With consumers’ rising interest in making lifestyle changes rather than choosing fad diets, food manufacturers are feeling the pressure more than ever to eliminate artificial ingredients. Many artificial ingredients have been linked to all types of health issues, including weight gain, cancer, neurological problems, headaches and chest pain.

People are leaning toward cooking from scratch and choosing real, whole foods, as evidenced by the growing popularity of farmers markets across the world. There is an interest in eating healthy so that even when consumers do choose processed foods, they pay attention to the nutrition information provided on the packaging.

From this awareness consumers are increasing their knowledge of which food products may be dangerous to their health. Reading the ingredients lists makes it easier to avoid artificial ingredients, particularly artificial sweeteners. But sometimes we consume artificial ingredients from other sources beyond our control. Drinking water has become one of these.

“ These artificial sweeteners are dangerous to our own health and are also harmful to the environment.

Studies have recently been conducted by the Water Technology Centre in Germany to test the safety of our water supply. Prior to this research it was believed that artificial sweeteners are removed from the water system during the purification process. The researchers have determined that this is not the case. Several artificial sweeteners, especially acesulfame and sucralose, have an alarmingly high tolerance to water filtration techniques. As many as five other sweeteners have also been found to remain in the water system after they should have been removed. The artificial sweetener cyclamate is illegal in Canada, but it too is one of the sweeteners pervading the water supply and sewage plant.

These artificial sweeteners are dangerous to our own health and are also harmful to the environment. They break down very slowly which causes problems with water levels and pollutes the water supply. They also have the potential to harm fish and other plants and animals in the environment.

Researchers have more work to do before they can verify exactly how dangerous artificial sweeteners are to aquatic life. Although they have acknowledged that the presence of artificial sweeteners in our water system is a concern for consumers, there is a serious gap regarding how we can solve the problem and purify our water for the safety of both the environment and our health.

There is a frightening lack of information about the solution to artificial sweeteners in our water supply; if our water is unsafe, how can we be sure that everything is being done to ensure our good health is being protected?

This is not an issue that we should be thinking about as a potential threat to our health and the environment. It is a major health concern right now, and it must be dealt with immediately to prevent any further damage.

University of Winnipeg student Sagan Morrow writes a health and wellness blog. Check it out at http://livinghealthyintherealworld.wordpress.com.

Published in Volume 63, Number 30 of The Uniter (August 13, 2009)