Artificial sweeteners were created to help sell foods to dieters . . . all the sweet and none of the sin. Saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-k and sucralose, the sweeteners known as Sweet'N Low, Equal and Splenda respectively, are now part of the American diet. Food manufacturers market these to both dieters and people with diabetes - both groups with expanding populations. The pitch is that calorie-free sweeteners are better for you than sugar and will help you loose weight.
In a study of more than 3600 people reported in the 2008 journal of Obesity, researchers were amazed to find that people who drank artificially sweetened beverages - diet sodas - gained 47 percent more weight during an eight-year follow-up period than people who did not drink diet sodas.
These results were measured by means of long-term changes in people's body mass index measurement paradigm. Further studies show that consuming more than 21 artificially sweetened beverages per week versus consuming none was associated with a doubling of the probability of becoming overweight. This is based on 1250 people who were normal weight at the study's outset.
These results are very surprising to most of us. It should be noted that the studies did not discuss any psychological issues related to weight gain. Scientists suggest a few explanations for these results: Our brain cannot be so easily fooled. It knows how many calories we eat. It becomes used to the amount of calories we eat each day. For instance, if you save 600 calories a day by eating zero calorie foods, it may try to compensate elsewhere. Therefore, you eat all the calories you saved and probably even more.
Artificial sweeteners are about 12,000 times sweeter than sugar. They can distort your taste. Researchers speculate that teasing the taste buds with zero calorie sweeteners may stimulate your appetite without providing any of the calories that would produce satiety. They create an intense craving for sweet, highly caloric foods.
Research also suggests that zero calorie sweeteners may also trigger the body's cephalic phase response. This means it releases insulin - the body's normal response to a rise in blood sugar. However, there is no sugar for the insulin to process. This will disrupt blood sugar; sugar and carbohydrate cravings and result in weight gain.
There are other risks associated with artificial sweeteners. The drinks made of them are nothing more than a cocktail of chemicals. Science does not understand their total health risks. Some known side effects include skin rashes and migraine headaches. Formaldehyde is a chemical used to make aspartame. People may be slowly poisoning themselves and developing a neurological toxicity to these drugs.
There is something you can do, an action you may take, to help yourself. Reduce eating and drinking of sweets. Replace them with water or herbal tea.
Prefer sweeteners closest to their natural state; i.e., honey, maple syrup, agave nectar or raw sugar. However, because all sugars digest as quickly as refined sugar, do not overindulge. Agave nectar is extracted from cactus sap and is three times sweeter than white sugar, but its glycemic index is five times lower than that of honey. Therefore, it digests more slowly and does not spike blood-sugar levels - a major concern for people with diabetes, heart disease, cancer or arthritis.
Some of you may have heard of Stevia - also known as Truvia. Its calorie-free status raises some of the same concerns critics have noted about artificial sweeteners. While small amounts of Stevia are not likely to pose any health risks, high doses of the herb have caused reproductive issues in rats. Therefore, it would probably be wise to avoid products that rely on Stevia as a sweetening ingredient.
Eating sweets will increase your desire to have more sweets and refined carbohydrates. It will also reduce your ability to enjoy the natural sweetness of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It may be best to use natural sweeteners instead of artificial ones. Regardless, use them in moderation.
