Artificial Sweetener vs. Sugar

As part of my Senior Project, I decided to write a health article for The Silver Scroll on sugar . Here it is:

Myth: diet soda is better for you than regular soda. Fact: It’s worse.

Think Diet Soda is healthier than regular soda? Think again. I’m sure most of you are wary of all the warnings and risks that everything seems to have these days. If you stand in front of the microwave, such and such might possibly happen to you, which can result in death. If you use electronics, which most everyone does, you have the risk of getting a brain tumor transmitted through the radio-frequency. You are probably thinking, “anything might give me cancer, so why bother trying to avoid the bad stuff?” Well, if you don’t at least attempt to avoid the bad stuff (like artificial sweetener), then, in the long run, something serious might really happen. It obviously has happened to people before- I mean, where do you think they get these “warnings” from? Real life! So, here is the cliché list of potential side-effects from using artificial sweetener that you probably won’t take seriously: loss of vision, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, memory loss, visual impairment, weight gain, increased cancer risk (I know you saw that one coming), and even death.  Sound worth it? I think I’ll take stevia with my coffee please (I’ll get to stevia later).

Asking yourself which is the best sweetener to use is like asking, as Dr. Joseph Mercola, author of Sweet Deception puts it, “which would you rather be hit in the head with, a baseball bat or a golf club?” They are both detrimental to one’s health. Girls, you may think you’re doing yourself a favor by buying the diet soda, but the fact is that diet soda does not help shed the pounds.  Studies have shown that it does exactly the opposite. How? Artificial sweetener stimulates your appetite, making you want to eat more than your metabolism can handle. This has been proven with rats. In an experiment, one group of rats was fed yogurt sweetened with artificial sweetener while another group was fed regular yogurt for 14 days. During this time, the first group’s intake of food drastically increased compared to the second group’s food intake. Yes, this applies to the human body as well. Scientists also discovered that the first group of rats’ body temperatures dramatically decreased, meaning their metabolism slowed down. Artificial sweetener not only causes you to eat more, but it causes your metabolism to slow down, which is a double whammy! 

So, what is the solution? Certainly not to resort back to sugar! Sugar, though not as bad for you as artificial sweeteners, still has its definite downfall. First off, it is addictive. Research studies indicate that “sugar may be similar to morphine and heroin in its ability to increase opioids in your brain that produce pleasure” (Sweet Deception). This explains the diabetes explosion in America over the past ten years- we can’t control our own insatiable cravings! Did you know that Americans, on average, eat an estimated 158 pounds of sugar per year? And sugar consumption rates are climbing higher all the time in the U.S. Obviously, sugar is not the answer to our dilemma. Is there a healthy substitute for sugar? Yes: Stevia. Stevia has no calories, and has been tested and deemed safe for consumption (though, haven’t all sweeteners?). It has no effects on blood sugar levels (in fact, it has been proven to help stabilize blood sugar levels) and is the least processed sweetener out there. Instead of causing diabetes like real sugar does, the stevia plant has been often used as a remedy. The good news is there are no reported side-effects of stevia- it’s 100% safe! It is exceptionally sweeter than sugar, so usage of it should be in very small amounts; a pinch will go a long way. Using stevia does take some practice, but the long-term benefits of leaving sugar and other artificial sweeteners behind make the adjustment worth it. Where to find it? A local health store. Trust me, it’s worth the investment.