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Prepared by:
WILMER M. LIMIN
DALCUIS

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 GUIDE
CARD
Artificial sweeteners or commonly known as
“sugar substitutes” have been famous and
are currently found among variety of foods
and beverages introduced as “sugar-free” or
“diet” foods. How do these artificial food
additives help or affect our health?

This module
will provide you with the
scientific inferences about
the chemical properties of
artificial sweetening
agents.

At the end of
the lesson, students
should be able to
describe the chemical
properties of artificial
sweetening agents.

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 What I
know?

Multiple Choice. Write the letter of the correct answer on your

Notebook.

1. To what class of food additive do artificial sweeteners

belong?
A. Nutritional B. Physical C. Sensory D. Temporal

2. How much calorie is produced by artificial sweeteners?

A. 0 B. 1 C. 2 D. 3

3. What is the agency that regulates artificial sweeteners

before being made available for sale?
A. Food and Drug Administration C. Food Safety and Inspection
B. Food Standard Agency D. National Food Authority

4. Which of the following is NOT an effect of artificial

sweeteners intake?
A. Lower alcohol level C. Lower blood sugar level
B. Lower blood pressure D. Lower cholesterol level

5. Which of the following is NOT an effect of artificial

sweeteners intake?
A. Decreased dental cavity C. Tooth decay
B. Decreased diabetes risk D. Weight loss

6. Which of the following does NOT contain artificial

sweetener?
A. Baked Goods B. Candy C. Jams D. Natural Honey

7. Which of the following is NOT an artificial sweetener?

A. Aspartame C. Saccharin
B. Glucose D. Sucralose

8. All of the following contain natural sweeteners EXCEPT _____.

A. Diet Coke C. Honey bee
B. Grape fruit D. Sugar cane

9. Which of the following does NOT describe to artificial sweeteners?

A. Diet sugar C. Sugar substitutes
B. Less sweetness D. Synthetic food additives

10. Based from studies, artificial sweeteners are beneficial to human.

A. Always false C. Cannot be determined
B. Always true D. Sometimes true

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 REVIEW

Food additive is any substance, regardless of its nutritive value,

that is not normally consumed as a food by itself and not normally
used as a typical ingredient of the food, which is added
intentionally to a food for technological purposes in the
manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, packing,
packaging, transport or storage of the food. They play an
important role in modern food supply. They add to the variety,
convenience, safety, and taste of our food and ensure food
availability all year round. Additives are usually added to food at
very low levels

There are three main sources of food additives namely natural,

manmade versions and artificial.

Four classes of food additives are physical, sensory, temporal and

nutritional.

Physical food additives affect the physical or physic-chemical

characteristics of foods such as texture. Additives under this are
thickeners, emulsifiers, stabilizers, acidulants, clouding agents,
aerating agents, glazing agents etc.

Sensory food additives are additives that are used extensively as

flavourings, sweeteners and colourants.

Temporal food additives are used to prolong the shelf-life of foods.

This includes preservatives, antioxidants, curing and pickling
agents.

Nutritional food additives provide nutritional content on foods.

Examples are vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.

ACTIVITY 1

Use the words below in one sentence to unlock a simple

definition for Artificial Sweeteners. Write your answer in your
notebook.
1. synthetic 4. produce
2. sugar 5. intense sweetness
3. substitutes

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 ACTIVITY 2
Identify the following artificial sweeteners by arranging the
jumbled letters before them. Write your answers in your
Notebook.

1. MPAATSARE – is an artificial sweetener that is 200 times

sweeter than table sugar.
2. EDTANAVAM – it is 20,000 sweeter than table sugar and
suited for cooking and baking.
3. ACLCYAMTE – it is 50 times sweeter than table sugar and
was used for cooking and baking.
4. NOTEMAE – it is sold under the brand name Newtame that is
13,000 times sweeter than table sugar.
5. HNESEOEPNDIRI – it is 340 times sweeter than table sugar
and suited for cooking, baking, and mixing with acidic foods.
6. ICASHCAR – it is 700 times sweeter than table sugar and is
sold under the brand names, Sweet’N Low and Necta Sweet
7. SUEOLSCRA – it is 600 times sweeter than table sugar and is
sold under the brand name Splenda.
8. ELASUCAMFE-K – It is 200 times sweeter than table sugar
and sold under the brand names Sunnet or Sweet One.
9. TTOGAASE – It is a low carbohydrate sweetener similar to
fructose that occurs naturally but is manufactures from the
lactose in dairy products.
10. MPAATSARE ELASUCAMFE LSAT – it is sold under the
brand name Twinsweet and is 350 times sweeter than table
sugar.

ACTIVITY 3
Discover vthe effects of artificial sweeteners to human by
completing the words below. Write your answers in your Notebook.

1. It is a measurable decline in body weight.

ANSWER: W__I__ __T L__S__
2. It means decrease in desire for food.
ANSWER: R__D__C __ __ HU__ __ E__
3. It refers to lesser value of the pressure exerted by the blood
against the walls of the blood vessels, especially the arteries.
ANSWER: LO__ __ __ B__O__D P__ __S__U__E
4. It means decrease in the concentration of glucose in the blood.
ANSWER: L__ __E__ BL__ __D S__ __A__ L__V__L
5. It is described as the deterioration of the amount of waxy, fat-like
substance made in the liver that blocks blood flow and causes
stroke and heart diseases.
ANSWER: L__ __ CH__ L__ __T__R__L L__ __EL

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 SIMPLE
DISCUSSION

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Definitions:
 They are synthetic sugar substitutes but they may be
derived from naturally occurring substances, such as
herbs or sugar itself.
 They are chemicals added to some foods and
beverages to make them taste sweet.
 Artificial sweeteners are also known as intense
sweeteners because they are many times sweeter than
sugar.
 They are found in variety of food and beverages
marketed as “sugar-free” or “diet” foods.

PROPERTIES

1. Provide sweetness greater than table sugar

2. Provide virtually zero calories

HOW THEY WORK?

 The surface of your tongue is covered by many taste

buds, each containing several taste receptors that
detect different flavors.
 When you eat, your taste receptors encounter food
molecules. A perfect fit between a receptor and
molecule sends a signal to your brain, allowing you to
identify the taste.
 The sugar molecule fits perfectly into your taste receptor
for sweetness, allowing your brain to identify the sweet
taste.
 Artificial sweetener molecules are similar enough to
sugar molecules to fit on the sweetness receptor.
 However, they are generally too different from sugar for
your body to break them down into calories.
 This is how they provide a sweet taste without the
added calories.
 Only a minority of artificial sweeteners have a structure
that your body can break down into calories.
 Given that only very small amounts of artificial
sweeteners are needed to make foods taste sweet, you
consume virtually no calories.

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 SOME FOODS CONTAINING ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

 Soft drinks
 Powdered drink mixes
 Baked goods
 Candies
 Puddings
 Canned foods
 Jams and jellies
 Dairy products
 Artificial sweeteners are also popular for home use. Some
can even be used in baking or cooking.
 Certain recipes may need modification because unlike
sugar, artificial sweeteners provide no bulk or volume.
Check the labels on artificial sweeteners for appropriate
home use.

APPROVAL PROCESS OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Artificial sweeteners are regulated by the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) as food additives. They must be reviewed
and approved by the FDA before being made available for
sale.

Sometimes the FDA declares a substance "generally

recognized as safe" (GRAS). Substances receive this
designation if they meet either of these criteria:

 Qualified professionals deem the substance safe for its

intended use on the basis of scientific data.
 The substances have such a lengthy history of common
use in food that they're considered generally safe.

The FDA has established an acceptable daily intake

(ADI) for each artificial sweetener. ADI is the maximum amount
considered safe to consume each day over the course of a
lifetime. ADIs are set at very conservative levels.

COMMON ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

1. Aspartame-it is sold under the brand names
NutraSweet, Equal, or Sugar Twin. It is 200 times sweeter
than table sugar.
2. Acesulfame potassium-is also known as acesulfame K. It
is 200 times sweeter than table sugar. It is suited for
cooking and baking and sold under the brand names
Sunnet or Sweet One.
3. Advantame-This sweetener is 20,000 times sweeter than
table sugar and suited for cooking and baking.
4. Aspartame-acesulfame salt-is sold under the brand
name Twinsweet and is 350 times sweeter than table
sugar.

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 5. Cyclamate-it is 50 times sweeter than table sugar and
was used for cooking and baking. However, it has been
banned in the United States since 1970.
6. Neotame-it is sold under the brand name Newtame.
This sweetener is 13,000 times sweeter than table sugar
and suited for cooking and baking.
7. Neohesperidin-it is 340 times sweeter than table sugar
and suited for cooking, baking, and mixing with acidic
foods. Note that it is not approved for use in the United
States.
8. Sacchari-is sold under the brand names Sweet'N Low,
Sweet Twin, or Necta Sweet. It is 700 times sweeter than
table sugar.
9. Sucralose-it is 600 times sweeter table sugar and is
suited for cooking, baking, and mixing with acidic foods.
It is sold under the brand name Splenda.
10. Tagatose-is a low-carbohydrate sweetener similar to
fructose that occurs naturally but is manufactured from
the lactose in dairy products. The FDA categorizes
tagatose as a GRAS substance.

POSSIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

1. Weight control. Artificial sweeteners have virtually no

calories. In contrast, a teaspoon of sugar has about 16
calories — so a can of sweetened cola with 10 teaspoons
of added sugar has about 160 calories. If you're trying to
lose weight or prevent weight gain, products sweetened
with artificial sweeteners may be an attractive option,
although their effectiveness for long-term weight loss isn't
clear.

2. Diabetes. Artificial sweeteners aren't carbohydrates. So

unlike sugar, artificial sweeteners generally don't raise
blood sugar levels. Ask your doctor or dietitian before
using any sugar substitutes if you have diabetes.

3. Reduced hunger and calorie intake. Several studies have

found that participants report less hunger and consume
fewer calories when they replace sugary foods and
beverages with artificially sweetened alternatives.

4. Artificial sweeteners and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic

syndrome refers to a cluster of medical conditions,
including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess
belly fat, and abnormal cholesterol levels. These
conditions increase your risk of chronic disease, such as
stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

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Some studies suggest diet soda drinkers could have up to a 36%
higher risk of metabolic syndrome However, higher-quality
studies report that diet soda either has no effect or a protective
one. One recent study had people with obesity and excess
weight drink either a quarter gallon (1 liter) of regular soda, diet
soda, water, or semi-skimmed milk each day.

By the end of the six-month study, those drinking the diet soda
weighed 17–21% less, had 24–31% less belly fat, 32% lower
cholesterol levels, and 10–15% lower blood pressure, compared
with those drinking regular soda In fact, drinking water offered
the same benefits as drinking diet soda .

5. Artificial sweeteners and dental health.

Dental cavities — also known as caries or tooth decay — occur

when the bacteria in your mouth ferment sugar. Acid is
produced, which can damage tooth enamel.

Unlike sugars, artificial sweeteners do not react with the

bacteria in your mouth. This means they do not form acids or
cause tooth decay.

Research also shows that sucralose is less likely to cause tooth

decay than sugar.

For this reason, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows
products containing sucralose to claim that they reduce tooth
decay.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that all

artificial sweeteners, when consumed in place of sugar,
neutralize acid and help prevent tooth decay.

SAFETY AND SIDE EFFECTS

Artificial sweeteners have been scrutinized
intensely for decades. Critics of artificial sweeteners say that
they cause a variety of health problems, including cancer.
That's largely because of studies dating to the 1970s that linked
the artificial sweetener saccharin to bladder cancer in
laboratory rats. Because of those studies, saccharin once
carried a label warning that it may be hazardous to your health.

But according to the National Cancer Institute and

other health agencies, there's no sound scientific evidence that
any of the artificial sweeteners approved for use in the United
States cause cancer or other serious health problems.
Numerous studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are
generally safe in limited quantities, even for pregnant women.
As a result, the warning label for saccharin was dropped.

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 Individuals with the rare metabolic disorder
phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize the amino acid
phenylalanine, which is found in aspartame. Thus, those with
PKU should avoid aspartame.

Another, some people are allergic to

sulfonamides — the class of compounds to which saccharin
belongs. For them, saccharin may lead to breathing
difficulties, rashes, or diarrhea.

Additionally, growing evidence indicates

certain artificial sweeteners like sucralose reduce insulin
sensitivity and affect the gut bacteria.

MODERATION IS THE KEY

When choosing sugar substitutes, it pays to be a

savvy consumer. Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes
can help with weight management. But they aren't a magic
bullet and should be used only in moderation.

Food marketed as sugar-free isn't calorie-free, so

it can still cause weight gain. Keep in mind that processed
foods, which often contain sugar substitutes, generally don't
offer the same health benefits as whole foods, such as fruits
and vegetables.

Artificial sweeteners are generally considered

safe but should be avoided by people who have allergies to
certain kinds. If you’d like to avoid artificial sweeteners, try
using natural sweeteners instead.

ENRICHMENT CARD

GUIDED ACTIVITY 1
From the list below, select ten foods that contain artificial
sweeteners. Write your answers in your Notebook.

Tang Orange Pineapple fruit Sarsi

Fresh strawberries Sucralase Sugar Cane
Sacchari Coca Cola Nestea (Honey
Blend)
Fresh Apple fruit Grapes Mountain Dew
Aspartame Royal True Orange Neotame

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GUIDED ACTIVITY 2

Read carefully the statements below. Select seven statements

that best describe artificial sweeteners. Just write the statement
numbers. Write your answers in your Notebook.

1. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugars.

2. Artificial sweeteners are less sweet than natural sweeteners.
3. Artificial sweeteners are marketed as sugar free or diet foods.
4. Artificial sweeteners are classified as food additives.
5. An example of artificial sweetener is natural honey.
6. Artificial sweeteners can lower blood sugar level.
7. Powdered drink mixes contain artificial sweeteners.
8. Artificial sweeteners are proven as factors to raise the risk of
Diabetes.
9. Artificial sweeteners provide virtually 0 calorie.
10. Artificial sweeteners are also known as “intense sweeteners”.

ASSESSMENT 1
From the list below, pick five health benefits of artificial
sweeteners. Write your answers in your Notebook.

Longer sleeping Lower blood Less dental

hours pressure cavities
Weight loss Whiter teeth Fairer skin
Weight gain Reduced hunger Less belly fat

INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 1

List down at least 10 foods

contained with artificial
sweeteners found in your
household. Write your answers in
your Notebook.

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 INDEPENDENT ACTIVITY 2

List down at least 5 health benefits

of artificial sweeteners. Explain
briefly each health benefits. Write
your answers in your Notebook.

REFLECTION CARD

Write a three paragraph essay

about the properties and
importance of artificial sweeteners
to human lives. Cite practical
examples to support your thoughts.
Write your essay in your Notebook.

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 ASSESSMENT CARD

Match Column A with Column B. Write your answers in

your Notebook.
Column A Column B
1. Aspartame A. 340 time sweeter
2. Acesulfame K B. 20,000 times sweeter
3. Advantame C. FDA
4. Cyclamate D. NutraSweet, 200
times sweeter
5. Neotame E. Sweet’N Low, 700
times sweeter
6. Neohesperidin F. Splenda, 600 times
sweeter
7. Sacchari G. 50 times sweeter
8. Sucralase H. 0 calorie
9. Amount of energy I. Newtame, 13,000
produced by artificial times sweeter
sweeteners
10. Review and approve J. Sunnet, 200 times
artificial sweeteners sweeter

REFERENCE CARD
INTERNET:
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-
lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-
depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936
 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/artificial-
sweeteners-good-or-bad
 https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.
com
 https://www.thefreedictionary. com

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 ANSWER CARD

WHAT I ACTIVITY 1 ACTIVITY 2

KNOW?
Artificial Sweeteners 1. ASPARTAME
1. C are synthetic sugar 2. ADVANTAME
2. A substitutes that 3. CYCLAMATE
3. A produce intense 4. NEOTAME
4. A sweeteners 5. NEOHESPERIDIN
6. SACCHARI
5. C
7. SUCRALASE
6. D
8. ACESULFAME-K
7. B
9. TAGATOSE
8. A 10. ASPARTAME
9. B ACESULFAME SALT
10. B

ACTIVITY 3 GUIDED ACTIVITY 1

1. WEIGHT LOSS Tang Orange

2. REDUCED HUNGER Sacchari
3. LOWER BLOOD Aspartame
PRESSURE Sucralase
4. LOWER BLOOD Coca Cola
SUGAR Royal True Orange
5. LOW Sarsi
CHOLESTEROL LEVEL Nestea (Honey
Blend)
Mountain Dew
Neotame

GUIDED ACTIVITY 2 ASSESSMENT 1

Statement 1 -Weight Loss

Statement 3 -Lower Blood
Statement 4 Pressure
Statement 6 -Reduced
Statement 7 Hunger
Statement 9 -Less Dental
Statement 10 Cavities
-Less Belly Fat

ASSESSMENT
1. D 3. B 5. I 7. E 9. H
2. J 4. G 6. A 8. F 10. C

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