Why Artificial Sweeteners Are Worse For You Than You Thought
I know I'm about to break some hearts with this post. I would have definitely broken my 15-23-year-old heart, being the master dieter who "thrived" off of aspartame-filled everything from 100-Calorie Snack Packs, Splenda in my coffee/baking and Diet Coke.
The truth is, artificial sweeteners aren't serving our health in any way and may actually be more harmful than sugar itself.
What are Artificial Sweeteners?
Artificial Sweeteners are sugar alternatives that provide a sweet taste similar to sugar while containing little to no energy or calories. However, it's said that they can be anywhere from 160 to upwards of 500 times sweeter than regular sugar. It may sound like a too-good-to-be-true treat now (because it is), but the damage this causes to the taste buds and to our brain is actually far from.
Some of the more common artificial sweeteners you may be familiar with are:
Aspartame – Equal, Nutrasweet
Saccharin – Sugar Twin, Sweet n Low
Sucralose – Splenda
Steviol Glycosides - Stevia, Truvia
Sugar Alcohols - Erythritol
What are Artificial Sweeteners found in?
Artificial Sweeteners can typically be found in anything marketed as "sugar-free" or "diet" including soft drinks, gum, jellies, baked goods, candy, juice, ice cream, and yogurt.
Not to single any brand out (I'm totally going to single them out #sorrynotsorry), but if we're going to be more specific, you will find them in the following products:
Pedialyte
Diet Coke (and any other diet soda for that matter)
Gum (Orbit, Wrigley's Juicy Fruit, Trident)
Quaker Low Sugar Oatmeal
Ocean Spray Reduced Sugar Craisins
Crystal Light
G2 Gatorade
Yoplait Light Yogurt
Sugar-Free Jell-O
Source Yogurt
Halo Top Ice Cream
Nabisco 100-Calorie Snack Packs
On top of that, any product that markets to diabetics through labels like "Sugar-Free" will often contain artificial sweeteners.
What's the problem with Artificial Sweeteners?
While marketed as a weight loss/management-friendly option, artificial sweeteners actually do the opposite:
They lead to more cravings: What happens when we eat foods containing artificial sweeteners is that it tricks the brain into thinking it's getting fuel which leads to the same physiological reaction that happens when we actually do consume fuel, or food. Upon tasting a sweet food, your body will release insulin as if you'd just eaten sugar, despite the fact that it hasn't received any calories or sugar. This causes our blood sugar to spike and then drop, leading to what we know as a "sugar crash" or energy crash. When we're in this state, our body is craving anything to bring our energy levels back up again and so it craves more sugar or carbohydrates, which is the body's preferred form of energy (since it's the fastest acting). And the cycle continues ...
Side note: I can speak from personal experience on this, being an avid consumer of artificial sweeteners in the past. While I thought I was doing myself a favour by consuming less sugar and calories, I was doing myself a huge disfavour because I would ultimately end up eating more food and feeling out of control or obsessed about food as a result!
They leave us feeling dissatisfied (and wanting more): Since we aren't actually consuming any real fuel when we consume artificial sweeteners, our body is left yearning for more. Not to mention, they aren't as satisfying physiologically and psychologically, and receiving pleasure from food plays a huge role in our overall satisfaction with food. So while you may be trying to consume less food, sugar, and calories, you will often end up eating more than you intended to as a result of feeling dissatisfied from the lack of fuel and taste of the food.
They destroy your taste receptors: The problem with artificial sweeteners is that they can be anywhere from 160-500 times sweeter than regular sugar. This overstimulates your sugar receptors and can limit your tolerance for more complex tastes. That means, if you consume artificial sweeteners on the regular, you may find it difficult to detect the sweetness of naturally sweet real foods, such as fruits, carrots and red peppers, keeping you from being able to enjoy healthy foods.
They can actually lead to weight gain: Animal studies have actually proven that the consumption of artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain via a steadily increased caloric intake, increased body weight and increased adiposity. Ultimately, what's happening is the need for "caloric compensation"; your body thinks it's receiving energy in the form of calories, and when it discovers it's not, it goes searching for fuel which will show up in the form of intense cravings.
What can we do instead?
I can confidently say that leaving artificial sweeteners behind in my diet days was one of the best things I did for myself and was one of the key things I did that helped me transition out of the dieting cycle. Once I left them behind and started eating more whole foods (that contained calories ... as foods do and should!), I felt satisfied for the first time ever. Not only that, but I discovered how satisfying the sweetness of a carrot truly is!
So what's the solution? Ditch the artificial sweeteners and either enjoy the specific food without any added sugar or make use of natural sweeteners. Yes, sugar is sugar is sugar. Raw honey is going to have the same effect in your body as regular refined sugar, but the difference is that you are reaping the many nutritional benefits that raw honey has to provide, including its B vitamins, anti-bacterial and immune-boosting properties! You will find that you feel more satisfied as a result when you simply use these natural sweeteners and of course, if watching your sugar consumption is important to you, there are some options that are "better" than others such as yacon syrup or monk fruit sweetener.
If you're new to the natural sweetener world, below is a list of some of my favourites including examples of how you can use them:
Raw Honey – enjoy in tea, chia pudding, drizzled on top of sprouted almond butter & banana toast, in salad dressings (not recommended for baking as heating it will kill many of its nutritional properties)
Medjool Dates – blend up in a smoothie, slice open and schlop on some almond butter and top it with cacao nibs or chocolate chips, blend up in a chia pudding or chia mousse
Coconut Sugar – use in baking
Pure Maple Syrup – use in baking, in salad dressings, marinades,, drizzled on top of oatmeal or chia pudding
Blackstrap Molasses – use in baking, drizzled on top of toast/oatmeal/chia pudding
Yacon Syrup (sugar-friendly option) – use in smoothie, drizzled on top of toast
Monkfruit Sweetener – use in baking
While I understand the purpose of artificial sweeteners in the case of diabetics, I truly believe there are better alternatives than resorting to them given that they come with a wealth of negative consequences. They are simply not worth the negative health effects, so do yourself a favour and please avoid any foods that are marketed as "sugar-free", "diet" or "low calorie" as it's more than likely that they contain artificial sweeteners and I can guarantee it won't taste as good as the real thing!