Generally speaking, the synthetic sugar substitutes that you’ll find in supermarkets and calorie-reduced foods and drinks pose great risks to people’s health. These risks are detailed below; but they also underline our collective desperation to eliminate calories from our diets. Ironically, however, a study out of Purdue University actually demonstrates the opposite effect: rats fed artificial sweeteners eat three times the calories of rats given plain old sugar. In other words, artificial (calorie-less) sugars interfere with the body’s regulation of calorie intake, resulting in weight gain.

Saccharin – aka ‘Sweet’n Low’
This is the grandfather of all sugar substitutes, famous for its links to cancer – perhaps you thought it had been taken off the market? Not as long as aggressive lobbying by the sugar (food and drug) industries holds sway. Saccharin is derived from coal tar and has been shown to cause kidney lesions, eye deformities, metabolic interference, and bladder cancer in animals. Saccharin has also been linked to problems with infant muscle tone, ‘lazy’ eye, irritability and insomnia.

Saccharin has been under suspicion since the early 1950’s when a FDA pathologist announced that he suspected saccharin might cause cancer.

Aspartame – aka ‘Nutrasweet’, ‘Equal’, ‘Sugar Twin’, ‘Canderel’
Aspartame is made up of 3 components: methanol (aka wood alcohol – a known toxin) – which is converted to formaldehyde (a known toxin and carcinogen) and formic acid (toxin) in the body; the other 2 components are phenylalanine and aspartic acid – amino acids that rapidly enter the brain and central nervous system. At high levels these excitotoxins lead to the destruction of brain cells by triggering these neurons to fire abnormally.

A known excitotoxin (substances that react with specialized receptors in the brain and lead to the destruction of certain types of neurons) – aspartame is linked to the development of neurological disorders such as migraines, seizures, behavioral and learning disorders in children, depression, anxiety/panic attacks, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Aspartame is also linked to blindness (methanol and its byproducts cause swelling of the optic nerve and degeneration of retinal cells), sexual dysfunction, hypothalamus damage, and cancer (especially brain tumours).

Sucralose – aka ‘Splenda’
Made by chlorinating a sugar molecule (pesticides are also chlorinated molecules), this is the newest of the sugar substitutes. Although sucralose supporters claim that it’s not metabolized, it has been established that up to 35% of this substance is absorbed by the body. One study looked at rat thymus glands after being fed sucralose – there was up to a 40% reduction in weight. This shrinkage signifies a sharp decline in immune function (the thymus is the key regulator of the immune system). Other side effects in lab animals include enlarged liver and kidneys, calcification of kidneys, lowered growth rate, aborted pregnancies, decreased fetus weight, and diarrhea.

Most importantly, sucralose has not been tested by any independent groups (the bulk of the safety research has been conducted by the manufacturer); and there have been no long-term human studies of sucralose effects.

Acesulfame K – aka ‘Sunette’
Consists of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur and potassium (“K”) atoms. It’s not digested, so it contributes zero calories to the diet; however, some animal studies suggest a possible cancer-promoting effect.

Sugar Alcohols – aka polyols: sorbitol, manitol, xylitol, etc.
These occur naturally in plants. Unlike the artificial sugars (saccharin et al), sugar alcohols contain ~2.6 calories per gram and do affect blood sugar. Therefore, diabetics cannot consume unlimited amounts.

Consumed in large amounts, side effects include abdominal discomfort, bloating, and diarrhea.

For further reading:
http://www.321recipes.com/aspartame.phpl
www.mercola.com/fcgi/pf/2000/dec/3/sucralose_testimonials.phpl

Sugar substitutes that we highly recommend:

Raw Honey (unpasteurized)
This is loaded with amylases (enzymes that digest carbohydrates) andpropolis (a substance produced by bees from tree sap) - known for its anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties. Honey is also rated a ‘medium’ glycemic index food – it’s absorbed into the bloodstream more slowly than sugar; therefore it won’t contribute to blood sugar/insulin spikes when eaten.

Stevia
Stevia is derived from a South American herb. This almost-zero-calorie sugar substitute has been used as a traditional remedy for diabetes among the indigenous people of Paraguay and other South American countries. Scientific evidence suggests that stevia may improve the function of cells in the pancreas required for insulin production, and may also improve glucose tolerance in people with diabetes. Stevia also has anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. A pinch of stevia powder will sweeten as effectively as a spoonful of sugar.

Also – brown rice and malted grain syrups, (organic) maple syrup, and(organic) molasses.