ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS NOT A HEALTHY ALTERNATIVE

Headaches, mood changes, vision problems, insomnia, hallucinations, memory loss, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, hives, seizures, change in heart rate, abdominal cramps, rash, fatigue, diarrhea, and joint pain are all reactions that have been reported due to the artificial sweetener, aspartame.

Aspartame is one of the artificial sweeteners that is found in over 6,000 products ranging from toothpaste to diet soda. Research has shown that aspartame affects insulin sensitivity worse than sugar, which can lead to an increased risk for metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity and weight-loss specialist at Harvard-affiliated Boston Children’s Hospital said,

“Sugar-containing foods in their natural form, whole fruit, for example, tend to be highly nutritious—nutrient-dense, high in fiber, and low in glycemic load. On the other hand, refined, concentrated sugar consumed in large amounts rapidly increases blood glucose and insulin levels, increases triglycerides, inflammatory mediators and oxygen radicals, and with them, the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic illnesses.”

There is no proof that consumption of artificial sweeteners causes multiple sclerosis, but due to inflammation caused by them, they could very well make symptoms worse or create new ones.

Because food companies are getting better at hiding artificial sweeteners in their foods, reading labels is of utmost importance. Artificial sweeteners to look for on labels are: acesulfame potassium, Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), Neotame, Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet ‘N Low) , Sucralose (Splenda), Cyclamate, and Advantame. These sweeteners are not limited to just foods such as carbonated soft drinks, pudding, powdered drinks, frozen desserts, chewing gum, toothpaste, cereal, yogurt, baked goods, gelatins, chewable vitamins, dessert mixes, sugar-free cough drops (or really “sugar-free” or “light/lite” anything), dairy products, jams and jellies, canned foods and chewing gum.

Don’t be discouraged and think that “the sweet life” is over as we know it. There are some natural sweeteners that, when used in moderation, are much safer than the artificial chemicals noted above. Switching from refined white sugar and/or artificial sweeteners to cane sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, molasses, maple syrup, or sucanat would be a much healthier option.

If you suffer from any of the reactions listed above and are curious about whether your symptoms are from an artificial sweetener, the easiest way to tell is to stop consuming the sweeteners and see if your symptoms improve or disappear. Often symptoms will disappear and when an individual consumes the artificial sweetener again, those reactions return and leave no doubt about the culprit.

Do you use any artificial sweeteners?  Do you notice any symptoms when you do have some?  Did you realize how many foods and drinks they are in? 

Comment below your thoughts on this article. I personally think that we shouldn't be putting 'artificial' anythings into our bodies. If I had to choose I'd prefer to cut down my sugar intake instead of replacing it with chemical and unnatural substances. What do you think? Do you disagree? I'd love to hear what you think :)


Source
http://moderndayms.com/2015/04/artificial-sweeteners-not-a-healthy-alternative/

Artificial Sweeteners Don’t Mix Well with Our Microbiomes

Artificial sweeteners have long been considered our calorie-cutting allies, but a new study published yesterday in the journal Nature suggests that eating or drinking too much of the saccharine stuff may lead to diabetes.

The counterintuitive result was uncovered when a large team of researchers, led by Eran Segal and Eran Elinav of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel, started examining mice fed a diet that included artificial sweeteners. The mice on that diet soon started developing glucose intolerance, a symptom of diabetes. The researchers then carried out a somewhat complicated series of experiments to investigate further.

Dan Vergano, reporting for National Geographic News, has a great summary:

In the new study, the team began by adding one of three FDA-approved artificial sweeteners—saccharin, sucralose, or aspartame—to the drinking water of mice. The researchers compared these groups of mice with others that drank only water. Within 11 weeks, the mice drinking sweetened water had developed glucose intolerance, most notably when saccharin was added to their diet.

To see whether the mice’s intestinal bacteria contributed to the problem, the team then used antibiotics to wipe out the mice’s intestinal bugs and found they could return the mice’s blood sugar levels to normal.

Finally, they fed fecal samples from glucose-intolerant mice to normal mice, transferring the unhealthy mice’s gut bugs. The normal mice that got these fecal samples then developed glucose intolerance within six days.

Segal, Elinav, and team also tested the link between artificial sweeteners and diabetes in humans, surveying 381 people who weren’t diabetic. Those who consumed artificial sweeteners not only had higher blood sugar than other participants, but their intestines also housed significantly higher counts of Bacteroides fragilis, a species that might cause intestinal inflammation. Lastly, the scientists gave seven consenting adults 120 mg of saccharin per day, or about the amount in two Tab diet sodas or a little over three Sweet’n Low packets. Four of them—just over half—saw their blood sugar levels spike in just one week.

The researchers acknowledge that they don’t know exactly how artificial sweeteners interact with the microbiome—they’re asking other scientists to replicate the study to learn more—but they do admit that the results of the study have caused them to cut back on their own use. They do caution, though, that the evidence isn’t enough to encourage people to change their habits. Nor should people consuming large quantities of artificial sweeteners switch to sugar, which can also raise your risk for diabetes. If you’re concerned, the best bet seems to be simply reducing or eliminating artificial sweeteners without replacement.

Comment below what you think. Do you agree? Or have you found artificial sweeteners to be beneficial for you and your health? I'd love to hear your opinion. Please share xx


Source
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/next/body/artificial-sweeteners-dont-mix-well-microbiomes/