(Mercola.com) -- You've been conned for years, maybe even decades -- and it's not your fault.

Perhaps you thought you'd been making a healthier choice by substituting those friendly little blue, pink and yellow packets for sugar (particularly if you're a dieter with a sweet tooth).

Forgoing "real" sugar in your coffee, drinking diet sodas ... trying to watch those calories.

Today, you find artificial sweeteners in everything from yogurt to baked goods. Big business continues to tell you that they're "sugar-free", they're "a healthy alternative to sugar".

Tragically, the truth is this: artificial sweeteners such as Splenda and Nutrasweet are NOT healthy -- or safe.

Venture with me, if you dare, into the dark heart and soul of the giant food and drug corporations ... and your own government.