I wanted to talk more about artificial sweeteners. I mentioned it briefly in the last post but because it’s an issue that I find particularly enraging I thought I would expand on it.

People will use artificial sweeteners for two main reasons. One: to maintain good blood sugar levels if you are diabetic etc. Two: to consume less calories. Study after study has shown that artificial sweeteners actually make you pack on the pounds despite being low calorie. These phony sugars do not give the body the energy needed to sustain itself and so the body begins to crave more food and you over eat.

Not only will artificial sweeteners not help you lose weight, there are also many unsavory side effects. The history of artificial sweeteners is one tainted with lies, cover-ups and political manipulation.

Aspartame marketed at Nutrasweet and Equal was the sweetener of choice until Splenda came along. Aspartame is still commonly used in products such as soft drink, gums, desserts, wine coolers and prescriptions.

In 1981 an FDA statistician said that the data for brain tumors was too “worrisome” to approve aspartame for use in food. Research funded by the manufacturer, G.D. Searle, proved that aspartame can in fact cause cancer. Doctors testified to this fact and stated that it is illegal (via the Delanay Amendment) for the FDA to approve carcinogenic materials for human consumption. It was later discovered that the manufacturers of aspartame falsified records by surgically removing tumors from test rats and then putting the rats back into the study. They also marked as living, some of the rats that had died due to exposure to aspartame.

The FDA commissioner who approved its use (after over-ruling the recommendations of his own scientific board of inquiry) later took a ranking position with Burson-Marstellar (the firm in charge of public relations for G.D. Searle).

Diabetic associations have records of receiving grants up to $75,000 from Nutrasweet and have confessed that their fact sheets (posted on their websites and given to diabetics) are actually written by the manufacturers of Nutrasweet.

In 1995, the FDA stated that more than 75% of the total adverse effects reported to them were due to aspartame.

Aspartame has been known to cause birth defects. This is, of course, in cases where large amounts are consumed. It can also cause brain damage anywhere from mild to severe. It increases the likelihood of developing tumors and there have been five reported deaths associated with aspartame use. Aspartame has also been reported to cause diabetes to escalate to the point of clinical diabetes. In double blind studies they also reported that mood swing were more prevalent in those who consumed aspartame. An organization called the Community Nutrition Institute commented on a survey done by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on 80 seizure sufferers and determined that aspartame was hazardous to the public’s health and that in accordance to the FDA’s own guidelines, the product should be removed from the market.

Splenda, otherwise called sucralose, has been rapidly increasing in popularity. This is mostly due to their slogan “made with sugar so it tastes like sugar.” Their claim has mislead many into thinking that Splenda is in fact natural. Splenda is made by taking sugar, removing three hydrogen oxygen groups and adding three chlorine molecules. This disrupts the entire genetics structure and it is now an entirely different structure. This is why it has no calories. It’s not technically food.

The FDA’s final report stated that between 11 to 27 per cent of the sweetener remains in the body (the makers of Splenda claim that it’s zero). Studies have shown that Splenda can cause shrinkage to the thymus gland in animals. Alive.com states that this gland is associated with the body’s ability for maintaining immunity. Splenda is too new to have had much bad press. I would be very hesitant to use it and would definitely keep it away from children. There have been bad reactions to the product recorded and it’s too soon to tell what long-term impact this could have on a developing body like those of children.

Sugar alcohol is a synthetic substance whose chemical formula resembles that of sugar and alcohol. It can be a naturally existing product but when it is manufactured it is made from carbohydrates such as glucose, sucrose and starches. Of all the sweeteners I believe this one to be the least harmful. However, these products are not completely absorbed which means that they build up in your digestive organs and can cause symptoms such as abdominal pains and diarrhea. This also explains is why it is such a low-calorie sweetener. Keep an eye out for them in products labeled as “sugar-free.”

It is a better (yet not great) alternative for diabetics as it shows a lesser insulin response than that of eating sugar. Despite what marketers try to tell you, there are no safe artificial sweeteners. There are plenty of appropriate sweeteners that are naturally occurring. Honey is a wonderful sweetener for use in cooking and baking as well as to sweeten teas etc. Remember that honey is not to be given to children under the age of one because it can cause botulism in immature digestive systems. There are also syrups such as barley malt, brown rice and pure maple syrup. Learning to use them in baking will take some trial an error but will surely be worth it. There is also Stevia. Stevia is a herb that is very low-calorie and is very sweet. You need only half a teaspoon to sweeten a batch of cookies. Stevia may only be available at your health food store.

It is also important to note that there is not much of a place for sugar in our diets. Our bodies only need to consume about a tablespoon of sugar a day for optimum health. Sadly for chocolate lovers, that amount of sugar is easily obtained simply by eating fruits and other foods. Indulging is not a bad thing. But if you are going to eat sugar try to make better food choices and leave the diet pop on the shelf.

Resources:

Sizing Up Sugar Substitutes and Splenda by Sandra Tonn, RHN (published on www.alive.com)

Kids First-Health Without Intervention by Dr. Ogi Ressel

Various articles available on www.mercola.com (Dr. Joseph Mercola)

www.medicalnewstoday.com

Other articles from www.alive.com

http://www.stevia.net/

www.wikipedia.org