by Lorraine Danella

Created on: January 21, 2007   Last Updated: May 15, 2007

With so many of us watching our weight and trying to stay in shape these days, many of us are using low-calorie, artificial sweeteners in order to shave a few calories here and there. But, what exactly do these various sweeteners do to our bodies, and are they really harmful in the long runor even in the short run for that matter?

Just to give you a brief backdrop to the whole sugar substitute puzzle, saccharin, one of the oldest of the artificial sweeteners, was actually discovered in the late 1800's. It's use actually started as early as 1907 as a sugar replacement for diabetics. Then Marketed under the brand names of Sweet n'Low and Sugar Twin, saccharin became the low-calorie sweetener of choice. In the 1960's some studies warned that there may be a link between saccharin use and bladder cancer, however in more recent years, saccharin has come under investigation again, only to be left on the market because according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the fears about saccharin and cancer were unfounded. The earlier studies fed an unusually high level of the sweetener to rats, who later developed bladder cancer, however, it was noted that the level to which a person would have to consume saccharin to experience that kind of danger would be extremely unlikely. However, while the verdict still was in question on saccharin, a better sugar substitute was being sought after.

So in 1981, with FDA approval, we had been introduced to the "wonder" sweetener, aspartame. Most of you know it as Nutrasweet , Equal or Spoonful. However, it has been up for debate as to whether this product is sweet for our heath and well being, ever since reports of side effects and toxicity have come out. Created by the Monsanto company and manufactured by the Searle Corporation, this sugar substitute was destined to become a big money maker. After some aggressive marketing, it took off like wildfire throughout the 1980's and within a short time, aspartame was found in thousands of products, such as diet soft drinks, powdered drink mixes, gelatins, pudding and pie fillings, some light yogurts, and many other things. You may be surprised to know that even most commercial chewing gums that are labeled as "sugar free" also contain aspartame, as well as many children's chewable vitamins.

What is aspartame and why would some argue that it is not safe? Aspartame is really a chemical mixture of approximately forty percent aspartic acid, fifty percent phenylalanine and ten percent methanol.

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>