A recent study has found that human-level dosages of aspartame (the artificial sweetener formerly known as Nutrasweet and now cleverly disguised by new, obscure trade-names) causes stastitically significant increases in the occurrance of multiple forms of cancer. In other words, don't drink diet colas that include aspartame, don't chew sugar-free gum, and when you see "sugar-free" on food, beware. If you need a totally natural and safe alternative to aspartame, try Stevia -- it's from a rainforest berry and is about 1000 times sweeter than sugar (so just 2 drops will sweeten a whole cup of coffee). You can get Stevia drops in any Whole Foods or health food store.