Artificial sweeteners dangers

Artificial Sweeteners

These products are much sweeter than the ordinary refined sugar we use, but the down side is that they contain much more calories. There were many studies performed on the use of artificial sweeteners and many of them have found out that using them may represent a danger. We will talk about this in the following text.

There are many troubles that came along with the use of sugar. They are excessive weight, diabetes, hypertension, dental decay, heart problems and many others. Sugar is suffering a major attack from the society of today. With the use of the sweeteners these problems can be avoided. The sweeteners we are talking about have natural compounds or chemicals like the ones we can find in the food additives. Their use became very popular once they entered the market. They had fewer calories, they were healthier and they could have been consumed by those who do not tolerate refined sugar.

Advantages of Artificial Sweeteners

The sweeteners that have been officially approved today are sucralose, acesulfame K, aspartame and saccharin. Their use is mainly popular, because they have fewer calories. Because of this, their popularity is high among those who try to balance weight. It does not affect the balance of blood sugar, so it is safe for those with diabetes. Also, tooth troubles will be reduced if artificial sweeteners are used. These are the most common benefits, but now we will focus on the dangers that come along with the artificial sweeteners.

Dangers

Side effects brought by artificial sweeteners were studied numerous times. Some of these side effects can be very dangerous and serious. Take these results with reserve, since the studies have only included animals, and not the humans. However, they cannot be disregarded completely. We have stated the main reason why these sweeteners are used, but sometimes they can even lead to complete opposite, to the weight gain, which may happen, since the insulin is released by the sweet taste and this leads to the storage of the blood sugar in the tissue. The levels of blood sugar do not rise, while the insulin causes the lowering of the blood sugar and creating hypoglycemia.

Some sweeteners can cause cancer and tumors, according to these studies. Respiratory problems, leukemia and tumors of the breasts and lungs can be caused by the acesumfame K. Headaches, sensory neuropathy, diarrhea, nausea, eczema and some dermatological reactions are associated with the use of saccharine. The thymus gland can be decreased with the use of sucralose. It also contributes to the creation of kidney and liver problems.

The most common side effects are disorders of the nervous system (like cancer, panic attacks and multiple sclerosis), gastrointestinal troubles and allergic reactions. We have given several risks that are involved. For the end, remember that sweeteners are considered very safe to use and the studies we have been talking about were conducted on animals, so they can be mistaking. They have not yet been officially confirmed.