Tag: Sugar Substitutes

Stevia and Saccharin- Safe Alternative Sweeteners

Recent years have witnessed the proliferation of different kinds of sweeteners. From natural to artificial, it seems that Science and commerce have made it a point to fill up a need that sucrose or the common table sugar is slowly creating.

Although sucrose is not necessarily dangerous, too much consumption has become a problem for most people. It can lead to various health problems such as hypertension, heart problems and obesity if not controlled. But who can blame people from wanting to eat sweet things as much as they can?

This is why companies have tried to create alternative sweeteners that will have the same taste but have less calories or low caloric content. Most of the sweeteners in the market, in fact, are 200 to 500 times sweeter than ordinary table sugar but contains less carbohydrate.

Before penetrating the market, all of these sweeteners are evaluated and approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Despite this, there have been a lot of questions as to the safety of these sugar substitutes. There are even some that have been pulled out of the market after being approved for selling.

Two of the safest sugar substitute in the market are saccharin and stevia. Saccharin has actually been in the market since the 1970s. It is extracted from a plant in China. It was commercially distributed in packets as alternatives to sugar for beverages especially coffee. Because it is many times sweeter than ordinary table sugar, you will need a little bit more to equal the strength or effect sucrose.

Although it had already been evaluated by the US Food and Drug Administration years back, there was a time when it was put on the list of cancerous ingredients. The decision was based in a study that found a link between saccharin and cancer in rats.

It seems that a laboratory study on rats found that saccharin can actually cause bladder cancer. Manufacturers of products that use saccharin as ingredients were even asked to out disclaimers in their labels about the potential danger of the ingredient.

Still, after much study and debate, nothing conclusive has ever been found. It was only recently when the inclusion of saccharin in the list was repealed. Experts argue that though it has caused bladder cancer in rats, this does not mean that it can also cause cancer in humans.

Stevia, like saccharin, also comes from a plant, this time from Paraguay and Brazil. It is 200 300 times sweeter than table sugar. This is why only a small amount of stevia is enough to reach the sweetness level of sucrose. Still, one great disadvantage for this sugar substitute is the fact that it has a bitter aftertaste that turns off most consumers.

Stevia and Honey – Safe and Sorry

Society today has slowly seen the negative side of sugar. This is why most people would prefer to avoid eating sweet foods, which is quite next to impossible. People love sugar and will probably give up all the other stuff in life before giving up on it.

To answer this need, companies have come up with several alternatives to sugar that are much lower in caloric and carbohydrate content. Unfortunately, because it is not as natural as the ordinary table sugar, people feel that too much consumption of these sugar substitutes can be harmful to the body. They are afraid that just as it took forever for them to discover the problems that sugar can cause, it will also take forever before they will find out just how harmful the sugar substitutes are to the body.

One substitute though that is still considered safe is the honey, which directly comes from honeybees. Because honey is a combination of different kinds of sugars such as fructose, which can be seen in fruits, maltose, glucose, and sucrose, honey is more balanced and has a better effect on the body. It is better absorbed by the body and presents lesser load for the pancreas, which filters the sugar and activates the insulin system.

One disadvantage though that honey provides is the fact that it is very vulnerable to industrial chemicals being a very natural product. Genetically-modified pollen can cause pests like the Varroa mite. This in turn will increase the possibility of the use of some chemical pesticides that may affect the honey that it being produced. Another potential problem is the use of antibiotics that may be potentially harmful to people when ingested indirectly through the honey. In addition to this, honey although quite a healthy alternative for people with normal conditions, cannot be used by diabetics.

Another potential sugar savior is stevia, which is a South American herb that has been used in Japan for centuries. Records also show that native Americans also use this herb in their food. It has a low caloric content and provides great therapy for thrush, which is exacerbated by the consumption of too much sugar. In fact, stevia is believed to be capable of stabilizing the sugar level of diabetics.

However, despite its glowing reviews and resume, stevia has failed to gain an approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration when the agency rejected the call for the herb to have a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status.

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.

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.

Alternative Sweeteners- Knowing What is Out There

Although there is really nothing quite dangerous about the ordinary table sugar that you have on your breakfast table, a lot of people are still more than willing to try out alternatives. Sugar substitutes in recent years have started to flood the market.

One of the reason, perhaps, is the fact that people are very much concerned with the caloric content of the sugar that they consume everyday.

Some people like diabetics are asked to cut down on their sugar consumption for medical reasons. Others who are diagnosed as obese are advised by their doctors to start dieting. And because most of these people cannot give up on the sweet things in life, sugar substitutes is one way of following the doctors advice and following the urgings of the appetite.

Alternative sweeteners are now being used not only in beverages but also in different kinds of food. It is now used as ingredients to cooking and baking.

Here are some of the alternative sweeteners in the market. Read on and find out what sweetener fit your needs.

Sucralose, which being manufactured under the name Splenda is an artificial sugar substitute that comes from sugar itself except that the chemical components are changed. Sucralose is actually 600 times sweeter than ordinary table sugar and is already being used as industrial ingredients to some baked goods, soft drinks, chewing gum and other frozen dairy desserts.

One of the main features of sucralose is the fact that it can retain the composition of sugar even at high temperature. This is the reason why sucralose can be used in baking. It is considered quite safe even if it is artificially made. In fact, it has even been considered safe for pregnant and breasfeeding women.

Neotame, which is being manufactured by the NutraSweet Co. is one sugar substitute that the body can easily metabolized and excreted by the body. This is actually manufactured more for food industries rather than for the consumer market. It is actually being used for products such as soft drinks, yogurt, and chewing gums.

Acesulfame K is another sugar substitute that is being sold in the market today under the product names, Sunett and Sweet One, Sweet and Safe. It is already approved by the FDA as safe. It is derived from acetoacetic acid. It stimulates the secretion of insulin in the body. It is however not metabolized and is excreted by the kidneys.