All sweeteners are NOT equal

Heather Little-White, PhD, Contributor

As the summer wears on, there is always the desire for refreshing beverages. Some people will make gallons of one beverage or the other laced with artificial sweeteners to reduce calories not realising that these sweeteners are much sweeter than sucrose, and as food additives, may cause cancer and other physical discomfort. Diabetics feel more comfortable using zero-calorie artificial sweeteners in an attempt to avoid sugar.

Sweeter than sugar

But beware! Artificial sweeteners cannot be taken at face value. Some are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Sweeteners like aspartame and saccharin are made up of substances like phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol. Phenylalanine is known to increase sugar cravings because it produces insufficient levels of serotonin, the brain chemical that responds to the highs and lows of sugar.

Cancer-causing

Some sweeteners cause dizziness, headaches and hallucinations. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, studies are on-going to find conclusive evidence. Saccharin, however, has been linked to tumours in rats and humans, and the United States Food and Drug Administration in the United States (FDA) still has it on the list of suspected carcinogens.

An examination of non-sugar sweeteners indicates that the three primary artificial sweeteners used are saccharin (Sweet 'N Low), aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet) and sucralose (Splenda), the newest member of the artificial sweetener family.

Stevia

A natural sweetener that is considered safer than others, is Stevia, also known as Sweet Leaf. It is extracted from the stevia rebaudiana plant and is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. The FDA views Stevia as a supplement, as it has not been evaluated as a sweetener. Early research has shown that Stevia lowers blood sugar and blood pressure. Stevia is ranked as number one in terms of its effect and recommended use level. Stevia can be used liberally.

Xylitol: Recommended for moderate use is xylitol and other polyols like maltitol, sorbitol and mannitol) which are 60 per cent as sweet as sucrose.

Splenda: Conservative use is recommended for sucralose (Splenda) which is made from sucrose and chlorine molecules and is 600 times sweeter than sucrose. This sweetener does not break down when heated.

Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) is also recommended for conservative use especially because this is a controversial sweetener with the complaints to the FDA outnumbering those for any other food substance. On consumption, some people have immediate reactions to the sweetener. These include seizures, hives, and migraine headaches.

Restrictive use

Restrictive use is recommended for acesulfame K (Sweet One) made from vinegar and is 200 times sweeter than sucrose. It is not broken down by the body.

Saccharin (Sweet 'N Low) is also restricted and is 300 times sweeter than sucrose. Since it may be carcinogenic, it is not recommended for use during pregnancy.

My diabetic grandmother did not have artificial sweeteners in Somerton, St James. She liked natural foods and stuck with her one spoon of wet sugar loaded with minerals and vitamins. Like anything else in food preparation, keep it as natural as possible, reducing portions where necessary.

The only sugars that are best to eat are wild, non-genetically modified, seeded fruits, and the natural sugars and starches in living vegetables, trees, seeds, nuts, and roots. Non-processed honey can also be healthily enjoyed in moderation.