DOES SUGAR MAKES kids hyperactive? No it does not. Holidays
and birthdays are places kids tend to eat a lot of sugar and they also
happen to get excited because of the occasion. This has led parents to
believe that it is the sugar that is causing this reaction in their child.
Is brown sugar or honey better for you than the pure white stuff?
Actually, there is no advantage to using brown sugar or honey. Sugar is
sugar and it will go into the blood stream just the same.
SACCHARIN
Saccharin exceeds the sweetness of
sugar 300 700 times and it is calorie free. It provides no energy
because it is not metabolized by human beings and it is not cariogenic.
Saccharin was discovered in the late 1800s. Then in 1981, it was added
to the governments official list of cancer-causing agents and dropped
from most products. However, it was not pulled from the shelves but
congress did mandate that all products containing it carry a warning much
like the one printed on cigarette packs. It is definitely less popular now
because of previous scares of bladder cancer in rats. But in order for the
sweetener to do you harm, it has to make up at least 3 percent of the
gross weight of food you ate every day. This is no easy task for a
substance consumed by the quarter-teaspoonful. Today, saccharin can still
be found in the little pink packets of Sweet n Low and also in cans
of Tab cola. and most recently it was removed from the cancer list
as new evidence exonerated it.
ASPARTAME
Aspartame, a.k.a. Nutrasweet,
is 160 200 times sweeter than sucrose (sugar). This sweetener does
provide energy because of the intense sweetness of aspartame, the amount
of energy derived from it is negligible. In 1981, the FDA approved
aspartame as a sweetener for a number of dry uses (for example : tabletop
sweetener, cold breakfast cereal, gelatins and puddings) and in chewing
gum and carbonated beverages. In 1985, the American Medical Association
concluded that available evidence suggests that consumption of
aspartame by normal humans is safe and is not associated with serious
adverse health effects. Demand for aspartame in the United States rose
from 8.4 million pounds in 1986 to 17.5 million pounds in 1992. This
figure represents more than 80 percent of the world demand. Although soft
drinks account for more than 70 percent of aspartame consumption, this
sweetener is added to more than 6,000 foods, personal care products and
pharmaceuticals.
However, it is not without fault.
This sweetener also sparks debate primarily because of how it is
metabolized in the body. Scientist have found it makes its way throughout
the digestive system just as any other food would. However, other
researchers claim that toxic gases that are by-products of aspartame
digestion, can trigger nervous system problems ranging from headaches and
depression to panic attacks, vision disturbances, and possibly even brain
tumors.
SODA DRINKERS
Soda drinkers tend to fall into two
camps: the purists, who are willing to blow 150 200 calories per can
on the unadulterated taste of their favorite carbonated beverage, and the
dieters, whod rather skip the calories than give credence to ongoing
charges that artificial sweeteners can cause medical problems from
depression to cancer.
Fake sugars have been under attack
for over a century now. But still people are unwilling to give up their
favorite colas for more calories.
SWEETENER USE IN PREGNANT WOMEN:
Use of sweeteners such as sugar
(sucrose and fructose) are acceptable during pregnancy. Saccharin can
cross the placenta and may remain in fetal tissues because of slow fetal
clearance. It has been suggested that women consider careful use of
saccharin during pregnancy. The issue with aspartame in pregnancy relates
to fetal exposure to aspartic acid or methanol. In animals, an aspartame
load does not change fetal exposure to aspartic acid. Therefore, use of
aspartame within FDA guidelines appears safe for pregnant women.
So which is better? These
artificial sweeteners were introduced in this country and immediately
hailed as the cure for obesity. But in the years since, not only have we
gotten fatter, but more of us are getting fatter faster.
So what went wrong? Well, artificial
sugars were supposed to replace sugar in our diet and thus we would eat
less sugar, consume fewer calories and lose weight. But what happened is
that folks simply added sweeteners to their diet which means more of us
are eating more now and consuming more calories than we did in the years
before.
Go ahead and use sugar in your
coffee. You will need to use more sugar to get the same sweet taste you
would if you used a sugar substitute, but with only 14 calories per
teaspoon, you can go ahead and get back to the basics.
But if you are hooked on the taste of
equal, feel safe and continue using it. But remember, just because you are
using Nutrasweet, a low-cal sugar substitute, does not mean you can eat
more dessert. Use it sensibly and responsibly.
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