Diabetes: What's the Deal With Artificial Sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners can be used instead of sugar in a variety of foods and beverages without adding more carbohydrate to your diet. Using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar also greatly reduces calories in your favorite foods.

Examples of artificial sweeteners you can use include:

• Aspartame
• Acesulfame-k
• Saccharine
• Sucralose
• Other non-nutritive sweeteners

Pregnant or breastfeeding women should avoid saccharine, and people who suffer from phenylketonuria should not use aspartame.

Some artificial sweeteners -- such as xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol -- have some calories and do slightly increase blood glucose level.

The American Diabetes Association cautions that eating too much of any artificial sweetener can cause gas and diarrhea.

Reviewed by the Department of Endocrinology and Department of Patient Education and Health Information at The Cleveland Clinic.