Sugar Substitutes

Finally, an authoritative guide to non-sugar sweeteners is out - a page of information in the October 2014 issue of Nutrition Action Healthletter (p. 9).

Bottom line, sugar substitutes do not cause weight gain, but they create the risk for those who use them that they can consume more solid-food calories because their beverage is a diet drink.

Nutrition Action provides a list of chemicals and their brand names, along with red, orange and green codes to indicate the risks.

RED (Avoid)
Acesufame-potassium, as in Equal (blue packets) Original and Equal Spoonful.
Aspartame, as in AminoSweet, Equal, Nutrasweet
Saccharin, as in Equal Next, Equal Saccharin and Sweet 'N Low (pink packets)

ORANGE (Caution)
Sucralose, as in Equal Sucralose and Splenda (yellow packets)
Monk Fruit extract, as in Monk Fruit in the Raw and Nectresse
Erythritol, Sorbitol, Xylitol and other sugar alcohols are safe in small quantities.

GREEN (Safe)
Advantame or Neotame (as in Newtame)
Stevia leaf extract, as in Pure Via, Sweetleaf, Truvia (includes erythritol)

I am switching to Stevia leaf extract, if I can find it in the stores. Or the Advantame or Newtame.