Are We Sweetening Up Life Too Much?

We are beginning to see just how chemically toxic our external environment from air, water and land can be , but it's our internal enviorment of our organ systems that are being bombarded by a wave of chemical and non-chemical toxins on a daily basis.

The FDA in 2011 reviewed numerous food colorings, dyes and artificial preservatives and have found a link between ADHD the attention disorder in children and artificial coloring which are made from coal tar derivatives to enhance color. They are also known to cause allergic reactions, fatigue, asthma, skin rash, headaches and hyper-reactivity.

Artificial flavorings are mostly a cheap production of a host of chemicals that try to taste like natural products .They are also linked to allergies, eczema, and can affect cellular enzymes , RNA, and the thyroid gland.

Artificial sweetners come in all shapes , sizes, and colored packages. There are so many to chose from today you just can't  keep up with them all. Whether the name is Acesulfame, sucralose, aspartame, Equal, Nutrasweet, saccharin,Sweet- n- Sow, splenda , Sorbitol, Agave, or Neotame ; they tend to be highly processed with no calories. Many substitute for natural forms of sugar in diet foods are in drinks to reduce calories. However, we are seeing how high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and some forms of Agave  increases caloric intake causing obesity, liver disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease in kids.

Sucralose was discovered coincidentally in the lab as a very effective pesticidal agent with chloroform based chemicals used in it. It is known to be linked with cancers.

Aspartame has been well documented in causing brain tumors, brain cancer, seizures and poor brain cognition. It is a high favorite in soft drinks, also. Some experience headaches, hallucinations and dizziness with it.

Early animal studies with saccharin showed it being related to cancer as well, but dose amounts in humans is often controversial.

Many chemicals are used in food such as fats to keep them from becoming rancid. These products such as BHT, BHA, TBHQ  can cause swelling, asthma, tumors, urticaria, and effect estrogen balance. They are noted to raise body fats such as triglycerides.

Marcus Wells, MD, MPH is a previous clinical associate at the National Institutes of Health and has a Master's in Public Health from Emory University with emphasis in Environmental & Occupational health