By By Carmen Chai. Medically Reviewed by Reyna Franco, RDN,
2024-08-26
Saccharin is sold under several brand names, including Sweet'N Low.
Felipe Sanchez/Adobe Stock
Whether you have diabetes , you're on a weight loss journey, or you're just trying to make healthier dietary choices, sugar is often one of the first things to get the boot. Many who want to limit or cut sugar out of their diet turn to artificial sweeteners like saccharin - the main ingredient in products like Sweet'N Low - as an alternative.
Found in diet sodas and low-calorie candies, and sold in small packets to use for baking, cooking, or beverages, Sweet'N Low is one of the most common artificial sweeteners , alongside Splenda (sucralose), Equal (aspartame), and Sweet One (acesulfame potassium).
One reason some turn to artificial sweeteners: "They are low or no-calorie but allow foods to taste sweet without the sugar or calories," says Julia Zumpano, RD, a registered dietitian at Cleveland Clinic's Digestive Disease and Surgery Institute in Ohio. "They have been shown to not impact blood sugars the way that sugar does, too."
But many studies of the health effects of saccharin have had conflicting findings, and researchers are divided on whether it's beneficial or potentially problematic for health.
Here's what you need to know about this artificial sweetener, what research has shown about its safety and health effects, and whether you should try it or avoid it.
What Is Saccharin?
Saccharin - sold under the brand names Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet - is a zero-calorie sweetener that's been regulated as a food additive by the FDA since 1977.
It's made in laboratories by oxidizing chemicals to create a white, crystalline powder, and it has a long shelf life, says Zumpano, who does not endorse any particular saccharin product.
It's roughly 300 to 500 times sweeter than regular sugar. A single packet of Sweet'N Low, for instance, is about as sweet as 2 teaspoons of sugar but with only 16 calories and 4 grams (g) of carbohydrates per teaspoon (compared to 32 calories and 8 g of carbohydrates in 2 teaspoons of sugar). "It's one of the oldest nonnutritive sweeteners on the market. But its popularity [plummeted] in the 1970s after lab studies documented saccharin intake in rats were linked to a greater bladder cancer risk. This was pretty jarring for the market," says Gabrielle Gambino , a senior clinical dietitian at NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. After those findings, the U.S. Congress mandated additional studies of saccharin, as well as warning labels on products that contained saccharin until the warning could be deemed unnecessary. Since that time, more than 30 human studies have found that those study findings in rats were not relevant to humans and that saccharin was safe for humans to consume. By 2000, the National Institutes of Health determined that saccharin should be removed from the list of potential carcinogens.
Nowadays, you can find saccharin in carbonated diet drinks, low-calorie juices, candies, jams and spreads, cookies, and other processed foods. It's also found in some medicines and toothpastes, says Gambino, who does not endorse any particular saccharin product.
The FDA's acceptable daily intake of saccharin is 2.3 milligrams (mg) per pound (5 mg per kilogram) of body weight. That equals a bit less than four 12-ounce cans of diet soda a day for the average American adult, says Gambino.
What Are the Potential Health Effects of Saccharin?
Although the FDA has deemed saccharin safe for human consumption, it still faces plenty of scrutiny. Studies of various possible health effects of artificial sweeteners like saccharin have had conflicting findings over the years.
Saccharin and Dental Health
Because saccharin is sugar-free, it can lower your risk of tooth decay and cavities compared to regular sugar. Humans can't break down saccharin, so it leaves your body unchanged. "Dentists love saccharin," says Gambino. "Saccharin is in toothpaste. The studies are pretty clear that using non-nutritive sweeteners instead of sugar can benefit [our teeth]."
Saccharin and Weight Loss
Many view artificial sweeteners like saccharin as low-calorie aids to long-term weight loss, but whether they're truly helpful for managing weight isn't entirely clear. Most short-term studies have shown no benefit of artificial sweeteners for weight management, but there's a lack of long-term studies in this area. One systematic review of prior research found that, on average, people who consumed low-calorie sweeteners ate 94 fewer calories each meal and cut their weight by 1.35 kg (nearly 3 pounds) over time. But a prior study of nearly 80,000 women ages 50 to 69 found that those who consumed artificial sweeteners were significantly more likely to gain weight after one year than those who didn't consume them. Those who consumed artificial sweeteners gained an average of two pounds compared with their counterparts. In a 2023 guideline, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised against using non-sugar sweeteners for weight management, citing no long-term benefit in reducing body fat among adults or children.
Saccharin and Diabetes
For people with preexisting diabetes, artificial sweeteners like saccharin are considered safe sugar substitutes that don't affect blood sugar levels.
But their effect on diabetes risk among people without the condition is still debated.
One study from the American Diabetes Association found that those who consumed artificial sweeteners in the long term had an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes when compared with those who did not consume them at all. But while studies like this one found a link between artificial sweeteners and type 2 diabetes risk, others found no link between the two. In its 2023 guideline, WHO noted that there may be health risks with long-term use of non-sugar sweeteners, such as an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or death in adults. The guideline applies to everyone except people with preexisting diabetes.
Saccharin and Gut Health
The gut microbiome is the home to all the microorganisms living in the digestive system which play a key role in many of the body's functions, including digestion, the immune system, and mental health.
Some research suggests that saccharin may disrupt the gut microbiome . "The negatives are pretty tenfold and a lot of this has to do with interrupting our gut microbiota composition," Gambino says. "Gut microbes are very influential in a whole cascade of health." But other research suggests there's no link between artificial sweeteners and changes to the gut microbiome, at least in the short term. More research is still needed to figure out their effects on gut health.
Should You Consume Saccharin?
The benefits and drawbacks of saccharin are still hotly debated among scientists. While saccharin is a sugar-free alternative that may help prevent tooth decay and cavities compared with regular sugar, the research community is divided on whether they're beneficial or problematic for human health.
So, should you consume saccharin? The answer likely varies from person to person, says Gambino. For instance, if you're trying to reduce sugar in your diet, you may turn to saccharin in the interim as an alternative. "Maybe you start with saccharin instead of sugary drinks and then you move into flavoring water with lemon or fruits," Gambino says.
She recommends only consuming saccharin as a short-term transitional ingredient in moderation as you adjust from eating less sugary and processed foods to a diet that's rich in whole foods like fruits and vegetables instead.
Zumpano recommends consuming artificial sweeteners as little as possible or avoiding them altogether. "In the end, saccharin is artificial. I suggest limiting or avoiding the use of anything artificial, including sweeteners. They are not good for you," Zumpano says. Instead, she recommends pure stevia - an herbal sweetener that has a reputation as more natural than artificial sweeteners like saccharin.
If you're unsure whether saccharin belongs in your diet, talk to your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to help you strike the right balance, says Gambino.
The Takeaway
Saccharin, the artificial sweetener in products like Sweet'N Low, offers a sugar-free alternative that can help reduce the risk of cavities, but its impact on other health areas like weight management is still debated. Despite being a common sugar substitute, some research suggests potential downsides, such as disrupted gut health. If you're considering saccharin, try to use it in moderation and consult with a healthcare provider to strike a healthy dietary balance.
Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.
Sources
Pros and cons of artificial sweeteners. Mayo Clinic . January 10, 2023.
Price JM, Biava CG, Oser BL, et al. Bladder tumors in rats fed cyclohexylamine or high doses of a mixture of cyclamate and saccharin. Science . February 20, 1970.
Pang MD, Goossens GH, Blaak EE. The Impact of Artificial Sweeteners on Body Weight Control and Glucose Homeostasis. Frontiers in Nutrition . January 7, 2021.
Rogers PJ, Hogenkamp PS, de Graaf C, et al. Does low-energy sweetener consumption affect energy intake and body weight? A systematic review, including meta-analyses, of the evidence from human and animal studies. International Journal of Obesity . March 2016.
Stellman SD, Garfinkel L. Artificial sweetener use and one-year weight change among women. Preventive Medicine . March 1986.
WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control in newly released guideline. World Health Organization . May 15, 2023.
Castro MR. Artificial sweeteners: Any effect on blood sugar? Mayo Clinic . January 14, 2023.
Debras C et al. Artificial Sweeteners and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in the Prospective NutriNet-Santé Cohort. Diabetes Care . September 2023.
Serrano J, Smith KR, Crouch AL, et al. High-dose saccharin supplementation does not induce gut microbiota changes or glucose intolerance in healthy humans and mice. Microbiome . January 12, 2021.
Le Roy T, Clément K. Bittersweet: artificial sweeteners and the gut microbiome. Nature Medicine . November 2022.
Reyna Franco, RDN, is a New York City–based dietitian-nutritionist, certified specialist in sports dietetics, and certified personal trainer. She is a diplomate of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has a master's degree in nutrition and exercise physiology from Columbia University.
In her private practice, she provides medical nutrition therapy for weight management, sports nutrition, diabetes, cardiac disease, renal disease, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, food allergies, eating disorders, and childhood nutrition. To serve her diverse patients, she demonstrates cultural sensitivity and knowledge of customary food practices. She applies the tenets of lifestyle medicine to reduce the risk of chronic disease and improve health outcomes for her patients.
Franco is also a corporate wellness consultant who conducts wellness counseling and seminars for organizations of every size. She taught sports nutrition to medical students at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, taught life cycle nutrition and nutrition counseling to undergraduate students at LaGuardia Community College, and precepts nutrition students and interns. She created the sports nutrition rotation for the New York Distance Dietetic Internship program.
She is the chair of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine's Registered Dietitian-Nutritionist Member Interest Group. She is also the treasurer and secretary of the New York State Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, having previously served in many other leadership roles for the organization, including as past president, awards committee chair, and grant committee chair, among others. She is active in the local Greater New York Dietetic Association and Long Island Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, too.
Carmen Chai is a Canadian journalist and award-winning health reporter. Her interests include emerging medical research, exercise, nutrition, mental health, and maternal and pediatric health. She has covered global healthcare issues, including outbreaks of the Ebola and Zika viruses, anti-vaccination movements, and chronic diseases like obesity and Alzheimer's.
Chai was a national health reporter at Global News in Toronto for 5 years, where she won multiple awards, including the Canadian Medical Association award for health reporting. Her work has also appeared in the Toronto Star , Vancouver Province, and the National Post . She received a bachelor's degree in journalism from Ryerson University in Toronto.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Local News
