Artificial Sweeteners Side Effects

So sweet to taste, but so harmful to body. Sugar, the most common substance behind a number of health dishes. Sweet dishes, chocolate, pastries, pies, brownies and a lot more. The mere mention of these, tempts us to the helm. Over consumption of these enticing grubs is indeed not safe for the body. Foods laden with sugar cause excessive weight gain, obesity, diabetes, dental decay, hypertension, heart diseases, etc. The ill effects of sugar, leads to invention of sugar substitutes, also known as artificial sweeteners. But are they completely safe or do even they cause some side effects? You get the answers in the next segment.

What are Artificial Sweeteners?

Artificial sweeteners give the exact sweetness of sugar, and are known to contain low calories. They are either natural or chemical compounds, used as food additives. High intensity sweeteners are important class of sweeteners, tasting sweeter than sucrose. Thus, less amount is required for adding and energy content is also low. The six artificial sweeteners approved by FDA are, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame and stevia. Sorbitol and xylitol are two other artificial sweeteners. The controversy still remains regarding use of artificial sweeteners. Researchers have found out that excessive use of artificial sweeteners can cause potential threat to health, with side effects. So let's find out the artificial sweetener side effects.

Side Effects of Artificial Sweeteners

Over consumption of artificial sweeteners lead to considerable side effects in human beings. Artificial sweetener dangers were first observed in rats, susceptible to bladder cancer, due to consumption of a mixture of cyclamate and saccharin. Cyclamate was banned by USFDA since then.

Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener used, passed after subsequent animal testing. It caused urothelial cytotoxicity and was associated with urinary bladder cancer.

The most dangerous side effects are related with aspartame. There are numerous negative consequences related to consumption of aspartame as artificial sweetener. The symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Change of mood, abdominal pain, change in vision, seizures, convulsions and fatigue were caused due to aspartame ingestion. Fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, cancer and systemic lupus were some of the serious side effects related to aspartame. Breast cancer, prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma and ovarian cancer were diagnosed, due to high amount of aspartame in diet. Being a low calorie sweetener, aspartame causes severe hunger and rapid weight loss.

Sugar alcohols are low in carbohydrates and have 25% less calories than sugar. Its side effects are diarrhea, vomiting, gas, bloating, etc. Saccharin contains sulfonamide and can cause sulfa allergies. Skin diseases, nausea, headache, diarrhea and symptoms associated with sulfa allergies are among the other side effects. Acesulfame-K, contains methylene chloride, a potent carcinogen. Continued use of this product may result in depression, nausea and kidney troubles.

Sucralose is a chlorinated sugar that is mostly used in baked foods, desserts, chewing gums, beverages, etc. It is stable when heated and is absorbed by the body. It is approved by FDA as safe. Excess consumption of sucralose can lead to enlargement of kidney, liver and shrinkage of the thymus gland. Stevia is not yet approved by FDA. Side effects of stevia affect fertility, heart rate and blood pressure.

If you are going for replacement of processed sugar or common sugar with artificial sweeteners, make sure you do not become dependent on them. People who are strongly advised not to consume sugar, must not make a habit of consuming artificial sugar regularly. Artificial sweeteners affect the body slowly and the adversities are not observed overnight. It's always suggested to fix a correct dose for consuming artificial sweetener. Wish you a good health!