Why Artificial Sweeteners are Toxic

Sometimes called “non-caloric sweeteners” or “sugar substitutes,” these fake sweeteners are ubiquitous in foods, beverages, medicines, and even mouthwashes. Marketers cleverly position them as healthier or less harmful low-calorie sweetener (or zero-calorie sweetener) options to real sugar.  Some experts believe aspartame, sucralose, and other artificial sweeteners are far from the perfect sugar substitute.

Some people have bought into the “free pass” mentality that artificial sweeteners exude. Research shows that in 2008, nearly one in four adults (24.1 percent) consumed a drink containing artificial sweeteners. Critics believe, however, artificial sweeteners are anything but a free ride.

“Rather than accept the fact that we’re eating too much sugar and try to eat less, we look for a magic loophole—an easy way to avoid doing the smart thing,” says Mark Hyman, MD, in Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? “We saw it with trans fats and margarine, which were created as replacements for butter but turned out to be unsafe for human consumption. And it is happening again with artificial sweeteners.”