Artificially Sweet?
Since many diabetics are looking for alternative to sugar they often turn to dangerous sugar substitutes; in my practice I work to help diabetics get healthy and I think information along the lines of this article by Dr. Mercola is worth reading.
I frequently see people looking for ways to eliminate sugar and this is definitely not one of the ones they should reach for. Instead my recommendation would be to use Stevia as an alternative to sugar.
What is Stevia?
Stevia is a plant that is native to South America. It is probably best known as a source of natural sweeteners. In fact, native people in South America have used Stevia as a sweetener for hundreds of years.
"Extract made from the leaves of the Stevia plant is undoubtedly the safest sweetener on the market. Unlike aspartame and other artificial sweeteners that have been cited for dangerous toxicities, regular Stevia is a safe, natural alternative that's ideal if you’re watching your weight, or if you’re maintaining your health by avoiding sugar.
It is hundreds of times sweeter than sugar and truly has virtually no calories -- unlike the lies and deceptions with regular artificial sweeteners, which are loaded with other sugars to make them flow better."
– Dr Mercola in The Potential Dangers of Sucralose (Splenda)
Don't let these large companies fool you.
There is no magic alternative to sugar when it comes to sweeteners. There are reports from all over the world from people who report being harmed by sucralose.
For example, there are reports of the following after eating sucralose:
Gastrointestinal problems
Seizures, dizziness and migraines
Blurred vision
Allergic reactions
Blood sugar increases and weight gain
At the time of my last analysis in 2006, there were only six human trials published on Splenda (sucralose). Of these six trials, only two of the trials were completed and published before the FDA approved sucralose for human consumption. The two published trials had a grand total of 36 total human subjects.
36 people sure doesn't sound like many, but wait, it gets worse, only 23 total were actually given sucralose for testing and here is the real killer: The longest trial at this time had lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance. Read more in the New Study of Splenda (Sucralose) Reveals Shocking Information
James Turner, the chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health, has expressed shock and outrage after reading a new report from scientists outlining the dangers of the artificial sweetener Splenda (sucralose).
In animals examined for the study, Sucralose (Splenda) reduced the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50 percent, increased the pH level in the intestines, contributed to increases in body weight...
... It’s very important to realize that Splenda (sucralose) is actually NOT sugar, despite its marketing slogan “Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar”.
Rather it’s a chlorinated artificial sweetener in line with aspartame and saccharin, and with detrimental health effects to match.
There’s overwhelming evidence that consuming artificial sweeteners will likely wreak havoc on your body.
Previous news has centered mainly around artificial sweeteners’ ability to impair your appetite regulation and leading to weight gain.
For example, it’s been discovered that diet soda increases your risk of metabolic syndrome and, ultimately, heart disease.
However, the study mentioned above, published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, found even further disturbing news besides weight gain. Sucralose (Splenda):
reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
increases the pH level in your intestines, and
affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you’re on certain medications Read More
Want to take control of your health and improve your blood sugar levels? Reach out to us! Feel free to call for a free 15 minute phone consultation at any time: 408-984-7444 and thanks for reading!
