Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners: The Bitter Truth

There’s so much to unpack when sugar and artificial sweeteners are being talked about. Over the years, this sweet component has been a part of an unimaginable volume of food items, more than one could ever think of.

The terms sugar and artificial sweeteners have been re-modeled and revamped countless times to make them look and sound as natural as possible. Thinking about it, why does it have to be re-named if nothing is actually wrong with it? Clearly, most consumers are lured by their taste more than their effect on one’s health.

By now, it has become common knowledge that some, if not most of the ready-to-eat foods, pre-packed condiments, easy snack options are heavily processed, and ultimately, there’s a high probability that they are poured over with loads of artificial sweeteners.

What Is Refined Sugar?

Before you even explore the truth about artificial sweeteners, you first need to embrace and understand what refined sugar is. In a nutshell, the intention of refining the sugar from its raw form isn’t bad at all. At the beginning, sugar in its most basic form isn’t really bad. They are extracted from plant-based sources, primarily sugar cane.

The process of refinement is the method used to remove impurities, particularly the non-sugar materials that are combined during their extraction from their original form. Also, refining sugar makes it less prone to contamination, and spoilage during transport and distribution. This is a must given the world’s demand for sugar.