Seriously everyone, artificial sweeteners are perhaps the most dangerous chemicals in foods these days. And they are everywhere – diet drinks, table sweeteners, low calorie yogurts, processed foods, chewing gum, protein powders, mouthwash, and on the coating of many vitamins. Aspartame (also known as Nutrasweet and Equal) and sucralose (Splenda), though widely accepted in this country as a “healthy” alternative to sugar, are far from such. But exactly what are artificial sweeteners? They are toxins that are well linked to health issues such as nerve pain, joint pain, headaches, infertility, allergic reactions, seizures, multiple sclerosis, gastrointestinal disorders, and much much more. Artificial sweeteners are also linked to weight gain and obesity. How is that?
Yes, it is true, while these sweeteners are promoted as weight loss solutions, studies have repeatedly shown that consuming artificial sweeteners may be ruining the ability to control your food intake and body weight. Artificial sweeteners stimulate appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. The body thinks it is going to have energy from the sweet taste, but since the artificial sweetener has no calories, the body then craves more sweet things to get that energy.
Neotame: The Unlabelled Toxic Sweetener
There is another artificial sweetener that is used a wide variety of processed foods, that is allowed by the FDA to go unlabelled. It is even in unsweetened processed foods, as it is a flavor enhancer as well. Its name is neotame. Chemically, it is very similar to aspartame. But possibly even more toxic. To read more on this sweetener, click here
Unfortunately, this chemical is absolutely everywhere. I know because I have gone to the grocery store and muscle tested many products. From non-diet drinks, to supposedly pure coconut waters, to supplement coatings of “good brands”, to flavored sparkling water. To get a full list of what types of products neotame can be found in, check out this article written by the sweeteners industry themselves.
Even small amounts are unhealthy. I have seen many, many health conditions improve rapidly once a person gives up their daily stick of chewing gum, or their occassional processed beverage. I advise people to stick to whole foods and beverages, and avoid processed foods altogether. This is especially true of any food that lists “natural flavors” as an ingredient.
Artificial sweeteners can be very addicting, so my advice would be to switch over to real sugar, to satiate the sweet craving. From there, begin reducing your consumption of sugar or switch over to stevia, and herbal sweetener with a low glycemic index. But most importantly stop the artificial sweeteners now. Your body will thank you for it.
