Sweeeets! the Skinny on Sugar Substitutes

     This article, by Emily Sohn, can be found at www.sciencenewsforkids.com.

     People use artifical sweetners because sugar is unhealthy.  Too much sugar can cause obesety.  Cancer, allergies, and others medical problems can occur.  People also use them when they are on a weight loss diet.  Around 200 million people use artifical sweetners.

     Our ancestors used sweets to have the energy to stay alive.  The desire for sweets is natural.

     Artifical sweetners stimulate the same cells on the tongue that sugar does.

     Two of the five artificial sweetners are Saccharin and aspartame.  Saccharin is the oldest.  It was invented in 1879 and is called Sweet 'n' Low.  The other artificail sweetner is aspartame. It has been around for about 40 years.  It is called Nutrisweet and Equal.  It is in Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi.

    The main fear in the use of artificial sweetners is cancer.  Over 500 tests have proved otherwise.  Artifical sweetners have been used for decades and so far, no medical problems have been discovered.

   Another problem with artificial sweetners is that they can make you crave sugar.  It can actually sabatoge diets!  It may be that the artificial sweetner confusing the brain.  The brain does not associate this sweetness with calories, so you remain hungry and eat more.

     I think sweetners are safe and I use them because I am a diabetic.