Artificial Sweeteners: Are They Safe?
by Racer X Virtual Trainer
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| When did we decide that sugar needed replaced with something artificial? You can have your Equal, Sweet'N Low, and Splenda....please just pass me the sugar. |
I went out for breakfast the other day and on the table sat the cute little container of sugar packets. I'm into the real stuff, so I always choose Sugar in the Raw (it has more nutrients than white sugar), but when I took a closer look, I saw at least 4 other colored packets in there.
Are these sugar substitutes really better for you? Is there some benefit to stirring them into your coffee instead of real sugar?
Basically, Equal, Splenda, and Sweet 'n Low all contain zero calories, fat, sodium, cholesterol, and protein. They contain less than 1g of carbs, so people trying to omit calories and carbs from their diet love these little packets.
OK, sounds like it's too good to be true, so here comes the million dollar question: Are these sugar substitutes safe? The truth is, we just don't know yet. There are no long-term studies of the side effects of artificial sweeteners in humans. The makers of these products did their own short-term studies on rodents and the results showed shrunken thymus glands as well as enlarged livers and kidneys. Since these tests weren't conducted on humans, the FDA decided that the results they were not conclusive. Hmmm.
Some people already experience headaches, dizziness, diarrhea, numbness, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, and skin rashes. I'll take calories over stomach pains any day. It's totally your personal preference though. Some people may use artificial sweeteners and not feel any side effects.
Just for fun, now a lawsuit has been thrown at the situation. Equal is suing the makers of Splenda for misleading consumers with the advertising motto "Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar." Splenda assures us that the process does in fact start with actual sugar, but at the end of the day, Equal is claiming that Splenda is a chemical just like Equal.
Just so you know, 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar, or 1 sugar cube, contains only 25 calories. 1 packet of sugar contains 15 calories and 1 packet of Sugar in the Raw contains about 20 calories. We're not talking about a tremendous amount of calories here, and since I don't like eating artificial foods, I'd go for the Sugar in the Raw.
There are so many artificial sweeteners out there, it's hard to keep them straight. Here's a list of some of the most popular ones. (Source: WebMD.com)
| Type of Artificial Sweetener | General Info | Pros | Cons |
| Sucralose (Splenda) |
* Contains maltodextrin which adds bulk so Splenda can be substituted cup-for-cup for sugar in recipes
* It's 600 times sweeter than regular sugar.
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* Has zero calories.
* Has zero effect on blood sugar levels
* You can bake with it.
* After 110 studies, the FDA concluded that sucralose has no toxic or carcinogenic effects, and poses no reproductive or neurological risks to people.
* Of all the artificial sweeteners, Splenda has caused the least controversy from watchdog or consumer groups.
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* The bulking agents add about 12 calories per tablespoon of Splenda (although the nutritional info doesn't list these calories.)
* Adds an artificial taste when you bake with it.
* Some critics claim that preliminary animal research has linked Splenda to organ damage.
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| Saccharin (Sweet'N Low) | * It's 300 times sweeter than regular sugar. * Is a molecule made from petroleum. * The FDA proposed a ban on it in 1977 when lab rats that were fed huge amounts contracted bladder cancer. The ban was never enacted though, and the warning label was dropped in 2000. |
* Has zero calories. * You can bake with it. |
* Since 1981, government reports list it as an "anticipated human carcinogen." Male smokers may be at risk of cancer if they consume large amounts. * Little studies have been done regarding its effects on children, so they should consume it in small quantities, or not at all. * Because saccharin can cross the placenta, the Council on Scientific Affairs suggests that women use saccharin carefully during pregnancy. |
| Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) | * It's 180 to 200 times sweeter than regular sugar. * Some 70% of our aspartame intake is from soft drinks. * The FDA has set the acceptable daily intake (ADI) at 50 mg per kilogram of body weight. That translates to about four (12 oz.) cans of diet soda per day or nine (8-ounce) glasses of fruit drink made from powder. |
* One gram of aspartame contains 4 calories.
* In 1996, the FDA approved its use in foods and beverages.
* In 1985, the AMA's Council on Scientific Affairs concluded that ''available evidence suggests that consumption of aspartame by normal humans is safe and is not associated with serious adverse health effects.''
* It's approved for consumption by pregnant women, as long as they follow the FDA's guidelines.
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* You can't bake with it. * Some people may have a sensitivity to aspartame, and may experience headaches, dizziness, mood changes, or skin reactions after consuming it. |
| Acesulfame-K (Sunette or Sweet One) | * It's 200 times sweeter than regular sugar. * The body can't break it down, so it's excreted from the body unchanged. |
* It has zero calories. * It's approved by the FDA. * It doesn't increase the risk of cancer, or affect blood-sugar levels. * You can bake with it. * It's approved for consumption by pregnant women, as long as they follow the FDA's guidelines. |
* It has a bitter taste on its own. * The consumer group, Center for Science in the Public Interest, believes that studies on this sweetener were poorly done and didn't test its potential cancer-causing risks. |
| Stevia (stevioside) |
* 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar
* calorie-free
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* Stevia has been used in South America for centuries. It's been used in Japan for the past 30 years as well. |
* Stevia has not gone through the FDA approval process for use as an artificial sweetener since it's sold as a dietary supplement, not a sweetener, in the U.S. * Research done in the 1980s suggested that DNA changes occurred when stevia was tested with a certain bacteria. The FDA believes stevia's safety has not been proven. |
| Sorbitol, Mannitol |
* These are sugar alcohols that occur naturally in fruits, and are commercially made for use as sweeteners. | * FDA has designated them as "Generally Recognized As Safe." * They're absorbed slowly. |
* Some parts of these aren't absorbed at all, so consuming these in large quantities may cause diarrhea. This laxative effect can happen if you consume more than 49 grams of sorbitol, or more than 19 grams of manitol. |
The Bottom Line
Remember: Everything in moderation. For me, I think I'll just stick with good old Sugar. Straight from Mother Nature.
Source: Fitsugar.com.
Still want to read more? Here is an article that takes an even closer look at the good and bad press of artificial sweeteners.
That's it for now, until next time, good luck with your training and remember, if you have a question, log on to the Virtual Trainer Expert Forum and have your question answered by a panel of experts. In addition, be sure and check out the Racer X Virtual Trainer archive section. Your complete one-stop information zone for motocross fitness. 
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This article sucks because it is intended for mx racers and young xtreme sports athletes who drink boatloads of energy drinks. Yet this article doesn't even mention that artificial sweeteners are used in all DIET and LOW CALORIE drinks such as Redbull, Monster, Rockstar etc. etc. Get your stuff together and produce a proper article that is pertinent to mx racers and riders.
Motokris....Not sure I agree with you that this article sucks, as you say. But none the less, thanks for letting me know how you feel. Next time I will try harder to make it more specific to what the motocross population in consuming.
A little late to chime in, but motokris, this article is intended to give some facts on a subject in a general sense with some of the authors opinions thrown in. Not everyone needs someone to hold their hands and walk them through life. Do you really need a list of everything that contains artificial sweetners that a motocrosser (ie. a regular everyday person with a hobby) might come across?
I dont understand how this could "suck" there is countless things I did not know prior to reading this article. As a matter of fact this website alone has introduced a huge interest in health and fitness. I currently think about everything that enters my body prior to consumption and have learned many things about training and nutrition in the last few months educating my self on this website. I would like to thank racerxvt for providing all the FREE information as well as the free education. Motocross or not it's still very beneficial.
Thank you very much Ungard. I'm stoked to hear you are learning something from the site!
This is a great article, and we all appreciate you taking the time to bring them to us! Negative people don't belong in Moto!
No one serious about competing in MX is drinking boatloads of energy drinks. At least if they have any knowledge about nutrition. Good article.
John, don't kid yourself. You would be amazed at what I see "pro" athletes putting in their bodies. And I get asked all the time at races like Lorettas, "How many Monster's should I have before my moto?"