Does “sugar free” and “diet” equate to healthy?  Let’s find out.

When you go to the grocery store, do you look to buy products that are labelled “sugar free” or “diet”?  Why?  You think they are healthier.  You think they have less calories.  If this is your reasoning, good for you for trying to reduce the sugar and calories in your diet.   But unfortunately, “sugar free and diet” means that these products have been manufactured with one of the many artificial sweeteners.  Some of these products include soft drinks, chewing gum, jellies, baked goods, candy, fruit juice, and ice cream and yogurt, just to name a few.

Just what are these artificial sweeteners? And what’s their role in our health?

Here’s a list of the 4 top most dangerous artificial sweeteners, along with information about what’s in them and the negative impact they can have on your health. From most dangerous to least:

1.  Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)      

What’s in it: Phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol.

Side effects: Chronic headaches, fibromyalgia, anxiety, memory loss, arthritis, abdominal pain, nausea, depression, heart palpitations, irritable bowel syndrome, seizures, neurological disorders, vision problems, optic neuritis, a false MS syndrome, brain tumors, and weight gain.  The whole point of buying the “diet” soda was to not gain weight?

Concerns: Phenylalanine and aspartic acid directly impact brain and central nervous system functions; evidence shows they play a role in mood disorders, memory problems and other neurological illnesses.  At high temperatures, phenylalnine breaks down into a known carcinogen.  Methanol is converted into formaldehyde when metabolized.  I would prefer not to be preserved before “it’s my time”.  Makers of aspartame say methanol and its byproducts are quickly excreted.  But research has found measurable amounts of formaldehyde in the livers, kidneys and brains of test subjects after ingestion of aspartame.

2.  Aceslulfame-K (Sunett, Sweet One) 

What’s in it: Acesulfame-K is a potassium salt containing methylene chloride, a known carcinogen.

Side effects: Long term exposure to methylene chloride can cause nausea, headaches, mood problems, impairment of the liver and kidneys, problems with eyesight and possibly cancer. Acesulfame-K may contribute to hypoglemica.

Concerns: Of all artificial sweeteners, acesulfame-K has undergone the least scientific scrutiny. Early studies showed a potential link between the sweetener and development of multiple cancers in laboratory animals.

3.  Sucralose (Splenda)   

What’s in it: Sucralose is a synthetic additive created by chlorinating sugar. Manufacturers say the chlorine in sucralose is no different from that in table salt. Fact: the chemical structure of the chlorine in sucralose is almost the same as that in the now-banned pesticide DDT.

Side effects: Head and muscle aches, stomach cramps and diarrhea, bladder issues, skin irritation, dizziness and inflammation.

Concerns: Research has shown sucralose can cause shrinking of the thymus gland, an important immune system regulator, and liver and kidney dysfunction. A recent study by Duke University found sucralose reduces healthy intestinal bacteria, which led to absorption problems and metabolism problems and can impact the effectiveness of prescription and other drugs.

4.  Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet’N Low) 

What’s in it: Saccharin is a sulfa-based sweetener; its primary ingredient is benzoic sulfimide.

Side effects: For those with sulfa allergies, saccharin may cause nausea, diarrhea, skin problems or other allergy-related symptoms.

Concerns: Early safety studies of saccharin showed the sweetener caused bladder cancer in rats. The FDA recently lifted the requirement that saccharin be labeled as a probable carcinogen on food packaging.

Switch out artificial sweeteners for all-natural, low-sugar substitutes like Stevia, Xylitol, and Agave Nectar.

You just might feel better!