Advantages and Disadvantages of Artificial Sweeteners (Part 2)

Neotame
Neotame was the sweetest synthetic sweetener in the world until the recent invention of Advantame. It is 8,000 times sweeter than sucrose and has a similar taste to sucrose. It is refined from aspartame. Neotame, like aspartame, will release methanol in the human body after consumption. Its potential impact on human health is also stronger than aspartame. It’s just that the sweetness of neotame is 40 times that of aspartame, and its dosage is only 1/40 of that of aspartame , so the harmful substances released by the same sweetness are smaller than that of aspartame. In addition, unlike aspartame, patients with phenylketonuria can safely use neotame.

Cyclamate
Cyclamate ( sweet essence ) is the artificial sweetener with the lowest sweetness, which was accidentally discovered by experimenters who put cigarettes on the experimental equipment of antipyretics. It is only 40 times as sweet as sucrose and less than a quarter of aspartame. It is the sweetener with the lowest production cost. In practice, it is often mixed with saccharin at a ratio of 10 to 1 to reduce the odor of saccharin. Because the price is cheap, it is also commonly used in non-sugar substitute melon seeds, candied fruit and plum powder to increase the sweetness. According to the survey of the competent health authority, a high proportion of candied fruit in the market contains excessive cyclamate. Cyclamate is still banned in the United States and Japan, but it is a legal food additive in other countries, including the European Union and Taiwan. Because of its low sweetness, cyclamate is easy to use in excess. In animal experiments, cyclamate has the risk of causing bladder cancer, shrinking the testicles of mice, and may also cause damage to the liver and nervous system. Therefore, we should avoid eating any food containing cyclamate.

Image source: Anping District Office