American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association Supports Low-Calorie Sweeteners as Useful Substitutes for Sugar

The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) has confirmed what we at The Skinny on Low Cal already knew- using low calorie sweeteners in beverages and other foods has the potential to help people reach and maintain a healthy body weight and is helpful for glucose control for people with diabetes.

The new scientific statement which was published in the AHA journal, Circulation, and the ADA journal, Diabetes Care, confirms previous support statements from these two major health organizations. The safety of these sweeteners, including acesulfame potassium, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, stevia and sucralose, is supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

According to scientific statement lead author, Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, “While they are not magic bullets, smart use of non-nutritive sweeteners could help you reduce added sugars in your diet, therefore lowering the number of calories you eat. Reducing calories could help you attain and maintain a healthy body weight, and thereby lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes. But there are caveats.”

The AHA recommends that most women eat no more than 100 calories per day and men no more than 150 calories per day of added sugars. This recommendation is based on research that showed diets high in added sugars contribute to obesity and cardiovascular heart disease. Limiting intake of added sugars can help reduce calorie intake and can help people achieve or maintain a healthy body weight.

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