In my last blog, I talked about the dangerous and all too common addiction to sugar that plagues thousands of people. However, in a good-faith attend to kicking the sugar habit, many people simply switch from sugar to sugar substitutes. If you don’t know much abut the different sugar replacements on the market, you could end up jumping from proverbial frying pan into the fire.
To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, let’s take a look at some of the most common sugar replacements on the market and evaluate which ones are safe and which are just a more toxic, chemical alternative.
SaccharinSugar substitutes have been surrounded by controversy over the years, starting with saccharin, which was discovered accidentally way back in 1879 by researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Research done in the 1980s showed that in very high doses saccharin caused bladder cancer in male rats. However, the doses were so high, and so specific to older male rats (versus other test animals) that the FDA has allowed saccharin to stay on the market, as long as it has a warning label stating that it might be a carcinogen. Saccharin also has a bitter aftertaste that most people find unpleasant.
Aspartame Thanks to its overwhelming presence in nearly all diet soft drinks (as NutraSweet) and in those blue packets, aspartame is one of the most widely consumed artificial sweetener in America—as well as the most controversial. Aspartame is made by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. It also contains 10 percent methanol, an alcohol that breaks down into formaldehyde in the body.
Aspartic acid is an excitatory amino acid, meaning that it excites nerve cells in the brain into higher levels of activity. Phenylalanine provides the building blocks for important stimulatory brain neurotransmitters, so it can also have potent excitatory effects on brain chemistry. For this reason, aspartame can cause a long list of health problems in those who are sensitive to these substances. The most common complaints are headaches, dizziness, anxiety, and depression. It has also been linked to worsening PMS symptoms. In rare instances, aspartame can cause seizures in some sensitive people.
I suggest that everyone avoid aspartame, especially those with chronic headaches, PMS, depression, anxiety, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, environmental sensitivities, and seizures. Additionally, I strongly recommend that children avoid this artificial sweetener.
SucraloseAlso known as Splenda, sucralose is made by replacing two of the molecules from table sugar with chlorine, creating a substance 600 times sweeter than sugar, which has no calories and doesn’t raise blood sugar. It also tastes much like regular sugar and can be heated. Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, those two chlorine molecules are problematic.
Rodent research has shown that sucralose causes shrinkage of the thymus gland—up to 40 percent—as well as some enlargement of the liver and kidneys. This is bad news, as a properly functioning thymus gland is essential to a healthy immune system. Although the manufacturer dismissed these problems as due to high doses, they shouldn’t be ignored.
And, as I suspected, like aspartame, some people are sensitive to sucralose and its chlorine molecules. The most consistent complaints to date include stomach cramps, moodiness, and generalized pain.
Yet, with all of these questions, the FDA has approved sucralose without any long term human studies or formal follow-up. This amazes me. Based on the studies and the types of complaints some doctors are hearing, I don’t think you should use sucralose as a sugar substitute.
SteviaUnlike the sugar substitutes mentioned above, stevia is a natural sweetener that comes from the leaves of a bush native to Paraguay, where it’s been used for centuries. It’s also been widely used in Japan and China as a table top sweetener and food additive, with no adverse reactions reported. In fact, recent research shows that stevia can reduce blood pressure and improve insulin sensitivity.
While stevia can be sold by itself as a dietary supplement in the U.S., the FDA has banned its use as a food additive. I find it ironic that the FDA allows sucralose to be added to foods, yet bans stevia—a product with a long history of safe use among millions of people. I can only assume that the ban is likely to be politically and financially motivated, likely due to pressure by the manufacturers of the other sweeteners.
I am particularly fond of flavored liquid stevia by
Sweet Leaf. All I can say is you have to trust me on this. You can find flavored liquid stevia in incredible flavors like vanilla crème, apricot nectar, and even root beer. Simply add one to two droppersful of this intoxicating elixir into naturally sparkling mineral water, mix, and presto! You have a cool, delicious beverage that has all the taste and flavor of bottled soda, but none of the sugar or dangerous sugar replacements. You can also use their powdered version to sweeten oatmeal, tea, etc.
I just read about some findings at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Weight of the Nation” conference that is being held this week in Washington, D.C. Experts now report that obesity costs our nation $147 billion per year in medical costs—and obese people spend almost $1,500 more on health care each year than people of average weight.
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