Scary or Sweet?

For more than 100 years, there has been a study to find possible replacements for natural sugar. 

During World War I and II, sugar rationing was in high effect; and saccharin was used in it's place.  However, in the late 1960's the fear that saccharin caused cancer suddenly became front page news and Tab drinkers were left trying to choose between thirst or their health.

There are a dozen different sugar substitutes on the market, and it seems as though every year a new one is introduced to the public.  I still have a hard time trying to understand why we feel the need to create a substitute for something that is already 100% natural and pure in it's original form.  The need to count and cut calories, in one way or another, is understandable.  But, I believe that in life - all things in moderation.  If you feel the need to drink six diet sodas a day, you probably shouldn't even be drinking soda to begin with - diet or not. 

I have intense personal feelings with all of this because I am, in fact, allergic to sugar substitutes.  Aspartame in particular.  As a matter of fact, all of the women in my family are adversely effected by aspartame in one way or another.  For me, it causes a temporary paralysis.  Depending on the amount in which I ingest - I can either be laid up for 24 hours or a week until it works it's way out of my system.  For this reason, I simply stay away from substitutes in general.  Which can sometimes make shopping difficult; forcing me to read practically all labels.  Even if a product isn't labeled "diet" or "sugar free" they can still contain faux sugar.

Sometimes people believe what they read, sometimes they don't have to read anything to have any beliefs.  I don't care what the government or the FDA says about the safety of sugar substitutes - I'll choose the real stuff anyday.