Artifical Sweeteners: Too Good to be True?

According to the American Dietetic Association, 9 out of 10 Americans use artificial sweeteners. They are found in tens of thousands of products used by more than 200 million people in more than 100 countries worldwide.
Artificial sweeteners were first approved and generally regarded as safe for public consumption in the United States during the early 1980s. They were marketed to the general public as a healthy alternative to sugar, and allowed people to indulge their "sweet tooth" without packing on the pounds.
However, as the saying goes, "if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." This is clearly the case with artificial sweeteners.
Not only are artificially sweetened foods and beverages causing weight gain, but they also have an added effect--possible brain damage. Artificial sweeteners are now recognized as addictive excitoneurotoxic carcinogenic drugs that have significantly contributed to the pandemic of morbid obesity. They have also contributed to an emerging epidemic of "broken brains," or the dramatic increase in the number of children and adults diagnosed with autism, ADD, OCD, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, dementia, and other neurological and cognitive dysfunctions.
The Facts
Artificial sweeteners are not meeting our nutritional needs, but may be another example of the lies and deceit associated with corporate greed. Artificial sweeteners are not helping us to live healthier and happier lives, but are contributing to our demise in the form of morbid obesity and brain dysfunction.