What's the deal with artificial sweeteners?

Question:

Short Answer:

Oftentimes we get asked the question "Is Diet Soda OK to drink?" or "Can I put splenda in my coffee?" Both have 0 calories and 0 grams of sugar, right? While the nutrition label may look great, artificial sweeteners can cause a whole host of problems...some felt right away, others can hit much later on. So what is the deal with them???

Longer Answer:

To start, artificial sweeteners are non-sugar compounds that interact with our tongue, tricking us to think that sugar is about to enter our bodies. Some common ones you may see at restaurants in those little containers include sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal), or saccharin (Sweet N Low). The problem with consuming them is that it tricks our brain to release insulin as it thinks our bodies are about to get some sweets or glucose. When insulin is increased, it helps clear out some glucose currently in our bodies and our blood sugar levels dip because new glucose isn't actually coming in, leaving us feeling irritable and low in energy. Additionally, it can cause us to crave even more sugar because our bodies never received it in the first place! Also, when insulin levels are high, we are unable to burn fat and our goal is to become fat-burning machines around the clock. However, the more concerning issue is that when insulin levels are consistently high, we may become insulin-resistant, starting us down the path of becoming diabetic.

Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners are no longer just found in diet soda. They are starting to pop up in juices/sports drinks, snacks, yogurt, and even breads! However, the easiest place to remove artificial sweeteners from your life is from your beverage. Sticking with water, green/black tea, and coffee are much healthier alternatives as they all come from natural resources. Adding some cucumber or lemon/lime to your water, or having your tea chilled rather than hot, or learning to enjoy the fine nuances of a good, quality black coffee are all ways to help you enjoy your beverages. And lastly, if you absolutely have to have a little sweet, stevia (Truvia) and Monk Fruit are among the safer natural sweeteners, as they come from a natural source. Otherwise, Sugar Alcohols like Erythritol are also OK since your body treats them like a fiber as they are not digested.

For more information on artificial sweeteners, see these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1TbGMHZtV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvqt1bGwwpg

Yours in Health & Friendship,

- The Fit Father Project
Customer Success Team