Artificial Sweeteners

Here's an article about artificial sweetners which I just received and thought was very helpful:

With all the debate of whether or not artificial sweeteners are
better for you to use than regular table sugar, it's difficult to
find a definitive answer.

Your body performs hundreds of chemical reactions every time you
metabolize a meal just to maintain homeostasis, but even a machine
as great as your body has its limits. Therefore, even water or
oxygen at the right dose will create a toxic environment for your
body which could have potentially harmful side effects (including
death).

Many "experts" who are looking to find fault with a certain product
manufactured today can go to the research and find out what side
effects were found in rats or other lab animals.

The major problem with this type of adversarial expert is that
there will most likely always be side effects with any substance,
since the goal of researchers is to find the point at which the
product in question becomes toxic. This way they can establish the
highest no-adverse-effect level (HNEL) to provide an acceptable and
estimated daily intake (ADI & EDI).

With this in mind, it is important to always read the research for
yourself when trying to figure out if a particular food or
substance is healthy for you.

To make your job a little easier, I've objectively outlined the
major attributes of each artificial sweetener.

Here is a list of the most common artificial sweeteners and their
possible side effects:

Aspartame (NutraSweet & Equal)

Used in: Diet sodas,breath mints, sugar-free gums, frozen yogurt
What is it: Aspartic acid and phenylalanine
Tastes like: Chemical tasting
Strength: 150-200 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 0 calories

Possible side effects: Unless you have a rare genetic condition
that does not allow your body to process phenylalanine
(phenylketonuria), you should be fine. Although, some studies are
trying link a multitude of illnesses such as headaches/migraines,
dizziness, nausea, weight gain, muscle spasms, depression, fatigue,
insomnia, heart palpitations, vision and hearing problems, anxiety
attacks, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain, Emotional Disorders,
Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, brain tumors,
brain cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease,
Epilepsy, birth defects, and diabetes to the overuse of aspartame.

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low)

Used in: Some toothpaste like Crest and Colgate, as well as diet
sodas
What is it: Sulfur dioxide, chlorine, ammonia, and biochemical acids
Tastes like: Bitter with a metallic finish
Strength: 400-500 times stronger than sugar
Calories: 1/8 calorie per teaspoon

Possible side effects: In 1977, the FDA made all products
containing saccharin add a warning label stating that it was
determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals. In May of 2000,
it was removed from the National Toxicology Report on Carcinogens.

Sugar Alcohols (Low Carb Products)

Used in: Low carbohydrate products
What is it: sugar with an added hydrogen molecule
Tastes like: Similar to sweetness of sugar
Strength: Similar to sugar, but with less impact on blood glucose
levels
Calories: 25% less calories than sugar

Possible side effects: Deleterious effects such as bloating, gas,
diarrhea, vomiting

Stevia (not approved yet by FDA)

Used in: Not yet approved by FDA
What is it: Stevia plant
Tastes like: Similar to sweetness of sugar
Strength: 180-400 times sweeter than sugar
Calories: 0

Possible side effects: Stevia is in same family of plants that
includes chrysanthemums, daisies, and ragweed. If you are sensitive
to any of these plants you may also have a reaction to Stevia.
Other side effects are still not known, but studies looking into
fertility and a lowering of blood pressure and heart rate are under
way.

Sucralose (Splenda)

Used in: Numerous low carb or sugar-free products
What is it: Sugar bonded with chlorine atoms
Tastes like: Slightly chemical tasting
Strength: 600 times sweeter than sugar
Calories: 0

Possible side effects: Although there are many accusations, no side
effects have been confirmed in 113 studies over 20 years. The upper
limit is considered to be 1,500 12 once diet sodas a day. It's
important to note that although splenda contains chlorine atoms, it
differs in the way it is structured and therefore does not resemble
household chlorine. The human body also contains its own natural
chlorine in the form of KC1 and NaC1.

After reading the ingredients of many of the artificial sweeteners
it's easy to see how mass media or viral marketing could turn any
product into the next coming of the plague.

While I don't recommend using artificial sweeteners, I can't talk
too negatively about them since there simply isn't enough evidence
to say that they are harmful. With this in mind, everyone has
varying degrees of sensitivity to particular substances and
therefore should use their best judgment.

Basically, if it was up to me I would use them sparingly...

My view is that if you are limiting your processed foods and
sweets, you really don't have to worry too much about whether or
not you are even ingesting these sweeteners. Last time I checked
there weren't any artificial sweeteners in lean proteins,
vegetables, and fruits...