What Are Artificial Sweeteners And Their Effects

What Are Artificial Sweeteners?

You probably heard about artificial sweeteners and the current controversy about the effects of artificial sweeteners on today’s public health. Artificial sweeteners or artificial sugar substitutes like aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, sucralose, neotame, acesulfame potassium, acesulfame-K, and others, are synthesized substances which can be used instead of sugar for sweetening our foods. Sweeteners play a great role in our daily diet, and using safe and healthy sugar substitutes is a very important factor for all of those who really care about their health and longevity, as well as want to prevent serious diseases and ailments.

The issue of artificial sweeteners is very important for those who have problems linked to being overweight and obese. It is a known fact that sugar is a high calorie product, which favors weight gain. In contrast to it, artificial sweeteners are low calorie substances, and using this kind of sugar substitutes can be a more preferable solution for those who suffer from obesity. Also, using artificial sweeteners can assist in controlling insulin levels. If you are looking for more extended answer to the questions what are artificial sweeteners and what are the effects of artificial sweeteners, go on learning the information from this article.

What Are The Effects Of Artificial Sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners can be a great solution for those people who can not consume sugar in the amounts they desire. Along with other natural sugar substitutes, artificial sweeteners can give us an opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a sugar-free diet. Health effects of artificial sweeteners were thoroughly studied, and the most of both positive and negative side-effects of using these type of sugar substitutes are well known. In some people, using the most common artificial sweeteners can cause minor digestive problems, allergic reactions, anxiety attacks, or other common side effects of using medications. On the other hand, using artificial sugar substitutes allows us lowering our risks of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, serious cardiovascular conditions, and other illnesses cause by a regular sugar consumption.

Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe?

Benefits and safety of artificial sweeteners are the core of the controversy: some experts say that using this type of sugar substitutes is linked to no serious side effects, and some specialists disagree with this point of view. The proponents of artificial sweeteners say that despite being known as ‘artificial’ substances, most of such sweeteners are derived from naturally occurring materials like herbs. That is why, according to the opinion of some experts, it is relatively safe to use officially approved sugar substitutes. For the moment, there are only 5 artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA. Those are saccharin, aspartame, neotame, sucralose, and acesulfame potassium. As it was mentioned above, artificial sweeteners can help us reduce our calorie consumption and aid in diabetes control.

At the same time, a number of studies on the effects of artificial sweeteners have shown that a regular consumption of these sugar substitutes can cause certain unwanted health conditions. According to the findings obtained in 2008 at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, consuming such artificial sweetener as saccharine can be linked to increased risks of obesity (published in Behavioral Neuroscience). Mayo Clinic specialists state that earlier studies have found connections between saccharine and increased risks of developing serious bladder problems.

There is also a certain controversy related to the links between artificial sweeteners and increased risks of cancer. A study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine in 2010 has found that using aspartame can be connected with increased risks of lung and liver cancer in mice. At the same time, as Mayo Clinic experts report, numerous national health organizations including the National Cancer Institute recognize no serious scientific evidence proving that the approved artificial sweeteners can increase risks of cancer. According to the FDA, using the approved artificial sugar substitutes within the acceptable daily intake (established by the FDA for every sugar substitute) should be considered safe.

Author Info: Hi! My name is Carla and I am a 5th year medical student at HYMS. I am interested in alternative medicine and I have done months researching the topic of herbal medicine. Besides, I like interviewing people and learning more about their experiences with one or another type of herbal treatments. I am willing to contribute to this site with my knowledge, and I would be happy to help you out to the best of my ability with any specific questions or problems related to alternative medicine.

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