Question

Term paper on the evolution of artificial sweeteners and their effect on cancer.

Answer 1

There are four famous artificial sweetener- Saccharin, Aspartame,Cyclamate and Sucralose.

Saccharin was discovered accidentally by Johns Hopkins University researcher while working on coal tar derivative. While having lunch he tasted something sweet on his finger and started to search for that compound in lab. He found out a coal tar deivative 300 times more sweeter than sugar named benzoic sulfimide. After this discovery the use of saccharin was widelyspread in sodas and canned food industry. Later, it was banned for being a potential toxic for human by one of the member of US Department of Agriculture.

Then came, Cyclamate which was discovered in 1937 by a graduating student of University of Illinois while working on a fever reducing drug. this substance was 30-50 times more sweeter than sugar. Soon this became one of the favourite sugar substitute of people living in America. But its use came to an end when it was found to cause bladder cancer in rats. Thus it was banned by FDA and again people shifted to saccharin based product.

James Schlatter, a researcher while developing a new drug for treating ulcer discovered a new compound in 1965 that tasted sweet. It was aspartame, a mixture of aspartic acid and phenylalanine having 200 times more sweetness than sugar. Soon aspartame replaced sugar in many food and beverage industry.

Then came sucralose , it was found to be partially metabolised by the body thus contributing calories.

Neotame is currently under investigation and soon will hit the industry with its use.

Artificial sweeter may cause different types of cancer and have pronounced effect on body

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