Today the spotlight is on sweeteners, the good, the bad and the nasty! We are all pretty familiar with the notion that artificial sweeteners are bad for you, however artificial sweeteners can often be hidden in complicated names that no one knows the meaning of! What’s worse is that ‘natural sweeteners’ are often just as bad as artificial ones. To keep it simple, we’ve compiled a list of artificial and ‘natural’ sweeteners which you should keep an eye out on your next trip to the grocery store! Artificial Sweeteners
According to an article on Doctor Oz, studies show that you could become susceptible to overeating due to chemically modified sweeteners damaging how your body naturally processes sugar. Of course, many companies out there do not want to know this and often disguise artificial sweeteners with names we wouldn’t normally know.
Here’s a list of common artificial sweeteners:
- Acesulfame potassium
- Brand names: Sunett, Sweet One
- Aspartame
- Brand names: NutraSweet, Equal, Sugar Twin, Spoonful and Equal-Measure
- Saccharin
- Brand names: Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet
- Sucralose
- Brand name: Splenda
- Neotame
- Brand name: NutraSweet
- Sorbitol
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Mannitol
Warnings of artificial sweeteners:
Our bodies cannot actually digest these artificial sweeteners, and as they are extremely sweet, they need to be diluted with fillers such as dextrose or maltodextrin. Of course, some artificial sweeteners are far worse than others. For example, as stated by Pam Anderson for National Geographic if Aspartame is ingested by those with the metabolic disorder of phenylketonuria, they “cannot process the amino acid phenylalanine, and too much of it in the body’s system can lead to mental retardation, low IQ, and behavioural problems.”
Of course, sensitivity to or side effects from artificial sweeteners vary from person to person. However common symptoms can include headaches, depression, mood changes, memory loss, fatigue, abdominal pain, dizziness and in some cases seizures.
How to avoid dangerous sweeteners?
- Always read the label
We always encourage you to read the front and back labels of your food items, so that you know exactly what’s in them, and if you’ve never heard a certain word before, that’s a pretty easy sign to pop it back on the shelf and walk away.
- Take a ‘cheat sheet’
Take a screenshot of these ingredient names or compile your own list in your notes on your phone. Then when you’re at the grocery store, you will have quick and easy access to your own personal artificial sweetener guide!
- Eat whole foods!
It sounds pretty simple, but the more whole food ingredients you have in your diet, the less you will have to worry about looking out for all these ingredients. Keep it simple, clean and easy!
Here at VIVO, we ensure our products and ingredient lists are simple, transparent and uncomplicated through clean labeling. As for sweeteners, we only use Natural Stevia Sweetener (which is 100% one ingredient only) derived from the leaves of the Stevia Rebaudiana Plant. Our Vanilla Creme Plant Protein is also sweetened naturally from real Vanilla Beans!