Artificial Sweeteners

As part of my aim to get DD out of the house and socialising more with kids her own age, we've been attending a local playgroup for the last couple of weeks. Today was one of the kids 4th birthday, and of course there was cake and lemonade. Pretty normal for a preschoolers birthday celebration. I was casually watching the preparations, absently reading the label on the lemonade bottle. "No artificial colours or preservatives", oh good I though. Next line, "No sugar". The warning lights went on, and I came over to ask, "Does this have artificial sweeteners in it?" The mum looked at me in confusion. "I don't know?"

I checked the label, and sure enough, it listed artificial sweeteners. DD had water. I bought her a can of real lemonade, with real sugar, on the way home.

I would like to say that it amazes me that people don't even question what is in their food, but I only have to look back five or so years to know that I was like that. Luckily, I've never eaten any of those 'diet' foods simply because I don't like the artificial taste, but otherwise, I was just as ignorant as that mum.

I first researched the dangers of artificial sweeteners when I was pregnant with DD. I have no recollection why at this stage, since as I said, I've never eaten them, but something sent me searching. And let me tell you, most of what I found wasn't pretty. Nearly every artificial sweetener on the market is associated with cancer in some form. Laboratory tests of all of them have shown the formation of cancer in rats at far above normal rates, but yet, recommendations to have them banned have been overruled, and they have been allowed to continue to be used, often in food marketed at children!

Perhaps the dangers of artificial sweeteners can be summed up by the first artificial sweetener, used by the Ancient Romans, Sugar of Lead. I don't think I even need to explain what the side effects of that one were.

Ironically, most of them have not, in fact, been shown to help people lose weight! It is hypothesised that the sweet taste, without the calories, actually causes the body to demand more sweet food, thus leading to more eating. The latest research from the University of Texas has confirmed that artificial sweeteners are not helping people to lose weight, in fact, they are still gaining.

I could go on for hours about this one, and if you do a quick search on artificial sweeteners, you'll find plenty more information, especially about the worst culprit, aspartame, which is believed to cause brain tumours.

Please, read up on this topic before eating artificial sweeteners in any form, especially if you have children or are pregnant.