We all seem to be worried about sugar intake for some reason or another, whether it be weight loss or a medical condition. Because of this many have turned to artificial sweeteners, but is that really a safe option. In many cases the artificial sweetener is worse for you than sugar. The three most common artificial sweeteners are saccharin, aspartame and sucralose.
Saccharin is found in Sweet and Low, and is one of the oldest artificial sweeteners. According to Natural Health Sherpa , saccharin is produced by combining anthranilic acid (used among other things as a corrosive agent for metal) with nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine, and ammonia. The dangers of the use of saccharin include an increased risk of bladder cancer, along with a multitude of allergic reactions including headaches, breathing issues, skin rashes, and diarrhea.
Found in Equal and NutraSweet, aspartame is one of the more controversial sweeteners at the moment. Now they are changing their name so they can try to fool the customers into thinking the product they are using does not contain aspartame. “AminoSweet.” is the new name to try to deceive people. But DO NOT be fooled. It is the same product. 
According to Medicine net , aspartame causes a multitude of problems that include headaches, dizziness, change in mood, vomiting or nausea, abdominal pain and cramps, change in vision, diarrhea, seizures/convulsions, memory loss, and fatigue. Along with these symptoms, links to aspartame are made for fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, tinnitus, joint pain, unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech ,blurred vision, multiple sclerosis, systemic lupus, and various cancers.
Lastly, Sucralose
, found in products like splenda, was originally thought to be a safe alternative, and while it may be safer than your other choices, it does not come without side effects. According to global healing center, Sucralose is basically denatured sucrose. Its preparation involves chlorinating sucrose, chemically changing the structure of the sugar molecules by substituting three chlorine atoms for three hydroxyl groups. According to medicine net, problems caused by sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations (rash, hives, redness, itching, swelling), wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains, heart palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes.
Equal, NutraSweet, Amino Sweet is by far the worse of the three. Please read the dangers caused by this product alone.
And to top of all these other symptoms, it’s also been found that using artificial sweeteners does not help you lose weight, in fact you will most likely gain weight. With all these dangers, using sugar or other natural sweeteners are a much better option for you.
Selection of Health Effects from Short-term and/or Long-Term Use
Note: It often takes at least sixty days without *any* aspartame or NutraSweet to see a significant improvement. Check all labels very carefully (including vitamins and pharmaceuticals). Look for the word “aspartame” on the label and avoid it. (Also, it is a good idea to avoid “acesulfame-k” or “sunette.”) Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic Association.
Panic Attacks (a very common reaction)
anxiety
Seizures and Convulsions
Dizziness
Tremors
Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
Memory Loss (common Nutrasweet toxicity effects)
Slurring of Speech
Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
Chronic Fatigue
Depression
Insomnia
Irritability
Marked Personality Changes
Phobias
Rapid Heart Beat, Tachycardia (another frequent NutraSweet reaction)
Asthmatic Reactions
Chest Pains
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Nausea or Vomiting
Diarrhea
Abdominal Pain
Swallowing Pain
Itching
Hives (Urticaria)
Other Allergic-Like Reactions
Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
Menstrual Problems or Changes
Impotency and Sexual Problems
Craving for Food
Weight Gain
Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
Burning Urination
Excessive Thirst or Hunger
Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)
Infection Susceptibility
Joint Pains
Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
Death
Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases
Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson’s Disease
Lupus
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
Diabetes and Diabetic Complications
Epilepsy
Alzheimer’s Disease
Birth Defects
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lymphoma
Lyme Disease
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Panic Attacks
Depression, Panic attacks and other Psychological Disorders
The truth about aspartame’s toxicity is far different than what the NutraSweet Company would have your readers believe. In February of 1994, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the listing of adverse reactions reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994). Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all adverse reactions reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS). Many reactions to aspartame were very serious including seizures and death. In an epidemiological study which appeared in the Journal of Applied Nutrition (Roberts 1988), 551 persons who have reported reactions to aspartame were surveyed. What follows is a listing of the adverse health effects which were found.
Two-thirds of the population and 40% of the children in this country are using products with aspartame (NutraSweet/Equal/Spoonful/Canderel, Benevia, E951, etc.). It is a neurotoxic drug, a deadly chemical poison, and masquerading as an additive. The 50% phenylalanine in it as an isolate is neurotoxic and goes directly into the brain. It lowers the seizure threshold and depletes serotonin. When you lower serotonin it triggers manic depression or bipolar, mood swings, anxiety, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, panic attacks, paranoia, hallucinations, etc. It also interacts with ALL antidepressants. In fact, it interacts with just about every drug used to treat the problems it causes. This is all discussed in the huge medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic by H. J. Roberts, M.D.
Aspartame affects the following:
| Eyes |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Decreased Vision and/or other eye problems | 140 | 25% |
| Pain one or both eyes | 51 | 9% |
| Decreased Tears | 14 | 8% |
| Blindness (one or both eyes) | 14 | 3% |
| Ears |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Tinnitus (“ringing”,” buzzing”) | 73 | 13% |
| Severe intolerance for noise | 47 | 9% |
| Marked impairment of hearing | 25 | 5% |
| Neurological |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Headaches | 249 | 45% |
| Dizziness, unsteadiness, or both | 217 | 39% |
| Confusion, memory loss, or both | 157 | 29% |
| Severe drowsiness and sleepiness | 93 | 17% |
| Parenthesis (tingling or numbness) | 82 | 15% |
| Convulsions | 80 | 15% |
| Petit mal attacks and “absences” | 18 | 3% |
| Severe slurring of speech | 64 | 12% |
| Severe tremors | 51 | 9% |
| Sever “hyperactivity” and “restless legs” | 43 | 8% |
| Atypical facial pain | 38 | 7% |
| Psychological-Psychiatric |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Severe depression | 139 | 25% |
| Extreme panic attacks | 125 | 23% |
| Severe anxiety | 105 | 19% |
| Marked personality changes | 88 | 16% |
| Recent “severe insomnia” | 76 | 14% |
| “Severe aggravation of phobias” | 41 | 7% |
| Chest |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Palpitations, tachycardia | 88 | 16% |
| Shortness of breath | 54 | 10% |
| Atypical chest pain | 44 | 8% |
| Recent hypertension (high blood pressure) | 34 | 6% |
| Gastrointestinal |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Nausea | 79 | 14% |
| Diarrhea | 70 | 13% |
| Blood in the stools | 12 | 1% |
| Abdominal pain | 70 | 13% |
| Pain on swallowing | 28 | 5% |
| Skin and Allergies |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Severe itching without a rash | 44 | 8% |
| Severe lip and mouth reactions | 29 | 5% |
| Uticaria (hives) | 25 | 5% |
| Other eruptions | 48 | 9% |
| Aggravation of respiratory allergies | 10 | 2% |
| Endocrine and Metabolic |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Problems with diabetes: loss of control | 60 | 11% |
| Menstrual Changes | 45 | 6% |
| Severe reduction or cessation of periods | 22 | 1% |
| Paradoxical weight gain | 34 | 5% |
| Marked weight loss | 26 | 6% |
| Marked thinning or loss of hear | 32 | 6% |
| Aggravated hypoglycemia | 25 | 5% |
| Other |
| #of people | %of people | |
| Frequent urination, burning | 69 | 13% |
| Excessive thirst | 65 | 12% |
| Severe joint pain | 58 | 11% |
| Bloating | 57 | 10% |
| Fluid retention and leg swelling | 20 | 4% |
| Increased Susceptibility to infection | 7 | 1% |
According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following list contains a selection of chronic illnesses which may be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame (Mission Possible 1994)*:
Panic Attacks
Fibromyalgia
Lymphoma
Alzheimer’s
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Multiple sclerosis
Brain tumors
Epilepsy
Anxiety
Parkinson’s Disease
Mental retardation
Birth defects
Diabetes
*Note: In some cases such as MS, the severe symptoms mimic the illness or exacerbate the illness, but do not cause the disease.
Both the U.S. Air Force’s magazine “Flying Safety” and the U.S. Navy’s magazine, “Navy Physiology” published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame including the cumulative deleterious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame may make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo (US Air Force 1992). All we ask is to think about it. If you are experiencing panic attacks try staying away from aspartame for a few months and see if your symptoms improve and your panic attacks subside.