Understanding Food Labels, Part 3: Sugar-Free & Artificial Sweeteners

  

In my last article we talked about how fat doesn’t make you fat and eating lowfat products can contribute to heart disease and other health problems. When fat is removed from a product, more sugar or artificial sweeteners will be added to make up for the loss of flavor.

You may see products advertising: “Light” or “Sugar-free” or “Low Calorie” or “Diet” – these labels should concern you. It’s a good idea to always read and understand the ingredients.

In the United States, six intensely sweet sugar substitutes have been approved for use: Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), Sucralose (Splenda), Neotame (NutraSweet), Acesulfame Potassium (Nutrinova), Saccharin (Sweet’N Low) and Stevia (extracts known a Reb-A, Truvia, PureVia). You may also see sugar alcohols such as Xylitol, Malitol and others that end in “ol.”

While these are all approved, they are not without controversy. Dr. Hyman explains in his book “The Blood Sugar Solution” how all sugar substitutes can make you fat.

Tricking your brain into thinking you are getting something sweet plays dirty tricks on your metabolism.  Artificial sweeteners disrupt the normal hormonal and neurological signals that control hunger and satiety (feeling full).  A study of rats that were fed artificially sweetened food found that their metabolism slowed down and they were triggered to consume more calories and gain more weight than rats fed sugar-sweetened food. In another alarming study, rats offered the choice of cocaine or artificial sweeteners always picked the artificial sweetener, even if the rats were previously programmed to be cocaine addicts.

Diet drink consumption has increased 400 percent since 1960.  Those who consume diet drinks regularly have a 200 percent increased risk of weight gain, a 36 percent increased risk of pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, and a 67 percent increased risk of diabetes. A study of 400 people found that those who drank two diet sodas a day or more increased their waist size by five times.

Another controversy associated with all artificial sweeteners is that they may cause many other health problems, including cancer. Aspartame for example, can cause tumors and contribute to MS, lupus, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, headaches, memory loss, dizziness, vertigo and fatigue. Sucralose (Splenda) may adversely affect your immune system and may retard placental fetal development in pregnant women. Blurred vision, water retention, hypotension, headaches, bloating, cramping, gas, shortness of breath, hives, rashes, muscle pain, weakness and joint pain have been reported.

Stevia is a tropical plant that has been used as a sweetener and for medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. In 1991, after receiving an anonymous complaint, the FDA labeled stevia as an “unsafe food additive”. Clinical trials showed that stevia can mitigate cancer cell proliferation in laboratory mice, suggesting that it has properties that are anti-mutagenic. This finding was criticized on procedural grounds that the data was mishandled in such a way that even distilled water would appear mutagenic. Supporters of stevia believe the FDA was pressured by the artificial sweetener industry because the stevia plant is natural and cannot be patented. However, extracts from the plant can be patented. Fast forward to 2008, The Coca-Cola Company (Cargill) develops Truvia; PepsiCo and Merisant develop PureVia; and Corn Products International develops Enliten. The FDA gave no objection to these patented extracts. The use of stevia extracts in processed food is growing. These extracts are new to the food industry and some may caution overconsumption of these products. Minimal side effects have been reported – mostly gastro-intestinal (GI) distress and some nausea, but more research is needed. If you have a sugar addiction, consuming stevia may still trick your metabolism and increase your cravings.

 We need to ask ourselves, are diet beverages, gum, dressings, yogurts and other processed foods sweetened with artificial sweeteners worth the risk of weight gain, cancers, headaches and other health problems? Maybe, the question should ultimately be, should products with sugar be consumed instead of products with sugar substitutes? Well, good question! One great example of this question in our everyday lives is the following: Is Coke better than Diet Coke? Did you know that Coke is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup (a sugar), as opposed to Diet Coke which is sweetened with Aspartame (a sugar substitute)? Which is better? At this point one might think sugar is better, but recent studies have shown sugar is just as bad. Who knows? It’s kind of like asking if you want me to break your right leg or your left leg? But this is a question for another day. In fact, we’ll cover that in my next article.


Food Labels:

Understanding Food Labels - Lowfat vs.Full Fat

Understanding Food Labels - Natural Vs. Organic