Weihrauch MR, Diehl V (October 2004). "Artificial sweeteners--do they bear a carcinogenic risk?". Annals of Oncology. 15 (10): 1460–5. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdh256. PMID 15367404. Currently, the FDA, World Health Organization (WHO), and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) agree that saccharin poses no risk and is safe for human consumption. According to the FDA, the acceptable daily intake of saccharin is 15 mg per kg of body weight. Previous controversy In 1958, the United States Congress amended the Food, Drugs, and Cosmetic Act of 1938 with the Delaney clause to mandate that the Food and Drug Administration not approve substances that "induce cancer in man, or, after tests, [are] found to induce cancer in animals." Studies in laboratory rats during the early 1970s linked saccharin with the development of bladder cancer in rodents. As a consequence, all food containing saccharin was labeled with a warning meeting the requirement of the Saccharin Study and Labeling Act of 1977. [34]

Unlike sugar, saccharin doesn’t seem to increase cravings for sweet foods. Although more research is still needed, artificial sweeteners don't seem to release dopamine, endorphins, and other chemicals that could trigger addiction in children in the same way that table sugar does. ‌ Manufacturers make saccharin through various chemical processes using the chemical toluene or anthranilic acid as the base ingredient. The process results in a white, crystalline powder that is stable under a range of conditions. Aspartame: Unlike saccharin, aspartame contains calories and may be considered a nutritive sweetener. However, because it is 200 times sweeter than sugar, people need only use a small amount. It is not heat-stable, so manufacturers do not use it in baked goods. It has uses as a table sweetener and in cereals, puddings, dairy products, and beverages. Companies may combine it with saccharin to offset saccharin’s bitter aftertaste. However, this wasn’t always the case, as in the 1970s, several studies in rats linked saccharin to the development of bladder cancer ( 1).The substance was first discovered in 1878 by researcher Constantin Fahlberg, who was working on coal tar derivatives in a laboratory at the John Hopkins University in Baltimore. Remsen and Fahlberg published a joint article describing two methods of saccharin synthesis in February 1879. Though they specifically noted its taste—“even sweeter than cane sugar”—neither discoverer seemed interested in its commercial potential. All sweeteners in Great Britain undergo a rigorous safety assessment before they can be used in food and drink. All approved sweeteners are considered a safe and acceptable alternative to using sugar. The law determines how much sweetener can be used and in which products. More controversy was stirred in 1969 with the discovery of files from the FDA's investigations of 1948 and 1949. These investigations, which had originally argued against saccharin use, were shown to prove little about saccharin being harmful to human health. [ citation needed] In 1977, the FDA made an attempt to completely ban the substance, [10] [29] following studies showing that the substance caused bladder cancer in rats. The attempted ban was unsuccessful due to public opposition that was encouraged by industry advertisements, [29] and instead the following label was mandated: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals". That requirement was dropped in 2000 following new research that concluded humans reacted differently than rats and were not at risk of cancer at typical intake levels. [29] (See also: §Warning label addition and removal below.) The sweetener has continued to be widely used in the United States and is now the third-most popular artificial sweetener behind sucralose and aspartame.

Price, J. M., et al. (1970). Bladder tumors in rats fed cyclohexylamine or high doses of a mixture of cyclamate and saccharin [Abstract].

Sugars, sugar substitutes and sweeteners: natural and artificial

At least not initially. In 1884, after he had left Remsen’s lab and without notifying his codiscoverer, Fahlberg applied for German and American patents on a new method for producing saccharin more cheaply and in greater quantities. Remsen had long disdained industrial chemistry, considering himself a man of pure science. In 1886, though, Fahlberg filed another set of patents, claiming to be the sole discoverer of “Fahlberg’s saccharin.” Remsen, who wanted recognition rather than money, immediately protested to the chemistry community. Artificial sweeteners come in granules, tablets or liquid form. Most of them can be used in cold and hot foods, but not all can be used for cooking: Saccharin is commonly used as a sugar substitute because it doesn’t contain calories or carbs. Humans can’t break down saccharin, so it leaves your body unchanged. As saccharin use rose, consumers, regulators, and competitors began to question its supposed harmlessness. Fahlberg had tested saccharin in late 1882. After consuming 10 grams of the chemical, he waited 24 hours and experienced no adverse reactions. In fact, his body barely responded: almost the entire dose passed unmetabolized into his urine. However, carbonated drinks are associated with dental erosion due to their acid content, regardless of whether they contain sugar, lower calorie sweeteners or no calorie sweeteners.

Sucralose: This is a non-nutritive sweetener under the brand name Splenda. It is about 600 times sweeter than sugar, and because it stays heat-stable, it can substitute sugar in baked goods. About 15% of kids over 2 years old eat non-nutritive sweeteners, including saccharin. Despite negative associations, allowing children to eat non-nutritive sweeteners is not connected with health risks. Saccharin might even have the same long-term benefits in children as it does in adults, helping control body weight and blood sugar levels. Saccharin can be used similarly to table sugar to sprinkle onto food, such as cereal or fruit, or used as a sugar substitute in coffee or when baking. Summary As saccharin use rose, consumers, regulators, and competitors began to question its supposed harmlessness.Companies use saccharin as a non-nutritive or artificial sweetener. People first discovered the substance by accident in 1879, and its use became widespread during World War I because of the sugar shortage. During the 1960s, marketers promoted it as a weight loss product under the trade name Sweet and Low. Replacing sugar with a low-calorie sweetener may benefit weight loss and protect against obesity ( 9). However, as can happen with other foods and additives, eating saccharin too early in life can prevent children from gaining oral tolerance to it. This can result in a higher risk of developing allergies to this non-nutritive sweetener.

Nevertheless, some studies suggest that consuming artificial sweeteners like saccharin can increase hunger, food intake, and weight gain ( 11, 12). In Fittig’s lab Remsen also studied sulfobenzoic acids, eventually publishing 75 papers on these and related compounds, laying the groundwork for the discovery of benzoic sulfinide—saccharin. Remsen returned to the United States in 1876—bringing with him influential German ideas about chemistry education—and accepted a professorship at Johns Hopkins. There he continued his research on the oxidation of methylated sulfobenzoic acids and their amides. Report on Carcinogens, Thirteenth Edition, Appendix B" (PDF). National Toxicology Program. pp.2–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-05-20.Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe for People With Diabetes?". Cleveland Clinic. 2015-06-29. Archived from the original on 2016-10-02. Sugasawa S, Abe K (1952). "A New Method for the Preparation of Secondary Amines. I. Synthesis of Aliphatic Secondary Amines". Yakugaku Zasshi. 72 (2): 270–273. doi: 10.1248/yakushi1947.72.2_270. Archived from the original on 2017-10-03. Its popularity further increased during the 1960s and 1970s among dieters as a result of its ‘calorie-free’ status. Benefits of saccharin If want to lose weight, or you’re trying to keep your blood glucose levels stable, you may want to know whether artificial sweeteners could help. If you browse around your local supermarket, you’ll see a huge range of sweeteners on offer, so it can be baffling to know which, if any, to go for. So in this section we'll take you through: Takayama S, Sieber SM, Adamson RH, Thorgeirsson UP, Dalgard DW, Arnold LL, etal. (January 1998). "Long-term feeding of sodium saccharin to nonhuman primates: implications for urinary tract cancer". Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 90 (1): 19–25. doi: 10.1093/jnci/90.1.19. PMID 9428778.