Do you know that too much sweetness kills? Especially if you are consuming food with artificial sweeteners, your body may not be getting just the right amount of sugar it needs

You may not know it, but you may be consuming food additives in almost anything that you eat. Food additives may enhance color, flavor, and nutritional value, but do keep in mind that not all food additives are good for the body. Take sugar substitutes for example.

Generally, sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate derived from vegetables and fruits like sugar canes and sugar beets. Sugar substitutes, referred to as “sugars that do not come from sugar canes and sugar beets”, include maple syrup, corn syrup, and honey.

Because diabetics and weight-conscious individuals need to monitor their caloric intake and blood sugar levels, an influx of artificial sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners made their way into the market. These include sacharrin, aspartame, and splenda. Alarmingly, some researchers believe that these artificial sugars can cause a string of health problems.

Also known as sucralose, Splenda is 600 times sweeter than sugar. In the United States, it was approved by the FDA in 1998 as a tabletop sweetener and for use in other products. However, Lifescan.com claims that sucralose is a chlorocarbon that causes genetic, reproductive, and organ defects leading to problems like serious diarrhea and abortion.

Aspartame, on the other hand, is made up of the chemicals aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. According to holisticmed.com, ill effects from these include weight gain, muscle spasms, insomnia, memory loss, headaches, migraines, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Finally, sacharrin is the oldest sugar substitute that is 300 times sweeter than the real sugar. According to Lisa Shea of Bellaonline.com, the most known side effect of saccharin is bladder cancer. Pregnant women are also warned to stay away from sacharrin-based liquids because it could lead to damages in the developing bladder of the fetus. In 1977, the US FDA banned sacharrin-based products but retracted it in 1991.