Posted on January 22, 2010.
Weight Loss and artificial sweeteners: both safe and effective, impartial View Dr A Artificial sweeteners are safe, effective and very useful for anyone trying to limit their caloric intake. rumors on the Internet about their safety are not based on scientific facts. Studies have repeatedly shown no increase in hunger, cravings and constant weight loss.
People really like the taste of sugar, we are born with the desire and it seems to increase as we age. Diabetics and those seeking to avoid medical complications have turned to weight sweeteners consume more and more artificial (AS) not only in soft drinks, but in almost all foods as possible. In 1977, 4.8% of the population used daily as it has quadrupled to more than 15% today. Still not raised as one might assume because of their popularity
The safety and efficacy of artificial sweeteners for weight control have been the subject of controversy continues in the press and on the entire Internet. Many health problems have been attributed to the use of AS from multiple sclerosis, cancer, cellulite and kidney stones. When the FDA and the National Cancer Institute and consumer organizations as the Center for Science in the public interest to resolve a problem, another arises. Who should the consumer believe and what should he do? If the consumer to avoid artificial sweeteners because fear of cancer than to get diabetes, heart disease and obesity related problems?
It is difficult to know who to believe because there are many voices. Security issues has long been settled by the regulators are high-artificial campaigners who spend much of the effort to alert the public about what they see as the dangers of AS. Most are hypothetical questions completely without scientific evidence? While they claim to be impartial and independent ", they simply are not qualified to be able to scientifically evaluate the safety evaluations multiple, complex toxicological studies and reports of expert committees. Instead of using peer review medical reports of their findings are based on individual experience and anecdotes. As in all life sciences false positives and false negatives are a fact of life and expertise is needed to properly interpret the data from these studies. oversimplified interpretations lead to incorrect conclusions.
What consumers do in this situation? Like any problem, the consumer needs to seek the most trusted, experienced and educated experts he can find. It is not difficult because it is literally a mountain of reliable scientific studies, both old and very new.
Here are questions to answer:
1. Based on the most reliable, scientifically proven studies are artificial sweeteners safe?
2. Do artificial sweeteners help people lose weight and prevent the complications of obesity?
To answer these questions I have relied on the best science that I could find over the last 20 years. Here are the instructions I used to evaluate the data.
1. Only scientific studies written by MD or Ph.D. from accredited university medical centers are also taken into account.
2. The scientific evidence must be presented in a journal, recognized by peers containing not only the medical qualifications of authors, location of studies, medical references and relevant disclosures of conflicts of interest of authors.
3. Evidence of U.S. regulators and European positions and committees of experts from scientific associations.
Curiously, the responses are much simpler than you think: two issues, safety and efficiency, the issue of security has been paid by all reasonable people: AS are safe only.