One of my friends recently sent me the info about artificial sweeteners causing MS-like symptoms and even causing/increasing the severity of lesions. Now I know she was trying to help me, but I’m guessing a lot of this is fabricated and exaggerated. Or have I missed some important medical information? Does anyone know what the real facts are? Not the email/social network scaremongering… The only reason I ask is that if there is any chance it could be increasing problems (I don’t believe for a minute that it would be “causing” MS), I need to change my diet! I have sweeteners in my tea, diet fizzy drinks and plenty of cordials! Years ago I saw a nutritionist (when we were starting our family) and she mentioned that it would be better to have unrefined sugar instead of sweeteners, so I did switch for a while during pregnancy etc., but I’m back on the bad stuff now! Thanks for your help X
Ignore the email Emma, it’s over 2 years old and the story is building up like a thriller… it even adds ‘sister’ was dying from MS (impossible) and once stopped having diet drinks the sister miraculously recovered.
I reckon in a year or so the story will have expanded further and the miracle sister will have cured the world of Aids, swam the chanel and raised billions of dollars (the orig email was American).
For your own health, I really would stay away from artificial sweeteners.
Here is what the UK Food Standards Agency has to say. It is boring, as the truth so often is, in comparison to the overheated scaremongering that (as you rightly suggest) gets fermented and regurgitated in the wilder and woollier parts of the internet.
Quite honestly, a girl with MS who has friends who push scaremongering nonsense needs no enemies!
Alison
x
http://www.food.gov.uk/policy-advice/additivesbranch/55174#.URrFZR11HTo
Thank you both! That’s pretty much what I’d assumed. Everything in moderation is my lifelong motto (except maybe chocolate, then moderation. goes out of the window!)!!! Don’t you just love these kinds of ‘helpful’ emails?!