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All
sweeteners are not equal
January 8, 04
Suzanne Havala Hobbs
So
you’re cutting back on sugar for the New Year?
Good move.
Added sugar in soft drinks and other sweet treats is a substantial
contributor to overweight and obesity. Sugar -- as well as
excess weight -- also raises blood triglyceride and sugar
levels. That raises the risk for diabetes and coronary artery
disease.
So we all need less sugar in our diets.
Several readers have asked me about the safety of sugar substitutes
-- particularly Splenda, one of the newest.
First, let me make it clear that on general principles, I
don’t encourage the use of sugar substitutes. Virtually
all are used in foods with little nutritional value, and none
of us needs more junk in our diets.
But if you opt to use one of those little colored packets
in place of sugar in coffee or tea at restaurants, or you
want a diet soft drink instead of regular, some options are
better than others.
Splenda is one of the better choices.
Here are the facts about Splenda:
• It’s a brand name for sucralose. Sucralose is
a synthetic chemical made by reacting sucrose, or cane sugar,
with chlorine. It’s used in diet beverages, baked goods,
and ice cream. It’s also served in little yellow packets
in restaurants.
• It has no calories. Diabetics can use it because it
does not raise blood sugar levels. Bulking agents added to
granular and packet forms add an insignificant amount of carbs
and calories.
• It’s safe, as far as we know. It’s been
thoroughly tested and has been widely used in Europe and Canada.
• It can be used in cooking and baking. But check the
manufacturer’s Web site www.splenda.com for tips on
using it in recipes where it may affect the texture or volume
of the food.
As for the others, The Center for Science in the Public Interest
offers these cautions:
• Saccharin (Sweet ’N Low). Avoid the little pink
packets. The U.S. government in 2000 took saccharin off its
list of cancer-causing substances amidst heated debate amongst
the scientists involved in its review and heavy lobbying by
industry and its academic consultants. The only committee
of outside experts voted 4-3 to continue considering saccharin
a carcinogen.
• Acesulfame potassium (Sunette). Also known as acesulfame
K, it’s been used in soft drinks since 1998 and in baked
goods, gum and gelatin before that. It was approved by the
Food and Drug Administration despite low-quality studies that
failed to establish it’s safety and suggested it caused
cancer in animals, according to CSPI. Until further testing
can demonstrate its safety, steer clear of it.
• Aspartame (Nutrasweet and Equal). There is no scientific
evidence that it is dangerous, though some people have reported
neurological symptoms such as headaches when they use it.
Anyone who believes they are affected should avoid aspartame.
Key tests were sponsored by industry. California’s Office
of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment has recommended
additional testing.
And then there’s stevia.
It comes from a South American shrub -- so it’s natural
-- and is 100 times sweeter than table sugar. It’s not
approved for use as a food additive in the U.S., Canada, or
Europe. Here it’s sold in natural foods stores as a
supplement and is touted as a safe alternative to artificial
sweeteners. It has not been adequately tested, and some tests
have demonstrated large amounts can cause problems in animals.
Be cautious.
And it should go without saying: The natural sweetness found
in whole apples and oranges is always the best option.
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