Artificial Sweeteners - A sweet treat or a sour ending?
Lets get the ball rolling ladies and gents...How many of you have heard of artifical sweeteners? Right, now how many of you know anything about artifical sweeteners? I'm going to guess that these are but a few of the things you've heard:
- They are BAD for you
- They cause CANCER
- They can be definitively linked to causing MS (Multiple Sclerosis)
- They are the devil
- The Illuminati puts them in our food to kill us slowly
SO! Where to begin? Well, let's just start with some pretty pictures and a crash course, shall we?
Pretty pictures of articificial sweeteners:
ASPARTAME
SUCRALOSE
That's enough pretty pictures. On to the crash course!
What are artificial sweeteners?
They are food additives which are utilized to replicate the effect of sugar in food products; usually, with far fewer calories.
Why are the useful?
Because they provide sweetness to food products at a low cost for manufacturers and add very little calories to the food items themselves. This is particularly useful for those following more calorie restricted diets. They are also better for dental care compared to regular table sugar as well as useful to those who have diabetes.
How sweet are they exactly?
Good question! This depends on the sweetener in question. For example, Sucralose is approximately 600 times as sweet as sugar. I am now guessing that your reaction is something along the lines of this:
So which of the above issues we thought of above are actually true, N4J4R???
None. As far as I know, they can't be linked conclusively to the devil. Maybe the Illuminati exist, but as far as I (and science) are concerned, they're not trying to kill us...with artifical sweeteners. Inb4 tin foil hat brahs get all up in my shit about dem dare Illuminati. Moving on!
How can you be so sure?
I have spent a lot of time researching this 'issue'.
Can you expand on this for us, N4?
Sure can! See below for a tonne of information my fine, young children! (no pedo).
Let's start with some quick information I wrote up over on the GSF a little while ago. This is in regards to aspartame and hitting the acceptable daily intake (ADI) for this particular artificial sweetener.
One would have to consume 14 cans of sugar-free drink every day, before they were to reach what is considered as the acceptable daily intake (ADI) of aspartame. Please take the time read and re-read that bold part.
- 14 cans
- Every day
This is over an EXTENDED period of time. Not 2 days. Not 3 days. Not 1 week. But a VERY long time. By the way, 14 cans is approximately 5,250mls (5.25 litres) of diet soft drink EVERY DAY. Furthermore, the ADI for aspartame has been deliberately set LOWER than what is considered as the 'dangerous' amount. Food for thought.
Here's some sources for this one:
http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/elibrary/industry/Nzfsa_Confident-Recent_Media.htm
http://aspartame.org/pdf/Irelandaspartamefactsheet.pdf
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/artificial-sweeteners/MY00073
Alright then; what about the other safety concerns like cancer and MS??? And what about people with phenylketonuria??
Very nice questions! Lets start with the question regarding phenylketonuria, briefly:
People who may have phenylketonuria which is a genetic disease, probably would not tolerate aspartame very well as they do not effectively metabolise the phenylalanine which is a component of Aspartame. Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also advised NOT to use products containing aspartame.
Now on to the other supposed 'issues'.
There is NO concrete scientific evidence (that I'm currently aware of) that without a doubt PROVES that artificial sweetrners cause symptoms similar to, let alone, MS. Some of you may be saying, "yeah, but (insert family friend/random person from news here) said that they got MS after drinking sugar-free soft drinks for ages!". I'm sorry, but I really find this hard to believe. Anecdotal evidence can be useful, though it should not be relied upon 100%. There are far too many unforeseen variables that could have led to these people experiencing these 'symptoms'. Blaming artificial sweeteners alone WITHOUT scientific proof to support such claims doesn't really go far with me. At this stage, science seems to support artificial sweeteners (like aspartame). I'm not saying that artificial sweeteners can't be linked to such things, I'm simply saying that there is no concrete proof that they are directly linked at this current point in time. For all we know, they could release a plethora of studies in the next week which go completely against the current ones. The best we can do is stay up-to-date with current information. Furthermore, using pretty much anything in excess is bound to have negative repercussions somewhere down the line. For normal, healthy individuals, aspartame is considered safe. If anyone doesn't wish to use products that contain artificial sweeteners, then all they need do is read the label. Strict labeling requirements require manufacturers to list ingredients like aspartame.
Now how about I provide you with some studies and information regarding artificial sweeteners and their overall safety?
Yes please!
The titles of the documents will be presented first followed by a direct link.
Aspartame: review of safety.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12180494
Consumption of aspartame-containing beverages and incidence of hematopoietic and brain malignancies.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16985027
Aspartame and Cancer: Questions and Answers
http://web.archive.org/web/20090212130028/http://cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/AspartameQandA
REPORT OF THE MEETINGS ON ASPARTAME WITH NATIONAL EXPERTS
http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/supporting/doc/1641.pdf
Repeated dose study of sucralose tolerance in human subjects.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10882825
An overview of the safety of sucralose.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19464334
Neurotoxicity studies on sucralose and its hydrolysis products with special reference to histopathologic and ultrastructural changes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10882814?itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum&ordinalpos=9
Artificial sweeteners--do they bear a carcinogenic risk?
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15367404?dopt=Abstract
I truly hope that the above material has and/or, will help in debunking a lot of the myths currently associated with artificial sweeteners. If you wish to read more articles and studies like this, then please check out http://www.goonsquadforums.com where you'll find a tonne of useful information pertaining not only to diet and nutrition, but also to supplements, training and much, much more! The community itself is a close knit group of individuals who are knowledgeable, supportive and friendly. Check it out today; it's free!!
*Disclaimer: I am not a trained medical professional. All posts in this blog are my own personal opinion backed with what evidence I may have on hand. Before using any supplement or beginning any new diet or training regime, please check with your healthcare professional.
