Concerns on Sugar Substitutes

Many people have concerns with using sugar substitutes as a replacement for real sugar. There have been many theories about whether or not sugar substitutes increase the risk of disease, initiate or promote cancer, actually promote weight loss and affect pregnant or nursing mothers. These claims are widely believed to be true, which has led to many concerns among the public. But, recent studies have proven that there is no reason for these concerns and sugar substitutes are safe.

Disease

• Many people have criticized sugar substitutes for causing a variety of health problems and diseases. But, these claims are not true. Aspartame, which is the primary ingredient in Equal and NutraSweet, has been proven to be safe in nearly 200 toxicological and clinical studies by regulatory and scientific authorities, such as the American Medical Association, World Health Organization and the Food and Drug Administration. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has also found no reported symptoms that could be attributed to aspartame. In fact, according to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at The University of Arizona, sugar substitutes may actually be useful in overall health management.

Cancer

• Sugar substitutes do not increase the risk in cancer. According to the University of Arizona, studies have shown that no sugar substitute initiates or promotes the growth of cancer. The Mayo Clinic claims that these concerns first arose when a study done in the 1970s linked saccharin, a sugar substitute, to bladder cancer in mice. But, after performing more recent studies, the National Cancer Institute has followed up by claiming that there is no scientific evidence that sugar substitutes cause cancer. As a result of these newer studies, the scrutiny surrounding saccharin has been severely lessened.

Weight Loss

• Sugar substitutes do in fact promote weight loss. Unlike real sugar, sugar substitutes contain zero calories. Thus, you can cut out hundreds of calories by using substitute sugar in place of real sugar. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, since sugar substitutes are much sweeter, you only need to add a fraction of the amount of regular sugar that would normally be added.

Pregnant and Nursing Mothers

• In all cases, a physician or dietitian should be consulted before adding sugar substitutes to a pregnant or nursing mother's diet. But, according to the University of Arizona, all FDA approved sugar substitutes are safe for pregnant and nursing mothers. This is a common area of concern due to the weight loss many mothers wish to achieve after giving birth. But, so far, all studies have shown that these sugar substitutes have no affect on the child or mother.