In the last twenty-five years, artificial sweeteners have become a way of life for most Americans. However, if this is such a good thing, why has obesity dramatically increased during the same time period? I thought it would benefit me to take a closer look at artificial sweeteners. Splenda is sucralose that substitutes chlorine in the final molecule. There have been reports of stomach cramps and diarrhea after ingesting large amounts of splenda. Saccharin (Sweet & Low) and Aspartame (Equal, Nutra Sweet) have received some bad publicity over the years. Although, nothing has been proven without doubt, to date. All of these artificial sweeteners are approved by the FDA. Most of our processed foods that say "sugar-free" on the label contain one of these sweeteners. The more we consume processed foods that are "sugar-free", the more artificial sweetener we are ingesting. How much is too much? A Purdues researchers study which appeared in the July 2004 issue of the International Journal of Obesity found that "artificial sweetener may disrupt the bodys natural ability to "count" calories based on food "sweeteners"." What does this mean for us?

This disruption of our natural ability can lead to an increase in the number of calories that we consume. This could explain why there has been an increase in sugar-free products and an increase in weight gain occurring at the same time.

An alternative, relatively new to the United States is Stevia. Stevia is a sweet tasting herb, native to Paraguay. It has been used in Japan for over 20 years with no adverse side effects. Its sweetness is naturally concentrated. A few drops in a cup of tea is more than sufficient. The FDA has banned the use of Stevia as an artificial sweetener until it can be tested to its satisfaction. However, Stevia can be obtained in health food stores as a supplement.

Common sense should tell us that in order to have an effective weight management lifestyle, we need to reduce our consumption of processed foods - even though they may be sugar-free. While it now appears that Stevia is a "safe" alternative to other forms of artificial sweeteners, balance is the key in all things.