Dr. Oz, in his blog, reveals the truth about artificial sweeteners. He writes, “Here’s what we know about artificial sweeteners: they’re not good for you”. The amount of artificial sugar consumed by an American each year is nearly 24 pounds.
As a matter of fact, sweeteners, i.e., low-calorie substitutes of sugar have been linked with health conditions like weight gain, diabetes, and even more severe conditions, such as heart disease. Dr. Oz emphasizes the ill effects of sweeteners and how these chemicals cause diarrhea. In the context of sweeteners, he says, “I often hear from folks who believe they’ve found the “healthy” sweetener. The truth is, these sweeteners are unhealthy across the board.”
He also reviews the constituent of various sweeteners, giving an insight to readers about how these can affect the health of consumers:
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Sweet’ N Low: It is a substitute for sugar and contains 0 calories. In terms of sweetness, as compared to sugar, it is nearly 300 times sweeter. Saccharin, its key ingredient, comes from toluene – a chemical derived from petroleum.
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NutraSweet, or Equal: Another sweetener, which contains 4 calories/gram, and is nearly 200 times sweeter than original sugar. Its key ingredient is aspartame, which is known to cause dizziness or headache in people if they are sensitive to the same.
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Splenda: Another substitute of sugar with 0 calories. It is nearly 600 times sweeter than real sugar. Its key ingredient is sucralose, but, maltodextrin, a compound used in junk foods like snacks and diet soda, is added to it to balance the sweetness of sucralose.
He further suggests some alternatives that can be used in place of sugar and artificial sweeteners. He recommends using natural sweetening agents, such as coconut sugar and honey.