Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes are on our “Avoid” list. Some of these include aspartame, sucralose, saccharin, and acesulfame K. These tend to be found in diet products, most things labeled “sugar-free”, “no sugar added”, “lite”, and marketed on “keto-friendly” products. We also commonly see these as little sugar packets such as Splenda, Sweet ‘N Low, NutraSweet, Truvia, and Equal (which were approved by the FDA). We must take responsibility for our health. One way is by choosing to eat healthy foods and being a good label reader helps. If we are choosing a food which has a label, we should diligently check to see if it contains any of these artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes. Unfortunately, these toxins are not limited to our food. They are also found in toothpaste, candy, mints, gum, and health supplements. It is even found in many OTC and prescription medications. Did you know sucralose contains chlorine, and was never meant for consumption but was intended to be an insecticide? Chronic, low-level exposure to these toxins have been seen to cause this exceptionally long list of issues! Headaches, dizziness, nausea, memory lapses, blurred vision, loss of peripheral vision, and other eye problems, ear buzzing/ringing, hearing loss, loss or change of taste, gastrointestinal issues, weakness, chills, numbness, behavioral disturbances, personality changes, depression symptoms, seizures, hyperactivity, trouble sleeping, nerve inflammation and chronic neurological issues, skin lesions, rashes, panic attacks, symptoms of depression, heart/cardiovascular problems, pancreatic inflammation, slurred speech, muscle cramping and joint pain, loss of energy, abnormal cell growth in the brain, changes in menstrual flow, and trouble getting pregnant (endocrine disruptor). They also damage the microbiome, the “good bacteria”, the helpers to our terrain for which we take probiotics. If this isn’t enough, aspartame and sucralose have been linked to dysfunction of the body’s ability to balance blood sugars. This one makes me shake my head since many people who struggle with balancing their blood sugars are told to avoid sugar and encouraged to use artificial sweeteners. Let that sink in a moment.
These chemicals are not recognized by the body. They have been shown to cause inflammation leading to various dis-ease and dysfunction which has been linked to inflammatory bowel issues, autoimmune issues of the GI tract, and “leaky” gut.
Most people drink this chemical being sold as a food additive because it might help with weight loss. Big mistake because it impedes weight loss by storing glucose as fat and prevents your brain from getting the message you are full. Instead of using artificial sweeteners and these harmful sugar substitutes, choose healthy ways to naturally enjoy the sweetness. Some options include monk fruit, molasses, dates, raw honey, coconut sugar, and maple syrup. And don’t forget sweet fruits, or as we call them, nature’s candy.
#JERF (JustEatRealFood!) Empower yourself, take back your health, and live remarkably!