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Sweeteners Aren't So Sweet

Aspartame, Sucralose and Saccharin are all artificial sweeteners. They are alike in that they all give foods and beverages a sweet taste, minus the calories and carbohydrates of regular sugar. But how do they differ and, more importantly, are they safe?

Aspartame, marketed under the names Equal® and NutriSweet®, was approved for food use in the early 1980s. It is used in literally hundreds of food products including cereals, dairy products, fruit juices, drugs, teas and coffees and soft drinks. However, although it is used by people who are dieting, aspartame may actually increase your appetite!

On his website, www.mercola.com, Dr. Joseph Mercola reports “aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA.” He also notes that certain chronic illnesses can result, or be made worse, by ingesting aspartame, including brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia and diabetes.

If you think sucralose, marketed under the name Splenda®, is any better, think again. Sucralose is made by adding chlorine to sugar molecules. With limited human testing, sucralose was approved for use in the late 1990s. In laboratory animals, sucralose has resulted in decreased red blood cell count, slower growth rate, spontaneous abortion, longer pregnancies, reduced birth weight, enlarged liver and kidneys. Many who have used Splenda® have reported incidences of depression that disappeared once they stopped using it.

Saccharin, the “granddaddy” of all artificial sweeteners, has been around for 125 years. In 1977, it was determined that saccharin caused bladder cancer in laboratory animals. Consequently, the in the US the Food and Drug Administration ordered that all saccharine-containing products carry a warning label.

Abstinence from these sugar substitutes, and from sugar itself, could be in your best interest if you are feeling any negative effects from their use!