The majority of the population of the world is addicted to sugar (The Inside Scoop, 2013). Unfortunately, sugar is an extremely unhealthy chemical which can do harm to our body including weight gain, clogged arteries, and increase chances in life threatening diseases. Recently, zero calorie artificial sweeteners especially sweeteners by the names of Equal, and Sweet’N Low have gained a lot of popularity as a healthier substitute for sugar in modern culture. This is because replacing sugar with sweeteners can dramatically reduce the amount of calories that are consumed. However there has been a lot of controversy and research over the fact that artificial sweeteners may be much more harmful to our body than regular sugar (Mayo Clinic, 2013). While understanding if artificial sweeteners are actually worse for you than regular sugar, one must look at the chemical structure of the sweeteners, as well as understanding cultural and economic aspects a sweetener has on society. Before looking at the cultural and economic benefits as well as drawbacks artificial sweeteners have on society, it is quite crucial to understand the chemical structure of the zero calorie sweeteners. Equal and Sweet’N Low, are the brand names of the two most popular artificial sweetener brands (Redmill, 2013). Though the majority of sweeteners are primarily composed of Dextrose, and Maltodextrin, two digestible carbohydrates used to increase energy levels, all sweeteners are composed of small amounts of unique chemicals. Firstly, Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide (a carbohydrate whose molecules consists of a number of sugar molecules bonded together) that acts as a food additive. Maltodextrin, commonly found in white powder form is synthesized from starch. Maltodextrin primarily consists of D-glucose units connected in chains linked by glycosidic bonds normally about seventeen glucose units long (Redmill, 2013). A glycoside bond is a covalent bond that joins a carbohydrate molecule, to another group which may or may not be a carbohydrate (Chemspider, 2010). The glucose in Maltodextrin creates a faint, to no taste in the chemical. Because Maltodextrin is a sweetener used to reduce the amount of calorie intake, the chemical is classified by Dextrose Equivalent (DE) – a measure in percentage of the amount of reducing sugars present in a sugar product. In any sugar packet, typically Maltodextrin has a DE between 3-20%. Normally, as the amount of DE increases, the amount of sweetness increases, but the shorter the glucose chain. Though on its one Maltodextrin is not terrible for you, the different chemicals found in all sweeteners make artificial sweeteners not as good for our body (Chemspider, 2010). Sweet’N Low and Equal are both very popular artificial sweeteners mainly composed of Sacch