sean

Hi CC,

Aspartame is the most common, but not the only sweetener used in sodas. You can find out by reading the label.

Aspartame and most other non-sugar sweeteners are NOT metabolized much like sugar--this is the source of their value. Otherwise, why bother? aspartame, saccharine and cyclamates, the substitutes in longest consumer use, are used in vey small quantitities in most any consumer product. There was a period when there was much worry over their health effects, but after decdes of huge expense, the research has come up empty--there does not seem to be a cancer risk or anything like that.

Sugar alcohols such as glycerol (or glycerine), and maltitol and sorbitol are metablized partially like carbohydrates, but rarely completely, and render fewer calories than sugar per gram. Some artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose (splenda is one brand name) are metabolized normally, but it is between one and two hundred times as "sweet" to the taste buds as is sugar, so very little is used/ So little sucralose is used in most consumer products that its calories or carbs and food value can, for all practical purposes, be ignored.

Aspartame is a complex molecule, combining two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. There are some who say it gives them headaches or blurry vision, but the most exhaustive studies do not find much of anything in the way of health effects. You have to decide for ourself (personally I drink diet drinks with it all the time, but that's me).


sean