Home Consumer The Difference Between Splenda, Sweet and Low, Equal and Truvia

The Difference Between Splenda, Sweet and Low, Equal and Truvia

splenda

Updated February 16, 2024

By Stephanie Lee

Go to most restaurants and you’ll find a few different sugar options contained in colorful packets sitting in a container on the table. Sure, they are all supposed to make your food or drink sweeter, but what’s the difference between the yellow one and the red one? And are any of them actually better for you than sugar?

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has deemed as many as eight kinds of artificial sweeteners to be safe for consumption. You probably recognize some of them by their brand name: sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet and Low), aspartame (Equal), and stevia (Truvia). Each has varying levels of sweetness and uses.

These sugar substitutes are popular among people suffering from diabetes because they don’t spike blood sugar the same way sugar does, and among dieters who want something “sweet” without the hefty calories. Because unlike table sugar, which has approximately 16 calories per teaspoon, Splenda, Sweet and Low, Equal, and Truvia all contribute little to no calories. Here’s where they differ:

  • Splenda (sucralose): Sucralose isn’t broken down in the body, so it has zero calories. It’s about 600 times sweeter than table sugar and can be used in anything. Since it doesn’t lose its sweetness when you apply heat to it, you can use Splenda in hot foods and baking.
[vc_btn title=”More on artificial sweeteners” style=”outline” color=”primary” link=”url:http%3A%2F%2Fvitals.lifehacker.com%2Fthe-difference-between-splenda-sweet-and-low-equal-a-1789220391|title:More%20on%20artificial%20sweeteners|target:%20_blank|”][vc_message message_box_style=”3d” message_box_color=”turquoise”]By Lifehacker, excerpt posted on SouthFloridaReporter.com, Nov. 27, 2016[/vc_message]