American Sweet Teeth
What you should know about your calorie cutting friends.
February 20th, 2005
By Sal Roach
While many Americans discover that they cannot survive on low carb diets
without becoming walking zombies, their attention has shifted to another
gut expander: Sugar. Even though it’s sweet and light, and comes
in the form of a beautiful white powder, it can be a tremendous
determinant in the battle against obesity.
Drinking a Coke might be as bad as eating a Big Mac and a large fries.
For more than 100 years, dating back to the turn of the century food
shortages, escalated by the coming of the First World War, Saccharin was
used because of its long lasting shelf life and its tiniest amount
needed to sweeten a cup of coffee. At its inception, it was more of an
economic tool than anything else.
Later, saccharin became the main ingredient in sugar substitutes such as
Sweet and Low and its many imitations. All of these contained less
calories or at least allowed the body to retain less calories than sugar
did, and was thought to be a healthier alternative to everyday living.
Since 1958, the Food and Drug Administration has approved four sugar
substitutes: saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose for
use in artificial sweeteners, with sucralose starting to distinguish
itself as the leader.
Sugar substitutes that contain saccharin have been thought to increase the
risk of cancer, particularly bladder cancer, as the warning label states
on any product that carries with it this name.
The FDA has stated that it causes cancer in rats and other lab animals,
although that is not enough to keep it off the market.
Under Federal law, the results of what occurs in animal testing have no
bearing on how it will affect humans, and was therefore left on the
market.
Sugar substitutes such as Splenda (sucralose), who has just signed a deal
with Diet Coke to make a realer tasting diet soda, work because it actually
contains Chlorine - which helps to prevent the absorption of excess
calories. The absorption of sugar calories is what causes weight gain.
It is also a draw for the millions who suffer from diabetes, because
sucralose does not affect the level of glucose in the blood.
What is taking place inside your body?
Three hydroxyl atoms found in sugar are being replaced with chlorine
atoms to clean you out and flush out the excess calories. Chemical
alterations of natural products to rearrange how your body reacts are
indeed a danger as well.
However, the long term affects of this new substitute are not known
because of the short amount of time it has been on the market. While
the other time tested products have a long list of proven malfunctions,
there is no way of telling how sucralose will affect humans.
Animal testing has been limited, but has shown a tendency to cause
kidney expansion and some inconsistency with menstruation.
As with anything, you need to keep track of the latest medical updates
on whatever you are putting into your body. Feel free to email us with
any questions you may have on substitutes you use, and we’ll be
glad to answer.
member, there is no cure all for anything. Side affects and physical
malfunctions are bound to take place when you alter the chemistry in
your body. Make sure you do your research before you act.
Check yourself.
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