What You Should Know About Artificial Sweeteners

Stevia Comes From The Stevia Plant - Photograph by Ethel Aardvark

 

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Artificial sweeteners are generally much sweeter tasting than table sugar.  Consider this: Nutra Sweet (Aspartame) also marketed as Equal and Spoonful is 150 – 200X sweeter than sugar.  Splenda (Sucralose) is 488 – 800X as sweet, Sweet ‘n’ Low (Saccharin) is 300 – 500 X as sweet and Stevia – pronounced (STEE-vee-uh) (Stevicoside) is 300 times sweeter.  Many people use artificial sweeteners because they are diabetic or watching their waistline.  There have been many articles written and internet emails sent around the world that these sweeteners are not safe, but the US FDA has approved them for general consumption.

If you or someone you know has recently started having memory problems, forgetting basic things they shouldn’t like what to do when they come to a red light – whether it means go or stop for example then you should look into their Nutra Sweet consumption in addition to looking into medical issues.  Some people for some reason – it isn’t an allergic reaction – can’t seem to handle Nutra Sweet (Aspartame).  It affects their brain.  Perhaps they just started using Nutra Sweet (Aspartame) or they have increased their consumption because they are dieting.  Try going off the Nutra Sweet for several weeks to see if that was causing the problem, in addition to talking to a doctor.  If you are diabetic and can’t eat sugar then switch to another artificial sweetener during the trial period.

NOTE: If you have a rare genetic disorder called Phenylketonuria you should never use Nutra Sweet (Aspartame). Phenylketonuria is usually discovered at birth when the baby is given a blood test to detect the genetic disorder.  The person with this problem can’t break down the amino acid Phenylalanine which is in Nutra Sweet and certain foods.

Some people develop headaches or rashes from artificial sweeteners – again – in addition to seeking medical advice, try cutting back on the artificial sweeteners to see if it helps.

You  may also find that after awhile natural foods don’t taste sweet to you anymore.  That apple or grapes that used to taste sweet no longer taste sweet to you – that may be caused from the highly sweetened taste of the artificial sweeteners you now consume and have now become accustomed.