Cutting Back on Sugar, What You Should Know
by Jenn Leonard
With the awareness that Atkins and South Beach have brought to eating habits and the growth of the health and wellness industry; many people are searching for ways to cut back on sugars. However, if you have or chosen to eliminate sugar in your diet, there are a few things you need to be aware of.
Replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners such as Equal, NutraSweet, or Splenda can have exactly the same ill health effects as sugar, with the addition of neurological disorders thrown in for good measure.
Artificial sweeteners are just that, artificial, and your body has no idea what to do with them. Your body cannot assimilate these artificial ingredients.
The most recent appearance in the world of artificial sweeteners is a product called sucralose, coming into popularity in the brand name of Splenda. Splenda and Aspartame, the main ingredient in Equal and NutraSweet have been under a lot of scrutiny since they were first offered as a sugar alternative and more and more is being learned about their ill effects on our health.
Aspartame is a known nerve toxin, meaning that when consumed, it interacts with the nervous system in your body in an unhealthy way. It contains free methyl alcohol which affects the dopamine system in the brain and causes addiction, which is why so many of us find it hard to quit Diet sodas.
Methanol or wood alcohol is the probable trigger for most of the adverse reactions associated with aspartame. When aspartame is combined with the enzyme chemotropism in the small intestine, methanol is released and breaks down into formaldehyde, a potent neurotoxin. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers methanol to be a "cumulative poison" and recommends a safe consumption of no more than 7.8 mg per day. Unfortunately, if you drink a one-liter beverage containing aspartame, (the average size of most plastic bottled sodas) your body creates seven times that amount - about 56 mg of methanol. An accumulation like that can have severe effects on your health such as headaches, dizziness, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains, behavioral disturbances, insomnia, vision loss, depression, heart problems, and pancreatic inflammation. An accumulation of aspartame in the human body can lead to aspartame disease, a disease which imitates and worsens other neurological diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s; leading to more and more false diagnosises and improper treatment.
If the product containing aspartame is heated to a temperature above 86 degrees Fahrenheit, "free methanol" is created, speeding up the absorption of methanol, and magnifying the effects of the neurotoxins. Nevertheless, in 1993 the FDA approved the use of aspartame in food items such as gelatin desserts that require heating well over the 86-degree range. Not to mention the fact that the temperature inside the human body is 98.6 degrees.
Products containing artificial sweeteners are on the rise. Many things you wouldn’t even think about, such as bullion cubes can contain artificial sweeteners. The easiest way to find out if products you use contain artificial sweeteners is simply to read the label. Use the following chart to find which sweeteners can have negative effects, and which sweeteners are safe to use.
Healthy Sweetener Use Guide
| Sweeteners to Use | Sweeteners to Avoid |
|---|---|
| Stevia * | Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel) |
| Other Low Carb Sweeteners | Neotame |
| Evaporated Cane Juice | Sucralose (Splenda, Altern) |
| Fruit Juice | Acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet & Safe, Sweet One) |
| Rice Syrup | Cyclamates |
| Honey | Saccharin |
| Licorice Root (small amounts) | Refined Sugar # |
| Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) | High Fructose Sweeteners # |
| Amasake | |
| Vegetable Glycerin | |
| Sugar Alcohols ^ (xylitol, sorbitol) |
|
| Maple Syrup (Without Added Sugar) | |
| Barley Malt | |
| * Safe for Diabetics ^ Use in Small Amounts Avoid if you have bowel disease |
# Can Be Used in Very Small Amounts While Transitioning to Healthier Sweeteners |
Note: Many diabetics can use some amount of healthy caloric sweeteners such as evaporated cane juice. Check with your healthcare practitioner for more information.
Be especially careful of the following products, as many of them can contain hidden artificial sweeteners.
Soft drinks, over-the-counter drugs & prescription drugs (very common and listed under "inactive ingredients"), candy, breath mints (including all the new "strips" used for fresh breath and medicines), cereals, sugar-free chewing gum (just about any gum, including sugared gum-read the label), cocoa mixes, gelatin desserts, frozen desserts, juice beverages, shake mixes, tea beverages, topping mixes, wine coolers, etc.
Resources:
http://www.holisticmed.com
http://www.mercola.com/2004/jan/7/aspartame_disease.htm
Jenn Leonard is a wellness consultant specializing in household chemical elimination, natural childbirth and holistic health research. To learn more about her services, visit www.toxinfreezone.com. Jenn is also a member of the South Sound Healers network: www.southsoundhealers.com.
