Aspartame and sugar are both sweetening agents used in food and beverages, but they differ in various aspects. Sugar is a generic term for sweet-tasting, soluble carbohydrates found in many food products. It encompasses simple sugars, such as glucose, fructose, and galactose. Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, combines glucose and fructose extracted from sugar cane or sugar beet. Sugar provides satisfaction by adding sweetness to our food, but it also comes with caloric content.
On the other hand, aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener that has been used for decades as a substitute for added sugars. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, meaning a small amount of aspartame can match the sweetness of a larger amount of sugar. Due to its intense sweetness, only a minimal quantity is needed to achieve the desired taste.
One advantage of aspartame is its ability to reduce calorie intake. But does this make it a better option overall compared to regular sugar? Let’s break it down.
Comparing Aspartame vs Sugar
| Aspartame | Sugar | |
| Substitution ratio | 6 grams per ¼ cup of sugar | ¼ cup of sugar = 6 grams aspartame |
| Gluten-free? | Yes | Yes |
| Keto-friendly? | Yes | No |
| Paleo-friendly? | No | No |
| Common Allergens | Phenylalanine | Sugarcane |
| Pantry shelf life (unopened/sealed) | Indefinite | 2 plus years |
| Best for baking | No-calorie desserts and beverages | All kinds of cakes, desserts, and pastries |
Differences Between Aspartame And Sugar
Aspartame and sugar are very different in almost all areas. Sugar is derived from sugar cane or sugar beet and naturally occurs in fruits, dairy, and carbohydrates. Refined sugar undergoes processing, but it is still considered a natural product.
On the other hand, aspartame is an artificial sweetener widely used in various food and beverage products. Chemically, it comprises two naturally occurring amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Aspartame is a chemical compound that is available in a solid form but dissolves in water, transforming into a liquid solution.
While both sugar and aspartame serve as sweeteners in food, they have distinct differences. Firstly, aspartame is significantly sweeter than table sugar, allowing smaller amounts to be used to achieve the same level of sweetness.
Another difference lies in their molecular structures and how they behave in food technology. Sugar, being a natural ingredient, also acts as a preservative, texture modifier, fermentation substrate, flavoring agent, coloring agent, and bulking agent. Aspartame, being an artificial sweetener, primarily enhances the flavor of foods without providing additional functionalities.
Taste and Culinary Uses
Sugar and aspartame offer different tastes and culinary uses. Sugar is renowned as the gold standard for sweet taste, delivering a clean sweetness that hits without any lingering aftertaste. Beyond its sweetness, sugar lends color to baked goods and acts as a preservative, flavor enhancer, and bulking agent. It finds its way into various sauces, syrups, and beverages, enhancing viscosity and providing a thicker consistency and better mouthfeel.
Aspartame, while intensely sweet, lacks any depth or distinct flavor of its own. It does, however, possess a discernible ‘chemical’ aftertaste. Aspartame is commonly found in diet drinks, chewing gum, toothpaste, and medications like cough drops.
Are Aspartame and Sugar Substitutes for Each Other?
For a similar sweetness profile in baking, substitute 6 grams of aspartame for each ¼ cup of sugar. Note that this will mess with the product’s texture, and you will have to significantly reduce the liquid ingredients in your bake for it to work.
Nutritional Profile And Health Benefits
Table sugar in a serving size of 2 teaspoons contains 30 calories, 8 grams of total carbs, 8 grams of sugars, and has a glycemic index (GI) of 65.
Aspartame contains no calories, no total carbs, and no sugars. It has a GI of 0, making it a non-glycemic food.
When it comes to nutrition, there are distinct differences between aspartame and sugar. While sugar is a simple carbohydrate that provides quick energy to the body in the form of glucose, aspartame, a low-calorie sweetener, offers a different approach. Choosing foods and beverages sweetened with aspartame can help reduce the consumption of added sugars and keep calorie intake in check. This is particularly important in maintaining overall health and reducing the risk of diet-, weight-, and lifestyle-related diseases.
Diet Suitability
While cane sugar is not suitable for vegans due to its refining process involving bone char, aspartame is considered suitable for vegans as it does not contain any animal-derived ingredients. Sugar is not recommended for those following a keto, paleo, or Whole30 diet due to its impact on blood sugar levels and carbohydrate content. Aspartame is okay on the keto diet but not for the paleo and Whole30 diets, as it is an artificial food-like product and not a whole food.
How to Store Aspartame and Sugar
Room temperature is ideal for storing sugars, ensuring their freshness. Aspartame remains stable in dry or frozen conditions but loses its sweetness when exposed to liquids above 30°C.
Price and Availability
Sugar is as low as 25 cents per pound, and aspartame is around 44 cents per ounce. Both are easily found at supermarkets.
Environmental Impact
Sugar production, mainly from burning sugarcane, can adversely affect the environment due to air pollution. The burning of sugarcane leafy parts emits toxic substances like nitrates, carbon compounds, and sulfates, contributing to air pollution and climate change.
On the other hand, artificial sweeteners like aspartame can also have adverse effects on the environment. These potent chemical compounds are not easily metabolized in the human body and are not naturally degraded in the environment. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has also categorized aspartame as a “possible” carcinogen, even though it is approved by the FDA.
Aspartame vs. Sugar: The Ultimate Verdict
I give aspartame a huge thumbs down. It doesn’t bake well, the aftertaste is strange, and there is a lot of conflicting research on whether it is safe. If you are on a low-sugar diet, much better alternatives are available these days, such as monk fruit sweetener, stevia extract, and xylitol.
FAQs
It may be a better option if you have diabetes, but it still is not good for you. Artificial sweeteners do not make unhealthy food suddenly healthy; they just lower the calories and GI. Plus, it may be dangerous for your long-term health. The jury is still out on that one.
As of July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) have all provided their assessments on aspartame. While IARC classifies aspartame as possibly carcinogenic to humans due to limited evidence linking it to liver cancer, JECFA maintains that the acceptable daily intake of aspartame remains at 0–40 mg/kg body weight. They argue that the evidence associating aspartame consumption with cancer in humans is not sufficiently convincing. Both committees acknowledge the limitations in the available evidence and emphasize the need for further research to refine our understanding of aspartame’s potential health risks.
There is something inconsistent with the math here. If Aspartame is 200X sweeter than sugar then 1g sugar is equal to 0.005g Aspartame (1 divided by 200) in terms of sweetness. A cup of sugar is about 200g. This is equivalent to 1g Aspartame (200 x 0,005g). For 1/4 cup of sugar (50g), Aspartame is 0.25g. The Aspartame in the calculations is pure Aspartame. I wonder of the 6g of Aspartame mentioned as equivalent to 1/4 cup sugar (50g) is not pure Asparatame.