Q. I just can’t give up sweeteners. Is there an alternative that you would suggest?

The least offensive sweeteners are stevia (plant based), xylitol, and saccharine.  Yes I did say saccharine. It got a bad wrap years ago with innuendo of cancer risk but the truth is you would have to eat your body weight in saccharine on a daily basis for it to be a problem.

The WORST of all time is aspartame which is in many diet sodas and goes by the name NutraSweet. It causes brain cancer and other neurological issues. Unfortunately there is an amazing tale of greed and deception behind its approval with the FDA. Google “aspartame controversy” and you will have enough mystery and intrigue to put John Grisham into retirement. If my only choice for dinner was food containing aspartame or some raw liver dog food . . . I would be kicking Fido out of the way and getting down on all fours. 

Next is Splenda (sucralose). Another brilliant job by the FDA. To my knowledge there is not one single study of Splenda that looks at human consumption beyond one year. It is essentially chlorinated sugar. We just don’t know how safe it is because it has not been adequately tested in my opinion. But that’s OK because the FDA has found millions of lab rats to try it out on . . . you and me.  If we start turning up with liver problems or seizures in 5 years then I’m certain they will have a recall. 

I think raw honey or agave nectar are decent options with a lower glycemic index than refined sugar. Ultimately what you need to ask your self is “why do I need my foods so sweet in the first place?” Have you developed a “sweet palate” from years of overuse of sugar containing foods? If so then now is the time to start pulling that sweet tooth back in. Your palate and taste buds will change and modify as you change your diet. Vegetables are sweet if you give yourself the time to appreciate them.  

Studies have linked weight gain with the use of artificial sweeteners. The mechanism has not been clarified at this time but the thought is that they may alter your insulin response. We will discuss this further in an upcoming article.  For now, try to pay attention to how often you reach for sweeteners and realize that it is an unhealthy habit and one that you can change.

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Q & A: Does stevia cause insulin levels to spike? What effect does it have on immunity?