How Safe Are Artificial Sweeteners?

Sometimes I wish they could just find out if artificial sugar like splenda and diet pop actually lead to gaining weight. But maybe it's a good thing as I would hate to not use them when cooking or just adding flavor to my foods.

There are a lot of guesses around the artificial sweeteners but I consider them very useful and support the opinion that it helps to fight the obesity. It would be better to have also artificial sault as more and more people are suffering from the excess of it though it may be even more harmful than sugar is!

Artificial sugar substitutes have been shown to increase appetite according to a study published in Science Daily at: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/06/040630081825.htm.

Although the FDA has approved certain sugar substitutes it might be wise to limit the intake of these products. One alternative is to choose products sweetened with fruit juice.

I have heard claimed that even though artificial sweeteners do not turn into blood glucose, the body still reacts to them somewhat as if they were glucose by releasing insulin into the bloodstream. According to this claim, the insulin reaction is provoked simply by the sweet taste on the tongue. If this claim is true, artificial sweeteners would still promote insulin resistance, which can eventually lead to diabetes. (Of course, people with diabetes are already insulin resistant.)

Even if not so, most of the studies on sucralose (Splenda) were by the company that manufactures it, & I question the FDA's neutrality on all artificial sweeteners given how it's been corrupted by appointments & hires directly out of businesses that stand to benefit from FDA rulings. If you want "sweet," better an apple, an orange, or a handful of blueberries.

Lene Petite-They do make artificial salt, its called NoSalt, you should be able to find it at any grocery store.

I honestly hate artificial sweeteners. I hate adding them to what I'm eating drinking. If I want sugar I might as well have the real thing, seeing as I don't add sugar to what I'm eating anyway. In processed foods i'm ok with the artificial though I guess, seeing as I'm find with diet soda and sugar free candies.

well, F___ the FDA. and I have a word for everybody.

AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, PERIOD. THEY ARE JUST AS BAD AS SUGAR. That means, no sugar either.

Instead, USE NATURAL SWEETENERS like stevia, mint, or erthonal. These three sweeteners not only NOT increase appetite, they also regulate your blood sugar, protect from cancer, and may even act as fiber.

And if the FDA does find out that artificial sweeteners are indeed bad for you, then the people of the FDA should be charged with murder. Look at what happened to Vioxx, Phen-phen, and a host of other drugs. If I am a boss of these people, than these people would be fired.

In my personal experience, eating foods high in sugar always caused me to get cravings for even more sugar. Eating foods with artificial sweeteners doesn't make me crave the added sugar for whatever reason. I also try to use artificial sweeteners sparingly and I incorporate a lot of unprocessed whole foods in my diet. My fasting blood sugar levels are consistently low and I have experienced no adverse effects from either Nutrasweet or Splenda, plus I can't tell the difference taste wise between sugar and sweeteners. So I guess I'll keep using them (in moderation, as with everything else). I've tried stevia, but IMHO, it tastes nasty.

I hate stevia, too...I used to try it in decaf coffee.
I don't think artificial sweeteners are a big deal, I drink caffeine-free Diet Pepsi and I don't notice being more hungry after I drink it. If the FDA says they're safe, I see no reason to dispute it. I think caffeine is more harmful because it raises cortisol levels. I recently stopped drinking a lot of caffeine and I'm losing fat even though that's the only change I've made.

As for me after beginning to take artificial sweeteners -I can not take an ordinary sugar as I it taste seems to me to be different, and now I take artificial sweeteners not for some sanitary reason but just because I like it more.

I've had to avoid artificial sweeteners for years, due to the obvious symptom of "nervous gestures" like a parkinson's disease traits whenever I accidentally am served get a diet-pop (normally I'll get regular pop once per week, pour out almost half and add water) I get like the "jitters", I had a Cherry Diet coke once, then a diet Dr Pepper, a Diet Pepsi, and once a Diet Sprite, and each time I noticed within 2 hrs Hand motions such as a shaky thumb, my hand or arm will move without me promting it, etc. When it's out of my system by the next day it disappears. I decided the "Splenda" might be safer for me,...OOPS, not so. Splenda treats me just like regular sugar. No diarrhea like others claim, but although I maintain a sugar level of 92, that elevates to over 300 when I ditch my diet for a day; the diabetic symptoms of rashes, itching, drowsiness, dizziness, sleepiness for 2 hrs after having it, all returned. So I'm now cold-turkey from all natural and artificial sugars. And feel great all the time now.

Splenda seems okay to me in limited quantity. I'm as skeptical as the next person or at least with similar thought patterns as me (lol). Let me just say that I have no problems with Splenda; but avoid the rest on this list like the plague because of severe occurences a person would not wish to get. One such as memory lapses and forgetting words. Now, I'm sure Splenda is not without ill affects on the body as I've yet to click all the warning links. Sugar makes me ill so I have to avoid it. My suggestion is what about rice syrup...brown rice nectar? I think that should work well for sweet cravings and such. Stevia well I don't know if that is safe or not. I do love the Stevia fiber packets of sweetener though as it works.

I've experienced side effects from aspartame and every other artificial sweetner I've tried. They mess up my mental processing, give abdominal bloating and pains, increase my anxiety, cause itching, etc.

It is obvious to me that the FDA has approved products without seriously considering their far reaching side effects, not their long term damage.

I have been using Splenda in my baking. Lately I have been having a lot of itching of the skin. Is it possible Splenda could have that side effect. Thank you

I have been plagued with hives the past 6 years. They would last for days , sometimes weeks and were often the size of a man's hand.I now believe these are linked to my use of Splenda and can trace back to when i started the adkins diet and began my Splenda use. I am trying to detox the artificial sweetner from my body now, I have been off of Splenda for 8 days. I have experienced headaches and insomnia and feel somewhat out of sorts. I am eating healthy, (I always thought I did) I've added additional servings of fruit and drink plenty of water, green tea & juices. I saw a report on the internet today asking for with health issues they feel could be related to Splenda to provide information. Do a search with key words "Splenda Side Effects Hotline".

I like to avoid artificial sweeteners wherever possible. I figure a teaspoon of real brown sugar on my oatmeal is probably a safer choice than a teaspoon of chemicals. I might feel differently if I were hooked on pop or sweetened my tea or coffee, but it's pretty easy for me to avoid sweeteners.