I try to steer clear of sugar. I first ditched the sweet stuff to cure headaches -- it worked -- and then realized I feel so much better, headaches aside, without the refined stuff sailing through my veins. I credit some of my recent weight loss to my sugar ban too.

What do I do about artificial sweeteners, though? RealAge says I should be cautious, because stuff like saccharin-sweeteners can lead to overeating and weight gain too.

Studies on lab animals tell us that those fed with no-sugar-added yogurt packed on more pounds than those fed with full-sugar yogurt. Seems that no-calorie substitutes put the brain and body at odds. The brain is happy. The body wants more. Time will tell if humans gain like animals do. Chances are, we do -- studies linking diet soda to excess weight already exist.

Your best bet for satisfying a sweet tooth: Go natural -- dive into a bowl of berries -- or indulge in just a bite of the real thing, like an ounce of rich dark chocolate.

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Artificial food coloring makes kids hyper, say British scientists who wish to ban six different colorings. The European Council doesn't plan on issuing any such ban, however, despite the wishes of several powerful consumer and health groups.

Researchers have concluded after the study of 300 kids that there's a link between the colorings, a certain preservative, and hyperactivity in children. The worrisome additives, found in sweets, cakes, and fizzy drinks are: tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), sunset yellow (E110), ponceau (E124), allura red (E129), carmoisine (E122) and sodium benzoate (E211). While Britain's Food Standards Agency, a government watchdog group, has called for a voluntary ban on these colorings, an actual government policy may be a long way off.

Further study will be underway. Maybe more conclusive findings will lead to more action.

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Here's another lab rat study to bash the effect of artificial sweeteners. This time it all but makes you think the only option is to just go back to regular old sugar! A small bit of research is indicating that zero-calorie sweeteners could be making it harder for you to lose weight.

How? By tricking your body into thinking sweetness doesn't mean extra calories. Basically, they're saying these artificial substitutes could make it a little harder to gauge caloric intake (which could lead to gaining weight). In addition, they're also pointing to a loose connection between high sales of diet soda and a rise in obesity. Considering the widespread use of sweeteners now in such drinks, they may not be too far off the mark.

But naturally, companies producing these sweetener products call this study irrelevant. For one, it used lab rats -- and a very small number as well. Less than 30 rats were used to test these claims, causing one dietitian to say it does a disservice to the consumer. The weight gain observed in lab rats may not have any relevance to humans, after all, but it won't keep people from debating the effectiveness of artificial sweeteners.

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I'm a fan of foods without sugar. But sometimes I worry about items labeled sugar-free that still retain a semi-sweet taste. How can this be? How can something sugar-free taste so, well, sugary?

It all comes down to two words: Artificial and sweeteners. Like aspartame, the sweetener no one is really too sure about.

According to an article in the Fall/Winter 2007 issue of Beyond, a magazine all about breast cancer, long-term studies of low doses of aspartame given to rats beginning in the womb indicated a cancer connection. A different study of humans, published in the January 2007 Annals of Oncology, contradicts this conclusion, though, revealing there is no link between the use of artificial sweeteners and cancer. Data is just not strong enough to say anything about human risk.

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The iLimb, from Touch Bionics, is now generally available and has been successfully fitted to patients all across the U.S. and in Europe. The iLimb is a big deal because it not only looks like a real human hand but it acts like one too, with 5 individually powered fingers and the ability to sense when enough pressure has been applied in delicate situations like picking up a glass or holding someone's hand. And it can even be adapted to fit people who only need a partial hand due to missing fingers from accident, war, or congenital defect.

This iLimb totally looks like something out of the movie iRobot, don't you think? Must be the white plastic.

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If this sounds like something out of Star Wars or science fiction, hear it out. An organization called Intercytex Group has found a breakthrough in regenerative treatments. Enter the artificial skin. Okay by itself this is not new. However, the group has developed a novel lab-made living skin that lasts longer and even heals wounds!

Anyone who has gone through extensive surgery or needed a skin graft knows what makes this so innovative. Currently the best option for these treatments involves transplanting skin from one part of the patient's own body to another part. This can leave even more wounds. But imagine if there was a chance to use artificial skin which would heal naturally without painful skin grafts.

Maybe someday we can expect spray-on skin? Perhaps, but not any time soon. The company still has to move the product through clinical trials before they can even begin to consider marketing it. If that time gap means building a quality solution to take care of serious wounds, then I'm sure the world will wait.

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The veggie burger industry is growing steadily as more people look for alternatives to red meat and animal products. As a result, the recipes and methods are getting better and the days of "cardboard burgers" are pretty much over. I'm not crazy for the super-fake options like artificial bacon, but a good bean burger can be really good with the right toppings.

But reading the label on a box of soy burgers can be a little scary, especially if you're a health-conscious consumer (and people don't usually choose soy burgers unless they are). What is all that extra stuff in there with names like disodium guanylate3 and methylcellulose? If you're wondering then this article, coming from MSN, breaks everything down in easy-to-read terms. No more "mystery meat" mysteries!

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