Saccharin is something we've all heard about. Who hasn't seen a little, pink packet of Sweet-n-Low sitting on a diner counter? Who doesn't remember the stories in the mid-70's that related cancer to the use of saccharin? But what's the real story?
Saccharin is the oldest known sugar substitute. It is used in diet soft drinks, sold in packets for use in tea and coffee, and sold in shaker containers to sweeten berries and cereal. Almost everyone over the age of 20 has used it at least once.
In 1977 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) required that any food containing saccharin be labeled with warnings about potential hazards to your health. The labels said: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin, which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."
The warnings were the result of studies conducted by the FDA that showed long-term use of saccharin was related to bladder cancer. In 1978 and 1979, the National Cancer Institute conducted a study that concluded that heavy use of saccharin was related to cancer of the bladder.
Heavy use was defined by the National Cancer Institute as consuming two or more 8-ounce servings of a diet drink per day or six or more servings of sugar substitute per day (the little pink packets).
Unfortunately, the substitutes for saccharin are worse than anything the studies revealed about saccharin. In fact, aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal) and sucralose (Splenda) should be avoided in favor of saccharin if you must consume artificially sweetened foods and drinks.
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