How Dangerous Are Artificial Sweeteners

The Doctors Health Investigator, Liz Vaccariello, researches whether artificial sweeteners are healthy or not.

Liz Vaccariello: We are talking about artificial sweeteners. They are everywhere. Every product that's labeled light or low calorie contains an artificial sweetener. They're even in toothpastes. So many people want to reduce added sugars in their diet. They want to control calories. I wanted to find out is this a safe alternative. I've had heard the rumors that they're unsafe. They cause cancer. I wanted to get the answers. Travis Stork: Well, let's see what Liz uncovered. Liz Vaccariello: We hear the reports on the news, confusing, conflicting health information. But no doubt about it. Americans love their sweeteners. Female Speaker: I think artificial sweetener taste better. Female Speaker: Tastes more natural to me. Liz Vaccariello: I headed to a laboratory to get a lesson in food chemistry. I want to know what's the difference between what's in each of these packets. Claudio Cardelli: Well, all of this is made of chemicals. Ammonia, methanol and sulfur dioxide have been combined with amino acids. Liz Vaccariello: So there is nothing natural about these things? Claudio Cardelli: That's correct. Sucralose is very close to sugar. Some groups have been replaced with chlorides. Liz Vaccariello: So in the case of the blue and the pink packet there is more of a chemical process that occurs. Claudio Cardelli: That's correct. Liz Vaccariello: 8 out of 10 Americans consume some form of non-sugar sweetener and sales of these products are at $1.2 billion a year. But, really, what are we eating? Dr. Joseph Mercola is the bestselling author of Sweet Deception. He says there is more to the story. Dr. Joseph Mercola: There are a number of says that show this. There was an Italian study done about five years ago with 1800 rats that clearly showed an increased risk of lymphoma and leukemia in doses in rats that approximated human consumption. Liz Vaccariello: I am going to quote from your book. Aspartame is by far the most dangerous food additive on the market. So if these substances are so dangerous why have they been approved by the FDA. Dr. Joseph Mercola: There is a revolving door between industry and the government in which individuals allow these additives to be approved and then surely afterwards they leave and go to highly paid positions within an industry. Liz Vaccariello: So at the end of the day you don't necessarily trust what the FDA is saying? Dr. Joseph Mercola: I think we have lots of evidence to support that. Liz Vaccariello: What about the newest kid on the block, Stevia that comes from this plant, but is this really the safest of the bunch? Dr. Joseph Mercola: Stevia which is a natural herb. It's been present in South America over 15 centuries is far safer to use. Liz Vaccariello: Artificial sweeteners show up in all kinds of foods yogurts, oatmeal, fruit drinks, and obviously diet soda. Are they safe? Andrea Giancoli: They are safe in the amounts that we typically consume them, yes. An acceptable daily intake level has been set by the Food and Drug Administration, the FDA and we are not even getting near that level. Liz Vaccariello: So the public is always looking for a bad guy and you're saying the research just doesn't support that anymore. What happened? Andrea Giancoli: Well, in the instance of saccharin the cancer causing mechanism was only found in rats and not the same mechanism was found in humans. Liz Vaccariello: I looked into the studies done on rats and I was shocked. The amount ingested by these animals is the equivalent of a human eating 1,000 packets of artificial sweeteners in one day. Sometimes it's 17 times that amount. Andrea Giancoli: People aren't going to the emergency room with aspartame toxicity. It's just not happening. You're seeing people going in there with a Sucralose overload. Of course, too much of anything can be a bad thing. You can overdose on water. So in the normal amount that we consume these artificial sweeteners, they are safe. Liz Vaccariello: So if there are no links to cancer and human beings it's okay to bring on the sweeteners, right? I talked to a leading endocrinologist who says what we need to worry is not cancer, but something that may defeat the whole purpose of artificial sweeteners. So artificial sweeteners are marketed sometimes as a weight loss solution and what you're saying is that they can often have the opposite effect? Olga Calof: Yes, that's absolutely right. When people consume dietary drinks or foods with sweeteners they are fooled into thinking they're eating less calories. Unfortunately, what also occurs is the brain is fooled into thinking it's about to get sugar. But if there is no sugar the brain sends out signals to say, there is no food getting in. I am hungry. You better feed me. Go out and get some food. Liz Vaccariello: Whether you're trying control your weight or protect your health, the reality is these products are everywhere. Despite all the hype artificial sweeteners don't appear to be dangerous, but as with everything moderation is the key.