Low- and no-calorie sweeteners have been proven to be safe to consume time and time again. In a recent article published in The New York Times, Aaron E. Carroll, who is a professor of pediatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine, discusses food research and why time after time, studies on these sweeteners claiming they are unsafe typically miss the mark.

"As usual, the study (and some of the stories) lacked some important context and caused more worry than was warranted. There are specific reasons that this cycle is unlikely to end," said Carroll.

"Many of these new observational studies add little to our understanding. At some point, a study with 200,000 participants isn't 'better' than one with 100,000 participants, because almost all have limitations - often the same ones - that we can't fix."

"As long as the culture of science demands output as the measure of success, these studies will appear...it would probably be a public service if we stopped repeating a lot of this research."

America's beverage companies offer a wide variety of beverages with less sugar - including those with low- and no-calorie sweeteners. Despite the many myths that end up across your desk or in your inbox, low- and no-calorie sweeteners are safe and have been approved by regulatory agencies around the world, including the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

For more information on how America's beverage companies are supporting families' efforts to find balance, and on the variety of beverage options they're providing, visit BalanceUS.org.