Artificial Sweeteners

 Equal is an artificial sweetener which has aspartame.

Aspartame  as·par·tame 

An artificial sweetener, C₁₄H₁₈N₂O₅, formed from aspartic acid.

PROS:  I tried to do research on the pros but couldn't find any real "pros". I typed pros of artificial sweetener in Google and what mostly came up was dangers, cancers etc. So that is not good to begin to start off. But on the website I listed at the end of this post says:

•  "Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by a scientist trying to make new ulcer drugs and approved by the FDA in 1981 for dry uses in tabletop sweeteners, chewing gum, cold breakfast cereals, gelatins, and puddings. It was able to be included in carbonated beverages in 1983"

CONS:

•  There's actually a disease called Aspartame disease the symptoms include headache, memory loss, tinnitus, abdominal pain and more. 
• depression
• cancer
• increased hunger (this one surprised me) Aspartame is used in many diet drinks which cause the person to want more of the product.

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Sweet' N Low is an artificial sweetener which has saccharin.

Saccharin  sac·cha·rin 

A white crystalline powder, C₇H₅NO₃S, having a taste about 500 times sweeter than cane sugar, used as a calorie-free sweetener.

PROS:

• been around for over 100 years
• low caloric intake

CONS:

• contains carcinogens
• allergic reactions
• ..."The Canadian Saccharin Study by D. L. Arnold and his associates, which was published in the July 1977 issue of Science magazine, showed cancerous bladder tumors in male rats who consumed saccharin. After this study, the FDA proposed a total ban on saccharin but Congress allowed saccharin to remain on the market as long as it was sold with a warning that use of the product may be hazardous to health. Since then, additional studies have shown that saccharin is safe for human consumption but many organizations such as the Center for the Science in Public Interest (CSPI) believe saccharin is probably a weak carcinogen and more testing is needed" (in my opinion just because it's a weak carcinogen doesn't mean we should be putting it into our bodies).
  
  Read more: Saccharin Effects | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/about_5279613_effects-saccharin.html#ixzz28pxCThss

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Splenda is an artificial sweetener which has sucralose.

Sucralose su·cra·lose 

An intensely sweet, heat-stable derivative of sucrose that contains no calories.

PROS:

• It can be used for cooking.
• "The FDA reviewed studies in human beings and animals and determined that sucralose did not pose carcinogenic, reproductive, or neurological risk to human beings." (I was looking for a pro like it has vitamins, minerals, etc but didn't find any...should've known better)

CONS:

• "Sucralose is made when sugar is treated with trityl chloride, acetic anhydride, hydrogen chlorine, thionyl chloride, and methanol in the presence of dimethylformamide, 4-methylmorpholine, toluene, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetic acid, benzyltriethlyammonium chloride, and sodium methoxide, making it unlike anything found in nature." (so basically they bleach it to death)
• "it is 600 times sweeter than sugar"
• "Chlorine is considered a carcinogen and has been used in poisonous gas, disinfectants, pesticides, and plastics".
• "The alleged symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations (rash, hives, redness, itching, swelling), wheezing, cough, runny nose, chest pains,palpitations, anxiety, anger, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes. The only way to be sure of the safety of sucralose is to have long-term studies on humans done".

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Check out these websites and video for more information:

http://www.medicinenet.com/artificial_sweeteners/page8.htm

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

The danger of Aspartame, Sucralose (Nutrasweet & Splenda)

Russell L. Blaylock, M.D., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills