Saccharin is a very popular sugar substitute but this artificial sweetener hasn’t always been widely accepted. In the 1970’s it was linked to bladder cancer in laboratory rats. This scared the public into thinking saccharin would affect their health in adverse ways. The Food and Drug Administration was in the process of banning it in 1977 but instead just added warning labels to the product.
Further testing from the FDA verified that this form of cancer was not going to happen in humans who consumed saccharin. In the 1980’s they released conclusive information that male rats get bladder cancer from many sources, not just saccharin. This information has been confirmed by the National Cancer Society. However the rumors about such cancer risks still linger today.
This particular sugar substitute was discovered one day by accident by a university professor who was working with coal tar. The story goes that he didn’t wash his hands well enough after work one day. When he sat down to eat dinner he tasted something sweet on his hands. His discovered was made public in 1880.
The product was on the market soon after but not too many people paid attention to it. Saccharin became very popular though when sugar was in short supply during World War I. The number one sugar substitute Sweet n Low contains saccharin as the main ingredient. It is often found in restaurants and coffee shops for consumers to use instead of sugar.
Many individuals who consume large amounts of sugar find saccharin has a strong after taste that they don’t like. If the individual continues consuming it for a couple of days the after taste will diminish. Most people instantly decide they don’t like it though and never use it again. However saccharin is the recommended sugar substitute for those with diabetes. This is because the compound doesn’t alter insulin levels.
Today saccharin as one of the main ingredients in many top selling artificial sweeteners. Millions of people consume it on a daily basis to control their urges for sweets, manage diabetes, and to lose weight without having to give up the taste they have come accustomed to with sugar.
