Artificial Sweeteners... just when you thought sugar was bad for you...

Artificial Sweeteners:

Seems the whole world is on artificial sweeteners and we can't exist without saccharine or NutraSweet or Splenda. Some people choose them because they actually think an artificial sweetener is healthier than sugar. It is not. All artificial sweeteners are poisons. And isn't it ironic that most people who are using these sugar-free substitutes are overweight and don't seem to lose weight. It's no coincidence. Are artificial sweeteners helping us fight the battle of the bulge?

You grab a diet soda each day to help you lose weight; at this point, it has simply become a habit. Yet, there are no studies which prove that diet sodas help us lose weight! In actuality, the very opposite is likely true. The sweetness of the soda tends to stimulate our appetite, especially for more sweets. A recent study found that people who drank diet soda had a greater likelihood of being obese and overweight, even over people who drank regular soda! Why is that? Diet soda triggers our craving for sugar.

In addition, diet soda lulls one into a false sense of security that it's okay to eat something else. How many people have you seen drink a diet soda with a dessert loaded with sugar, fat and empty white flour!

As if that wasn't enough, diet soda also triggers our body to STORE more fat!

So there you are, thinking you're doing the right thing and thinking you're going to lose weight. You drink your diet soda, that makes you want something sweet, you figure you deserve a little something since you saved all those calories, you get a dessert or a little something extra, you end up eating more calories in the day, and then your body holds on to the fat instead of releasing it. That sounds like a plan!

And what are we fighting against here? Remember that a gram sugar only contains 4 measly calories (a teaspoon is about 15; a tablespoon is 45). While sugar has it's own issues, if you're going to indulge, on occasion, make it real.

Note: if you're diabetic, then you have reasons to seek alternate sweet sources, but choose your alternate sweetener wisely. There are many natural sweeteners that are much safer than any artificial sweeteners. Best bet, once you stop eating so many sweets you will stop craving sweets and be healthier for it. Diabetics also need to watch intake of breads and other empty carbohydrates that can raise insulin levels.

Aspartame a/k/a NutraSweet a/k/a Equal breaks down to phenylalanine and aspartic acid in our hot bodies and when heated. The methanol in Aspartame converts into formaldehyde in our bodies. Formaldehyde is a poison known to damage the immune and nervous system as well as cause genetic damage. Aspartame breaks down the protective coating surrounding neurons in our brain; this causes a break in the blood-brain barrier which allows toxins to move directly into the bloodstream. Asparatame should never be given to children. People with PKU (phenylketonuria) should never use it either. Almost half of aspartame itself is a toxin, technically an excitotoxin, Aspartate. About 10% of the population has a tendency to MS but never actually have the symptoms, and these people can be pushed into full blown MS with continual usage of products with Aspartame. "Recent studies have also shown that even a single exposure.." can have long-term effects. ('Sweet Misery') Since it is in thousands of products, it's easy to consume a lot of this and over a longer period of time, this constant ingestion will lead to holes in your brain, illness and death. CHEC on Aspartame. Consuming products with Aspartame may lead to:

* birth defects
* brain cancer
* brain damage
* chronic fatigue
* diabetes
* dizziness
* emotional disorders
* Epilepsy
* Graves Disease
* headaches
* inferior short-term memory
* Lou Gehrig's Disease
* lowered intelligence
* lowered sperm count
* migraines
* MS - Multiple Sclerosis
* Parkinson's Disease symptoms
* seizures

Aspartame can also be under the name Neotame, Aspertame (misspelling of Aspartame).

Acesulfame K is Acesulfame Potassium and found in Sweet One, Swiss Sweet and Sunnet and is called E Number in Europe for the code E950 listed in ingredients. To mask the bitter aftertaste, additional chemicals like Sodium Ferulate or other artificial sweeteners may be used with products that contain Ace K. Found in many diet sodas.

Sugar Twin or Cyclamates is another artificial sweetener. This chemical has been banned in the U.S. since 1970 based upon the possible link with cancer.

When Saccharin was found to cause cancer in 1977, the U.S. made an exception, as long as Saccharin affixed a warning, and it was not banned because there were no alternative sweeteners for diabetics at the time. Saccharin or Sweet 'n Low has been around the longest of any artificial sweetener and has had the most studies on it's possible effects. It is much sweeter than sugar. Low on the glycemic index, but saccharin may lead to:

* cancer

Splenda or Sucralose have the least amount of studies surrounding this chemical (under 100!) (yet it's in EVERYTHING!)and what little research has been done shows that it may lead to:

* Diarrhea
* Shrunken Thymus Glands
* Enlarged Liver
* Enlarged 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
* Lower placenta weights
* other dangers because it has small amounts of toxins: pesticides, metals, even lead

While no sweetener is not without it's controversy, artificial sweeteners can be quite damaging to our health and may cause serious illness. It's best to avoid them completely.

For a list of alternatives go here...

http://www.deliciousorganics.com/Controversies/sweet.htm