Author Topic: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners  (Read 22943 times)

Doug Varrieur

  • Author
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Commited to helping the world :)
    • View Profile
    • Best Weight Loss Book Ever Written! FAT to Skinny Fast and Easy
    • Email
Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« on: August 27, 2010, 06:01:53 PM »
A forum member...Mouseissue forwarded the link to this article to me for review. He thought it might interest you;

For Your Health: The Truth about Sugar Substitutes
________________________________________
By David N. Ilfeld, M.D. Board Certified Internal Medicine, Rheumatology, Allergy & Immunology   8/25/2010
Cutting excess sugar from your diet can be extremely beneficial, as sugar overload has been linked to health problems such as diabetes and obesity. But if you're turning to a sugar substitute to get your fix, you may be in for a not-so-sweet surprise - some sugar-free substances may negatively affect your health.  Consider the following pros and cons of five popular sweeteners:

Aspartame
Better known by the brand names Equal® and NutraSweet, aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in many foods and beverages. It's roughly 200 times sweeter than sugar, low in calories and does not promote tooth decay.

Aspartame has generated a great deal of controversy since its initial approval in 1974. Some claim the ingredients (specifically the amino acids aspartate and glutamate) may act as an "excitotoxin," overstimulating and potentially damaging neurons in the brain.

While there is very limited conclusive research regarding specific risks, there are certain individuals who should avoid aspartame, including those with phenylketonuria (a genetic disorder) and advanced liver disease, as well as pregnant women (because their bodies cannot metabolize phenylalanine, a compound found in aspartame). Others may experience aspartame sensitivity, which can trigger headaches, dizziness and nausea.

Sucralose
Delivering up to six times the sweetness of sugar with no calories, sucralose is now found in many "diet" beverages and foods in the form of Splenda®. Although it's made from sugar molecules, sucralose is not natural - it's actually the result of several chemical modifications. These modifications prevent your body from metabolizing sucralose, keeping the caloric content at zero. 

Although the long-term effects of sucralose consumption in humans is still unknown, several short-term effects have been observed in rats. One study in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health involved male rats who were fed Splenda® for 12 weeks1. After 12 weeks, researchers discovered a significant reduction in beneficial bacteria within the gut, as well as an increased level of P-glycoprotein, a substance that can interfere with the absorption and effectiveness of medication.   

Stevia
Natural stevia sweeteners are generally derived from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a plant native to south and central America. The extract of this plant produces a unique taste that is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar, although some products may have a slightly bitter flavor.

Stevia may be especially beneficial for those with blood sugar concerns. A study recently published in Appetite concluded that, when compared with sucrose and aspartame, those who ate meals sweetened with stevia experienced a significant decrease in post-meal insulin levels2.

Xylitol
Found naturally in some fruits and vegetables, xylitol is a sugar alcohol commonly used in sugar-free gum and candies. Xylitol tastes very similar to sugar and can be used to sweeten beverages, baked goods and other foods.

Dentists are particularly impressed with xylitol due to its ability to reduce the prevalence of cavity-causing bacteria within the mouth. A recent study showed that chewing gum with xylitol significantly reduced levels of mutans streptococci (a strain of bacteria linked to tooth decay) in the mouth3. Researchers also noted that this affect was still measurable up to 30 days after consumption of xylitol.

Be advised, however, that xylitol can be extremely toxic to dogs, even in small amounts.

Conclusion
Stevia appears to be one of the best sweeteners available today; however, more research is needed to clarify its safety.


As always, to your health,
David N. Ilfeld, M.D.
 
Keep The Faith, Stay The Course, Spread The Word on Facebook and Twitter  8)

Rena

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #1 on: March 03, 2011, 10:05:23 AM »
Thanks for this article.

I'm curious, though ... exactly how can consuming too many sugar alcohols affect weight loss? I haven't read anything about that, but it seems to be a common thing here when people stop losing.

Doug Varrieur

  • Author
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5337
  • Commited to helping the world :)
    • View Profile
    • Best Weight Loss Book Ever Written! FAT to Skinny Fast and Easy
    • Email
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #2 on: March 06, 2011, 10:12:08 AM »
For some people overly sensitive to sugar the alcohols can indeed have a glycemic effect. Most type 1 diabetics see a blood sugar spike from these sweeteners. All the manufactures claim no gycemic effect and in many people that's mostly true, but in others it's not. As a researcher I know that the core foundation of my FTS program is one that has very little effect on blood sugar, that's why we all drop weight. Adding the sweets and treats which we all must have occasionally is the 300 pound gorilla in the equation, that's why I have readers cut those first when weight loss stalls.
Keep The Faith, Stay The Course, Spread The Word on Facebook and Twitter  8)

joagain

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2011, 03:06:01 PM »
Certain ones spike tylers sugar (AKA FTS GUINNEA PIG ) SF reeses peanut butter cups if tyler eats more then 1 he goes very high ! The EAs bars the chocolate brownie one spikes his  very high but the peanut butter one the same brand does not spike it .

The almond brownies on the forum do not spike his sugar at all !!! And he loves them !

Rena

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #4 on: March 07, 2011, 09:42:20 AM »
Makes sense -- thanks for letting me know.

MissDeb

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 6
    • View Profile
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #5 on: November 01, 2012, 12:19:56 PM »
Great article!!

I agree, stevia is the best sweetener to use but you still need to use it sparingly, especially if you are like me and are addicted to sugar (or sweet tastes), using too much of the sweeteners can cause you to go off the deep end! :o
Stevia in it's liquid form is the best---powdered is processed and may have added chemical---check all labels!

Maltitol (in most all of the sugar free candies, etc) affects blood sugar levels and has to be eaten exceptionally sparingly.

I love raw unprocessed honey and have found that I can use it sparingly without any "problems". Plus, it's great for the immune system.

Andrea

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1177
    • View Profile
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #6 on: November 01, 2012, 12:56:44 PM »
I put honey on my list of don'ts.  I buy the sugar-free make believe honey for an occasional addition to tea in the afternoon, but I'd worry about the sugar in honey triggering cravings. 


shawn116

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #7 on: November 01, 2012, 01:39:37 PM »
Welcome to the forum family MissDeb if I haven't welcomed you already  ;D

I agree with Andrea....  Honey isn't a great choice when following the FTS rules.  Here is a link to check out http://www.fatsecret.com/calories-nutrition/food/honey/carbohydrate  also one that talks about the glycemic index of honey compaired to sugar http://www.livestrong.com/article/270875-honey-vs-sugar-glycemic-index/  

It's interesting how different types of honey have a different index..... who knew...LOL

I totally agree in that any sweetener should be used sparingly.....as a recovering sugar-aholic for me it will touch on those old feelings of wanting more simply because they are sooooo good.  I have to always ask myself "Do I really need that?"  Becoming diabetic put a stop to me being able to use most sweeteners without my blood sugar spiking not to mention it stopping any weight loss  :'(  
Quote
Adding the sweets and treats which we all must have occasionally is the 300 pound gorilla in the equation, that's why I have readers cut those first when weight loss stalls.
 I think this rings true for most of us here.  :)  
« Last Edit: November 01, 2012, 01:44:04 PM by TooSweet »

jay12

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
  • Shalom to you!
    • View Profile
    • Israeli stiuation-a very desperate one!
    • Email
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #8 on: March 11, 2013, 10:23:35 AM »
I consumed yesterday a green w/ coconut tea that I always have with my breakfast and we had bought Stevia from Sam's Club and my wife asked me if I wanted to use some and I said "sure" after thinking about it for a second, so I took the one packet she had given me and I opened it and Poured it in my tea , and what was that for that I did ! As soon as I drank a little of the tea the flavour was strong unlike previous Stevias I had used. So I was running out of time for my job and I left most of the tea and then I called my 15 year old son and told him that he could have the rest and since he is crazy about anything I eat and drink, so he took it and I said my good byes to my loving wife and children. But at that moment of me drinking the tea with the Stevia from Sam's Club I knew literally in my gut that something was majorly wrong. I started to have discomfort in my stomach right away and then I felt a rush to my head as I knew I experienced when I ate a lot of sugar and then the head ache showed up, and it lasted the whole night until nowand I was feeling miserable boy!
I decided to research why that Stevia caused me such discomfort when before I could use it so well and it would not bother me at all. I went to my Sam's app in my galaxy S 3 and look for the Stevia that I bought for 9 dollars and some change that brings 200 packs and walla, guess what the reviews were saying? People were complaining how that Stevia had a strong after taste not normal to the product and how some people were getting head aches and stomach pains as soon as they used it just like I was experiencing. The culprit , Dextrose in the Stevia in the amount of 1 gram and only 38 miligrams of actual Stevia in the packet. Dextrose is a simple sugar from corn,rice,white potato and when I found out why I had an insulin rush,sugar rush and all the symptoms, I said wow!
I read that Coca-cola, Cargill mills, Pepsi and other companies were adding stuff to it and to be careful what brand and what company you got the Stevia from. I came home and right away confirmed my thoughts about what it was. I knew it had to be something else because when I bought Stevia at the health food I did not suffer any of those symptoms and I did not had any sugar/insulin rush.
The lesson from all this to me and for all of you who are in our life style, like Umpa said above, read the labels people! So that you do not have to go through what I went through. Believe me, it does not feel good when you are already detoxified from carbs/sugars to have something like Dextrose coursing through your clean and spic span body. I am glad that I was in a rush and I only sipped that tea and nothing more because if I would of have drunk all that tea, you guys would of seen me in the hospital probably.
Anyways, this is my story and I will get Stevia from the health food as before where I know I am getting the pure and real thing and not an adulterated Junk!!! LOVE TO YOU GUYS ;) ::) :P :-* :)
« Last Edit: March 11, 2013, 10:26:31 AM by jay12 »

shawn116

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2013, 12:29:32 PM »
I'm sorry you had to go through that  :(  This is so true though...you must always read those labels and ingredients.  Be sure you are getting 100% pure with nothing added.   ;)

mouseissue

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6414
  • Low Carb for Long Life!
    • View Profile
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #10 on: March 11, 2013, 03:18:17 PM »
Hi, jay12!  :)

Shawn is right on target about labels!

That was a tough lesson to learn, but I'm sure you won't forget anytime soon!
In the past, I have made similar mistakes when I got lazy about labels.

When it comes to ANY prepackaged foods... NEVER assume anything!

The maker's can (and often do) change ingredients without warning.
So what was OK yesterday, may be a no no today.

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




jay12

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
  • Shalom to you!
    • View Profile
    • Israeli stiuation-a very desperate one!
    • Email
Re: Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #11 on: March 11, 2013, 03:53:48 PM »
Toosweet and Tony,  thank you for your advice and encouragement about this. I felt horrible and you better believe me that I will never forget this experience.  Thank you for your support.
I also want to ask you gus if in our fts lifestyle are safe to eat dates and figs or should I stay away from it and how about sweet potatoes? I ask because I don't want to experience this ill feeling with anything sweet. I'm traumatized lol I'm kidding but I would like to know. :)

mouseissue

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 6414
  • Low Carb for Long Life!
    • View Profile
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #12 on: March 11, 2013, 04:24:09 PM »
Hi, jay12! :)

Average pitted dates have about 16 net carbs... EACH!!! :o :o :o
And, one average raw sweet potato has about 21 net carbs!!! :o :o :o

And, one SMALL raw fig has about 7 net carbs!!! :o :o :o
Better than sweet potatoes, but still TOO high!!!

With ANY of these, you're asking for trouble!

Here are 2 websites where you can look up carb counts.
I've found them both reliable;

http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
http://www.calorieking.com/foods/

Tony
What you do today is what matters!




shawn116

  • Guest
Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #13 on: March 11, 2013, 07:08:49 PM »
Oy !!  Haha  Me thinks my sugar just jumped thinking about dates  ;D ;D   I'm sorry but your instincts were right with asking.  Tony pretty much said it all  ;)   We would be very hungry trying to add those in. 

jay12

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 351
  • Shalom to you!
    • View Profile
    • Israeli stiuation-a very desperate one!
    • Email
Re: Re: Artificial and Natural Sweeteners
« Reply #14 on: March 12, 2013, 09:48:07 AM »
Lol it made me jump indeed by looking at the carbs amount in them lol thank you both for teaching me about it.  It's not worth it for the amount of date, figs,potatoes you will consume in which is little and how big of a sugar punch it will bring to your body :D:o
Tony thanks for the two links. I appreciate