Free Essay

Truth About Sweeteners

In:

Submitted By leaharvay
Words 664
Pages 3
Leah Arvay
ENG 1020 052
November 11, 2013
The Truth about Sweeteners When you go to the store do you ever notice that all of these sweet foods and drinks are claiming to have no sugar and zero calories? And if all these foods and drinks are claiming to have no sugar in them, then why are our obesity numbers in this country continuing to rise? The American Heart Association says in their 2013 Statistical Fact Sheet that 23.9 million children ranging the ages of 2 to 19 are either overweight or obese, 154.7 million adults (ages 20+) are overweight or obese. (American Heart Association) Everybody knows that if you eat too much sugar or too many processed foods and don’t get enough exercise the result is weight gain. But in a society that is next to obsessed with weight loss and trying to find the quickest way to get rid of the weight and to keep it off without truly changing the look or taste of the food we have had to become creative with what we are now including in food.
For a food to be sweet but not contain any sugar or calories, it needs to contain a type of sweetener, typically an artificial sweetener or a sugar substitute. There are many sugar substitutes on the market right now, and even though they help lower the amount of calories and eliminate the sugar, those sweeteners will actually have a negative effect on your body and your children’s body so much so that you’re better off consuming the calories and sugar by using either the real thing or a natural sweetener. Sweeteners are in almost every food you can think of. It is in soda’s (especially diet), energy drinks, gum, jelly’s/jams, yogurt, ice cream, you can even buy the sweeteners themselves in little packets. They are actually trying to get permission to put artificial sweeteners in milk, so more children will drink milk. Most places you look for information regarding sweeteners will tell you they are a good sugar substitute. That they contain no calories, or very minimal amounts and you don’t need to use as much as you normally would with normal sugar. Which is very helpful for weight loss. It is also said that it helps prevent tooth decay and cavities. (Mayo Clinic) Also according to the Mayo Clinic, there are two main areas of health benefits for artificial sweeteners, weight control and diabetes. When it comes to weight loss, using artificial sweeteners cuts down the amount of sugar needed in foods. Typically, “each gram of regular table sugar contains 4 calories. A teaspoon of sugar is about 4 grams. For perspective, consider that 12-ounce can of sweetened cola that contains 8 teaspoons of added sugar, or about 130 calories.” (Mayo Clinic) When it comes to diabetes The Mayo Clinic says, “Artificial sweeteners may be a good alternative to sugar if you have diabetes. Unlike sugar, artificial sweeteners generally don’t raise blood sugar levels because they are not carbohydrates.” (Mayo Clinic) Which is a very good point. People with diabetes are constantly having to check their blood sugar levels and make sure they are stable. Up until now, artificial sweeteners has been used in a very broad term. There are four different groups of sweeteners: artificial sweeteners, Sugar alcohols, Novel sweeteners, Natural sweeteners. Some of those included in artificial sweeteners are: Acesulfame potassium (Sunette, Sweet One), Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet), Neotame, Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet’N Low), Sucralose (Splenda). Some of those included in sugar alcohols are: Erythritol, Xylitol, Sorbitol. In novel sweeteners the biggest name is the stevia extracts (Pure Via, Truvia). For natural sweeteners you can use agave nectar, date sugar, fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, or molasses. (Mayo Clinic) By no means does this list include all of the other possibilities or options out in the world today. This is merely a list of the big names that can be found in different products.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Truth About Sweeteners

...November 11, 2013 The Truth about Sweeteners When you go to the store do you ever notice that all of these sweet foods and drinks are claiming to have no sugar and zero calories? And if all these foods and drinks are claiming to have no sugar in them, then why are our obesity numbers in this country continuing to rise? The American Heart Association says in their 2013 Statistical Fact Sheet that 23.9 million children ranging the ages of 2 to 19 are either overweight or obese, 154.7 million adults (ages 20+) are overweight or obese. (American Heart Association) Everybody knows that if you eat too much sugar or too many processed foods and don’t get enough exercise the result is weight gain. But in a society that is next to obsessed with weight loss and trying to find the quickest way to get rid of the weight and to keep it off without truly changing the look or taste of the food we have had to become creative with what we are now including in food. For a food to be sweet but not contain any sugar or calories, it needs to contain a type of sweetener, typically an artificial sweetener or a sugar substitute. There are many sugar substitutes on the market right now, and even though they help lower the amount of calories and eliminate the sugar, those sweeteners will actually have a negative effect on your body and your children’s body so much so that you’re better off consuming the calories and sugar by using either the real thing or a natural sweetener. Sweeteners are in almost every...

Words: 664 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Arguments Against Artificial Sweeteners

..."Artificial Sweeteners." School of Public Health. 2015. http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/artificial-sweeteners/. This citation describes the health benefits and concerns surrounding artificial sweeteners. It was written by Harvard University's School of Public Health which is renowned for their research. The article looks at a wide variety of studies surrounding the health benefits and concerns about artificial sweeteners. All of these studies were conducted within the past decade and include the most up-to-date information. The author covers both viewpoints with the cited studies and avoids including their own opinions. They conclude that the health effects of sweeteners are inconclusive as research has produced...

Words: 735 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

Clover Valley Dairy Case Study

...Carbohydrates Doina Golub DeVry University Stevia Stevia is a sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of the plant species Stevia Rebaudiana. Stevia was discovered about 1500 years ago by the people of Paraguay, South America, when they used to crush a few of the sweet leaves for their hot mate tea. In 1887, Dr. Moises Santiago Bertoni started studying the “very strange plant” as described by the locals. Dr. Bertoni named the plant Stevia Rebaudiana in honor of a chemist Rebaudi, who identified the plant’s sweetness component. The first crop of stevia was harvested in 1908, but it wasn’t until 1931that stevia became more commercially available when two French chemist isolate stevioside, the pure white crystalline extract that gives stevia its super sweet taste. Later on, the Japanese government highly regulated chemical additives to their food supply and once stevia established its safety, Japan became one of the first countries to use stevia on a large scale commercially. In United Stated, FDA banned all imports of stevia at first because of the newly-presented Naturasweet and Equal sweeteners on the market but Stevia gained its popularity once more doctors recognized its health benefits; two and a half years later FDA approved stevia as a dietary supplement. They needed extensive research in order to establish that Stevia is safe to use as an additive for food and beverages. The active compounds of stevia are stevioside and rebaudioside, which have up...

Words: 890 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Stevia

...1. Stevia. 2. The artificial sweetener Stevia comes from a plant called Stevia rebaudiana that is naturally grown in Paraguay and Brazil. It’s been around since ancient times being called the sweet herb. It was originally used by the natives to aid in digestion, balance blood sugar, heal blemishes, sores, and wounds, soften skin, and nourish the pancreas. Although it may come off as a healthy alternative to regular sugar, it has had its ups and down with the FDA and it is much sweeter than regular sugar. “In 1991, Stevia was banned from the U.S. due to early studies that suggested that it may cause cancer.”(1) Multiply companies argued with the FDA to be categorized as GRAS so that it could be a sweetener in food and beverages. Stevia cannot be caramelized, which could make it hard for some baking recipes but the formula itself for Stevia was modified in recent years in order to find the right formulations considering it is overly sweet. Stevia is much sweeter than sugar and contains no carbohydrates or calories. 3. After reading into some of the nutritional facts and articles about Stevia, I have come to find that the overall safety of Stevia is not pure. With it being sold as multiple names with different brands, I’ve found that the names are quite similar to Stevia itself (i.e. truvia and pure via) but may not help with the possibility with losing weight in the long run. It may be able to help stabilize sugar intake in a short term way but it may have some harmful...

Words: 404 - Pages: 2

Premium Essay

Cyclamate Research Paper

...cyclamate and calcium cyclamate. Unlike some other sweeteners, it doesn’t have a metallic aftertaste. Cyclamate is 30 to 50 times sweeter than table sugar, making it the lesser sweet of the synthetic sweeteners. Studies have liked it to causing cancer. This sweetener is not recommended for women who are pregnant or lactating. Studies that were conducted early on showed that cyclamate can change in the intestines, transforming into cyclohexamine, which is a known carcinogen. A study that was published in Toxicological Sciences suggested that cyclamate is linked to testicular atrophy and stopped the growth of sperm in lab monkeys fed cyclamate over a long period of time. Keep in mind that the monkeys were...

Words: 555 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Diet Soda in America

...Diet Soda No Such Thing I'm a major devotee of eating regimen pop. I like the taste, and I cherish that it doesn't have any calories. I can drink a few eating regimen soft drinks a day and not stress over putting on weight. Be that as it may, another study makes them wonder if getting a charge out of the sweetness of pop without the sugar and calories is such something to be thankful for all things considered. College of Miami and Columbia University analysts took after about 2,500 New Yorkers for a long time. The greater part of the study volunteers was over age 40 and had never had a stroke. Toward the begin of the concentrate, every member showed her or his eating routine pop admission as "none" (under 1 every month), "light" (1 diet pop a month to 6 diet soft drinks a week), or "day by day" (1 or increasingly a day). Every year, scientists reached members by telephone to get some information about changes in danger variables and meds, and in addition any wellbeing issues and hospitalizations that may have happened. Toward the end of 10 years, the day by day diet pop consumers will probably have had a stroke or heart assault, or to have kicked the bucket from vascular sickness. The expanded danger stayed even after study examiners represented smoking, exercise, weight, sodium consumption, elevated cholesterol, and different variables that could have added to the distinction. The outcomes were distributed online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine. Both standard...

Words: 1762 - Pages: 8

Premium Essay

Sweetener Vietnam War

...burns them and turns them bright red? Or how about a substance that has been used as a chemical warfare agent during World War I and the Iraq war? Well, each and every day many individuals are doing this very thing, only they have absolutely no idea they are consuming this toxic substance. In fact, this very same substance is claimed to actually being healthy for you. It is hidden inside a small yellow packet, with a large label “Splenda”, the best selling artificial sweetener in America. This substance has been proven to have an extensive amount of dangerous side-effects. Not only...

Words: 3115 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Coca Cola Life Marketting Plan

...first established in 1886 by Dr John Styth Pemberton. Since then the company has become the world’s leading manufacturer in the soft drink industry, offering more than 500 brands in over 200 countries. TCCC provides 1.7 billion servings every day ,78% of these being Coke branded products. Over the past decade carbonated drinks have been increasingly criticised for their high sugar content or the health risks of artificial sweeteners and their impact on obesity. As a result we observe that the market for carbonates is shrinking significantly. Health awareness linked to alimentation is expected to grow exponentially over the next decade and it is safe to assume that the target market in 2 years will be much larger than today. People will tend to act more responsibly and be more careful about the chemicals they put in their bodies. In an effort to capture health-conscious customers, Coca Cola recently launched a new mid calorie alternative containing naturally occurring sugar, The Coca-cola life. This new soda takes advantage of the stevia, a natural sweetener which is calorie free and can be substituted to sugar. In this essay i will try to establish a marketing plan which will allow the company to become the leader in the “healthy” segment of the sot drink industry. Strengths -world leader in sales of soft drinks.-wide range of products and brands.-very visible and recognisable brand. The coke brand is known by 94%of the...

Words: 2757 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Fructos Research Paper

...and diabetes problems. Fructose is a monosaccharide, a pure sugar found in honey and fruits naturally. High- fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener produced by corn syrup to increase sugar from its natural form. According to an article on “Obesity and dieting: Facts about Fructose”, a study conduct by US Southwestern University Medical Center on how fat is stored after the consumption of sweet drinks containing HFCS. Carbohydrates are taking in as sugar and after the liver disassembled the sugar, the sugar store as fat within four hours. The effect of fructose cause lunch intakes to settle as fat inside of being burn off. Obesity has been a health issue since the 1980’s. As the years went on, multiple studies has shown an outrageous degree in obese adults and now children, an increase in the last 20 years. The importance of knowing what is causing obesity so that we can put an end to stop obesity and other health problems associated with it. Obesity invites other health problems such as, diabetes, blood sugar and heart disease. Fructose and HFCS is in everything that we eat daily and majority of Americans don’t even know it. Fructose and HFCS is often disguised by manufactures with other names on labels of food because of the out ragingly known effect of health and obesity issues. These products are labeled to cover up the actual truth which is HFCS. The ingredients in these food products are labeled under names such as, Maize syrup, Glucose/fructose syrup, Dahlia syrup and...

Words: 1394 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Macroeconomics and Microeconomics

...Destroy Your Health Page | 1 Copyright ©2010 Eat Healthy Secrets ISBN XXXXXXXX All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author. Printed in the United States of America Page | 2 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................................5 THE DANGER OF PROCESSED FOODS ......................................................................8 REFINED SUGAR IS POISON ......................................................................................12 THE TRUTH ABOUT FAT .............................................................................................27 WHY YOU SHOULD AVOID HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP ..................................32 WATCH OUT FOR ASPARTAME .................................................................................40 AVOID MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE ..........................................................................55 OTHER FOOD ADDITIVES YOU SHOULD AVOID ......................................................62 THE PROBLEM WITH BREAKFAST CEREALS ..........................................................73 THE PROBLEM WITH DIET SODAS ............................................................................78 THE PROBLEM WITH FACTORY FARMED MEATS ................

Words: 7262 - Pages: 30

Premium Essay

Taxation

...The Truth About Protein Powders and Meal Replacements and Bars The majority of protein supplements are packed with ingredients that create the exact opposite result that people want when they go to purchase protein. With the wrong ingredients protein shakes and bars can make you feel hungry, bloated, crave sugar and completely stall your weightloss. Heres why: Dirty Protein Secret Number 1: Added Sugar Many Protein supplements are packed full of added sugar. Sugar is the number one enemy when it comes to getting into shape. When you body digests sugar your body converts sugar into fat. Sugar also creates crazy cravings, so even though you are trying to do the right thing by having a protein shake before you know it you have uncontrollable cravings for all the wrong types of food. Have a look at how many ways sugar has been sneaked into this protein supplement: Check the list of ingredients on a protein supplement and if you find any of the following ingredients you have found sugar: Corn Syrup, Glucose Syrup, Invert Syrup, treacle, fruitrim (fruit juice and brown rice syrup (sugar!) and Sugar Cane juice. Dirty Protein Secret Number 2: Craving Causing Chemicals. If your protein supplement hasn't been packed full of sugar your can be pretty sure you will find artificial sweetener in it. Artificial sweeteners are known to create cravings for sugar. Just like protein supplements packed full of sugar soon after eating them you will be craving some thing sweet, the exact...

Words: 2818 - Pages: 12

Premium Essay

Government Mismanagement Sparks the Consumption of Unhealthy Food

...Government Mismanagement Sparks the Consumption of Unhealthy Food A 2008 documentary film, Food Inc., has struck a great number of people with its shocking truths about the food industry, as well as government policies related to food production. According to available statistics and media coverage on the food industry, government policies have facilitated the consumption of unhealthy foods by subsidizing corn production, ignoring the price gap between fast food and healthy foods, and practicing leniency towards large food corporations. The U.S. government has been heavily subsidizing the production of corn for decades, encouraging farmers to overproduce corn and allowing them to sell it at extremely low prices. Even cattle, which have been bred to eat grass, have now shifted to corn, since it is cheaper and more efficient in fattening the cows. However, research indicates that feeding corn to cattle results in a high occurrence of E. coli in the digestive system of the cattle, contaminating the beef produced from it (Callaway et al. 3: 852-860). USDA’s subsidies for corn have not only led to health problems related to meat, but also contributed to American’s high-caloric diet. Because of the low price of corn, many food companies use corns to produce artificial sweeteners and partially hydrogenated oils that should be avoided in a healthy diet. An author of Chicago Tribune comments on the USDA, “What it urges people to eat to remain healthy does not match what it pays farmers...

Words: 934 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Poverty & Obesity

...Connection between Poverty and Obesity English 135 DeVry University Farm subsidy payments are over $10 billion and are authorized to make payments to people “who aren’t even farmers anymore” (Morgan, Gaul, Cohen, 2006, para. 3). This has been going on, in some cases, over 10 years (para. 6). As long as you owned the farmland, you don’t even have to be growing anything and you would continue to receive a subsidy check (para. 3). Bottom line is all these billions of dollars in government subsidies contribute to lowering the cost of processed foods; not a good occurrence if you have low-income and cannot afford the high cost of healthier foods. The processed foods are so cheap to buy and are the unhealthiest that can be consumed by any human being. They are high-density, high-calorie, high-fat junk food that the unfortunate and less-advantaged part of our society has no choice but to buy because it is all they can afford. Studies show a strong connection between poverty and obesity, the government should appoint a task force to regulate and limit or repeal farm subsidies and overproduction of certain agriculture commodities like corn that is used to create highly processed, cheaply priced, high-calorie, high-density “junk foods”, so that prices of natural whole foods can once again be competitive and give the low-income consumers healthier food choices, thus contributing to the reduction of obesity. The U.S. budget for government financial subsidies to U.S...

Words: 2526 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Mamainsaturated Fat Research Paper

...In society today we face many health disorders due to what we ingest. As Marilu Henner says, “Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life.”. Along with this statement comes health related problems that we have to keep an eye out for. I have been told plenty of times before, “We are what we eat”. Statistics say that ⅔ of adults are overweight. One of the reasons this is the case is because of all the negative food possibilities our surroundings have to offer. Sugary drinks and energy drinks are favored more because of their taste and hype they have to them. Even...

Words: 1630 - Pages: 7

Free Essay

Natural Foods

...People love food and in many ways it defines them who they are. For Americans with rising health and obesity problems this could not be further from the truth. People need to be cautious of packaged foods that claim to be "natural," as they can deceive them into thinking the product is good for them. Packaged foods often contain high amounts of sodium, sugar, and fat even if they contain natural ingredients. Eating foods in their true organic natural form is beneficial to a person’s overall heath. One benefit of eating organic natural foods is decreasing the amount of harmful artificial ingredients. Artificial ingredients are cheap man-made ingredients such as food coloring, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners that are used to enhance the product to entice a person to buy it. The problem with many of them is that they have been linked to many types of medical issues. Food colorings, according to a study done at Purdue University, have been linked to cause increased hyperactivity in children (Stevens 268). In another case, the consumption of high-fructose corn syrup beverages, like sodas and fruit juices, has increased since the 1970s in correlation with the rising obesity rate in children (Morgan 250). Another benefit of eating organic foods is the ability to avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In 2001, about 68 percent of soybeans and 26 percent of corn in the United States where genetically modified (Lilliston 27). One problem with GMOs is that there has...

Words: 534 - Pages: 3