Difference Between Splenda, Sweet and Low, Equal and Stevia
Go to most restaurants and you will find several different varieties of sugar in the colorful bags that lie in the container on the table. Sure, all of them should make your food or drink sweeter, but what is the difference between yellow and red? And are any of them really better for you than sugar?
Management on sanitary inspection behind quality of foodstuff and medicines (FDA) considered eight kinds of artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption, but you will not find all of them at the local diner – some of them are additives that are added to food during production, and not to those what are you buying. or use as you see fit. You will probably recognize some of them by their trade names: sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet and Low), aspartame (Equal), and stevia (Truvia). Each has a different sweetness level and different uses.
These sugar substitutes are popular among people with diabetes, because these sweeteners do not increase the level of sugar in the blood as well as sugar, and among those who want something “sweet” calorie-free. Unlike table sugar, which contains roughly 16 calories per teaspoon, Splenda, Sweet and Low, Equal, and Truvia are low or low in calories. That’s where they differ when it comes to taste and use – their safety and potential health risks are discussed elsewhere:
- Splenda (sucralose): Sucralose is not broken down in the body, so it has no calories. It is about 400-700 times sweeter than table sugar and can be used in anything. Since it does not lose its sweetness when heated, you can use Splenda for hot cooking and baking .
- Sweet and Low (saccharin): Sweet and Low is one of the first artificial sweeteners available, used in food, medicine, and even toothpaste. Saccharin is about 300-400 times sweeter than sugar , has no calories and can be used in cooking .
- Equal (Aspartame): Aspartame is commonly found in chewing gum, diet soda, puddings, and many other “sugar-free” snacks, sometimes called Nutrasweet. It’s about 200 times sweeter than sugar , but there are few calories in each packet (a measly two or so). It also loses its sweetness when heated, so it is not ideal for baking.
- Truvia (Stevia): Because stevia’s sweet taste comes from the leaves of a plant called Stevia rebaudiana , it is often referred to as a “natural sweetener”. In the United States, the plant itself is not added to food, but only a chemical extract called Rebaudioside A. It is about 200-400 times sweeter than sugar .
According to Lifehacker Health Editor Beth Skorecki, the claim that the sugar substitute is “200 times sweeter than sugar” means that the manufacturer used 1/200 of the amount to match the sweetness of table sugar.
Also, keep in mind that artificial sweeteners get a lot of bad press, so if you’re concerned, check out our analysis of the safety of artificial sweeteners in your diet and choose the one that works best for you.
This story was originally published in 2016 and was updated on 11/25/19 to provide more complete and up-to-date information.