Artificial Sweeteners

In our never ending quest to find that magic food that tastes sweet, but doesn't make us fat, has no calories or is suitable for those with diabetes who want a sweet treat, we as a society look for sweeteners other than sugar to fit that bill. Enter: aspartame and sucralose.

Aspartame (in Equal, Nutrasweet, Sugar Twin) and sucralose (known as Splenda) are two of the most common sweeteners that have filled that void for us. Diabetics are told it is okay to eat it because it doesn't interfere with their blood sugar levels, and calorie counting weight loss groups encourage their participants to eat it because it has no calories and they won't gain weight. It's sugar free, so it's good for you!! No calories = awesome!! Sigh...the things they do to get us to eat their products. Bigger sigh...the things we will eat because we think "Score!!" on the zero calories & the fat not heading straight to our asses!

Let's start with aspartame. For those of you who do not know, aspartame is one of the most poisonous substances you could consume. In a 2006 study, rats that were fed artificial sweeteners at rates notably less than what is considered "acceptable/safe" daily levels of consumption for humans showed extensive evidence of malignant cancers including lymphomas, leukemias, and tumors at multiple organ sites. It is speculated that this is related to one of metabolites found in aspartame, namely methanol, which is metabolized in both rats and humans to formaldehyde. 'Member that stinky stuff from Biology when you dissected stuff? Yeah!! That!! Mmmmm!!! The details of that particular study can be found here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/02/060213093019.htm

There have also been several reports that show ingestion of aspartame has caused the following symptoms in humans: headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, memory loss, joint pain and anxiety attacks - just to name a few. Wow! That DOES sound awesome! I mean, isn't everyone looking for this when they eat? It gets better though...oooh!! I'm so excited!!!

There is even further research/reports that suggest that consumption of aspartame can trigger or worsen the following diseases: brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, and fibromyalgia. Whaaat?!

Sucralose: now, sucralose's claim to "healthy" fame is that it is "natural" because it is made from sugar. Yes, it is partially made from sugar, but three of the hydroxy groups in the Splenda molecule have been replaced by chlorine atoms. Are you EFFING kidding me?! Chlorine? Riddle me this...would you ever intentionally eat chlorine? Would you ever think while out in the supermarket "Hmmm...I need to pick up some tidbits for the kids' lunches...let's see...bread, cheese...oh! And I can't forget the chlorine!" EVER?!! And did you know that Splenda (the trade name for sucralose) was stumbled upon by scientists in 1976 who were seeking a new pesticide formulation?


Sure, there are also reports that suggest that both these chemicals are safe for human consumption. There was also a time in our history that we believed things like thalidomide and mercury were safe in certain doses for humans as well...and we all know how that turned out. Personally, if something is linked to any of the above symptoms or diseases at ALL - I'm going to steer clear of it. If my food is in any way, shape or form going to be metabolized in my body as formaldehyde - no dice!! If my food is comprised of chlorine atoms, I can't help but think of my local swimming pool and Lord knows I ain't eating any of that kind of nasty!!

I personally do not need to see ANY type of study from some industrial giant or any of their lemmings that suggests the idea that it is safe for me to eat chlorine or formaldehyde in specific doses. Just going to go with a big fat "no" when it comes to eating any of those. I'm just not willing to take a chance at waiting till some yahoo in the government finally decides to support the idea that it is not safe for me to eat. Remember, if there are businesses who have a vested interest in keeping you consuming this product, they'll fund research to support the idea that it is safe. And again - governments are not responsible for making healthy choices for you - it's up to you to do the research and make those decisions yourself.

Looking for a no calorie, natural sweetener? Try Stevia. It made from a plant that's been around forever & can be found in liquid or powder forms at the health food store. It is extremely sweet, so be careful how much you're putting in your coffee, because you might be in for a surprise! Diabetics, you may want to check with your medical professional to see if they support the idea. Some of them say go ahead, others don't.

Other healthier sweeteners you could try are raw (not processed) honey, organic maple syrup, rice syrup etc. Again, sweeteners are still sweeteners and are best only when consumed in moderation, but when was the last time you saw any controversy surrounding consumption of them causing things like mental retardation, multiple sclerosis or cancer? Come to think of it...you don't hear about real foods at all causing these kinds of diseases. Ever heard of someone consuming too much leafy green broccoli and causing themselves brain tumors or epilepsy? Ummm...never? I'm going to stick to eating food. Real, whole food that I know is food, that my body knows and accepts as NUTRITION, and not some magical, miracle scientifically packaged item pretending to be food.