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The Real Deal on Artificial Sweeteners |
Although FDA approved, numerous studies have shown that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are harmful to our health. Studies performed for FDA approval, and in favor of artificial sweeteners are most likely to have been funded by corporations with vested interest in the products.
Aspartame is commercially known as NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel, and is an ingredient in many diet sodas.
Mr. James Schlatter, a scientist, while researching a drug for ulcers, accidentally discovered aspartame, a substance 180 times sweeter than sucrose. Aspartame is a dipeptide, a peptide composed of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. The FDA approved aspartame for limited use in 1974 as a substitute for sugar, and for the sweetening certain foods, and later in 1983 for use in sodas, despite scientific studies that showed that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice.
Many studies have been conducted since then, and the research has shown that aspartame and/or the components of aspartame may cause brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, headaches, migraines, panic attacks, dizziness, irritability, nausea, intestinal discomfort, skin rash, nervousness, depression and male infertility.
For further insight into the health risks of aspartame, watch the video Sweet Misery.
Acesulfame potassium, or acesulfame K, sold commercially as Sunette and Sweet .
Acesulfame potassium is an estimated 200 times sweeter than sugar, and chemically, is the potassium salt of 6-methyl-1,2,3- oxathiazine-4(3H)-one 2,2-dioxide.
Although approved by the FDA as safe for human consumption, acesulfame K contains the carcinogen methylene chloride, which can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver defects, kidney defects, visual disturbances, and cancer.
Sucralose, commercially known as Splenda.
Sucralose is converted from cane sugar to a sweetener, and although marketed as natural, nothing could be further from the truth. Sucralose is made by chlorinating sugar, that is replacing 3 of the 8 hydroxyl (OH) groups with chlorine atoms, which clearly makes it a chemical substance. Sucralose is an estimated 600 times sweeter than sugar.
FDA approved despite tests on rats that showed shrunken thymus glands, enlarged liver and kidneys, atrophy of lymph follicles in the spleen and thymus, increased cecal weight, reduced growth rate, decreased red blood cell count, hyperplasia of the pelvis, extension of the pregnancy period, aborted pregnancy, decreased fetal body weights and placental weights, and diarrhea.
Saccharin commercially known as Sweet 'N Low
Saccharin is an estimated 300 times sweeter than sugar, and is made up from propane, a petroleum by-product.
Although FDA approved, in 1977 the FDA required that all food containing Saccharin contain a warning label: "Use of this product may be hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin, which has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals."
Sorbitol
Sorbitol is a substitute for sugar that is widely used in diet foods, and especially sugar-free chewing gum. It does not raise insulin levels as much as sugar as it metabolizes much slower. Sorbitol is a reduced form of dextrose and is designated chemically as glucitol, a sugar alcohol. Sorbitol is a natural laxative and can cause diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, bloating and flatulence.
Although manufacturers of gum containing sorbitol make claims as to the safety of sorbitol, there is still a warning displayed on the wrapper.
Conclusion: Zero nutrition and probable health risks
What we can conclude from this information is that artificial sweeteners are chemicals, and considering the potential health risks and the fact that they offer our bodies zero nourishment, it’s worth exploring alternatives for sweetening our food and beverages.
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