What is Acesulfame Potassium?

Other names for this chemical include Ace K and Acesulfame K, and you will often find this ingredient listed on the back on diet drinks. But what exactly is Ace K, and is it a good thing or a bad thing?

In 1988, the FDA approved the use of acesulfame potassium as an artificial sweetener. Being 200 times sweeter than table sugar, Ace-K was thought to be a great way to flavor and sweeten beverages without the addition of fat-promoting sugars. No sugar in our drinks was a definite positive for an ever-increasing obesity rate in the U.S., but there is a downside to this artificial sweetener.

Because of the improper testing procedures done on acesulfame potassium, especially the lack of long-term studies, there is a lot of concern that this low-calorie sweetener can cause more harm than good. Mainly the fact that acesulfame K contains the carcinogen methylene chloride. A carcinogen is a substance that is directly involved in the development of cancer. This is not a healthy road to be traveling down.

Studies have shown that long-term exposure to methylene chloride can lead to headaches, mental confusion, depression, liver and kidney disorders and cancer in humans. These are not the characteristics one would expect from a substance that has been approved by the FDA.

As with aspartame, acesulfame potassium comes with a list of warnings and precautions, although you are not likely to hear them from a government agency. If you have been avoiding diet sodas and other diet drinks because of their artificial sweetener contents, good for you. If you continue to consume beverages that contain these toxic substances, you may want to rethink your drink choices. A low-calorie beverage may seem to be the healthy choice, but the cancer-causing artificial sweeteners they contain are clearly not a healthy option.

Tim Mielke is a former competitive bodybuilder and published author, with 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industry. He has written dozens of articles ranging from the organic lifestyle, to hyped-up supplements to steroids, for various health and fitness sources. His book, The Book of Supplement Secrets: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutritional Supplements, has received excellent reviews. Tim brings his knowledge and expertise to RightFitnessandNutrition.com, and is currently developing his own supplement line and writing two more books, which he hopes to have published in 2014.