"I was born when all I once feared,
I could love."
…….Rabia
The Way Up Newsletter
12/15/05
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
NAMASTE AND WELCOME TO THE WAY UP NEWSLETTER
The topic is ALTERNATIVE SWEETENERS,
but before we get to that, if you want to be able to read about alternative
health matters and what certain supplements can do for you,
-
ACT NOW!
TO PROTECT YOUR FREEDOM TO PURCHASE NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS
- Bill Introduced to Stop FDA's
Censorship:
The FDA is again placing restrictions on what can be said about nutritional supplements. They are not allowing information which has been well researched and can be found in the research literature to be associated with a product. They even sent me an alert letter giving me 15 days to remove some correct information from my web site, or to risk search and seizure at my place of business. I am sure I am not the only one. - Now, on to the newsletter.
- ALTERNATIVE SWEETENERS
- SHOULD YOU STAY AS SWEET AS YOU ARE?
-
Those of us who have a sweet tooth and are trying our best to stay healthy have a true dilemma. We know sugar is bad for us, but are we able to avoid it most of the time???? After all, the USDA statistics show the average consumption of sugar to be about 20 teaspoons daily. And that is only what is added to food and drink, excluding the naturally occurring food sugars. The most commonly consumed sugars are sucrose, dextrose, corn syrup and fructose. These sugars raise blood sugar and insulin levels more than others do and can pile on fat. You can see my newsletter on the health effects of excess insulin.
What are our alternatives? Are they also harmful? What are the possible side effects of "artificial sweeteners"? What is the safe maximum daily dose? How can you know if you don't tolerate certain "artificial sweeteners"?
I'll tell you right up front that saccharin is the safest of the "artificial" sweeteners and Stevia is one of the safest of the natural sweeteners. Neither of these increase blood sugar, increase insulin levels, increase weight, or are associated with adverse symptoms.
However it is important to remember that most of those who get in trouble with any kind of a sweetener have done so because of over indulgence. We are conditioned to a sweet taste. The manufacturers have created a sweets polluted diet for us and continue to exploit our desires for "sweet".
There are also "natural sweeteners", other than cane or beet sugar. Then there are natural verses refined sugars. Sweet and sugar everywhere, with hardly a food label without a form of sweetener. How can you find your way through the markets maze and craze to cater to our conditioned taste for sweets?
Being an ex~sugarholic, and liking a sweet taste, I thought I was doing fine with some Aspartame found in Equal and Nutrasweet. But my eyes were red, burning, itching, and my eyelids were crusty and stinging. Who would have ever thought???? Did an updated allergy test on myself and lo and behold, a severe allergy to Aspartame. Stopped the Equal and the eyes cleared, restarted and the problem came back. Now what? I also had a moderate allergy to saccharin most commonly found in Sweet n Low. So a quest for new, safe, tasty sweeteners was begun.
You may have heard some of the general drawbacks of the artificial sweeteners which would apply to most people. But you probably have not thought much about them being an issue from an allergy/intolerance point of view. Fortunately, we can test for that. The test I use for allergies is the Comprehensive Panel II from Alcat.com. Click on the 'Comprehensive Panels', then 'Order Panel II' if you wish to take the test. This includes 100 foods, 21 molds, 10 food additives such as the artificial sweeteners, 10 food colorings, and 10 common environmental chemicals and costs $381.92. The food test portion will also test for cane, corn and beet sugar allergies. If you are allergic to corn, you would avoid corn syrup as a food sweetener.If you only want to check for the artificial sweeteners, you can save money by just ordering the 10 Food Additives Panel for $87.50. You can browse around their website for more information.
Some people are not necessarily "allergic" to glucose (sugar) or fructose (fruit sugar) , but are nevertheless intolerant of these sugars or have a metabolic difficulty processing them in their bodies. This may result in problems.
Symptoms of fructose intolerance can be behavioral changes, depressed immune function, dizziness, fatigue, headache, and weakness. There can also be increased triglycerides, an interference with copper metabolism, and increased uric acid as in gout.
A glucose/insulin metabolism imbalance can be a cause of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia (diabetes). There may also be insulin resistance and the development of obesity. Other symptoms of this imbalance can be cold hands and feet, disorientation, dizziness, fatigue, headache, nausea, and any of the other myriad of symptoms associated with too high or too low blood sugar.
These glucose and fructose intolerances can be tested as part of the FIA Comprehensive 5000 Analysis at SpectraCell.com and click on lab services. You can click on find a clinician to locate a nearby Dr to order this test for you.
- NATURAL SWEETENERS
- The first 2 natural sweeteners are the most recommended of the group. The rest of the natural sweeteners can be varied and used in moderation. When applicable, organic is always preferable. The best of the natural sweeteners for minimal blood sugar effect are Stevia, Lo Han Kuo Fruit, and the sugar alcohols to be discussed below. All of the natural sweeteners contain some calories, (though less than sugar) except for Stevia and Lo Han Kuo fruit
- STEVIA EXTRACT
- is derived from the leaves of the Stevia plant. It was used for centuries by the Indians in South America as a remedy for diabetes and gum disease. Stevia has also been reported to possess anti-viral activity and may have blood pressure lowering properties. The Japanese food processors have used it widely in many foods since the 1970's. The FDA has approved it as a food supplement, but not as a sweetener. Stevia is 250-300 times sweeter than glucose. What I like about Stevia is it contains no calories and does not increase blood sugar, so it is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics. Stevia can vary in taste. A problem I previously found with some of the liquid extracts of Stevia was the taste was too strong and overwhelmed what I was sweetening. But I have found some excellent products which do not do this. Use small amounts as it is very sweet. You might be happiest with the Stevia products, especially the White Stevia Powder.
- LO HAN KUO FRUIT (SLIMSWEET,
SWEETLIFE)
is derived from a Chinese fruit containing a natural sweetening agent called a mogroside which is 300 times sweeter than cane sugar. I like it because it also creates no increase in blood sugar and contains no calories. For more you can see http://www.nunaturals.com/products/lohan.html - D-TAGATOSE
(WHEY-LOW, NATURLOSE)
is a natural whey-derived sugar which has 1 calorie per gram verses table sugar at 4 calories per gram. It has a reduced glycemic index of 20 verses 100 for glucose. This is important to diabetics, low-carb dieters, and glucose intolerants. Whey sugar does contain lactose, so those intolerant of this should avoid. - RAW
ORGANIC HONEY
is not heated or processed and thus maintains the nutrients found in honey. - MAPLE
SYRUP
is one of the best liquid sweeteners. There are 3 grades of maple syrup. Grade A is the lightest and least maple tasting while Grade C is the heaviest and darkest. - INULIN
is what is called a fructo oligosaccharide, very high in soluble fiber, with minimal blood sugar and insulin consequence. Inulin is usually derived from Jerusalem Artichokes, or chicory roots. Inulin passed through the upper bowel to reach the lower bowel intact. There it is fermented by bacteria in the bowel and there it feeds organisms such as the desirable acidophilus and bifidus. - Some inulin-based products are BeFlora Plus and Bake Flora. These are a blend of oligofructose, fructose(hydrolyzed from the oligofructose) , and enriched sprouted mung bean extract. BeFlora Plus is 10 times sweeter than sugar, and Beflora is equal to sugar in sweetness. Bakeflora is equal to sugar in sweetness. The drawback is a small amount of the sweetener Acesulfame K is added to the nutritive mixture upon which the sprouted mung beans are grown. You can see more on these products at http://www.roxlor.com/bakeflora/prodapp.html
- BARLEY MALT
is a slow digesting sweetener made from sprouted barley which is broken down in to the sugar maltose. It is not as sweet as honey. It is boldly flavored but can be a good substitute for brown sugar. You can use it as syrup or a powder. - BROWN
RICE SYRUP OR GRANULATED BROWN RICE SWEETENER
is made from brown rice and sometimes sprouted whole barley. It is a complex sugar which allows it to be broken down and absorbed more slowly than simple sugars, thus causing less of a blood sugar spike, but still will impact blood sugar. Brown rice sweeteners have a mild flavor similar to honey but less intensely sweet. Its delicate flavor allows it to meld well with other ingredients. - AMASAKE
- (is a sweet creamy beverage made from fermented sweet brown rice),
- FRUIT CONCENTRATE OR FRUIT JUICE
SWEETENERS
are often used in sugar free pastries and other food and drink items. This most often is stated as pear or apple juice concentrate,. These are a combination of the simple sugars, fructose, glucose, and sucrose. This contains 2.3 calories per gram. Fructose can elevate triglycerides levels. - ORGANIC
MOLASSES
as a syrup or a powder. Molasses is a by product of the process of refining sugar cane in to table sugar. Sweet molasses or light molasses has a lighter flavor than blackstrap molasses which has a strong bitter tart favor which is too interfering to use as a sweetener unless you don't mind it influencing the taste of whatever is being sweetened. It is more nutritious re vitamins, minerals, and trace elements than most other sweeteners. - SORGHUM
SYRUP
is produced by crushing sorghum plants. It too has a strong taste and contains iron, calcium and potassium - DATE
SUGAR
is ground from dehydrated dates. It is high in fiber and rich in vitamins and minerals. It is useful in cooking, but not in sweetening beverages as the tiny pieces will not dissolve. - AGAVE
NECTAR
is extracted from the inner core of the Agave cactus plant. It tastes like a cross between honey and maple syrup. - ORGANIC
DRIED NATURAL CANE JUICE (SUCANET)
may contain some calories, but also has some nutritional value. - TREHALOSE
- is a new sweetener. It is found naturally in honey, mushrooms and other foods. But Trehalose is commercially produced from cornstarch, which can cause allergic reactions and stomach irritations in some people.
- YACON
- is a sweet root from South America which is used there to lower blood sugar and help treat diabetes. it has not yet been commercially produced as a sweetener, but it is available as a honey and a jam
- SUGAR ALCOHOLS: XYLITOL, SORBITOL, ERYTHRITOL, MANNITOL, MALTITOL, LACTITOL.
- Sugar alcohols do not have sugar, but do have carbohydrates, and approximately ½-3/4 the calories of regular sugar. Sugar alcohols occur naturally in foods and come from plants such as fruits and berries. These sweeteners can be used with diabetes, but can mildly change blood sugar levels. All who eat sugar alcohols must be careful of the quantity of intake BECAUSE EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION OF THE SUGAR ALCOHOLS CAN CAUSE GAS AND/OR DIARRHEA. The tendency towards this varies with each product.
- XYLITOL
- is preferable to the other sugar alcohols . It was discovered in 1891 and has been used as a sweetener since the 1960's. It is safe to use with no consumption limits other than some risk for gas or diarrhea with too high an individual dose, but Xylitol causes less gastrointestinal symptoms than most of the other sugar alcohols. Xylitol has been well researched with around 1500 published studies. . It is approved for use as a sweetener in 35 countries and is starting to become more popular in the U.S. It is the only sugar alcohol which fights the bacteria that causes gum disease and cavities. It also decreases plaque formation. Xylitol is an excellent choice for sugarless gum. Xylitol helps prevent sinus and ear infections, and may guard against osteoporosis. It also inhibits yeast overgrowth. It does not cause significant changes in blood sugar or insulin levels, and has 40% less calories than regular sugar. Some studies suggested that controlling gum infections in diabetics also helped to control and to decrease blood sugar. A study showed that as many as 18% of premature births were caused by gum disease, an impact as strong as that of smoking or alcohol abuse. Studies have also suggested Xylitol increases energy by enhancing ATP production, increases utilization of fat, increases endurance, and has antioxidant functions.
- SORBITOL
- is commonly used in a wide range of dietetic foods, liquid over the counter, and prescription medicines. It is 50-70% as sweet as sugar and 1.6 calories/gram. It can create more gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea than Xylitol., or the other sugar alcohols. Children are especially prone to this. Citizens have called for the FDA to require a warning label on Sorbitol containing products to read as follows, "NOTICE: This product contains Sorbitol which may cause diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain. Not suitable for consumption by children. To protect yourself, start by eating no more than one serving at a time."
- ERYTHRITOL
- is a white powder with a taste similar to sucrose, but about 70% as sweet and 0.2 calories/gram, the lowest calories of the sugar alcohols. This sugar alcohol has fewer calories and a better digestive tolerance than most of the other sugar alcohols except Xylitol. It does not affect blood sugar or insulin levels.
- ISOMALT
- is 45-65% as sweet as sugar and 2 calories/gram. It is derived from sugar by enzymatic conversion to isomaltose. It is used in some prepared and baked foods.
- LACTITOL
- is derived from lactose (from milk) and is 30-40% as sweet as sucrose and 2 calories/gram.
- MALTITOL
- is made from maltose which is derived from chicory and roasted malt. It is 90% as sweet as sucrose and 2.1 calories per gram.
- ARTIFICIAL (CHEMICAL) SWEETENERS
- These usually have no calories and do not raise blood sugar. However, some are problematic when used in excess. There has been considerable debate and controversy about these ill effects.
- SACCHARIN (SWEET N LOW, SUGAR TWIN, SUCARYL, SWEET MAGIC, ZERO-CAL)
- Saccharin was first discovered
in 1879 and has been used around the world for almost 100 years. The
common brand name is Sweet and Low. If you are not allergic to it, as
discussed above, my opinion is that it is one of the safer of the artificial
sweeteners. The old fear about it possibly being implicated in bladder
cancer has been debunked. Saccharin also works well as a sugar substitute
in cooking. It is 500 times sweeter than sugar.
.
Saccharin is one of the most studied food ingredients and the totality of evidence indicates it is safe for human consumption. Challenges to the safety of saccharin began in 1977. Interestingly, the same time as the "political way" was being paved for Aspartame which was introduced in to our food supply in 1981, after first being approved in 1974, then withdrawn because of sloppy research from 1967-1975. Aspartame was nevertheless later approved, despite the persistence of inconclusive evidence as to its safety, and Aspartame somewhat knocked saccharin down and almost out of the market place for awhile. - SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA)
- Splenda is actually made from sugar, so you would not use it if you are allergic or intolerant to sugar. Pre-approval research has shown that long term or heavy use may contribute to serious chronic immunological or neurological disorders.
- Splenda has had considerable recent promotion, but is not a sweetener I advise using. As of May 2004 over 3000 products were marketed which are sweetened with Splenda. For more detail about potential risks with Splenda see http://www.splendaexposed.com/ or for a complete book on the topic see http://www.issplendasafe.com/
- ACESULFAM-K ( Sunette, Sweet
& Safe, Sweet One)
Was approved by the FDA for use as a sweetener in 1988. It is not adequately studied and some of the studies are controversial. - CYCLAMATE
(Sugar Twin)
Has lingering questions about toxicity risks, especially testicular. Though approved for use in 50 countries, it is not approved in the United States. - ASPARTAME (Equal, Nutrasweet)
- This is one of my least recommended
and the most dangerous of the alternative sweeteners. It is also the
most extensively added to our food and drink. See the Aspartame
Consumer Safety Network, The Aspartame
(Nutrasweet) Toxicity Information Center, or Aspartame
the Bad News for relevant details.
Currently, aspartame is consumed by over 200 million people around the world and is found in more than 6,000 products including carbonated soft drinks, powdered soft drinks, chewing gum, confections, gelatins, dessert mixes, puddings and fillings, frozen desserts, yogurt, tabletop sweeteners, and some pharmaceuticals such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. In the United States, all food ingredients, including aspartame, must be listed in the ingredient statement on the food label.
Three Senate hearings have been conducted on the safety of aspartame, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Washington, D.C., now lists it as the third-worst additive.
If you really want to delve in to this, you can read the book, Deadly Deception - Story of Aspartame [1998]. - WHAT TO DO?
- Stop eating or drinking anything
with refined white sugar (sucrose, glucose ) on some labels. Avoid high
fructose corn syrup, brown sugar, which is often mixed with molasses
or sprayed with caramel coloring , raw sugar, corn syrup, and turbinado
sugar.
Avoid Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and all the artificial sweeteners except saccharin. - Vary the sweeteners you do use.
- You can use saccharin (Sweet and Low). Select from the list of natural sweeteners above. Stevia or Lo Han Kuo are healthy and preferable. However, remember if it tastes very sweet it likely has too much sweetener in it. If a sweetener is listed as one of the first ingredients on a product, it is one of the main components of that food by weight, so avoid it.
On November 9, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) and seven other members of Congress introduced the Health Freedom Protection Act (H.R. 4282) to prevent the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from censoring information about dietary supplements. You can read his statements at http://www.hr4282.org/paul.htm
According to The Liberty Committee, "In 1994, the U.S. Congress ordered the FDA to let the public have access to scientific articles and publications on the role of nutrients in disease by passing the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA)....Yet, censorship by the FDA goes on!" That is why H.R. 4282 was introduced and is being pushed by a coalition of some 50 companies and organizations.
Congressman Paul explains that the Health Freedom Protection Act specifically will: (1) stop the FDA from censoring truthful claims about dietary supplements; (2) stop the FDA from prohibiting the distribution of scientific articles and publications regarding the role of nutrients in protecting against disease; and (3) address the FTC's violations of the First Amendment.
In a related matter, Emord & Associates, a law firm specializing in constitutional and administrative law, has started a national petition campaign to end the FDA's and FTC's violations of the First Amendment. The FDA and FTC violate free speech by trying to control what is communicated about nutrient-disease associations, according to the firm. It has drafted a petition to protest suppression of this health information and hopes to present Congress more than a million signatures by January 1, 2006.
PLEASE GO TO http://www.emord.com TO PRINT AND TO SIGN THIS PETITION, THEN GET OTHERS TO SIGN IT AND MAIL IT IN. WHILE THERE CLICK THROUGH THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES TO READ ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENENING WITH THE HEALTH FREEDOM PROTECTION ACT AND FROM THERE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR EMAILING YOUR REPRESENATIVES OF YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE ACT.