Q: Is it okay for me to use Aspartame (NutraSweet) in my coffee or drink diet colas during the day?

A: All foods that taste sweet cause the body to release insulin. The human body evolved at a time when all sweet things were carbohydrate-rich and needed insulin to be metabolized. Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes "trick" the body, stimulating it to release insulin in preparation for "sugar" it assumes is in the food. But no sugar from artificially-sweetened food appears in the blood, so the insulin that is released, can lower take the blood sugar that remains in the bloodstream from past meals and will often channel this energy into the liver and fat cells. After consuming artificially-sweetened foods, some carbohydrate addicts then feel the effects of excess insulin or low-blood-sugar levels including nervousness, irritability, sweating, shakiness, or light-headiness. These symptoms may be mild but many others often experience cravings for junk food, snack food, or sweets, or for more artificially sweetened-foods, and generally the person goes looking for a sweet or snack or more artificially-sweetened beverages or foods.

For more information on artificial sweeteners, sugar substitutes, and other carbohydrate act-alikes, see The Carbohydrate Addict's LifeSpan Program.