I have a program called “kick the sugar” where I work with my clients on overcoming their sugar craving. But it slipped my mind that there is another cooperate on the loose that can reck havoc on our health just the same as white table sugar, and it’s name is artificial sweeteners. Don’t be fooled by marketing scheme to get your attention like: low-calorie, sugar-free, zero calorie, weight-loss and diabetes management. Many people turn to artificial sweetener thinking it is a better choice than regular sugar not knowing the side effects.
What is Artificial Sweetener?
Artificial sweeteners other wise known as sugar substitute are chemicals added to food and beverages to make them taste sweet and offer zero calorie.
Linked To Cancer?
There has been much talk whether or not artificial sweeteners are safe to use. In 1970 there was a study done using the artificial sweetener saccharin which caused bladder cancer in rats. Afterwards saccharin carried a warning label that it may be hazardous to your health. Since the 1970 study there has been many more studies done that have not link cancer to artificial sweeteners, so why is artificial sweeteners still getting a bad wrap?
Bad Wrapped?
Artificial sweeteners has been make to seem as the better option hidden behind fancy labels like: “healthy”, “low-fat, “diet” and “sugar free”, when in fact this artificial chemical has harmful effects on our bodies.
You see a lot of artificial sweeteners being marketed for weight loss, weight management and diabetes management because of the low calories. Studies have shown a link between obesity and weight gain in adults and children. This is because artificial sweeteners are unable to activate the food reward pathway needed to make you feel satisfied after a meal. So our brains become tricked into thinking we need more fuel (calories) thus making us eat more.
Gut Health
Artificial sweeteners has been known to disturb gut health. Our gut is home to thousand of microorganism’s that play a role in maintaining good health. The gut microbiota aids in digestion and absorption of key nutrients the body needs to fight off invaders. It has been shown the artificial sweeteners decrease the good bacteria therefore creating an imbalance known as dysbiosis. Resulting in poor digestion, low immune response, gastrointestinal discomfort and inflammation.
Artificial sweeteners are not found in nature, which is why I like to call it, artificial chemical sweeteners.
Hidden Names
Artificial Sweeteners:
-Acesulfame Potassium
-Apartame
-Neotame
-Saccharin
-Sucralo
Brand Names:
-Equal
-Sweet One
-NatraSweet
-Sweet-n-Low
-Splenda
Food products
Energy Drinks
Soda, and other beverages
Candy
Pastries
Pudding
Cane Foods
Jams and Jellies
Dairy products
So, is it safe to use artificial sweetener? Truth be told the internet is filled with research, case studies and many more post and articles giving an option, which tells me that the subject of artificial sweetener will continue to be a topic of conversation for the foreseeable future. But I like working with facts which is that artificial sweetener is just another “processed food”, it’s made in a manufacture and design to keep you hook. The food industry spends millions of dollars on marketing and on teams of people to create the right balance to achieve bliss ( accessing the reward pathway in the brain or the feel good hormone ). How can artificial sweetener be safe to use if it can still cause the same effects as regular table sugar while still leaving you feeling hungry and restoring in you eating more thus contributing to weight gain. The best advice I can give will be to avoid using artificial sweeteners and know your ingredients, its your right to know what you are putting into your body an that of your families make reading labels a habit, keep this in mind the fewer the ingredients the better and if you can’t say the name of an ingredient it’s probably not good for you.
References for this post:
5-reasons-to-avoid-artificial-sweeteners
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharin
P/S
Thanks for stopped by. Take time and read some of my other post about sugar.