Many products available contain artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes including diet sodas, jams and yogurts. Using artificial sweeteners instead of sugar is beneficial to patients because it provides sweetness without adding calories or raising blood sugar. It is important for chronic kidney disease (CKD) and dialysis patients to read labels of foods that may contain artificial sweeteners.

The following artificial sweeteners may be used safely by kidney patients:

• Acesulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One): This sweetener is found in carbonated beverages, fruit juices, beverage concentrates, alcoholic beverages, ice cream, gelatins, fruit and vegetable preserves, toothpaste, mouthwash, cereals, and salad dressings. Kidney patients should limit this sweetener because it contains potassium.
• Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet): Aspartame is found in tabletop packets, chewing gum, breakfast cereals and diet sodas.
• Neotame: Neotame can be found in baked goods, sodas, chewing gum, frosting, frozen desserts, jams, jellies, gelatin, puddings, fruit juices and syrup.
• Saccharin (Sweet N' Low, Sweet Twin, Necta Sweet): This sweetener is found in tabletop packets, chewing gum, sodas, baked goods and jams.
• Sucralose (Splenda): Sucralose is a general sweetener in all foods including beverages, chewing gum, frozen desserts, fruit juice and gelatin.

This article originally appeared in the July 2009 issue of AAKP Diet Tips & Bits.