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Society has a remarkable love-hate relationship with artificial sweeteners. Originally marketed as a miracle—enjoy your favorite foods without the nasty sugar!—they’re now the target of wellness influencers across the internet. It’s not just health “coaches” and homesteading moms leading the charge: This year’s deeply problematic Make America Healthy Again report singles out artificial sweeteners as one of the major issues with American food.

Recent headlines seem to support this belief. According to dozens of articles, artificial sweeteners are harming our cognitive health . The news sounds scary for those of us who enjoy the occasional artificially sweete

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