When you are looking to satisfy your sweet tooth, you can often reach for artificial sweeteners as a substitute for sugar. There are countless artificial sweeteners on the market that are designed to replace sugar and still offer a pleasant taste. There are many pros and cons of artificial sweeteners that you should be aware of before you add some to your next morning cup of tea.
Pros of Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are designed to be a sugar substitute that is a healthy option. Here are just a few of the positive benefits that can be found from using artificial sweeteners:
Sugar Substitute That Works
Sometimes the alternative is never quite as good as the original, but artificial sweeteners offer a better and sweeter flavor that does not have effect on the sugar levels within the body. This means that you can use less artificial sweetener instead of using a larger amount of sugar to produce the same sweet taste.
Safe For Pregnant Women
Artificial sweeteners have been tested to ensure that they are safe and cause no real harm within the body. Pregnant women can use artificial sweeteners without worry and there are no adverse effects when artificial sweeteners are heated. If you are looking to adjust your pregnancy diet or manage diabetes, artificial sweeteners have been found to help.
Cons of Artificial Sweeteners
Although there are many benefits associated with the use of artificial sweeteners, there are some noticeable cons.
Artificial Is In The Name
These sweeteners taste similar to sugar, but in some instances an artificial taste can reside in your mouth after consumption. These types of sweeteners have also been found to somehow alter the texture of baked goods when added to recipes as a sugar alternative. They are similar to sugar, but they are not exactly the same and they are called artificial for a reason.
Cancer Link
There has been a lot of research done on the connection between artificial sweeteners and cancer. There is no conclusive answer, but artificial sweeteners have been proven to increase the onset of cancer. For this reason, many children are urged not to use artificial sweeteners. More research is being done to learn more about this type of sugar substitute. If you have allergies, you should avoid artificial sweeteners, but that is the only evident risk to users of this product.