Artificial sweeteners are often considered convenient, low calorie substitutes for sugar, but how safe are they?
Artificial sweeteners will not help you lose weight. It fact research shows the more chemical sugar substitutes you consume, the more you desire sugary foods. They could also destroy your health.
The two most common artificial sweeteners used in diet foods are aspartame (such as Equal, Hermesetas and Nutrasweet) and sucralose (Splenda).
Other artificial sweeteners include saccharin (Sweet'N Low), neotame, tagatose and acesulfame K.
A range of artificial sweeteners are found in diet products including soft drinks, chocolate, chewing gum, lollies, desserts, yogurt, table top sweeteners, snack food and meal replacements. They can also be found in medications and nutritional supplements.
Low Carb - But Do Fake Sugars Cause Weight Gain?
The sweet taste sensation without calories drives the appetite, which often leads to over eating. So in effect you may not get the calories from the artificial sweetener but you may seek out other foods to satisfy your hunger or sweet cravings.
A major study of 80,000 women showed that those who regularly used artificial sweeteners put on more weight per year than those who did not use them. What was even more surprising was the finding that with widespread use of sweeteners, the consumption of ordinary sugar and sugary foods increased too.
The Truth About Splenda's History Finally Revealed
The diet industry is worth trillions of dollars to corporations, and they want to protect their profits by keeping the truth about the danger of artificial sweeteners hidden from the public.
Sucralose is a synthetic chemical that is not found in nature. While some industry experts claim that sucralose is closely related to sugar, researchers will tell you that it has more in common with pesticides.
Sucralose is a chlorinated compound. Other classes of chlorinated molecules include pesticides.
Using sucralose is like adding pesticides to your food.
So, is sucralose safe for you and your family? Watch this video to see the shocking truth about this common artificial sweetener.
Breaking News: New Study Reveals Splenda Has Potential To Alter pH and Microflora of Digestive System
A new study reveals that Splenda reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increases the pH level in the intestines, contributes to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health related drugs could be rejected.
The study was conducted using male rats over a period of twelve weeks. The manufacturers of Splenda also used a rat study when they applied for and received approval to market the product.
Consumer groups are calling on the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to review its approval of sucralose and to require a warning label on Splenda packaging.
Splenda alters gut microflora and increases intestinal p-glycoprotein and cytochrome p-450 in male rats. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2008;71(21):1415-29.
Aspartame: Sweet Poison
Dr. Janet Starr Hull, author of 'Sweet Poison' is committed to exposing the truth behind aspartame.
Aspartame was approved in the early 1980's and it has been the source of growing controversy ever since. It is estimated by the Aspartame Information Center that this popular artificial sweetener is consumed by more than 200 million people worldwide.
New Italian studies have linked aspartame to an increased risk of cancer. The studies performed at the Cesare Maltoni Cancer Research Center in Italy have shown for the first time that aspartame has the potential to cause cancer. Aspartame showed an ability to cause tumors, leukemia and lymphomas in rats at different concentrations.
The second study performed two years later assessed the cancer risk of aspartame during fetal life.
References: Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is a monthly journal of peer-reviewed research and news on the impact of the environment on human health.
First Experimental Demonstration of the Multipotential Carcinogenic Effects of Aspartame Administered in the Feed to Sprague-Dawley Rats. Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 114, Number 3, March 2006.
Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning during Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats. Environmental Health Perspectives. Volume 115, Number 9, September 2007.
Safe Alternatives To Artificial Sweeteners
Chemical sweeteners have no place in a healthy diet. Safe alternatives to harmful artificial sweetners include small amounts of natural honey, stevia, xylitol and agave nectar.
