Today many people use artificial sweeteners to sweeten things like coffee, cakes, desserts, cookies, etc to avoid packing on the calories from regular sugar or for people with diabetes to maintain a proper blood glucose level. Nowadays we have a couple staple brands like Sweet and Low (saccharin), Equal (aspartame), and Splenda (sucralose). Each of these 3 different sweeteners have their own different effects good and bad.
First, saccharin or as we commonly know it: Sweet and Low. It was the first artificial sweetener developed and is supposed to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. One down fall to this is that it leaves an unpleasant metallic aftertaste in your mouth, which most people cannot stand. There have been studies proving that saccharin may have been linked to giving rats cancer, so maybe people should think before they use this to sweeten that hot cup of java juice maybe the extra 15 calories wouldn't hurt after all. It's still on the market today because no significantly harmful effects have been proven on human consumption.
Second, aspartame or Equal to us. It was developed after Sweet and Low and became the number one additive in diet sodas. Aspartame however, is the only sweetener that cannot be used for baking. The issue with aspartame is that it contains the amino acid phenylalanine which some people cannot metabolize leaving them with side effects. Other than that it is a safe bet to say you can consume it and continue to drink your beloved diet soda.
Lastly, sucralose or Splenda was developed later on after Equal. This is a chemically altered sugar molecule used in baking, gum, candy, etc. It is the sweetest out of the bunch.
These artificial sweeteners have not been proven to harm you, you just need to be aware of some of the side effects. They can actually promote good health because you are not consuming high amounts of calories which regular sugar contains. If your trying to lose weight, sweetening things with sugar is a great idea to start!
Good to know that there aren't really any negative effects from Splenda. I use it all the time in my coffee because I feel like it actually gives a better taste than regular sugar. A friend of mine keeps telling me that it's going to cause cancer, but what isn't these days?
ReplyDeleteMy opinion? Just use real sugar, and moderate your levels.
ReplyDeleteI think that real sugar is not bad for you, provided it is used sparingly and logically. I don't think there will ever be a good substitute for real sugar, especially since it is so hard to avoid real sugar since it is an additive in so many foods. I'd much sooner take my chance with it than I would mess with a sweetener that could be directly linked to cancer.
I agree with Sean and I too have grown to like the taste of splenda compared to sugar. There is no long term reseach showing that there are any negative affects of splenda, so I don't see why there is a need to be so paranoid. In addition, there are so many sports drinks and foods that are made with splenda that we consume unknowingly and almost inavoidably.
ReplyDeleteI also use a lot of splenda and love it. I don't see the harm in it now. I am just nervous that because it is such a new product that somthing may devlope over time from heavy use of the product.
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