The use of cocaine and tobacco were once approved medical practices by doctors at one point in time. Through modern knowledge and technology, these practices are now illegal and strongly advised against. Just like people once believed that curing a headache with cocaine or smoking while pregnant was acceptable, most younger generations were raised to believe that there was no difference between pure and artificial sugars. The popular belief was that artificial sugars are safe for all to consume is now being challenged with new research. The safety of artificial sugars, especially with the negative relationship to children and their mental and physical health.

When first talking about artificial sugars and natural sugar many people do not know how they affect the body and how they affect the body differently. In all, sugar in any form is a carbohydrate and the body then turns that into glucose for energy. The body breaks down artificial sugars quickly causing blood sugars to dramatically increase. This causes the empty feeling in your stomach after eating artificial sugars. On the other hand, natural sugar is processed slower by the body. This causes your body to feel fuller for longer (Baker). This not only is a problem for adults but children as well. Children are often fed by their parents. When the parents fed them foods high in artificial sugars it could leave them hungry soon after eating. Causing the child in return to eat more food in return.

 When talking about children we often think what we give them for breakfast lunch and dinner. Mothers never want to hurt their children. What about what mothers eat before the child is even born. With the pregnancy cravings and every other daily obstacle an expecting mother over comes how do those effect the child? A study done Meghan Azad found a link associated with pregnant women drinking artificial sweetened beverages and their babies body mass index (BMI). In this study 3033 expecting mothers completed a dietary evaluation during their pregnancy, and then their infants BMI was measured after birth and then again after one year of age. In this experiments conclusion the mothers that consumed more artificially sweetened beverages during pregnancy had the baby’s BMI double after one year. This experiment is the first of its kind. The influence of this experiment has made many realize the repercussions artificial sugars have on the body when pregnant and how the child could have problems even before being born. This experiment has also raised more questions than concern doctors. Artificial sugars have always been deemed safe for consumption and are not thought twice about when women are told what to eat and not to eat when pregnant. This experiment and others in the future are likely to change the opinions of doctors and one day pregnant women are told to stay away from artificial sugars.

Craving something is heightened when it is old outside and when we are young. Compared to natural pure cane sugar artificial sugars anywhere from 180 to 13,000 times sweeter than pure cane sugar (Park). Our bodies are not meant to handle this excess amount of sweetness, causing food cravings and addiction. “The FDA has approved five artificial sweeteners: saccharin [300 times sweeter than pure sugar commonly known as Sweet’N Low], acesulfame [200 times sweeter], aspartame [180 times sweeter commonly known as Equal], neotame [7,000-13,000 times sweeter], and sucralose [600 times sweeter and commonly known as Splenda]” (Tandel). Artificial sugars effect the brain just like taking something with highly addictive qualities. Meaning artificial sugars and substances that are highly addictive like heroine have the same effect on the brain. A study done where already cocaine-addicted lab rats choose artificial sweetened water over cocaine every time (Sweet Addiction). Correspondingly high intakes of sweetened foods can actually change the taste buds, making cravings for more sweetened foods. 

The most often and rational reason someone would have artificial sugars in their diets is because someone wants to lose weight. Furthermore, the first six years of a human’s life their taste buds are being trained (Castle) so the excess intake of artificial sugars can change the child’s taste buds and intake even more sugar causing a weight gain. When exposed to the excess amounts of artificial sugars in the majority of our foods in this day in age cause future problems when the child has grown up and can think for themselves. 

As a child the most important thing their body is doing, is growing. Many times artificially sweetened things are chosen because they have zero calories and parents do not want to add more calories into their child’s diet. But in retrospect they are adding additional sugars into their diet with no nutritional value. This leads less room in the body for actual nutritious food. When a child is eating artificial sugars in food the brain thinks it is getting nutrients but really they are not getting any and the child then craves more sugar after the body is don’t processing it. With a lack of nutrients, the body can start to experience bone loss and stunt a child’s growth. Also artificial sugars have a negative impact on a child’s teeth (Sweet Addiction). When a child is growing their teeth are exposed to much more than adult teeth. Artificial sugars can cause tooth decay because of the over exposure to these chemicals (Purthi). 

Many people around the world are taking notice of artificial sugars in their diets. People are cutting artificial sugars out of their diets and big corporations are taking notice. Many food and beverage companies use artificial sugars, and after years of complaints made by consumers the brand Pepsi is now making their diet soda aspartame free (ABC news).

While some doctors argue artificial sugar is not safe there are some doctors who are all for artificial sugars as long as you pick the right type of sweetener for you. On a news cast they brought on a women (Jen) who believes artificial sugars do the same thing for your body no matter what type. She says in the interview as long as you stay within the limit of 25 grams for women and 37 grams for men it doesn’t matter its all the same (ABC news). Her view of artificial sugars disregard’s everything known about how it and how it effects the metabolism. She states that it doesn’t matter sugar is sugar what matters is what you are using the sugar for either weight control or maybe you have diabetes. Which yes is a plus to having artificial sugars in the diet but only for people with diabetes so they don’t get blood sugar spikes.

In conclusion, the topic of artificial sugars is vastly growing. New research is now challenging what we once preserved as safe for children regarding artificial sugars effects of their mental and physical health. Knowing the addictive powers artificial sugars can have on child and the possibility of them gaining weight at such a young age is a very important piece to the puzzle. All the new experiments and tests with artificial sugars that have never been done before now shine a light onto something that was not known before. Plus, with more and more research being done and public back lash, companies that once thrived on artificially sweetened foods are now changing for a healthier tomorrow. An interesting experiment found was organic jam and artificially sweetened jam were put to the test by ants. This was a very simple test done with two different jams some ants and piece of paper. in the experiment ____ put one dollop of the organic jam down on a sheet of paper and artificially sweetened jam on the other side. He then released the ants and watched to see what the ants did. Astonishingly the ants barely noticed the artificially sweetened jam. The ants did not even look at it like it was food. This result would amaze a lot who thought artificial sugars and natural sugars were the same thing. This makes me wonder if ants wouldn’t even put it in their bodies why do we?
