Quite possibly, an entire book could be written about sweeteners. If the dangers of artificial sweeteners are not already blatantly obvious, just google the term aspartame and you’ll see a laundry list of safety concerns that will make you sick, fat, and nearly dead. Aspartame hides behind brands like NutraSweet, and Equal, but in my opinion, other so-called “naturally occuring” sweeteners like Stevia and Splenda are just as dangerous. Sweetener is not a health food.
Sugar supplies energy in the body in the form of glucose, which is the preferred energy source for the brain, central nervous system, and even the placenta; it is the only energy source for red blood cells. With that said, the best source of simple sugars are those found in fresh fruits. Period. All added sweeteners, especially refined and high fructose corn syrup, should be used in moderation, and when I use the term moderation, I use it sparingly because everyone has a different definition of moderation. The USDA recommends that sugar be no more than 5% of your daily intake of calories. Translation? 1 teaspoon of sugar in your coffee is enough added sugar for the whole day. Keep that in mind when you’re looking at this chart to determine what you’re going to use in your cookies or muffins!
Need more facts? Check out this infographic from MindBodyGreen…it will help you understand how dangerous sugar can be.