Health Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners

Posted on August 3, 2011 Julie Chang, L.Ac.

Artificial sweeteners were designed to be a less fattening alternative to sugar. Sucralose and aspartame are the most common sugar substitutes in food products today. However, there are no long-term safety studies in humans that support its use as they were never required by the FDA.

Sucralose

Marketed as Splenda®. Sucralose is created by adding chlorine to its chemical structure. For you science geeks, that means substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups to sucrose. Umm, chlorine? As in the carcinogen? YES!

Aspartame

Aspartame is sold under the names Equal® or NutraSweet®. Aspartame has been investigated as a possible cause of brain tumors, mental retardation, birth defects, epilepsy, Parkinson's Disease, Fibromyalgia, and Diabetes.

After 20 minutes in your body, aspartame begins to break down into formaldehyde (a carcinogen used to embalm corpses) and formic acid (ant venom).

Do Artificial Sweeteners Help You Lose Weight?

Most people use artificial sweeteners to lose weight. The irony is that nearly all the studies that have analyzed their effectiveness show that those who use artificial sweeteners actually gain more weight than those that drink regular sodas.

One reason for aspartame’s potential to cause weight gain is because phenylalanine and aspartic acid – the two amino acids that make up 90 percent of aspartame -- are known to rapidly stimulate the release of insulin and leptin; two hormones that are involved with satiety and fat storage. Insulin and leptin are also the primary hormones that regulate your metabolism.

Over time, if your body is exposed to too much leptin, it will become resistant to it, just as your body can become resistant to insulin, and once that happens, your body can no longer “hear” the hormonal messages instructing your body to stop eating, burn fat, and maintain good sensitivity to sweet tastes in your taste buds. What happens then? You remain hungry; you crave sweets, and your body stores more fat.

Artificial Sweeteners' Influence on Preterm Birth

A Danish study published in September 2010, which included more than 59,000 Danish women, found that daily intake of artificially sweetened soft drinks may increase the risk of preterm delivery by as much as 78 percent.

The researchers found that one serving per day of artificially sweetened, carbonated drinks were 38% more likely to give birth before 37 weeks of gestation. Four or more diet sodas a day increased the risk of premature birth by 78 percent. Meanwhile, no link was found between sugar-sweetened beverages and preterm delivery.

How to Eliminate Toxins from Artificial Sweeteners

• Check your food labels at home and throw out everything that has on its label: Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium (K), Saccharin or Sucralose, Equal®, NutraSweet® or Splenda®
• Use natural sweeteners like stevia, agave nectar, xylitol or raw honey.
• Avoid products that are labeled "low calorie," "diet," "sugar free," or "no sugar added" since they all likely contain artificial sugar additives.