I was discussing artificial sweeteners with my sister. She had a reaction once to aspartame that shook her up (understandably) and thus avoids artificial sweeteners ever since.
That being said, I know there are a lot of kooks out there (many of which listened to the radio station I once worked at) who have never seen a single person suffering negative effects from an artificial sweetener. These same people will insist everyone who touches the stuff is going to die Die DIE! Or even better, that artificial sweeteners were deliberately engineered to make the populace docile and easily controlled! Note that it doesn't matter which artificial sweetener is referenced. There is a group out there actively trying to smear it.
Anyway, the topic came up with my sister specifically in regard to sucralose. There is a group of people out there that think it is the worst thing you can put in your body. My sister didn't say that, I've just read some of their crap online.
The biggest argument I've seen against sucralose is that it contains chlorine, and chlorine is a poison! Never mind the fact that it is one half of sodium chloride, which is essential. The process of replacing one part of the sugar with chlorine in the sucralose process changes it, making it a stable, safe-for-consumption product.
Note: I will add the disclaimer "safe-for-consumption as far as we know". Times change, new research can come forward and change what we know. Kind of like how eggs are healthy one day, unhealthy the next, and ok the third. :) On the other hand, I certainly don't think it is harmful to avoid artificial sweeteners, so more power to you!
My sister has been told that, because she does other things that aren't good for you, she shouldn't sweat the artificial sweeteners. That's like saying because diabetics can't avoid 100% of sugar, they shouldn't bother reducing their sugar intake!
That being said, here is a funny story: My first job in high school was as a telemarketer for a fund raising operation. One day I was going to a vending machine to get something to drink and offered to pick up something for anyone else. A girl working in the office, who smoked, said she would like something, but was adamant that it not contain saccharin, as saccharin causes cancer. I couldn't keep from laughing, which caused her to blush and stammer some rationalization.
Frankly, I agree with her that saccharin should not be consumed, but it has nothing to do with the cancer causing potential (which they've backed off on in recent years). I just think saccharin tastes like crap and doesn't belong anywhere near my taste buds.
I'd like to meet the person who tasted saccharin and thought "this is like sugar" and give them a swift kick in a painful anatomical location. I think salt is a better sugar substitute!
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