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by: GailM.Davis
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Artificial sweeteners became hugely popular around the same time frame that obesity became an epidemic. Could Saccharin, first introduced to us in the 1950s, be to blame or is it actually one of the best things that happened to dieters?

Unfortunately, that question remains unanswered as both sides duke it out. Studies are being conducted, but the results often contradict one another.

A historical timeline exists for artificial sweeteners. The first widely used sweetener was Saccharin. Although it had been around since 1879, and used in both world wars due to it's low cost, it was first marketed as Sweet and Low almost 60 years ago. In 1983, Aspartame was introduced and joined by Sucralose in 1999.

When it came to the production of low-calorie foods and beverages, the public couldn't get enough of these products. While artificial sweeteners are meant to trick the taste buds in to thinking you have satisfied your sweet tooth, some research is now indicating that the sweeteners actually confuse our systems when it comes to caloric intake and appetite control.

A Purdue University study is causing alarm for many people. This experiment, which was conducted on rats, showed that rats eating artificial sweeteners gained more weight and ate more food than those who did not.

The University of Texas Health Science Center conducted another disturbing study that examined the effect of diet soda on weight loss. Their results showed that people who drank even one diet soda a day, over a period of four years, had a 50% increased risk of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is a word used to characterize the risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Some of the more common ones are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and abdominal obesity. One statement that was made, as a result of the study, was that drinking even one diet soda a day increases the risk of obesity by as much as 41%.

Opponents of this study, particularly The Calorie Control Council, are quick to point out the flaws. This international organization represents the low-calorie and reduced-fat food and beverage industry. They report that the rat sampling was small and that Saccharin is often used as a reward for rats. Further comments include the fact that a study on rats does not necessarily apply to humans, and physical inactivity and large portion sizes were not factored in as possible contributing causes.

The second study received criticism as well from the Calorie Control Council. "Leading health groups agree that low-calorie sweeteners and the products that contain them can help people manage their weight as part of an overall healthy diet, " they reported after pointing out several important studies that showed artificial sweeteners to be very beneficial to weight loss programs. Their criticism included the fact that no definitive conclusions were provided to show why artificial sweeteners would increase the risk of metabolic syndrome. "The researchers did not control for weight gain, which is related to the development of metabolic syndrome, nor did they exclude overweight individuals from the study."

So, are artificial sweeteners the hidden saboteurs of our weight loss efforts? Can we blame them for the obesity epidemic or will be have to accept the blame ourselves for leading sedentary lives that revolve around food? You're going to have to decide...

About the Author

Gail M. Davis offers additional facts on artificial sweeteners along with delicious recipes and other issues concerning weight loss on her website, Easy Weight Loss Tips.

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