The Only 'Sweeteners' You Should Use

Posted on 04/13/2018

If you want to live a long, healthy life, do this one simple thing...

Stop using sugar and artificial sweeteners.

That's it. It's really that simple. And I've given that advice for years.

But it doesn't seem to stick.

Here's just a few of the e-mails from readers asking which sugar alternatives are safe in the past couple of weeks...

Does your warning about "fake sugars" apply equally to stevia? – M.D. I've read [information that] indicates that aspartame is safe – safer than real sugar. – M.H. Does the artificial sweetener Truvia have the same adverse effects as do others? – L.A.

Again, I don't recommend consuming any artificial sweeteners, but you should know that some are more dangerous than others...

Aspartame, a main ingredient in Equal, is a common sugar substitute found in ice cream, diet soda, mints, hard candy, and chewing gum. And yes, it's dangerous... Aspartame increases inflammation, damages healthy gut bacteria, and causes headaches. It also lowers your sex drive.

Saccharin is in artificial sweeteners like Sweet 'N Low, as well as low-calorie or zero-calorie foods like jams, salad dressing, sugar-free gum, and many "diet" processed foods. Research shows saccharin disrupts gut bacteria, causes weight gain, and leads to high blood-sugar levels.

Sucralose is the sweetener in Splenda. Like sugar, sucralose causes a rapid increase in blood sugar. Elevated blood-sugar levels trigger the production of fat, increase inflammation, and raise blood pressure.

The only sugar replacement we're even somewhat interested in is stevia, which is a natural, plant-based sweetener. It's in brand-name sweeteners Truvia and Pure Via.

A study from the University of Florida points out that stevia helps reduce blood-sugar spikes after eating. It also increases the body's sensitivity to insulin, meaning you can better control the breakdown of sugar in your body.

But we don't recommend stevia...

The problem with stevia is its effect on blood pressure. Some research suggests that stevia lowers your blood pressure. This leads to dangerous levels if you're already on blood-pressure-lowering medication.

I've said it before, but I don't mind repeating myself. If you've got a sweet tooth, stick to fruit. The fiber in the fruit helps to slow the absorption of sugar... And you'll get all the health benefits of fruits, too.

Personally, I like to satisfy my sweet tooth by using raw honey as a sweetener.

In this week's video update, my researcher Amanda Cuocci talks more about the dangers of artificial sweeteners... including one that is feeding a rise in a deadly superbug.

Click here to watch.