Tag: Artificial Sweetener

Side Effects of Artificial Sweetener

Everything that is not done in moderation can be harmful. This will also apply in the consumption of sugar as too much of it will not only lead to tooth decay but also to a host of other conditions that may include obesity and diabetes. Although caloric content and sugar content has already been more or less served with the introduction of several sweeteners in the market, there is still much debate on how safe these artificial sweeteners are.

As consensus, most believe that like all things, the use of artificial sweeteners should also be done in moderation. Small amounts of these sugar substitutes can be considered safe. It is however already hard to quantify right now as most manufacturers also use these sugar substitutes in their products.

In fact, most carbonated drink companies, if not all, use artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are also found in prepared snacks and baked goodies. In other words, they are everywhere. Below are some of the alleged side effects of artificial sweeteners in the market. Read on and decide for yourself.

Acesulfame Potassium

Studies have shown that this can aggravate hypoglycemia because of insulin stimulation. It can apparently also cause lung and breast tumors, lead to leukemia and cause chronic respiratory organs as found in studies of rodents. Acesulfame Potassium is still being used in the market.

Aspartame

This is actually still being used despite the rumors that it can cause headaches and epileptic seizures. Other supposed side effects of these sugar substitute are mood changes manic episodes and a host of other neuropsychiatric disorders. There are also cases of the
dizziness, nausea, memory impairment, and depression found during studies but this was not directly linked with aspartame.

Saccharin

Although Saccharin is no longer being used as ingredients to manufactured products in the country, it is still being allowed to be consumed as table sweetener. Saccharin is actually the oldest table sweetener in the country. Unfortunately, it has associated with studies that suggested a link between saccharin and cancer. This was actually lifted by the US FDA in 2001 but of course the damage was already done.

Still, heavy use of saccharin can put someone at risk of developing bladder cancer. There have also been claims that Saccharin can also cause allergic reactions, even pruritus and urticaria. There will also be eczema, some form of photosensitivity and the appearance of tongue blisters.

Equal as an Artificial Sweetener

More people are diagnosed with diabetes which is usually caused by being overweight. If nothing is done, this could lead to further complications and death. The good news is that this disease is treatable.

One of the indications that the person is healthy is based on the sugar level in the body. Those that are too high can be reduced by taking one of the most popular artificial sweeteners in the market namely Equal.

The product has been exported all over the world and is distributed by the Merisant Corporation. This has been certified to be safe by the Food and Drugs Administration after passing numerous tests.

Equal uses aspartame as a main ingredient. This is also used by other artificial sweetener products such as NutraSweet and Canderel. This is broken down to 50% of phenylanine, 40% of aspartic acid and 10% methanol.

The person can substitute this for regular sugar in coffee or tea. This can also be used during baking or cooking to add flavor without the extra calories.

Is Equal absolutely safe? Yes. But there are those who claim that this can harmful to the body and people have experience dizziness, headaches, weight gain, memory loss, anxiety and rashes. No tests have proven this to be true since these are isolated cases.

Aspartame, the main ingredient in Equal has been used on a variety of products before it was made into an artificial sweetener. A few examples are breath mints, toothpaste, cereals and multi-vitamins which can be purchased at the supermarket.

Equal sweetener can be purchased in the grocery by the bottle or in boxes. This makes it easy to store at home and bring when the person is out on a trip. The company has made this available in the form of a health bar. The current flavors are Peach, Lemon and Vanilla Bean.

Equal has a shelf life of three years. This should also be stored in room temperature to maintain the quality of the product.

How many times can Equal be taken in a day? Tests have shown that this can be taken in more than 90 times in a single day. This is because no calories are absorbed by the body which is perfect for regular coffee or tea drinkers.

Equal can be used for baking and cooking. The person check out the website for a few ideas and read some magazines to make some healthy dishes.

Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners

Although sugar has been part of the dining table and kitchen for centuries, people know that too much of it also is not good for the body. This is especially true with people who are either diabetic or those who are trying to lose weight because of obesity problems.

But with the high levels of sugar content that are found in the foods that we eat right now, especially those that are processed and those that are bought from fast food joints, it seems that it is extremely hard, maybe even next to impossible, to be able to avoid consuming excessive amounts of sugar. Besides, it is not called sweet if it is not sweet tasting and ultra delicious.

Because of this need to lessen the amount of sugar content in the body but still retain the sweet tasting flavor that one has grown accustomed to having in their everyday meals, science and commerce developed substitutes to sugar that can answer both problems. Some of these alternatives to sugar come from natural sources while others are artificially made in laboratories.

Recent years have seen the mushrooming of these artificial alternatives to sugar. This is perhaps because of the fact that America has become really body conscious. This time, low calorie sugar substitutes were developed to answer the need of women (and men at that) who want to diet.

Perhaps the oldest artificial sweetener in the market is saccharin, which was discovered back in 1874. It has been granted a GRAS (Generally recognized as safe) stature in 1958 but was withdrawn in 1972 when studies have linked the sugar substitute to cancer. Still, FDA allowed the use of Saccharin as a table-top sweetener but is no allowed to be an ingredient in mass manufactured products.

Another allegedly dangerous artificial sweetener is the aspartame, which up until now is still with the jury. Although the sugar substitute is already being used by people, there are still murmurs that the sugar can cause headaches and epileptic attacks.

Although there is really no evidence that suggests that these artificial sweeteners are dangerous, there are still doubts on the safety of using it especially by people who are in delicate conditions. Many health organizations suggest the limited use of these products.

It is recommended that you only limit your use of sweetened foods in your diet to only 2 or 3 servings daily. This will translate to about half a cup of pudding, an ice cream or a gelatin product or one bowl of sweetened cereal.

Artificial Sweeteners for Pregnant Woman

The health of a newborn child even before this comes out of the womb of the mother will really depend on the diet during the crucial 9 months. This has prompted mothers to reduce the amount of sugar taken into the body by relying on artificial sweeteners.

Are this safe for the pregnant mother? The answer is yes. This is because it offers zero calories and has the right amount of vitamins and minerals per serving. This should be taken in moderation since this could contribute also to excess weight gain especially for women who are diagnosed with diabetes should be more careful since

There are a variety of products that are available in the market and these may contain any of the following ingredient; honey, sucrose, dextrose, corn sugar, fructose or maltose.

Sugar alcohol can also be considered as an artificial sweetener most of these are sugar free. A few examples of these are sorbitol, hydrogenated starch, mannitol, xylitol and isomalt.

There are many artificial sweeteners to choose from. The first is Sunnet. This is made from Acesulfame Potassium which can be added to drinks, desserts and baked goods.

The next is Equal or NutraSweet which is made up of the ingredient called Aspartame. This can be taken in large amounts without worrying about any calories until the lactation period. This is also used by people who are diagnosed with diabetes.

The only time this is not safe for pregnant women is when the patient is diagnosed to have a rare liver disease or those who have high levels of phenylalanine in the blood. This will only hinder the metabolism of aspartame in the body.

Another artificial sweetener good for those who are pregnant is Splenda. The main ingredient is sucralose. This is used on a variety of products such as non-alcoholic drinks, juices, condiments, baked goods and coffee or tea products.

All of these products have been certified by the Food and Drugs Administration. Those who want to be sure this is safe can first consult a doctor before using any of these products. The professional can give the right amount that the body can consume on a given day.

The only time artificial sweeteners are unsafe is when the person buys products such as cyclamate, saccharin and stevia. The ingredients have been linked to cancers which are harmful to both the mother and the baby.

A Rundown on the Kinds of Artificial Sweeteners

Because of the sudden need of America to suddenly go dieting, a lot of low calorie artificial sweeteners have been flooding the market. There have been a lot of speculations as to how safe these artificial sweeteners are. All of those being sold legally in the market has of course been tested and approved by the US Food and Drugs Administration.

Despite this, there are still some doubts on the safety of the products and a lot of misconceptions on how these products can affect the body. For instance, pregnant women can use artificial sweeteners unless of course they are warned or asked by their doctor not to for some reasons; Yet a lot of expectant mothers still feel that they have to avoid taking in these kinds of artificial sweeteners for fear of harming their babies.

Below are some of the low-calorie artificial sweeteners in the market. Read on and find out something about each of them.

Aspartame
This artificial sweetener has been in the market for quite sometime, being sold in brand names like NutraSweet, Sugar Twin, Canderel and Equal. Aspartame was actually discovered way back in 1965 and has already been in the shelves since the 1980s. Aspartame is created when two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, are combined. This sweetener is actually 200 times sweeter than ordinary table sugar without the calories that go with it. In fact, one small packet of this sweetener is equivalent to the taste of two teaspoons of sugar.

Although it has already been evaluated as safe by agencies, there has been a lot of talk of how aspartame is linked to headaches, epilepsy and even cancer. One indication though that people should remember is that people afflicted with phenylketonuria (PKU) should not use this because they are unable to metabolize phenylalanine.

Saccharin, another form of artificial sweetener under the brandnames SweetN Low, Sweet Twin, and Necta Sweet. It is a non-caloric sweetener that is not metabolized by the body. Produced from an organic compound, it is 375 times sweeter than table sugar. In fact, this can be used in moderation by diabetics because of the non-existent caloric content.

Acesulfame K, which is being sold under the product names, Sunett and Sweet One, Sweet and Safe is another sugar substitute that is not metabolized by the body and is actually excreted by the body through the kidneys. In addition to being used by diabetics, Acesulfame K is also used in cooking and baking.