The
government says Americans eat more than 45 pounds of added sugar each year. But
between diet sodas and sugar free desserts, they also eat a lot of artificial
sweeteners.
From sodas, to jello, stores are full of sugar-free choices. But something else is making those foods sweet, and those ingredients are not always healthier.
"I don't recommend sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners myself."
Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian and worries sugar substitutes, like Splenda and Equal, can trigger bad habits.
"There's some indication they may stoke a sweet tooth so you'll be looking for sweets elsewhere or you're just obsessively thinking about sweets all the time," explained Sass.
Even though the government has tested and approved the sweeteners, shoppers like Christine Walsdorf have their doubts.
"I think there's questionable data about it so if I can avoid it I avoid it," said Walsdorf.
Suspicion about artificial sweeteners dates all the way back to the 1970s when saccharine actually carried a warning label.
The cancer warning came off more than ten years ago, but nutritionists are still wary.
They worry that dieters assume "sugar-free" means it will help you lose weight. Not always true since the products can still contain fats and carbohydrates.
We looked at two cookies from the same brand, one regular and one sugar free.
"Not much of a difference - we're talking about maybe a 5 calorie difference per cookie," said Sass.
Plus, the sugar-free version is smaller, which might encourage you to eat more. The ingredient list is also longer. Leading experts say, if the label reads like a science experiment, there's probably a healthier option.
From sodas, to jello, stores are full of sugar-free choices. But something else is making those foods sweet, and those ingredients are not always healthier.
"I don't recommend sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners myself."
Cynthia Sass is a registered dietitian and worries sugar substitutes, like Splenda and Equal, can trigger bad habits.
"There's some indication they may stoke a sweet tooth so you'll be looking for sweets elsewhere or you're just obsessively thinking about sweets all the time," explained Sass.
Even though the government has tested and approved the sweeteners, shoppers like Christine Walsdorf have their doubts.
"I think there's questionable data about it so if I can avoid it I avoid it," said Walsdorf.
Suspicion about artificial sweeteners dates all the way back to the 1970s when saccharine actually carried a warning label.
The cancer warning came off more than ten years ago, but nutritionists are still wary.
They worry that dieters assume "sugar-free" means it will help you lose weight. Not always true since the products can still contain fats and carbohydrates.
We looked at two cookies from the same brand, one regular and one sugar free.
"Not much of a difference - we're talking about maybe a 5 calorie difference per cookie," said Sass.
Plus, the sugar-free version is smaller, which might encourage you to eat more. The ingredient list is also longer. Leading experts say, if the label reads like a science experiment, there's probably a healthier option.
