Are Artificial Sweeteners Better for You Than Sugar?

Many parents worry about their children's sugar intake. In an effort to satisfy their child's sweet tooth they may replace sugar laden products with sugar-free ones containing an artificial sweetener. But are artificial sweeteners really better for your kids than good old-fashioned sugar is?

We all know that sugar is supposedly a terrible thing -- terrible for your teeth, your weight, your hyperactivity level...but is replacing it with an artificial sweetener really such a good idea?

Let's take a closer look at artificial sweeteners and their ingredients.

Artificial Sweeteners

There are a lot of different trademarked artificial sweeteners to choose from...NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel are perhaps three of the most well known, but they are all made of the same non-carbohydrate sweetener, Aspartame.

Aspartame's Beginnings

James M. Schlatter discovered Aspartame in 1965 while producing an anti-ulcer drug as a chemist at G.D. Searle & Company. It was only in 1996 that the FDA approved its use in all foods. Until then, its use had been restricted due to fears of a link between its use and cancer, including brain tumors, in laboratory rats.

Problems With Aspartame?

When a person ingests Aspartame, it breaks down into residual chemicals with decidedly unappetizing names like aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol (wood alcohol), and formaldehyde.

Yes, formaldehyde -- the same stuff that undertakers use to embalm the dead. Formaldehyde is also used to kill flies and other insects. A simple web search for the names of these chemicals is very enlightening -- and very scary.

Methanol is known to cause vision problems, but the symptoms of an "allergic" reaction to Aspartame far exceed vision problems. Some believe that the problems caused by Aspartame can mimic Fibromyalgia, MS, Alzheimer's, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Depression.

However, these claims are denied by some medical professionals.