I have a confession to make: When I drink coffee, I prefer to add an Equal low-calorie sweetener to it. Yes, that would be aspartame. And guess what? My reason for using an occasional packet of Equal has absolutely nothing to do with a desire to avoid carbs, spare calories, or even lose weight. Quite frankly, I just prefer the quick burst of sugariness that this particular sweetener provides in my coffee – only my coffee. That’s it!
It’s interesting, as an expert writer and research scientist specializing in health, fitness, and nutrition, I’ve taste tested pretty much every sweetening option that’s hit the market over the last 15 years. I’ve used everything from pure honey to maple syrup to Stevia in my coffee and Equal just continues to win the challenge. It just is what it is. So, does this make me any less healthy? Absolutely not!
I’m quite sure that my 1-2 packets of Equal don’t overshadow my daily servings of 6-9 veggies, 2-4 fruits, 2-3 lean protein sources, and 2-3 healthy fats. Nor does it overthrow my daily water intake of a gallon or so.
However, this article is not about my preferred method for sweetening my coffee or even my normal patterns of eating. It’s really about my continued annoyance with the ongoing health scares surrounding aspartame in general.
