Aspartame vs. Sugar – Is One Any Better?

If you’re focused on weight loss, counting calories may be something that you’re familiar with. In an effort to limit calories, most people cut out fast food and junk food. Many people turn to artificial sweeteners such as aspartame instead of sugar as another way to reduce calories. Which is better – sugar or aspartame?

The difference between sugar and aspartamer
Aspartame was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974 but has been under controversy for many years.

Aspartame is one of the most common artificial sweeteners available, sold under the brand names NutraSweet and Equal. Aspartame is made by joining together the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are found naturally in many foods.

Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used in many beverages and foods. Because of this you can use much less of it and still achieve sweetness. A major selling feature of aspartame is that it contains far few calories (two calories per teaspoon) than sugar and can therefore help with weight loss. It tends to be found in diet sodas but because of health conce
s and public perception, many companies – like Pepsi – are dropping the sweetener.

On the other hand, sugar is a carbohydrate and one teaspoon contains 16 calories. There are naturally occurring sugars found in fruits and vegetables, and added sugars which are found in many processed foods. We’re conce
ed about added sugars, hiding in everything from baked goods to packaged tomato sauce.

With the rise of obesity, cutting calories seems to be favored among dieters. The easiest way to cut calories then is to switch to sugar alte
atives, like aspartame, which still offer sweetness without the added calories. Easy? Maybe, but not the best option for your health.

Why aspartame and sugar could both be badr
Over the years, much attention has been focused on a possible link between aspartame and cancer. However, research has not fully supported this. Claims have also been made that aspartame consumption may lead to a number of side effects. These include:

Headaches
Dizzinessr
Digestive problemsr
Mood changes.
Serious health issues have also been attributed to the use of aspartame, which include: