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COLUMN BY SUSAN HILL |
PREVIOUS COLUMNSMake Vitamin D When the Sun Shines Vaccinate Our Daughters Against Cancer Artificial Sweeteners—Are They a Sweet Deal—or Not Extremes at Both Ends - Anorexia and Bulimia to Obesity Making sense of Cholesterol's ABCs |
Artificial Sweeteners—Are They a Sweet Deal—or Not?
posted 05/19/2008 In the last century or so, sugar has become so universally available and promoted, that sugar-related diseases like obesity, diabetes and tooth decay plague people all over the globe. In an attempt to provide alternative sources of sweetness without sugar-related risks, the artificial sweeteners were developed. | |
Today, they represent a huge business and are found throughout our food supply. Yet, artificial sweeteners may not be the panacea for our insatiable sugar addiction. A new study in February 2008 indicated that people who regularly consume foods that contain artificial sweeteners tend to gain more weight. The artificial sweeteners may condition the taste and brain to disassociate the degree of sweetness with caloric intake and lead to greater food consumption with subsequent weight gain. In addition, just because a product contains artificial sweeteners doesn't mean the fats in the product have been limited. Some products have increased fat content when the sugars are decreased. |
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Saccharin
Cyclamate
Aspartame
Sucralose | |
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Let's examine the artificial sweeteners used in our foods: Saccharin the first artificial sweetener, was developed in 1879 and was generally recognized as safe until the early 1970s. Based on controversial studies showing it caused bladder cancer in rats, saccharin was listed as potentially hazardous to health. Later research in humans did not bear this out and the U.S. removed saccharin from the human carcinogen list in 2000. Cyclamate (Sugar Twin® in Canada) was developed in 1950 and was used in the same rat studies as saccharin thus confounding the results. The U. S. banned its use in 1969 though it continues to be approved for use in over 50 other countries. [Note: Canada continues to ban saccharin but uses cyclamate in their Sweet'N Low. Conversely, in the U.S., Sugar Twin® contains saccharin.] Aspartame (NutraSweet® and Equal®) was approved in 1981 and is the sweetener found in most diet sodas. People with phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic metabolic deficiency, cannot consume this product. There have also been some controversies about increased incidence of brain tumors and certain cancers that developed in rats when fed very high doses of aspartame. However, human data has not confirmed this and aspartame is widely used. It is also found in many chewable vitamins, prescription chewable and liquid antibiotics and other drugs, as well as many over the counter analgesics, cough and cold products. It is not suitable for cooking. | ||
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Neotame, chemically similar to aspartame but without risk to those with PKU, is heat stable and has been used since 2002 in products like baked goods, jams and jellies, syrups, puddings and other desserts. Sucralose (Splenda®) was introduced in 1998 and is chemically similar to sugar but is not digestible. It is currently heavily marketed in many foods as a low calorie alternative to sugar. However, it can cause a mal-absorption reaction and create severe abdominal cramping with explosive diarrhea. |
Despite their professed advantages, some of these sweeteners wreak havoc in the gut of certain people. Health officials feel that artificial sweeteners, so ubiquitous in products and medications nowadays, may contribute to irritable bowel symptoms. | |
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Sorbitol, a sugar substitute found in many sugar-free candies and gum, though not strictly an artificial sweetener, can also cause a serious diarrhea reaction in children and many adults. Stevia, an herbal concentrate from a shrub, is a natural sweetener first used centuries ago in South America. Today, it is the leading alternative sweetener used in Japan, China and most of Asia. It is only approved for use as a supplement in the U.S. but the Coca-Cola Company is working on a patent for a no-calorie stevia derivative to be released in 2009. Because of their widespread use in our foodstuffs, reading the complete label on food and medication products is more important than ever. Many people find artificially sweetened products a boon and use them daily. For those who prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners…it is consumer beware. Susan C. Hill © 2008 To comment on the column, email susan@sanjuanislander.com |
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SAN JUAN ISLANDER © 2008 |
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