by
Stepy —
February 23, 2014
- Artificial sweeteners have been the subject of controversy for years, ever since saccharin, the first no calorie sweetener was discovered.
- Researchers are finding new health concerns with these no calorie sweeteners. Let’s take a look at seven potential dangers of artificial sweeteners.
- 1. They trick your taste buds:
- Artificial sweeteners, even natural ones like stevia, which comes from an herb, are hundreds, sometimes thousands, of times sweeter than sugar, says Anne Alexander, the author of the new book, The Sugar Smart Diet.
- Sucralose is 600 times sweeter than table sugar. “Evidence suggests that exposing your taste buds to these high-intensity sweeteners makes them less receptive to natural sources of sweetness such as fruit,” Alexander adds.
- 2. They fool your gut:
- “When you substitute artificial sweetener for real sugar, however, the body learns it can no longer use its sense of taste to gauge calories. So, the body may be fooled into thinking a product sweetened with sugar has no calories and, therefore, people overeat,” states Susan Swithers PhD, professor of behavioral neuroscience and a leading researcher on artificial sweeteners. The loss of the body’s ability to sense calorie intake can contribute to weight gain.
- 3. They affect hormones:
- When you eat sweet foods, even if they have no calories, your body releases insulin. This causes blood sugar spikes which increase food cravings.
- Another study by Susan Swithers that was published in Behavioral Brain Research showed that artificial sweeteners prevented a hormone called GLP-1 from being produced. GLP-1 is a hormone that controls blood sugar and promotes feelings of satiety.
- 4. They cause overeating:
- The effects of artificial sweeteners are not just biochemical; some of it has to do with the way they feel. “The taste and feel of food in our mouth influences our learned ability to match our caloric intake with our caloric need,” says Natasha Turner, ND, author of The Supercharged Hormone Diet.
- Foods with artificial sweeteners often have a thinner texture than foods with sugar, and thus aren’t as satisfying. “Our natural ability to control how much we eat and, therefore, our body weight may be weakened when this natural link is impaired by consuming products that contain artificial sweeteners,” Turner says.
- 5. They may cause type-2 diabetes:
- A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that artificially sweetened beverages such as diet sodas may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- “Diet drinks are not good substitutes for sugar-sweetened drinks. They increase cravings, weight gain, and type 2 diabetes. And they are addictive,” says Mark Hyman, MD.
- 6. They’re polluting our water:
- Artificial sweeteners are designed to withstand harsh conditions in the body so they don’t break down and add calories. Because of this design, they don’t break down when exposed to light, oxygen, and other environmental factors as well.
- A study published in Environmental Science & Technology showed that there was sucralose and acesulfame-K in treated wastewater. The researchers also found that the artificial sweeteners had not degraded after seven hours.
- 7. They are GMOs:
- Artificial sweeteners are usually made from corn, soy, or sugar beets. The vast majority of these three crops are genetically modified in the United States.
- Note: The content on our website is for educational purposes only. Please consult your health practitioner or a qualified expert.
- For the dangers of Splenda.
- For aspartame the sweet and silent killer.
- For a list of products containing sucralose.
- Diet soda makes you fat.
- For the dangers of high fructose corn syrup.
- For a list of GMO-free food companies.
- For all you need to know about GMOs.
- REFERENCES:
- 1. Main, Emily. “7 Hidden Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners.” Rodale News. Rodale News, 31 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
- 2. Turner, Natasha. The Supercharged Hormone Diet: A 30-day Accelerated Plan to Lose Weight, Restore Metabolism & Feel Younger Longer. New York: Rodale, 2013. Print.
- 3. Alexander, Anne, Julia VanTine, and Toby Cosgrove. The Sugar Smart Diet: Stop Cravings and Lose Weight While Still Enjoying the Sweets You Love! N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
- 4. Swithers, Susan, PhD. “Prof: Diet Drinks Are Not the Sweet Solution to Fight Obesity, Health Problems.” Purdue News. Purdue News, 11 July 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
- 5. Swithers, Susan, PhD. “Experience with the High-intensity Sweetener Saccharin Impairs Glucose Homeostasis and GLP-1 Release in Rats.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. Behavioral Brain Research, July 2012. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
- 6. “Consumption of Artificially and Sugar-sweetened Beverages and Incident Type 2 Diabetes.” AJCN.Nutrition.org. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
- 7. Hyman, Mark, M.D. “How Diet Soda Makes You Fat (and Other Food and Diet Industry Secrets).” DrHyman.com. Dr. Mark Hyman, 22 Feb. 2013. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
- 8. “Fate of Sucralose through Environmental and Water Treatment Processes and Impact on Plant Indicator Species.” ACS Publications. Environmental Science & Technology, 14 Jan. 2011. Web. 15 Feb. 2014.
