Chemical Sweeteners

It is part of "conventional wisdom" that sugar is bad...simple sugars rob the body of nutrients. This has been a part of the mantra of health advocates for years. We are also told that:

• we need to control carbohydrate consumption
  
• sugar intake is linked to diabetes
• we are a carb-addicted society

All too true...but what about those who are really diabetic or want to control carbs and turn to artificial sweeteners? My father was a diabetic and used saccharine, nutrasweet and Splenda. Many of my friends and family use those products. Yet, they are probably MORE harmful than refined sugar because they are basically just chemicals. Splenda, which many think is just modified sugar and should be benign, is most likely the worst of them all...containing the highly toxic chlorine.

There are many alternative that are natural and healthy. I use raw, organic sugar in moderation. Fructose (not the processed high-fructose corn syrup, but plain fruit sugar) and Agave syrup are good choices and Stevia, a South American herb, are all healthy alternatives to chemical sweeteners that won't make a huge impact on your blood sugar. I have used Stevia and it is great (as drops) in iced tea or hot tea.

Before you dump chemicals into your body, do some research first! And don't rely on research funded by the companies that make these products...they are known to be biased and untruthful. Check out Dr. Mercola's web site (http://www.mercola.com/) and search his site for Splenda or Nutrasweet. What you will learn might change your mind about how you sweeten your life.