Chem-101
Bonus Essay #3
Everyone typically enjoys a sweetened drink from time to time, whether it be Pepsi or sugar water. However, the issue proposed is that of the risk of using artificial sweeteners, which include carcinogens, or natural sweeteners, which tend to lead to obesity. Regarding the topic of which is healthier; I believe that the option of artificial sweeteners is superior to that of natural sweeteners. Although artificial sweeteners contain carcinogens that may lead to cancer, the habitual consumption of natural sugar certainly leads to obesity. With artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, one risks the tragedy of possibly developing cancer; but, with natural sweeteners, one is guaranteed through continual consumption of soft drinks to develop an unhealthy overweight body. The worst case scenario for artificial sweeteners is the possibility of developing cancer, but with natural sweeteners one becomes obese. Alongside obesity comes a whole plethora of health complications. For example, obese people are more likely to develop complications such as Type II diabetes, heart problems, gallstones, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure. Thus, artificial sweeteners only pose a potential threat, whereas natural sweeteners promise health problems. Considering the threats that each type of sweetener includes, I would only allow my family and myself to consume foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners. I would rather put my family and myself at a potential risk than a promised health problem.
To conclude, I thoroughly believe that the possible risks of artificial sweeteners outweigh the guaranteed risks of natural sweeteners. Natural sweeteners promise a wide, diverse and surplus of health issues. Artificial sweeteners only possess the likely fact that one might eventually develop cancer from the carcinogens included in the ingredients of the sweetener itself.
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