Guest guest Posted December 24, 2007 Report Share Posted December 24, 2007 Posted on another group: > > > > Sugar substitutes seem like healthy alternatives, but there is more > > than meets the eye. > > > > Dave Gabriele > > > > We all know that eating and drinking sweets does nothing to promote > > our health. Even the magical tooth-whitening gums or vitamin- > enriched > > energy drinks have a down side. We all know this, but mostly we > choose > > to ignore it. After all, how bad can a little piece of gum be? > > > > Sugar Substitutes > > > > A great deal of the foods we consume are artificially sweetened to > > make them cheaper to manufacture. Real sugar needs to be imported > at a > > cost much greater than producing these sweetening chemicals. The > > industry produces a whole range of artificial or artificially- > derived > > substances to meet our demands for sweet foods. Artificial > sweeteners > > have virtually replaced sugar in the processed foods that we eat. > > > > One of the most infamous sweeteners is aspartame. Since aspartame > has > > fewer calories than sugar, it has been branded as being a healthy > > substitute. These aspartame brands including NutraSweet and Equal, > are > > marketed as being good for people on diets. > > > > Since aspartame is popular among dieters and can be produced at a > very > > low cost, it is used in many products available today. Hey, if > > something can stay sweet and let us lose weight at the same time > then > > it must be good, right? Although it is true that products containing > > aspartame don't have as many calories, there are many more serious > > issues at play. > > > > History > > > > Where did aspartame come from? Aspartame was discovered by accident > is > > 1965 when a chemist at G.D. Searle was looking for an anti-ulcer > drug. > > Its value was immediately recognized. Aspartame would mean a great > > increase in the profit of all sweet food manufacturers. > > > > But the dream didn't last long; the FDA rejected aspartame because > > initial testing showed that it caused brain tumours in rats. When > > Ronald Reagan came into power he appointed a new Commissioner to the > > FDA. The new Commissioner approved the chemical in 1981 even though > > FDA investigators and toxicologists were warning him about the > dangers > > of the substance. It is no secret that after the approval of > > aspartame, the Commissioner became a consultant to G.D. Searle with > a > > huge increase in salary. > > > > So 16 years after its discovery, aspartame entered the market as a > > legal sweetener. > > > > What Is It? > > > > But what is aspartame? Chemically speaking, it is a synthetic > > substance that is made from a combination of methyl ester (10%), the > > amino acids phenylalanine (50%) and aspartic acid (40%). Unless > you're > > a chemistry major that probably means nothing to you, but there are > > significant problems with these ingredients. > > > > How Your Body Recognizes It > > > > After ingesting aspartame, the methyl ester becomes methanol. > > According to the EPA, methanol " is considered a cumulative poison > due > > to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. " In other words, > > methanol is considered a poison because once it's in your body, it > > stays there for a long time. Methanol breaks down in our bodies to > > form formic acid and formaldehyde. The problem is that formic acid > is > > toxic and formaldehyde is a carcinogen and a neurotoxin. And that's > > only 10% of the issue. > > > > Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are found in > > natural combinations with other amino acids in foods like eggs, > > bananas and meat. These combinations are key to our body's ability > to > > process them. When they are consumed in isolation as they are in > > aspartame, they are toxic and can cause health problems. > > > > Side Effects > > > > But just what kinds of health problems does aspartame cause? > Although > > the `official' word on aspartame is that it has no negative effects, > > independent testing around the world has concluded what the FDA knew > > in 1965: it does has negative effects. > > > > There can be immediate effects such as headaches or dizziness, or > > there can be more serious long-term effects such as seizures or > > cancer. Although the list of symptoms is very long, they are > difficult > > to connect to aspartame. This explains why aspartame has persisted > in > > our foods for so long; ill-effects are hard to prove. > > > > Where it is Used > > > > Which foods contain aspartame? According to the Aspartame > Information > > Center, these are the most popular products that contain aspartame: > > > > 1. Breath Mints > > 2. Carbonated Drinks > > 3. Chewing Gum > > 4. Hard Candies > > 5. Ice Cream, Sugar Free > > 6. Iced Tea > > 7. Jams & Jellies > > 8. Juice Drinks > > 9. Meal Replacements > > 10. Yogurt, Fat free > > > > ____________________________ > > be careful > > > > The foods and beverages are always there ready to eat or drink and > it > > can be so easy to brush the warnings aside. After all, it's only a > > piece of gum or a can of pop. But what you should know is that these > > toxins have a cumulative effect that worsens with each dose. In the > > end, the choice is yours. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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