One of the greatest things about being a structural orthogonal chiropractor is getting to see the reaction people have as they notice their bodies start to heal. Some of the most common secondary conditions that people present with are headaches and migraines. Of course, I’d love to tell you that EVERYONE’s secondary conditions get better once their structure is restored, but reality dictates otherwise. It’s times like these where you really have to take a look at someone’s lifestyle and environmental factors to see what else may be causing their problem.

One of the most common problems I see in practice is related to toxicity from sugar substitutes like Splenda, Sweet & Low, and Equal. While all of these products have been FDA approved for safe consumption by the general public, the truth is that many people have sensitivities to their chemical make up.

The metabolic products of aspartame, the sweetener in Equal, have been known to overexcite neurons in the brain causing headaches, insomnia, and seizure disorders. Sucralose has been shown to alter hormone production in women. These chemical changes have also been known to cause difficulty with digestion in people as well. I’ve seen dozens of patients where the only change I recommended for them was to stop using artificial sweeteners in their coffee, and to stop drinking diet soft drinks and their body responded immediately.

The big thing to remember is that just because something may not cause symptoms in most people does not make it healthy to consume. Though there are no calories from these sugar substitutes, more research is showing that these substances do little in stopping weight gain, and may actually promote it due to overeating.

Instead, look to things like stevia as a sugar substitute if necessary. If you can avoid it at all,  look to natural foods like raw fruit to satisfy you sweet toothe.