Sip On This: The Truth Behind Artificial Sweeteners

Author: Emile Jarreau
Date: Jun 24, 2009 - 1:10:23 AM

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Sugars are considered to be one of your body's worst enemies, so why then are even so-called healthy alternatives such as artificial sweeteners finding their way onto the bad list as well? The following is an in-depth look at artificial sweeteners and the overall affect they have on your body.

Artificial sweeteners are just that: artificial. Instead of occurring from a natural resource, it is chemically made sweeteners that are designed to trick your body into thinking that it is eating something sweet when in actuality it is not.

These  came about as a way to strengthen the sweetening power of drinks without the use of normal sugars. They were touted as a way to still enjoy your favorite drinks without the added risk of ingesting calories. In reality however, artificial sweeteners proved to be just as harmful to the human body as regular sugars even when used in moderation.

Typically it is consist of three different chemical components: Saccharin, Sucralose, Acesulfame K, Stevia, Tagatose and Aspartame. Of those, the most common sweeteners Saccharin, Sucralose, and Acesulfame K are among the worst to ingest due to the potential problems associated with their use.

Acesulfame K

Acesulfame K was approved for use in July 1988 by the FDS for safe use as an artificial sweetener; however, since then problems have risen over its harmful effects on the human body. In recent tests, the findings show that Acesulfame K stimulates insulin secretion in the body, prompting low blood sugar attacks.

Sucralose

Sucralose, also commonly known as Splenda, is a chlorinated sucrose derivative. Unfortunately, sucralose has been linked to medical problems such as shrunken thymus glands and even enlarged kidneys and liver. This is due in part to the fact that sucralose is unable to break down into small enough amounts of sugar. As a result, the body is incapable of digesting it properly.

Saccharin

Prior to 2001, before the FDA removed the warning that saccharin was connected to bladder cancer in human beings, saccharin was used as an artificial sweetener. To this day, saccharin is still used as an artificial sweetener, yet it is also present in many chewable aspirins and acetaminophen tablets.

Looking at the various chemical components that is composed of, it is easy to see why they are no more beneficial to your body than regular sugar. Some of them have approval by the FDA, consuming chemically altered sugars provide no nutritional value to your body.

Research performed at Purdue University by Professor Terry Davidson found that the use of artificial sweeteners can actually increase your appetite as well as raise your blood sugar. Davidson showed that artificial sweeteners had a profound effect on disrupting the body's ability to naturally count calories. As a result, the body was unable to regulate body weight vs. food intake.

While artificial sweeteners may seem like the perfect solution to cutting down on your sugar intake, if you are looking to decrease these numbers, a safer alternative would be to seek out low-sugar drinks and treats as opposed to those substituted with chemically-made artificial sweeteners. Remember, if it didn’t exist 3,000 years ago…skip it.

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