Artificial sweeteners include saccharin (pink packet), aspartame (Equal, NutriSweet, yellow packet), sucralose (Splenda), acesulfame and others. Recent derivatives of stevia (Truvia, green packet) are at the cusp of unnatural.

There is no data that artificial sweeteners help with weight loss.  On the contrary, there is growing data that artificial sweeteners can alter sugar metabolism and indirectly other processes.

With all artificial sweeteners, we are telling the brain that sugar is coming.  The body prepares for the receipt of these carbohydrate calories by releasing certain hormones and other signal molecules. When the sugar doesn’t come, the cellular processes that were ramped up to metabolize these sugars run improperly, such as when regular gas is put in a diesel engine.  Under continual bombardment of daily “diet” products, metabolism can be altered permanently.

Sugars such as xylitol and fructose have additional affects on the metabolism that will be discussed separately.

Type of sweet flavour carrier affects thyroid axis activity in male rats

Artificial Sweetener Citations

Mercola – Artificial Sweeteners Are Toxic to Gut Bacteria