What are the top 10 dangers of artificial sweeteners?

What is the most harmful artificial sweetener?

The worst of the worst culprits include aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet), sucralose (found in Splenda), and Saccharin (found in Sweet 'N Low). Many people who cut artificial sugars out of their diets report the improvement of many health problems including migraines, depression, IBS, weight gain, and more.

What are the dangers of artificial sweeteners?

Besides its benefits, animal studies have convincingly proven that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain, brain tumors, bladder cancer and many other health hazards. Some kind of health related side effects including carcinogenicity are also noted in humans.

How do artificial sweeteners affect the brain?

The consumption of aspartame, unlike dietary protein, can elevate the levels of phenylalanine and aspartic acid in the brain. These compounds can inhibit the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters, dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, which are known regulators of neurophysiological activity.

Why artificial sweeteners are worse than sugar?

Artificial Sweeteners

A few are made from natural substances like herbs. They can be 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar. These sweeteners don't contain calories or sugar, but they also don't have beneficial nutrients like vitamins, fiber, minerals or antioxidants.

Are Artificial Sweeteners Bad For You?

What happens when you stop using artificial sweeteners?

When you remove aspartame from your diet, you may experience mood swings — ranging from happiness to sadness to even depression. Aspartame withdrawal can even lead to panic attacks, which cause thoughts of fear along with excessive perspiration and a rapid heartbeat.

What is the best artificial sweetener on the market?

What are the dangers of stevia?

What is the healthiest sugar alternative?

Stevia — in packet, drops or plant form — is a dietitian favorite. Not only does it contain zero calories, but stevia-based sweeteners are herbal as opposed to artificial. Stevia blended with a sugar alcohol called erythritol (Truvia®) works well in low-carb baked desserts, too.

Which is better Splenda or stevia?

Stevia is best used to sweeten beverages, desserts, and sauces, while Splenda is optimal for sweetening beverages.

Is Truvia the same as stevia?

Truvia is often confused with stevia, a natural sweetener made from the stevia leaf. While Truvia is advertised as a stevia-based sweetener and has a name that sounds similar, Truvia and stevia are not the same thing. Truvia is the second-most-popular sugar substitute in the US.

What is the least harmful artificial sweetener?

Sucralose — "safe"

It was approved as a general purpose sweetener by the FDA in 1999. It is stable under high heat, making it ideal for baking, and it's often found in soft drinks, iced teas, sauces, syrups, chewing gum, power bars, protein powders, and baked goods.

What's worse sugar or sweetener?

Both sugar and artificial sweetener are addictive. But artificial sweeteners may be likelier to make you get hungry, eat more throughout the day and develop diabetes. Sugar is OK in limited amounts and in the context of a healthy diet. (Eating a cookie you've made yourself is fine.

What's worse sucralose or aspartame?

Aspartame is made from two amino acids, while sucralose is a modified form of sugar with added chlorine. One 2013 study, however, found that sucralose may alter glucose and insulin levels and may not be a “biologically inert compound.” “Sucralose is almost certainly safer than aspartame,” says Michael F.

What are the signs of aspartame poisoning?

Breathlessness, elevated blood pressure and skipped or racing heartbeat are all symptoms of aspartame toxicity. Gastrointestinal Symptoms. People often experience an upset stomach, diarrhea (possibly bloody), abdominal pain and painful swallowing when using aspartame as a sweetener.

Do artificial sweeteners cause inflammation?

It has been shown that ingredients such as aspartame and MSG contain chemicals that are potentially toxic to the nervous system, however it is also seen throughout reports that these chemicals also increase inflammation and bouts of pain in people with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Do artificial sweeteners cause belly fat?

Large-scale population studies have found that the consumption of artificial sweeteners, particularly in diet sodas, is associated with increased weight gain and abdominal fat over time.

How does the body get rid of aspartame?

Aspartame is fully broken down in our gut to aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are absorbed and enter our body. In addition, the methyl group from the modified phenylalanine is released in the gut to form methanol. Methanol is also absorbed by the body and most of it used to produce energy.

Can artificial sweeteners cause kidney problems?

A brand name version of sucralose is Splenda and it is also used as tabletop sweetener. It is also often used to sweeten lower-calorie dairy-based products such as yogurt and ice cream, as well as other frozen desserts. Sucralose is reported to be safe on the kidneys, even for those on dialysis.

Can artificial sweeteners affect blood pressure?

New research suggests they do not. In fact, these zero-calorie additives may have the opposite effect — and possibly even increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Researchers reviewed 37 studies that included a total of more than 400,000 people.

Is there a safe sugar substitute?

Sugar alcohols are another class of sweeteners that can be used as sugar substitutes. Examples include mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. The FDA has determined that sugar alcohols are generally recognized as safe for use in foods and drinks.

Is Splenda unhealthy?

Splenda isn't bad for you, but it can cause some negative health effects like an increase in sugar cravings which may lead to weight gain. Some preliminary studies in animals have shown that Splenda may affect gut health and cause GI issues. An excess of Splenda may also cause you to have higher blood sugar.

Which is better Splenda or Truvia?

While Truvia may get its sweet taste from the leaves of the stevia plant, Splenda is still the sweeter alternative to sugar. In fact, a lot of consumers prefer the taste of Splenda over Truvia, which has a distinctive aftertaste that tends to upset the consumers.

Is monk fruit a safe sweetener?

Is monk fruit safe? Monk fruit received the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. It also has no reported side effects. But use monk fruit — or any sweetener — in moderate amounts.

Is stevia or monk fruit better for you?

Bottom Line: Both stevia and monk fruit are natural alternatives to cane sugar or artificial sweeteners. Since neither is better or worse than the other, the only thing you have to consider when choosing between the two is which flavor you prefer.