My Real Artificial Sweetener Platform

The other day a friend of mine gave me a cute kid cup with a really cute swirly straw in it. It came with a Pedialyte powder sample she got from her pediatrician. I was glad to have it. The cup is blue and it looks like a lot of fun. I thought my boys would really like it.

Later, I opened the cup and looked through the marketing materials in the cup. They were eye catching and presented something seemingly very appealing with the registered slogan, "Anywhere there's water, there's Pedialyte." Genius! A totable electrolyte maintenance drink.

As I read the documentation I was really disgusted that the children's powder had not one but two artificial sweeteners in it. I went to the web to dig a little deeper and discovered that all of the Pedialyte products (except the unflavored liquid) have Sucralose (splenda) and acesulfame potassium (acesulfame K).

Artificial sweeteners are dangerous to the health of humans and animals. There is not enough research yet to even know how dangerous they are. You don't have to take it from me, though I can tell you that if I ingest them they trigger a well controlled health issue that I have to the point that I could die within hours, or at minimum be very physically ill for many days.

What is the most frightening thing for me is that artificial sweeteners are being used in many pharmaceutical applications (some artificial sweeteners began as actual treatment drugs), in an overwhelming amount of regular foods, and almost all diet foods. They are in almost all chewing gum, many candies, many soft drinks, all diet soft drinks, toothpaste, and so many more places (seafood salad, crab cakes) that you just wouldn't think of. All of the artificial sweetener builds up in your system because our bodies cannot metabolize the chemicals and most of it is not expelled, but is stored in fat cells and who knows where else in our bodies!

If you are concerned at all (you should be), there are a lot of places to do research and get more information. Please read about the proven side effects and long term effects of artificial sweeteners. Remember, our medical doctors are often asked to promote new items to their patients for benefit to their practice. I would suggest asking your medical doctor where they stand on this issue, but also be your own advocate. Ultimately, you are the only one who can or should be in control of your health and the health of your family. *****Remember that artificial sweeteners are chemicals, not food.*****

Research these key names:
Sucralose
Splenda
Aspartame
Acesulfame Potassium
Acesulfame K
Saccharin

Here are a few sites to look at:
Women to Women Article
SweetPoison
Environmental Health Perspectives Article
WiseGeek Article