Things To Consider: Real Sugar Or Artificial Sweetener

Life was a lot simpler when we had two kinds of sweeteners, the white one and the brown one. In today’s times, there are natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, semi-natural sweeteners, sugar alternatives, and others. In the days of wellness awareness, everyone should keep an eye on their sugar usage to avoid weight gain or diabetes and other health issues. But who knew that sweetening ones food could be this difficult to figure out!

Wherever you go you see little pastel colored packets promising sweetening without the sugar. Easter-egg colors are positive, white and brown are bad. How do we ascertain which is better for our health? Sugar or substitute?

Artificial sugar alternatives are made of chemicals or natural compounds. Due to their power to sweeten without calories, sugar substitutes are preferred in a number of homes. And people with diabetes prefer them because they don’t increase blood sugar levels like sugar can. Also, the FDA has approved four artificial sweeteners: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose. And still the debate continues: which sweetener, if any, is least harmful to you?

Saccharin
Saccharin (Sweet'N Low) has been used since 1879. Having been found to cause cancer in lab rats in 1977, it changed into a much debated product. However, the ban on saccharin was lifted partially because rats were given 800 diet sodas a day. Themajority of consumers will not be affected with a higher risk for bladder cancer, as compared to non-Saccharin users, later lab tests established.

Aspartame
Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) is considered by the FDA to be one of the most comprehensively studied artificial sweeteners. In fact, in no less than 100 toxicological and clinical reports, aspartame was noted to be safe for the general population. Anyone with phenylketonuria and people with high levels of phenylalanine such as pregnant women, however, should be aware of their aspartame use amounts because it does have the potential to lead to brain damage.

Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K (Sunette or Sweet One) has been found to be safe by the FDA, because it doesn’t impact blood sugar levels. But, some organizations such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest believe that more detailed testing should be done to evaluate its link to cancer.

Sucralose
Sucralose (Splenda) issplendid for baking and well suited for diabetics, contains no calories and in over 110 studies was found to have no toxic or carcinogenic effects and have no risk to the brain or to unborn babies. Still, some scientists believe it can lead to organ damage.

Other Sweeteners
Stevia, which stems from a South American plant, still awaits being approved by the FDA. Whether agave nectar is a viable option instead of sugar is cause for some debate, because it comes with many calories and fructose syrup . And many natural sweeteners such as honey, molasses, evaporated cane juice, rice syrup, barley malt, and fructose, also come with high calories which counter-act the goal for using an alternative to sugar.

So many substitutes, with so many health benefits. The lesson here is that you need to be conscious of what you are putting in your mouth and what quantities of sugar you’re consuming. As with all aspects of life, moderation is the best way to balance and wellbeing, no matter how you sweeten your coffee!

 

A professional author on matters baby and wedding, Criss White has authored many articles. For other information or for chocolate wedding favors (http://www.bridalandweddingfavors.com/chocolate-wedding-favors.html), visit Bridal and Wedding Favors. NOTE: Providing the credits and resource box stay in place and the hyperlinks functional, feel free to reproduce this article in your newsletter, on your website, or e-zine.