Whether or not you decide to use chemical sweeteners is your choice. BUT, in order to make an educated decision about the safety of diet chemical sugar substitutes, consumers must be informed about the negative aspects of these chemical sweeteners.
A healthy eating lifestyle requires an education in chemistry these days, especially when laboratory chemicals are used as replacements for natural elements essential to health and wellness. Take Splenda® for example: it's a big deal that the manufacturers of sucralose (Splenda's primary ingredient) replace three sugar atoms in the sugar molecule with three man-made chlorine atoms. If you choose to eat or drink the chlorine found in Splenda® , it is only fair that you, the consumer, be aware of the fact that studies show the chlorine in drinking water can cause birth defects and cancer in humans .
It is reasonable to inform the public that aspartame (found in NutraSweet/Equal®) caused holes to form in laboratory animal studies as early as the 1960s . Dr. Morando Soffritti of the European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy, recently confirmed four different types of cancers formed in laboratory rats after administering aspartame .
It is YOUR CHOICE whether or not to consume diet chemical, sweetener substitutes, but it is also YOUR RIGHT to know the negative side of these questionable chemicals added to your foods and drinks. Especially if you use them during pregnancy or give them to your children.
For more information on the dangers of chemical sweetener substitutes, visit http://www.janethull.com, http://www.sweetpoison.com, and http://www.issplendasafe.com
References
1. Federal Register. Vol. 63. No. 64. Rules and Regulations 16417-16433. Friday. April 3, 1998.
2. Magnus P. Chlorinated Tap Water and Birth Defects. Paper presentation. Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association. Feb 2000. http://www.lfsn.org/chlorina.htm.
3. Olney, J. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. Nov 1996.
4. Soffritti, M. European Ramazzini Foundation of Oncology and Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy. July 2005. crcfr@ramazzini.it

About The Author

Dr. Janet Starr Hull publishes a monthly health newsletter covering a wide range of important health topics. To sign up for her free newsletter or to view past articles, visit http://www.janethull.com/newsletter/index.php
An artificial sweetener expert, Dr. Hull is the author of "Sweet Poison" an expose on the dangers of aspartame, and "Splenda®: Is It Safe Or Not?", her newest book on the dangers of sucralose found in Splenda. Dr. Hull also features her detoxification program and Detox Kit, proven highly effective in cleansing the body of food chemicals and environmental toxins.