Sweetener Alternatives

My last issue of Real Health addressed the pros and cons (mostly just the cons) of sugar. The only real pro for eating sugar is that it tastes good. So now let’s look at some alternatives to sugar and their advantages and disadvantages. I won’t be able to cover every sweetener available, but I will discuss the most popular ones. We’ll look at the artificial sweeteners first.

1. Splenda (also called Sucralose)

A new study just came out from Duke University showing that the artificial sweetener Splenda is not as safe and wonderful as it had been built up to be. Ironically, not only does it have long-term side affects, but it actually makes people fatter. That would explain why so many people that use diet drinks and diet foods never seem to get any thinner.

A study published recently in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health Part A, confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label,"
Among the results in the study by Drs. Mohamed B. Abou-Donia, Eman M. El-Masry, Ali A. Abdel-Rahman, Roger E. McLendon and Susan S. Schiffman is evidence that, in the animals studied, Splenda reduces the amount of good bacteria in the intestines by 50%, increases the pH level in the intestines, contributes to increases in body weight and affects the P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in the body in such a way that crucial health-related drugs could be rejected. Turner noted that the P-gp effect "could result in crucial medications used in chemotherapy for cancer patients, AIDS treatment and drugs for heart conditions being shunted back into the intestines rather than being absorbed by the body as intended."

Although the effect of consuming Splenda does not result from a one time use, the side effects do occur after accumulated use. Turner also noted unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to the claims of Johnson & Johnson.

This new study makes it clear that Splenda can cause you to gain weight and lose the benefits of medications designed to improve and protect your health.

My Opinion: Not recommended

2. Aspartame (also called Equal)

Aspartame has the appalling honor of being the product with the largest amount of consumer complaints in US history, and yet it is still used in many foods and drinks.

According to Dr. Janet Hull who is the creator of the Aspartame Detox Program, there are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true. You can view much more information about Aspartame’s side effects on Dr. Hull’s web site at http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

The multitude of aspartame side effects are indicative to your genetic individuality and physical weaknesses. How can one chemical cause so much trouble? Let’s take a look.

According to Lendon Smith, M.D. there is an enormous population suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms. Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all. Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Vision and eye problems - blindness in one or both eyes, decreased night vision Hearing - tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound, severe intolerance of noise, marked hearing impairment
Neurologic - epileptic seizures, headaches, migraines, dizziness, unsteadiness, confusion, memory loss
Psychological/Psychiatric - severe depression, irritability, aggression, anxiety, insomniaChest - palpitations, tachycardia, shortness of breath, recent high blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea,
Skin and Allergies - itching without a rash, lip and mouth reactions, hives, aggravated respiratory allergies
Endocrine and Metabolic - loss of control of diabetes, menstrual changes, marked thinning or loss of hair,marked weight loss, gradual weight gain, aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), severe PMS (This is only a partial list of the potential side effects )

Aspartame may also trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr, Post-Polio Syndrome, Lyme Disease, Grave’s Disease,Meniere’s Disease, Alzheimer’s Disease, ALS, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Hypothyroidism,Fibromyalgia, Lupus, non-Hodgkins, Lymphoma, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
(This is only a partial list of the illnesses that can be caused by Aspartame)

These are not allergies or sensitivities, but diseases and disease syndromes. Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook ‘disease’ symptoms, such as Grave’s Disease. Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning.

My opinion: Not worth the risks – Not Recommended

3. Sweet and Low (Saccharin)

Saccharin has been around for over 100 years and claims to be the best researched sweetener. Saccharin is also known as Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet'N Low, and Necta Sweet. It does not contain any calories, does not raise blood sugar levels and is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). Out of the five FDA approved nonnutritive sweeteners, saccharin is often chosen to be the safest one.

There was a great deal of controversy surrounding the safety of saccharin back in the '70s. Since then, more than 30 human studies have been completed and found that the results found in rats did not translate to humans, making saccharin safe for human consumption. The original study published in 1977 has since been criticized for the very high dosages, that were hundreds of times higher than "normal" ingestion for humans, that were given to the rats. In 2000, the National Toxicology Program (NTP) of the National Institutes of Health concluded that saccharin should be removed from the list of potential carcinogens. The warning has now been removed from saccharin-containing products.

In addition to its carcinogenic quality, saccharin belongs to a class of compounds known as sulfonamides which can cause allergic reactions in individuals who cannot tolerate sulfa drugs. Reactions can include skin eruptions, breathing difficulties, headaches and diarrhea. Some infant formulas contain saccharin and can cause irritability and muscle dysfunction.

My opinion: Avoid artificial additives and stick to natural sweeteners

I will address the other alternatives to sugar in the next issue of Real Health. Until next time, be well and enjoy real health.

JD Roma