a lot of sense to me, and is the approach that I try to adopt when preparing my own meals. I noticed, and was quite surprised by, your mentioning of the iron and manganese content of honey as a pro for its use compared to other sweeteners. This is a common marketing claim made in favour of its use but I was under the impression that the concentration of these micronutrients in honey was so low as to be essentially irrelevant for human nutrition. According to the NCCDB for example, 100g of honey contains 0.08mg of manganese (~4% of the RDI) and 0.42mg of iron (~2% of the RDI). Is there something I am missing here, or was the mentioning of trace minerals in your post basically just to prevent the “mild antibacterial properties” pro from looking a little lonely?
Best wishes,
Some random on the internet whose name would be completely meaningless to you (but can be found at the topic of the comment anyway!)
Eugene says
Hello!
I have heard that artificial/reduced-calorie sweeteners make your body prepare for sugar, which becomes a carb craving when it doesn’t get the sugar it expects. Does this claim have any evidence behind it? Thanks!
Abbey Sharp says
Yes some research has pointed to these effects
Laura Hart says
Hi do you have any information on Lakanto Monk Fruit Sweetener? I am trying to sweeten coffee & tea. I am currently on Profile By Sanford diet plan.I drink 4 shakes daily they have Sucralose as the sweetener in the shakes. I’ve tried Stevia and have stalled out on losing weight and get headaches from it. ?
Abbey Sharp says
I will look into that
Allyson Brandt says
Love this chart. I think a lot of people are confused about the different Types of sugar snd how they affect the body…and that sugar isnt always listed as “sugar”!
Abbey Sharp says
i totally agree
Esther says
Lots of great info. I am personally not a fan of any artificial stuff. Even things like stevia give me migraines.
My go-to sugar if I need it for something has been coconut sugar.
Abbey Sharp says
Me too actually
chrissy says
Great information on all the sweeteners. I was told that if you stop eating eating sugar/candy, after so long it won’t taste as good. Also, try drinking a soda and then an apple right afterwards. you won’t taste the apple! so i totally agree about the brussels sprouts!
Abbey Sharp says
totally!!
Ilka says
I refuse to put artificial sweeteners into my body – I’m so happy I broke this habit a long time ago.
Abbey Sharp says
i did too
Sarah- A Whisk and Two Wands says
I’m not a fan of artificial SWEETENERS. I use a mix of stevia, maple syrup, honey, coconut palm sugar, and sometimes agave all depending on what I’m using it in and try to keep everything in moderation. the occasional holiday dessert/cookie and homemade kombucha organic cane sugar.
Abbey Sharp says
yum sounds delish
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner says
I try to avoid artificial sweeteners and the sugar alcohols really upset my stomach. I have been trying to use honey in place of reg sugar. it really can be difficult as everything has so much sugar in it
Abbey Sharp says
for sure
GiGi Eats says
Aspartame has not been around long enough for any studies to be confirmed that it is in fact poisonous. the tests currently done are most done on rats/pigs/etc and we are not rats/pigs/etc so we can’t really correlate what happens to them, to us – it’s all assumption. im definitely not advocating people dump aspartame in their mouths, however, i am also not screaming at people to not eat it.
Abbey Sharp says
i dont scream at anyone either! and agree, is too early to know for sure.
Katie says
Hey Abbey!! Great post!! I am just curious if you know anything about the newest “healthy” sugar – Monk Fruit extract. It is claiming to be 100% natural (along with Naturally processed) but without a bad aftertaste! What is your opinion on this one??
Abbey Sharp says
hey Katie, good question. I didnt include it because I havent seen enough research on it specifically other than that it’s considered safe to consume. But so are all of the other artificial sweeteners. I think we just have to wait to see the impact, but either way, my honest opinion is to use less of whatever you want to use.
Katie says
Thank you so much! That is also what I have found, there is very little out there right now about it! Thanks for letting me know!
Abbey Sharp says
No problem Katie! How does it taste?
Jamila says
This is wonderful Abbey! You totally hit the nail on the head with just using less overall. I tell my clients the same thing. 🙂 People hate it and the term is often overused (and misused) but moderation truly is king! I always say, its not one ingredient or one food per se that is the root of all health problems, it’s the dietary pattern, it’s the bigger picture! Great job (and I love the comment about having to decide all of this before coffee… made me laugh!)
Abbey Sharp says
LOL yep. it’s true!
Heather Mason says
Great post Abbey! I’m not a fan of artificial sweeteners, but I’m not sure if its worth it to tell someone to give up there diet coke or not. It’s a tough call. I generally just use sugar or maple syrup if I want to sweeten something, but definitely in the smallest amount possible.
If stevia tasted better, I would probably use it, but it tastes terrible in my opinion.
Abbey Sharp says
haha for sure, I’m certainly not telling anyone to give anything up per se, just use/drink less!