• People who want to avoid sugar have turned to the multitude of sugar substitutes, believing them to be healthier. But while artificial sweeteners may be calorie-free, sugar-free and low-fat, they offer no nutrients and are full of chemicals. They are damaging to your health because foreign chemicals in your body are toxins, and the more your system focuses on getting rid of these toxins, the less resources it will have for maintaining good health or fighting off ailments.
  
  

Aspartame

• Aspartame is commonly known by the brand names NutraSweet or Equal. According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, even a little bit of aspartame negatively alters the pituitary gland, which regulates all biochemical processes.
  
  Furthermore, according to researcher Dr. Christine Lydon, cited in the article "Sugar-Free Blues," aspartame decomposes into formaldehyde, which can cause central nervous disorders such as multiple sclerosis, lupus and fibromyalgia. Other side effects include migraines, high blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, intestinal problems, skin rashes, depression and male infertility.
  
  

Saccharin

• Saccharin, known commercially as Sweet 'N Low or Sugar Twin, was initially marketed as an antiseptic and only became a popular sugar substitute during World War I when sugar was scarce.
  
  According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, the Canadian government banned saccharin in the 1970s after discovering that it increased laboratory rats' risk of bladder cancer. Consuming saccharin can result in eczema, photosensitivity, wheezing, nausea, diarrhea, tongue blisters, headaches and increased urination.
  
  

Sucralose

• Splenda is the brand name for sucralose, a synthetic sweetener made from sugar but put through a chemical process that turns it into the same chemical compound that is used to make pesticides like DDT, as the Weston A. Price Foundation points out.
  
  According to the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center, sucralose may cause migraines, skin rashes, dizziness, numbness, diarrhea, intestinal cramping, bladder issues, shrunken thymus gland, enlarged liver and kidneys, decreased red blood cell count and aborted pregnancy in high doses.
  
  

Xylitol, sorbitol & mannitol

• Sugar alcohols---xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol---are so called because their chemical make-up partly resembles sugar and partly resembles alcohol. Sugar alcohol is naturally found in some foods, but the commercial version is a synthetic, hydrogenated form of sugar.
  
  Sugar alcohols enter the bowels intact because they do not break down in the stomach, which then causes fermentation of bad bacteria. So consuming xylitol, sorbitol and mannitol can cause intestinal problems such as gas, stomach cramping, bloating, acid reflux and diarrhea. It also encourages dehydration, which may be more of a problem after exercising and then drinking a xylitol-sweetened beverage.
  
  

High fructose corn syrup

• High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is soluble, therefore blending well in most foods and liquids, and inexpensive to produce. But high fructose corn syrup interferes with the body's absorption of important minerals such as magnesium and copper, paving the way to bone fragility, anemia, infertility, heart arrhythmias, high cholesterol levels and heart attack.
  
  According to clinical nutritionist Nancy Appleton, cited in "The Double Dangers of High Fructose Corn Syrup," HFCS can cause diarrhea and alter metabolism and it converts to fat more than any other sugar. In addition, HFCS may cause a fatty liver, cirrhosis and, because it interferes with insulin production, type-2 diabetes. It may also hinder white blood cells from defending the body against toxic foreign invaders.