Some of your favorite foods and beverages could be loaded with chemicals and additives that you may not know were dangerous for your health. Or maybe you do and are still in denial. It’s time to wake up and face the facts about the most dangerous additive in your diet drink: artificial sweeteners.
In order to reduce the intake of processed sugar that can lead to obesity, the scientific community responded in the last three decades with loads of “safe” substitutes such as aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), saccharin (Sweet’N Low) and sucralose (Splenda), just to name a few. However sugar and artificial sweeteners are terrible for your health.
White sugars and sweeteners trigger two kinds of body responses:
- Glycemic Response: The blood sugar and insulin-stimulating properties of a sugar or sweetener can be defined by its glycemic response. A high-glycemic sugar or sweetener will over-elevate blood sugar and insulin levels. A low-glycemic sugar or sweetener does not over-elevate blood sugar and insulin levels.
- Fat-Storing Response: The fat-storing effects of sugar or a sweetener can be defined by its high fat storage (HFS) properties and its ability to stimulate lipoprotein (LPL) and other fat-stimulating enzymes and proteins.
And did you know that aspartame turns into methanol and formaldehyde when heated? Were you also aware that the American Diabetic Association (ADA) supports the use of aspartame as an acceptable replacement for sugar for people with diabetes? This is despite the fact that aspartame has generated the largest volume of consumer reports (75 percent of them) describing adverse reactions.
This means the ADA does not seem willing to look at healthier alternatives to sugar and aspartame, such as whole food alternatives like stevia. And worse yet is the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) support of aspartame. Aspartame can be found in breath mints, gum, cereals, frozen desserts, coffee, juice, synthetic vitamins, pharmaceutical drugs, tea, alcoholic beverages, yogurt and of course, diet soft drinks.
You should eliminate aspartame from your diet—especially if you are experiencing these symptoms:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Vertigo
- Hearing Loss
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Vision problems
- Memory loss
- Slurred Speech
- Mood changes
- Anxiety Attacks
- Gastrointestinal Disorders
- Seizures
- Skin Lesions
- Muscle Cramps
- Joint Pain
- Fatigue
- Menstrual Irregularities
- Chest Pain
- Abnormal Heart Rhythm
This list is a testament to the fact that these artificial sweeteners adversely affect your health. It also makes me wonder how many people have ‘so-called’ chronic illnesses they’re spending money on costly treatments and prescriptions for, when ditching the soda may be the only cure they need. Something to think about…
Fortunately, there are many kinds of healthier sugar substitutes you can use to relieve your sweet tooth without endangering your health. Check out this handy infographic to find the right one for you.
