Artificial sugars: beneficial or harmful?

Artificial Sugars

Before delving into the role that aspartame and other sweeteners play in our health, let’s take a brief look at the evolution of our sweet tastes. Our search for sweet foods dates back to Paleolithic hunters as a sweet taste allowed hunters to distinguish between sweet food sources and poisonous ones with high toxin levels. Therefore, honey represented a source of energy. It is believed that honey was the only available source of sweetener for thousands of years. Some historians note that this consumption and the concentration of glucose may have played an important role in the development of the human race, due to the functions of glucose in brain development.

The Evolution of Natural Sweeteners:

After sweet honey plants in China came maple syrup through the Indigenous peoples of America, sugar derivatives (like molasses), palm juice sugar (panela), and finally, table white sugar, which has been a significant part of our diet for over 300 years. Recently, we have seen the commercial exploitation of stevia, which we will cover later.

How and When Was Aspartame Invented?

Aspartame, known by its code E-951 in Europe (the main brands, in addition to those from supermarkets, are Canderel and Nutrasweet), is not only used to sweeten our coffee or tea, but is also used in the production of hundreds of products that you can find in your regular supermarket.

It was accidentally invented in the 1960s in the USA while testing an anti-ulcer medication – it turned out that the intense sweetness of aspartame was up to 200 times sweeter than sugar itself. However, aspartame has been banned and reinstated several times by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), making aspartame a very controversial substance.

It seems that modern society has made it its mission to achieve low-calorie foods without sacrificing sweet flavors. It is estimated that each person in Spain consumes 35g per day of sugar and artificial sugars.

What Are the Different Types of Sweeteners?

Natural – honey, maple syrup, panela, stevia (contains no calories or carbohydrates – recommended for diabetics), coconut sugar, and cane molasses.
Artificial – three main types: saccharin, sucralose, and aspartame – many brands are from the supermarkets themselves, except for some like Natreen, Canderel, and Nutrasweet.

What Are the Health Risks Associated with Aspartame?

Today, it is believed that there are over 90 diseases related to aspartame consumption. The presence of three highly toxic chemicals in aspartame (methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid) means that you should be aware of the various risks that aspartame poses to your health.

Artificial sweeteners like aspartame alter gut microbiota, leading to glucose intolerance, cause a pronounced decline in kidney function, and are also associated with the development of leukemia. By altering antioxidant properties and spreading reduced amounts of methanol in our body, aspartame can disrupt our immune system, cause brain damage, long-term tumors, and spina bifida. Furthermore, artificial sweeteners increase blood sugar levels and impair insulin resistance, all of which pose a greater risk of obesity, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
Moreover, aspartame is addictive as it alters dopamine absorption in the brain; therefore, quitting the substance could be compared to the process of overcoming addiction. (By affecting dopamine, it may also cause Parkinson’s disease or similar diseases.)

What Are the Best Alternatives to Artificial Sweeteners?

First of all, white sugar IS NOT a healthy alternative (unless you consume a few teaspoons a day) – the health risks posed by sugar go far beyond rotten teeth. Choosing between aspartame and sugar in significant amounts is like choosing to be hit on the head with a racquetball or a baseball!
But you can set sweeteners aside – there are several options to maintain a healthy diet without sacrificing sweet flavors:

Stevia

It is a great alternative as it contains no calories or carbohydrates and is much sweeter than sugar, which means your taste buds will quickly adjust. Stevia is a very useful option for people dealing with diabetes because it does not threaten blood sugar levels. Make sure to buy unprocessed stevia.

Raw Honey

It may contain more fructose than other alternatives, but it is offset by its antioxidant properties – very useful for defending the body against cancer. Raw honey carries a multitude of benefits, as the nutrients, enzymes, and vitamins present can help regulate sugar and tension levels, as well as relieve allergies and boost our immune system.

Coconut Sugar

If you buy it in its organic form (from Thailand, for example), it is more like coconut caramel – sweet, delicious, and like nougat! Coconut sugar has a low glycemic value (35), so you won’t have issues with blood sugar levels.

Sugar Alcohols (Xylitol)

It sounds ominous, but our metabolism generates xylitol in small amounts. This substance contains half the calories of white sugar and is a natural carbohydrate, so its impact on blood sugar levels is very limited.

Is There Anything Else You Should Know?

Yes. Although all these natural sweeteners are significantly more beneficial than aspartame, they should be used in moderation – so that your metabolism and cravings can fully restore. Finally, the natural sugars from fruits, such as berries, grapefruit, or kiwi, also help keep the intestine and immune system healthy.