the world in recent years has seen a surge in people with health problems not caused by malnutrition, but rather 'overnutrition'

countries like the USA have one of the highest numbers of obese populations, primarily caused by lifestyle and diet factors.

this has led to a new trend in food where the health conscious are very particular about the things they consume.

people who watch their diet typically observe their daily calorie intake to suit their lifestyle and avoid over-consuming. the demand for low calorie foods have sparked the development and usage of artificial sweeteners which contain close to zero calories and yet serve the same function of sugar. to provide 'sweetness' to food products, without the unwanted carbohydrates.

artificial sweeteners include aspartame - which is used in 'coke zero' a popular derivative of coca-cola, stevia - which is 300 times sweeter than sugar and is recently recognized as 'generally regarded as safe' (GRAS), saccharin - one of the oldest developed artificial sweetener, and many more.

the saying 'there is no free lunch in this world' leads us then to these questions -

what are the drawbacks to using artificial sweeteners?
health effects?
psychological preconceptions about using artificial sweeteners?
what do malaysians think about the usage of artificial sweeteners in food?
discuss. 

artificial sweeteners especially aspartame produces adverse effects in some individuals.
most common manifestation would be migraines.
its also linked to some psychiatric conditions such as hallucinations and depression i guess..it is also known to precipitate seizures...
although there isn't any concrete proof that artificial sweeteners are detrimental to health.
i think its best that we consume natural sugars instead of chemical sugars.
after all aspartame was first discovered as a drug.. not a sweetener..

well.. in medicine we have yet to produce any evidence.
still stuck at the observation stage.. thus "isn't any concrete proof" comes into play

stevia is banned in a couple of countries (controversial) but is GRAS however, research is needed to demonstrate total safety.

it's also classed as a supplement instead of an additive by the FDA. thing is, these governing bodies for food regulations are so affected by major food corporations that some decisions made by them can be controversial at times.

also, i have tasted pure stevia before. tastes nasty. it's 300 times sweeter than sugar and if u put some on ur tongue it will taste so sweet it's bitter and leaves a strong odd aftertaste. im in the opinion that it will not totally emulate the taste and feel of sugar.