Beverage Sweeteners 101: A Guide

October 14, 2024. We live in a time where the sugar options that are in your beverage seem endless, from straight-up cane sugar to a cornucopia of natural and artificial sugar substitutes. Given the well-documented health risks of added sugar, many Americans have turned to sugar alternatives: over 140 million, according to Statista. If you’re like most people, however, you probably don’t know much about how those beverage sweetener substitutes are produced, or what exactly is in them. 

Whether you’re stirring it into your morning coffee or mixing it into your glass of water, the sweetener you choose can have significant long-term health impacts. In this guide, we’re diving deep into the world of beverage sweeteners, both natural and artificial, to help you navigate your options. From the trendy allulose to the timeless cane sugar, and including monk fruit, stevia, aspartame, and ACE-K, we’ll explore the origins, health benefits, and risks of each type of sweetener. Spoiler alert: natural sweeteners often come out on top when it comes to minimizing health risks.

---

Natural Sweeteners

From ancient cultures to modern diets, natural sweeteners have a rich history. Unlike artificial sweeteners, which are synthetically produced, natural sweeteners come from plant or animal sources. We’ll start with the most ubiquitous one: cane sugar.

Cane Sugar

Also called “table sugar,” the natural sweetener that gave humankind its sweet tooth. Cane sugar is a staple in households and kitchens worldwide. Derived from sugarcane, a tall plant native to Southeast Asia, cane sugar has a long history dating back thousands of years (historians estimate that chemically refined sugar first appeared on the scene in India, in the 5th century BCE.) It’s the most familiar type of sugar and is found in countless food and beverages, providing the sweetness we know and love. When consumed in excess, however, it can contribute to health issues like diabetes and obesity.

• What is it? Scientifically known as sucrose, cane sugar is a disaccharide composed of two simple sugars: glucose and fructose. When consumed, an enzyme in the small intestine breaks down sucrose into these constituent monosaccharides. Glucose is quickly transported to cells throughout the body, providing an immediate source of energy. Fructose, however, follows a different metabolic pathway. It can be converted into glucose or, if the body’s energy demand is low, stored as glycogen or fat. The metabolic fate of fructose is influenced by factors such as hormonal balance and overall energy status. Excessive consumption can lead to adverse health effects, including fatty liver disease and insulin resistance.
  
• Crafting cane sugar: Cane sugar is produced by extracting juice from sugarcane stalks, which is then clarified, evaporated, and crystallized to form raw sugar. When further refined, raw sugar produces white sugar, which is prized for its neutral sweetness and blends easily with other ingredients. When raw sugar is left with some molasses, you have brown sugar, which has hints of caramel and toffee in it.
  
• The sweet surge: Demand for sugar rose steadily in the Western world from the onset of the Industrial Revolution, and increased sharply with the introduction of more processed foods in the 1970s and ‘80s. It’s so ubiquitous that researchers estimate it is responsible for ~20% of the caloric content in modern diets.
  
• The bitter truth? Awareness of sugar’s potential negative health consequences gradually increased during the latter half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, sugar availability dropped, creating a “natural experiment” where researchers found that lower sugar consumption led to fewer dental problems in the population. In 1972, the British physiologist John Yudkin published “Pure White, And Deadly,” a book which argued that sugar was a major cause of heart disease and diabetes. In 1977, the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs issued the Dietary Goals for the United States, which included guidelines to reduce sugar intake. Public awareness rose from the 1980s to early 2000s, leading to the world we live in now of sugar-skepticism.
  
• Best consumed in moderation: Today, the World Health Organization advises that added sugars should constitute less than 10% of total energy intake, noting that consumption below 5% can provide additional health benefits.

Stevia Leaf

A natural sweetener deriving from the leaves of the Stevia rebau`diana plant, its sweet compounds are approximately 300 times sweeter than sugar. Because it has no calories or impact on blood sugar levels, it may be a suitable alternative for people with diabetes or those looking to cut their caloric intake.

• Origins: While stevia has only recently entered American grocery stores, it has been used in other cultures for many years. The Stevia plant is native to South America’s southern Amazon rainforest, and in Brazil and parts of Paraguay it was a staple of the indigenous diet. Its sweet properties were first documented by the Swiss botanist Moises Santiago Bertoni in the early 1990s.
  
• How is it made? Stevia’s sweet compounds are known as steviol glycosides, which are extracted from stevia leaves through a process of water extraction and purification. High-purity Stevia glycosides extracts are generally considered safe by the FDA, although raw stevia is not approved for human consumption.
  
• Commercialization: In the 1970s, Japan was the first country to commercialize the cultivation of stevia as a sugar alternative. In the United States, certain extracts of Stevia were first FDA-approved in 2008. First available in natural food stores, stevia is increasingly used as a sugar replacement, and companies like Zevia have come up with entire lines of stevia-sweetened beverages. 
  
• The sweet benefits of Stevia: A 2010 review found that the use of Stevia might benefit children, people with diabetes, and those wishing to lower their caloric intake. Because the stevia plant contains antioxidants including tannins, vitamin C, and amino acids, some research suggests that stevia may be anti-inflammatory, helping lower oxidative stress in the body.
  
• Gut check: Health experts still don’t fully understand how stevia impacts the gut microbiome. Because stevia’s antimicrobial properties can disrupt the microbiome’s natural balance, some research suggests that stevia may reduce the presence of good bacteria. Excessive consumption can cause digestive discomfort, including bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

Allulose

Naturally found in small quantities in foods like kiwi, figs, and raisins, allulose has recently emerged as a popular natural sweetener. While molecularly and chemically similar to sugar, allulose is not metabolized the same way by the human body. It has a sweet taste, but produces no insulin response and is very low in calories.

• History: While it was first identified in the 1940s, it has been gaining traction following a significant regulatory shift. In 2019, the FDA excluded allulose from the total and added sugars listing on Nutrition Facts labels, which greatly increased its appeal among manufacturers looking to reduce sugar content in their products without compromising on sweetness. Now it’s hailed as “the next big thing in beverage sweeteners” because of its unique properties.
  
• What is it? Allulose, or D-psicose, has the same molecular formula as fructose (C6H12O6) but a different structural arrangement. Unlike glucose and fructose, our bodies can’t process it. The majority of allulose is immediately excreted in the urine. Because our bodies can’t metabolize it, it has no impact on blood glucose or insulin. It has 0.4 calories per gram, but these calories aren’t even absorbed by the body.
  
• How is it used? Allulose is highly versatile, and found in many dairy products, carbonated beverages, and baked goods. It is a popular fit for sweetening ice cream because of its bulking properties.
  
• Gut check: Because allulose is neither absorbed nor fermented, it does not feed back gut bacteria, allowing it to provide a sweetening experience free of gastric-upset. Some early research even suggests allulose may improve gut function.
  
• Good for weight loss? A growing body of evidence even suggests that allulose may help reduce body fat. A 2020 study found that mice fed a high-fat diet with allulose supplementation gained less weight than mice on a high-fat diet without it. This may be because the body tries so hard to digest it, but can’t, leading it to expend energy and potentially creating a caloric deficit. When consumed with carbohydrates, allulose appears to actually lower the body’s glucose and insulin response, making it a strong fit for those on low-carb or ketogenic diets.

Monk Fruit

While relatively new on the American market, monk fruit has been used for centuries in Asian cultures. Legend has it that it gets its name from the Buddhist monks who originally grew it centuries ago.

• What is it? Monk fruit, also called lo han guo, or Swingle fruit, is a small, melon-like fruit native to southern China.
  
• How is it made? Monk fruit sweetener is produced by removing the fruit’s seeds and crushing it, creating monk fruit juice. This is then mixed with hot water and dried to create a powdered sugar.
  
• Taste profile: This powder is extremely sweet — about 100 to 250 times as sweet as sugar itself — owing to the mogrosides content. Its sweetness comes from this antioxidant.
  
• FDA Approval: Since 2010, Monk fruit extract has been listed as Generally Recognized as Safe by the FDA. No acceptable daily intake (ADI) has been set, suggesting it is probably safe at levels much higher than that needed to sweeten a beverage.
  
• Antioxidant properties? Because monk fruit’s sweetness comes from its flavonoids and mogrosides, some research suggests monk fruit sweetener may have anti-inflammatory and cancer-fighting properties.
  
• Health risks? In several studies, animals were fed extremely high levels of monk fruit extract with no observed adverse health consequences. There is a chance of also having an allergy to monk fruit if you’re allergic to gourds, which you should be aware of.

Erythritol

Often used in products like protein bars and chewing gum, erythritol belongs to the class of sweeteners known as “sugar alcohols.” It naturally occurs in some fruits and fermented fruits, but is produced commercially through a fermentation process.

• Natural or artificial? Erythritol is found naturally in certain fruit, including melons and pears, but when erythritol is used as a sugar substitute, it is used in concentrations at least 1,000 times more potent than when it is naturally found in our food.
  
• Taste profile: Erythritol has a clean taste about 60-70% as sweet as table sugar. It’s often combined with other natural and artificial sweeteners to take advantage of its synergistic properties: for example, erythritol has a slight cooling effect when dissolved in liquids, which can enhance the refreshment quality of beverages.
  
• Health benefits: Erythritol is zero-calories and diabetes-friendly. It may even help manage oral health! Unlike sugar, erythritol does not contribute to tooth decay, and may even inhibit the growth of the oral bacteria responsible for cavities.
  
• Adverse cardiovascular effects: We’re still understanding erythritol’s effects on the cardiovascular system, and recent studies have raised red flags. A 2023 study led by NIH-researchers found that people with the highest consumption of erythritol were about twice as likely to experience cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and stroke, as those who consumed the lowest amounts of erythritol in their diet. This is likely because, when it enters the bloodstream erythritol increases sensitivity to blood clotting signals. While the findings do not necessarily mean erythritol consumption increases cardiovascular risk, medical professionals recommend proceeding with caution.
  
• Gut check: Erythritol can cause gas and bloating: if this happens to you, it probably means erythritol is feeding gut bacteria that aren’t helpful for you.

---

Artificial Sweeteners

Given the well-documented health risks of added sugars, the food industry has developed various artificial sugar substitutes to satisfy our sweet tooth. While many of these artificial sweeteners are considered preferable to real sugar in managing health issues like diabetes and obesity, we are still understanding how consumption in excess can lead to long-term health consequences.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

A syrup made from the starchy interior of corn grains, High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was discovered in the 1960s. HFCS use skyrocketed in the ‘70s and ‘80s, as U.S. government policy made it a cheaper alternative to table sugar, but researchers have now named HFCS as a lead culprit in America’s obesity crisis.

• How is it made? Corn starch is the powdery substance derived from the starchy interior of corn grains. When corn starch is broken down into individual molecules, it creates corn syrup, which is entirely glucose. In the 1960s, researchers realized that, by adding enzymes to corn syrup, you could convert some of this glucose into fructose and create the sweet-tasting, controversial substance that is high-fructose corn syrup.
  
• Worse than table sugar? HFCS adds an unnatural amount of fructose to the human body. While glucose, which is found in most starchy carbs and cane sugar, can be processed by the body for energy, fructose is harder for the body to process. Both HFCS and cane sugar provide similar amounts of calories — about 4 calories per gram — but HFCS may be more harmful due to its high fructose content, causing increased fat storage and insulin resistance.
  
• HFCS became ubiquitous: In the 1970s and 80s, HFCS became popular in the American food supply, as government subsidies on corn production led to an abundance. In 1999, domestic production in the U.S. peaked at 9.5 million tons.
   
• Shifting trends: Because of consumer preferences and rising corn prices, HFCS demand has been in decline since the early 2000s. Several companies, including Kraft and Pepsi, have removed it from their products in response to consumer demand for more natural ingredients.

Aspartame

Aspartame is the most studied artificial sweetener in human history, and has been used as a sweetener since the early 1980s. The jury is out on whether or not it is safe in large quantities, and some government agencies think it should be labeled as “possibly carcinogenic” to humans.

• How is it made? Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by chemist James M. Schlatter, who was researching anti-ulcer drugs. Aspartame is made through a chemical synthesis process that involves combining two amino acids: phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Enzymes may be used to catalyze the reaction between the amino acids and methanol to form aspartame. After purification, aspartame is crystallized into a fine powder. The crystalline form ensures that aspartame is stable and has a long shelf life when used in food products.
  
• FDA Approval: Aspartame was first FDA-approved in 1974 for use in dry foods, tabletop sweeteners, and cold breakfast cereals. In 1981, the FDA approved aspartame for use in soft drinks and other foods. Used in diet soda, candy, and syrups, aspartame is found in more than 5,000 foods and drinks today.
  
• Recently under fire: In July 2023, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) labeled aspartame “possibly carcinogenic to humans.” This would put it in a category alongside hundreds of foods and chemicals, including some fermented vegetables, still below the definitive “carcinogenic to humans” category, which includes air pollution, processed meats, and tobacco. The decision was controversial, and another W.H.O. agency performed a concurrent review and determined aspartame was safe at currently-approved levels.
  
• Controversy over safety levels: The FDA says it is safe for a person to consume 50 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight. W.H.O., meanwhile, recommends a more moderate upper cap of 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight. Here at Bevi, we might not deprive ourselves of diet soda entirely, but we’re going to tread the waters with caution.
   
• Health risks: The verdict of the medical community is that more research is necessary to understand how aspartame impacts humans. Studies of rats have found a significant increase in the incidence of malignant tumors, lymphomas, and leukemias in rats exposed to aspartame.  A 2022 study of more than 100,000 adults in France found aspartame consumption was correlated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events, but no definitive conclusions were made.

Ace-K

Ace-K was approved for use in the United States in 1988 and is often used in combination with other sweeteners, including aspartame, to enhance sweetness while maintaining stability under heat and acidic conditions​.

• Common Use: Also labeled acesulfame K and acesulfame potassium, it is used in some sugar alternatives like Splenda and Equal, as well as many other zero sugar soft drinks. Diet Coke and Coke Zero, as notable examples, use a mix of Ace-K and aspartame.
  
• History: Developed by German researchers in 1967, Ace-K was first approved for use in Europe in 1983. The FDA approved it for certain food and beverage categories in 1988, and in 2003 expanded its use. Since the beginning, consumer rights activists have questioned the FDA’s ruling that Ace-K was safe for human consumption.
  
• How much is safe? The FDA recommends a maximum of 15mg of Ace-K per body weight per day. The European Union’s Food Safety Agency, meanwhile, has established a safe daily intake of 9mg per kilogram of body weight.
  
• Adverse health consequences: The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has questioned the validity of Ace-K’s early safety tests, saying the studies on animals were too brief and did not expose animals during gestation. In a later study of lactating women, ace-K was the artificial sweetener most commonly found in breast milk, suggesting it is highly transmissible. CSPI holds today that Ace-K is potentially carcinogenic, poses threats of hormone disruption, and risks to pregnant women.

---

Sweetening your favorite beverages can add a delightful touch to your day, but it’s important to remember that moderation is key. While natural sweeteners like cane sugar, stevia, monk fruit, and allulose offer a range of benefits, consuming them in small doses is far healthier than relying on large amounts of them—or on their artificial alternatives. At Bevi, we use natural flavors, aiming to get as much flavor as possible from the rinds and juice of real fruit, while enhancing other flavors with low amounts of regular sugar or stevia leaf. By choosing natural options and enjoying them sparingly, you can indulge in sweetness without compromising your health.