Sugar-free…at what cost?

Sugar-Free…At What Cost?ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS: THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY

Pick your color…pick your poison

Which sweetener packet do you prefer for your iced tea or your coffee?

Pink? Sweet N Low Saccharin

Yellow? Splenda Sucralose

Blue? Equal & NutraSweet Aspartame

Are they really helping? Or hindering?

But it’s better than sugar, right?When it comes to calories, yes – it’s a no-brainer:

0 calories 140 calories

But they are recommended…

With a cautious nod from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA)

“While they are not magic bullets, smart use of non-nutritive sweeteners could help you reduce added sugars in your diet, therefore lowering the number of calories you eat. Reducing calories could help you attain and maintain a healthy body weight, and thereby lower your risk of heart disease and diabetes,”

… said Dr. Christopher Gardner, an associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, in a press release accompanying the scientific statement.

“FDA Approved”The FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners:

saccharin

acesulfame

aspartame

neotame

sucralose

It has also approved one natural low-calorie sweetener, Stevia.

The body’s response to sweeteners

People may use artificial sweeteners may replace the lost calories through other sources, possibly offsetting weight loss or health benefits

“I’m drinking diet soda, so it’s okay to have cake.”

Or worse, they may not even realize they are eating more.

Desensitized taste buds…

More potent and much sweeter than sugar…

…which means that we become de-sensitized to tastes that are not as intensely sweet.

Fruits become less appealing and taste “less sweet” when your taste buds are de-sensitized.

The taste of vegetables becomes even more skewed and harder to find appealing.

Steer you away from good food?Yes!

It’s been shown that use of artificial sweeteners

can cause you to shun healthy, filling, and highly nutritious

foods while consuming more artificially flavored foods

with less nutritional value…

…and you don’t even realize it.

Encourage eating MORE calories??

Artificial sweeteners don’t necessarily help limit calorie intake!

Those who eat foods sweetened artificially ate more calories than their counterparts whose food was sweetened with normal sugar.

Research suggests that artificial sweeteners may prevent us from associating sweetness with caloric intake.

As a result, we crave more sweets, tend to choose sweet food over nutritious food, and thus, gain weight.

And a dangerous cycle…

Sweeteners react with receptors on the tongue that make people think they are consuming something sweet – even though it contains no calories.

This sends the message to the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas that you are eating something sweet, and they respond by releasing insulin!

Your body responds to insulin by putting the body into storage mode and switching ON an increased hunger for sugar. … which makes you want more.

San Antonio Heart Study:

Participants who drank more than 21 diet drinks per week were TWICE as likely to become overweight or obese as people who didn’t drink diet soda.

Can you give up the diet drinks?

Not as easy as you think!

Animal studies suggest that artificial sweeteners may be addictive.

In studies of rats who were exposed to cocaine, then given a choice between intravenous cocaine or oral saccharine, MOST CHOSE SACCHARIN!

MORE addicting than cocaine?? !! ??

But aren’t they safe?You decide.

FDA studies ruled out cancer risk…but those studies were done using far smaller amounts of diet soda than the average 24 ounces per day consumed by many people who drink diet soda.

We don’t have any studies to show what such large amounts of these chemicals will have over many years.

Other health concerns?In other studies, daily consumption of diet drinks was associated with

36% greater risk for metabolic syndrome, and

67% increased risk for Type 2 diabetes

Aren’t these the same diseases that artificial sweeteners

were supposed to help prevent?

Links to depression & anxietyAspartame consumption decreased levels of serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is the “happy” brain chemical, so when there is a decrease, it leads to depression, anxiety or panic attacks.

Strategies for successMost significant consumption of artificial sweeteners comes from diet drinks.

Go for the H20 instead.

Increase your intake of pure water.

Make a solid effort to consume at minimum 8 glasses a day.

If you need more flavor, try brewing green tea and icing it.

Or put some slices of lime, lemon or oranges in a pitcher of water in the fridge and let it infuse the natural flavors.

If you need a bit of sweetness, use a small bit of real sugar, honey, or Stevia.

Stevia is an herb known for its naturally sweet leaves.

It is available in liquid drops (great for cold drinks) as well as granules and in packets.

If you have a sweet tooth…Find naturally-sweet foods to enjoy again.

Fruits are Nature’s natural desserts! Get back in touch with your palate by experiencing the naturally sweet flavors of fruits.

Your homework:

Go artificial-sweetener-FREE for two weeks!

Give it all up – Splenda, surcralose, aspartame and saccharin.

Drink water or fresh-brewed, unsweetened tea instead.

Document any changes or improvements you observe:

Weight drop?

Bloating diminishes?

Irritability go away?

Depression or anxiety decreases?

Does that seem daunting?Start by REDUCING your intake of artificial sweeteners.◦ If you have several artificially sweetened drinks, challenge yourself to have only one.

◦ If you typically put 3 packets of sweetener in your cup, only use one.

Next,Start REPLACING your artificial sweetener with Nature’s non-caloric sweetener: Stevia◦ Be sure to read the ingredient list – it should say “Stevia” or “Stevia extract”

◦ There shouldn’t be any additional ingredients on the ingredients label.

◦ It’s available in liquid drops, powder and powder packets.

◦ Stevia is 100 times sweeter than sugar…so it doesn’t take much!

Then,Start RENEWING your taste buds with Nature’s sweet tastes.◦ Fruits and vegetables in their whole form

◦ Dried or frozen can also work well

◦ Juices and nectars right from the source, done at home (NOT from a can or the freezer section of the grocery store)

◦ The less processed, the better

What are other ways or places artificial sweeteners sneak into your diet?

Bottom line for weight loss and healthAlthough approved by the FDA,

artificial sweeteners do not necessarily help with weight loss.

Artificial sweeteners trick the body into thinking it is getting something sweet, which turns off metabolism and results in storing fat.

Increased calorie intake, desensitized taste buds, surges in insulin and increased cravings for sweets are all side effects of artificial sweeteners.

Remove artificial sweeteners from your diet, and you will see decreased weight, improved taste, and better health overall.