Low-Calorie Sweeteners Are Sweet and Safe: Diet soda tastes sweet and has virtually no calories. But is the soda's artificial sweetener safe to consume? Yes, says the Mayo Clinic. Widely circulated reports have suggested that some sweeteners, such as aspartame and saccharin, carry serious health implications, including an increased risk of cancer. But the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the American Dietetic Association, the National Cancer Institute and others agree that no evidence supports these claims. The FDA regulates low-calorie sweeteners as food additives. They require that agency's safety approval before being marketed. Currently, the FDA approves these low-calorie sweeteners: Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)- Sucralose (Splenda) - Saccharin (Sweet'N Low) - Acesulfame potassium (Sweet One, Sunett)- Neotame (currently not sold as a stand-alone sweetener in the United States). Mayo Clinic Women's HealthSource May 2008