I'm sure you all are aware of the dangers of consuming too much sugar and have heard that sugar is not healthy for you.  Right?  You may have even been led to believe that artificial sweeteners like Aspartame, Sucralose, or Splenda are safer, and less likely to cause you to gain weight.

If you believe this  you cannot be further from the truth!  Artificial Sugars Destroy your Health and they are in almost everything that claims to be "Diet" "Zero Calorie" or "Sugar-Free."  So what makes artificial sugars so dangerous?  For the purpose of this article, I would like to focus on Aspartame, since that is the most commonly used artificial sugar.  Keep in mind all artificial sugars have similar effects in the body.

What is Aspartame?

Aspartame was discovered in 1965 BY MISTAKE!  A chemist by the name of James M. Schlatter from G.D Searle was working in a laboratory developing a drug to treat peptic ulcers.  Accidentally he spilled one of the chemicals on his finger.  He licked his finger clean and in doing so he discovered that this chemical was extremely sweet and thus Aspartame was found.

Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than natural sugar!  It is composed of Phenylalanine (50%), Aspartic Acid (40%), and Methanol (10%).  Lets break each of these ingredients down to see their effect on the body.

Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid

Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid are amino acids combined in an ester bond in Aspartame.  These two amino acids are normally consumed in the foods we eat.  They are harmless when consumed as part of natural, unprocessed foods.  However, when they are chemically altered and consumed outside the normal ranges they become very harmful to our health.

Your body breaks down that ester bond into two free amino acids, free phenylalanine and free aspartic acid.  These amino acids are not meant to be freely in our body especially at such high quantities.  At these high quantities they begin to break through the Blood- Brain Barrier and flood your brain causing excessive firing of the neurons, sometimes causing cellular death.  This is called Excitotoxicity.  Aspartame and other Artificial sugars are Neurotoxins!  They destroy your brain function!

Methanol:

Metanol at high temperatures converts to formaldehyde.  With our body temperature being 98.6 degrees, this conversion happens in your body.  Formaldehyde is normally used in paint thinners and embalming fluid.  Is this something you want in your body? If you are regularly consuming artificial sweeteners, this is happening inside you!  Please be sure to read your labels to see if there are artificial sugars in what you are eating or drinking.

I am not trying to scare anyone, I am here to educate you about the effects of Artificial Sugars such as Slenda, Sweet-N-Low, or Equal, on your body.

Potential Adverse Effects from Aspartame:

• Migraine Headaches (most common)
• Changes in Mood (Depression)
• Changes in Vision
• Changes in Heart Rate
• Sleeping problems, Insomnia
• Memory Loss
• Nausea and Vomiting
• Dizziness, Poor Balance and Coordination
• Attentional/Hyperactivity in Children (ADHD)
• Convulsions or Seizures
• Fatigues and Weakness
• Diarrhea
• Joint Pain
• Abdominal Pain or Cramping
• Hives
• Increased Risk for Cancers such as Breast and Prostate