This is a very dangerous situation. Thousands of people are using artificial sweeteners believing they’re safe -because they’ve been approved by the FDA- so they expect to not be harmed by ingesting them.
Aspartame is considered to be the most dangerous of all the artificial sweeteners. There are over 92 different side effects associated with aspartame consumption.
Aspartame accounts for over 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death, as disclosed in a February 1994 Department of Health and Human Services report.
Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook ‘disease’ symptoms, such as Grave’s Disease.
For excellent information on the dangers of aspartame visit Dr. Janet Starr Hull’s website at . She is also the author of Sweet Poison, which tells her true story of how she almost died from aspartame poisoning.
Splenda claims it is natural because it is made from sugar. What they don’t tell the public is that Splenda is made by treating sugar with trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature.
The presence of chlorine is thought to be the most dangerous component of sucralose. Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics.
Digestion and absorption of sucralose is not very clear. There have been no long-term studies done on humans. The majority of studies were done on animals for short lengths of time.
Symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems like bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea. Skin irritations such as rash, hives, redness, itching and swelling are also associated allergic reactions. Other side effects include wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains, palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression and itchy eyes.
Furthermore, when people start getting the allergic reactions and side effects, they will eventually see their family physician…. who will then prescribe still more drugs for these symptoms. And the vicious cycle continues. More symptoms…. more drugs.
The Splenda Web site even states, ”Although sucralose has a structure like sugar and a sugar-like taste, it is not natural”. So why does the commercial say it is natural? To convince you it is safe and get you to buy it. It’s all about the money. The food giants increase their profits using artificial sweeteners. Read more about this great deception in Dr. Joseph Mercola’s book Sweet Deception or go to his website .
Another artificial sweetener, Saccharin, causes reactions that can include headaches, breathing difficulties, skin eruptions, and diarrhea. It’s also believed that the saccharin found in some infant formulas can cause irritability and muscle dysfunction. For these reasons, many people still believe that the use of saccharin should be limited in infants, children and pregnant women.
Acesulfame K is the last artificial sweetener I would like to make you aware of. It is marketed under the names Ace-K, Sunett or Sweet One. It contains the carcinogen methylene chloride. Long-term exposure to methylene chloride can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans. It is almost always used in conjunction with aspartame or sucralose.
There has been a great deal of opposition to the use of Acesulfame K until further testing is completed. However, at this time, the FDA has not required these tests be done.
There is also a new aspartame product called Neotame. Be on the lookout!
There is a very good detailed article about artificial sweeteners at www.medicine.net. Another good website discussing the differences between white and brown sugars is found at www.cooperativepurchasers.com/Ingredients/Sugars/.
What it all boils down to is how you plan to use the sugar. Bakers know that certain sugars perform better in baking and therefore choose white cane sugar over beet sugar. But it gets pretty complicated.
4. Blackstrap Molasses
5. Organic Raw Honey-
7. Barley Malt Syrup
8. Brown Rice Syrup
9. Date sugar
10. Maple Syrup
11. Fruitsource -Evaporated White Grape Juice and Brown Rice Syrup
There is excellent information on many of these natural sugars and how to use, cook and bake with them at www.livrite.com/nc/sweeten.htm.