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 It was only recently when the inclusion of saccharin in the list was repealed.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.

Splenda Sweeteners- A Great Alternative for Sugar

Splenda sweetener is a no calorie sweetener that contains sucralose and some common food ingredients such as dextrose and maltodextrin. Still, because the amounts of these ingredients are not so high, the calorie content of splenda sweetener is not so high.

What separates this from the rest of the alternative sweeteners in the market is that splenda does not have aftertaste and it really tastes like sugar. This is why it has been used in cooking and in baking. You can also use it in your drinks.

Splenda sweetener can actually be bought in two forms, the granular and the packet. The granular are often used in cooking while the packets are used for travel.

As mentioned before, splenda sweetener is made from sucralose through a patented process that converts sugar into a no calorie sweetener. The process results in a sweetener that tastes like sugar but do not have the same calorie content as ordinary sugar. In fact, after consumption, sucralose will pas through the body without being converted into energy or calories.

Sucralose as an alternative for sugar has already been used in over 80 countries worldwide. In the United States, it has already been found safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration as well as the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). Even the Health Protection Branch of Health and Welfare Canada, and Australia’s National Food Authority have found sucralose safe.

Because it is found to be safe, splenda can be used by anybody even those in delicate conditions like pregnant women and nursing mothers. This is actually a favorite post-natal way of avoiding calories and aids in the losing of weight. Still, before opting for splenda, mothers are asked to consult their pediatricians for their nutritional needs as people in their conditions may need some calories for energy.

Children can also use splenda. This is actually even recommended for children who are trying to lose weight or those that are diagnosed as obese. This will help them with their diet without necessarily giving up sweet meals that they love.

People with diabetes can also use splenda. In fact, numerous studies have already shown that sucralose and splenda for that matter is already suitable for people with that condition. Because sucralose is not recognized by the body as either sugar or carbohydrate, it is not metabolized and does not have an effect on the carbohydrate metabolism and insulin secretion.

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.

Natural Sweeteners for a Healthy Lifestyle

Some people believe that there is nothing wrong with eating or drinking something that is delicious. Just like alcohol, this should be taken moderately since too much can prove to be unhealthy.

Natural sweeteners are used on different foods and a regular favorite are pancakes served for breakfast. Maple syrup works best in the morning. This is made up of 65% sucrose which is half the amount coming from white sugar.

Another natural sweetener worth checking out is malt syrup. This is made from cereal grains and those who take this get half the amount of calories taken from using maple syrup. This makes it not that sweet prompting the user to add more for flavor.

Rice syrup is a natural sweetener that can be used for baking. This is usually substituted for honey or white sugar and is only half as sweet. The person should be careful when mixing since too much liquid could dilute the chemical rendering it useless. This will take some time to get the right formula to make the dish suitable to the persons taste.

A natural sweetener can also be achieved by mixing rice syrup with evaporated white grape juice. This is made up of 33% more carbohydrate and is yellowish white in color. This works very well in the recipe if Sucanat, a wholesome sweetener cannot do well for it.

Date sugar is another natural sweetener. This can be purchased in a natural foods store and considered to be almost a whole food. This is high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Compared to Rice syrup, this will not dilute even when mixed with a lot of liquid.

Blackstrap Molasses is another natural sweetener worth experimenting on. This is made up of 70% sucrose that has a strong flavor but is strong on iron. This is good for those who know how to make bake a pie or a cake. People can add honey to the mix to make this taste sweet.

The most common that people know as a natural sweetener is honey. This is usually obtained bees and is sweeter than white sugar which means the person should only add a teaspoon to the food.

Natural sweeteners can serve well for those who dont it artificially produced. The person can check the products out in the supermarket then choose the best which is healthy to bring home.