As we find ourselves amidst the season of sugary treats, what better time to take a look a closer look at both sugar and artificial sweeteners. I recently gave a short talk on the effects of sugar (along with two other foods that are best avoided: gluten and commercial animal products), and thought I'd share some information with my readers, along with a handout I provide for my clients!Here are a couple of important facts to remember about sugar and sweeteners. One, all sugar (both artificial and real) cause an insulin response in our body. As discussed in many previous articles, insulin is a storage hormone, escorting nutrients to our cells (particularly our fat cells). We always want to strive to regulate our insulin levels, therefore regulating our blood glucose levels, in turn regulating our sugar/carb cravings and energy dips and spikes. Secondly, remember that while we should minimize our exposure to all sugar and sweeteners, those actually coming from nature (not including High Fructose Corn Syrup, which manufacturers would argue does, in fact, come from nature) are better than those made in a lab. Remember, if we can't pronounce the name, most likely not a great choice...
Unfortunately, many people think that because artificial sweeteners are non-caloric, they are making the right choice by not contributing to weight gain. However, as mentioned above, even that sweet taste produces the same insulin reaction in our body, and can lead to a whole host of problems. Similarly to trans-fats, our body has no idea how to process these chemical sweeteners. In fact, a 2008 study by the National Institute of Diabetes found that artificial sweeteners were connected to a 2-fold increase in diabetes. Take a look at a list of symptoms caused by artificial sweeteners (and there are many more):
- Hives/rashes
- Dizziness
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue/weakness
- Loss of vision
- Loss of memory
- Migraines
- Joint Pain
- Insomnia
- Seizures
Before sharing my handout with you, I'd like to quickly address agave syrup, a hot topic today with its growing popularity in recent years. In her book Primal Body, Primal Mind, Nora Gedgaudas refers to agave as the "new 'yuppie' form of high fructose corn syrup, being sold as a natural, even exotic-sounding product." She goes on to inform us that "agave is actually much richer in damaging fructose and, as such, potentially much worse for you than industrial high fructose corn syrup (with the exception of the fact that industrial HFCS is made using synthetic chemicals and GMO's)...HFCS contains about 55% fructose content. Agave nectar, by contrast, contains anywhere from 70 to 97% pure fructose and Nutrasweet." What this means is that it puts a tremendous strain on our liver, as all fructose must be converted to glucose in the liver before being used for energy by our body.
Below is some information on which sweeteners to avoid completely and which may be used in moderation. Keep them in mind this holiday season, and beyond!
SUGAR AND SWEETENERS
3 THINGS TO REMEMBER ABOUT SUGAR:
- ALL sweeteners, caloric and non-caloric, can contribute to weight gain and/or weight loss resistance.
- Sweeteners that come from nature are always better than those made in a factory or lab.
- Regardless of source, it is crucial to minimize your exposure to sugar/sweeteners.
WHY?
- Any sweet sensation causes an insulin spike in our bodies, which promotes fat storage (especially around the mid-section).
- Diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates negatively linked with heart health.
- Artificial sweeteners can cause migraines/headaches, dizziness, seizures, nasea/vomiting, fatigue, change in mood, vision and heart rate, diarrhea, joint pain, memory loss, insomnia, hives, and more.
AVOID COMPLETELY:
- Aspartame (equal)
- Saccharin (sweet n low)
- Stevia that is white (truvia)
- Sucralose (splenda)
OK TO USE IN MODERATION (organic whenever possible):
- Raw honey
- Grade by maple syrup
- Molasses
- Date sugar
- Fruit juice
- Green leaf stevia (best choice, can help stabilize blood sugar)
READ LABELS!
- Focus on carbohydrate and sugar grams; 4 grams sugar=1 tsp.
- Look for ingredients ending in “ose” or “tol” (ex: sucralose, sucrose, fructose, sorbitol, xylitol)
- Words such as sugar, nectar, syrup, crystals
- 1st item in ingredient list exists in largest amount, and so on.
“Be wary of all the chemicals in your life” –Andrew Weil, M.D.
Oh Rachel....again, where's your evidence?!
ReplyDeleteAspartame is one of the most widely studied food additives in the world. The prevailing evidence is that it is quite safe for consumption (http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408440701516184).
Listing self-reported ailments that were "caused" by aspartame consumption is misleading to your readers and clients! Please don't confuse an association with a causation. This is one of the most fundamental concepts of scientific study. Or, maybe there is an actual study that supports your scary claims? If there is one, could you please link to it? I think your readers deserve to know where all these "facts" are coming from.
Here's an interesting study that might help you better understand the issues with self-reporting and confirmation bias: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3657889
I mean, it's a good message to watch one's sugar consumption....but the way you present the argument is so lacking in actual evidence, that I find it quite irresponsible!
Here is another article that might help you get a better handle on the topic: http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/aspartame-truth-vs-fiction/
Oh hi Mia! I just yesterday noticed your comments from a November article I posted and have not yet had the chance to respond, but I'll start with sharing a few studies on aspartame. Yes, you're right that there have been many studies done on the effects of aspartame, and mainstream organizations like the National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) and the FDA have gone back and forth. Call me crazy, but I've always been a bit of a skeptic when it comes to organizations such as these assuring the public that a chemical product on the market with a huge link to corporate profit (Monsanto to name one) is; in fact, safe.
ReplyDeleteBefore aspartame was officially approved in the early 80's, the NSDA themselves released a 30 page report on the dangers of the chemical: http://www.dorway.com/nsda.html. The NSDA has since "changed its mind," see link below for more ideas of why this could be.
Secondly, check out this article by news archivist Lynn Stratton with a very detailed look at the history of aspartame and lots of great resources to check out: http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/spin-on-aspartame.html.
I'd love to have the time right now to give a more detailed breakdown on the many dangers of aspartame, but I have a full day of nutrition clients to attend to. I'll definitely share this on my facebook page so we can get some other input, too!
It frightens me that there are still people (educated people at that!) that still believe chemicals are not harmful. All one needs to look at is the rising cancer rates and chronic illnesses to see that additives and chemicals have done nothing but destroy our health and food supply.
ReplyDeleteHow about this from Charlotte Gerson, a well known nutritional advocate regarding aspartame: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_6818/is_5_21/ai_n28456464/
~jackie
ReplyDelete(don't know why my phone is my screen name!)ha
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the links....sorry the second one didn't work actually (link broken or something?). The one from the NDSA seems quite alarmist and lacking in any scientific evidence. I just don't think conspiracy theories should trump science! I would be more interested to see actual scientific studies supporting what you claim, instead of non-peer-reviewed internet conspiracy theories!
With respect to the Gerson article, I suppose I'll sound like a broken record, but that isn't a peer-reviewed publication, and doesn't include references to actual studies. Again it sounds alarmist and is fraught with conspiracy theories. It's hard to debate the issues when people simply believe things despite evidence to the contrary...I can imagine it must be nice to have various alarmist internet sources confirm your beliefs about artificial sweeteners, but I'm sorry, I just won't believe your claims until I see actual evidence!
re: Jackie's comment--- I find it upsetting that you are "frightened" by my demands for rigorous scientific evidence to support health and nutrition claims. I think that, if more people demanded actual evidence for various claims, especially those related to health and nutrition, then we would have a much more engaged, informed society which is skilled in critical thinking and making decisions about their own health. Also, there would be less wasteful spending on health interventions that have no basis in science, like acupuncture or colon cleanses or herbal supplements.
It frightens me that people like you look at correlations of aggregated cross-sectional data and think it means there is a causal effect... that exemplifies that you are just interested in hearing your own beliefs confirmed and not interested in a thorough investigation of the evidence.
Again, any peer-reviewed studies that support your claims that aspartame is dangerous would be most welcome. If there is evidence of this, of course I would like to know about it!
Oh, also----- I wanted to clarify that I never said "chemicals aren't harmful." Of course, many chemicals are harmful, and even some of those approved by the EPA/FDA are harmful in large-enough doses. I never ever said that chemicals aren't harmful, so I don't know where you got that.
ReplyDeleteBasically my main point in all of this is: any chemical should be rigorously tested for safety before it is allowed in the food supply, and then, the impacts of it on health should be thoroughly studied once it is deemed safe and in the food supply, for a number of years afterwards to make sure there are no long-term health impacts.
I think rigorous evaluation of all chemicals is super important for public health and safety.
People are very gullible and they tend to get hooked on diet drinks as these are quite addictive in nature. It is recommended to consume Pure Noni Juice. It is the most effective fruit juice for preventing diabetes, obesity, arthritis and what not!
ReplyDelete