Are Artificial Alternatives a Safe Alternative to Sugar?

Too much sugar will make you fat but what about too much artificial sweetener: can it kill you or help you?

Artificial sweeteners have a long history. The first was discovered in 1897 by a Johns Hopkins University scientist working on coal-tar derivatives. It was not used much because it left a better taste. When cyclamate came on the market in 1951 it was touted as the answer to better teeth and weight loss because it could replace sugar.

In the late 1960s, studies were made linking cyclamate to cancer on injected chicken embryos and injected rats getting malignant tumors. The FDA has a ban on any food additive shown to cause cancer in humans or animals so cyclamate was removed from all food products. Saccharin was required to carry a warning label. In 2000 saccharin was removed from the list of suspected carcinogens.

Back in 1981 the synthetic compound aspartame was approved for use and it became the leading additive in diet colas. Then in 1995 misinformation that linked aspartame to everything from multiple sclerosis to polio was plastered over the Internet. It is true that some people cannot handle aspartame because they cannot metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine. In the meantime, more than 200 tests showed that Diet Coke was safe to drink. Nor have any health risks been detected for sucralose, a chemically altered sugar molecule found in food, drinks, chewing gum and Splenda.

Another piece of misinformation is that artificial sweeteners cause obesity. Not so. People believe they are not consuming as much sugar or calories in food with these sweeteners so they consume more of that food and put on weight. Eating more puts on weight.

The general consensus is that saccharin, aspartame and sucralose are not harmful when consumed in moderation. Cyclamate is still banned in the U.S. although it is available in other countries.

Part of the nutritional theory about artificial sweeteners is that they were carbohydrate free and had no effect on how your body handles glucose or sugar. Now that theory is being tested. As reported in the December 2009 issue of Diabetes Care, published by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, researchers are studying the effects of artificial sweeteners on glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide-1, GL-1, whish is a hormone released from your digestive tract that signals a sense of fullness to the brain and helps to control blood sugar.

Although there is some evidence that artificial sweeteners may make you feel more full, scientists warn not to start drinking or eating foods with artificial sweetener because even by itself it can cause some insulin release.

What is interesting is that the use of artificial sweeteners has increased together with the higher rate of obesity in the U.S. The problem is that food sweetened with artificial sweeteners may still contain calories such as diet cookies which contains fat among other ingredients.

If you are diabetic you may use artificial sweeteners because they make food taste sweet without raising blood sugar levels. But keep in mind some foods containing artificial sweeteners, such as sugar free yogurt, can still affect your blood sugar level due to other carbohydrates or proteins in the food. Some foods labeled sugar free may contain sweeteners such as sorbitol or mannitol which do contain calories and can affect your blood sugar level.

One disclaimer: although artificial sweeteners on the market are considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration, not everyone believes there is enough evidence to make that statement. My advice is to use artificial sweeteners in moderation. If you drink diet soda you may want to put sugar in your coffee or tea.

Ruthan Brodsky is a health and business writer with expertise in healthy aging. One of her favorite topics to research and write about during her 26 years as a health writer has been nutrition and healthy eating. Find out more information about nutrition and weight loss by watching this video at http://dietsolutionnutritionprogram.com