At a first glance, artificial sweeteners seem like harmless and attractive alternatives to standard sugar. Sugar substitutes provide a sweet taste without the calories or carbohydrates that accompany sugar and other sweeteners. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the use of acesulfame-K (Sunnett®), aspartame (Equal®), neotame, saccharin (Sweet’N Low®), sucralose (Splenda®) and stevia.
Despite this approval, some health experts discourage the use of sugar
substitutes. Keep the following tips in mind to ensure that you’re safely
consuming them:
Always read the nutritional facts on foods and drinks to know what and how much of a substitute is being used.
Review the acceptable daily intake guidelines for each approved sugar substitute on the FDA’s website.
Remember, just because a product contains a sugar substitute does not necessarily mean it is calorie-free or even healthy.
That's right - artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are often extremely sweeter than pure sugar.
Stevia - 150 times sweeter
Aspartame - 200 times sweeter
Saccharin - 200-700 times sweeter
Sucralose - 600 times sweeter
Source: FDA