What is sweet? People in this country have strayed from what Mother Nature provides as sweet and delightful. The consumption of fruits was once gratifying enough to quench the curiosity of the sweet tooth without consequence. Nowadays people don’t have the time to eat organic foods and instead opted for the convenience of mass-produced, heavily processed and nutrient deprived fast foods and beverages. Most of these factory produced food products today are extremely sugary. That sugariness is a contributing factor to metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. Many low calorie sugar substitutes have been developed, approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and consumed in large quantities by the general public as a solution to decrease these health epidemics. But because of an increase consumption of sugar substitutes in a variety of foods and drinks, government agencies and health-conscious consumers now ask are these sugar substitutes safe in large quantities, and are they relieving or contributing to the health epidemics?
Sugar substitutes are often referred to as “intense” sweeteners. Their intense sweetening power allows for very small amounts to be used, therefore only adding a small amount of calories to foods and beverages. As a result, they substantially reduce or completely eliminating the calories in certain products such as diet beverages, light yogurt and sugar-free pudding. In addition to lowering calorie intake, sugar substitutes do not contribute to cavities or tooth decay. When the body eats more than the allocated calorie intake of 2300 kcal, depending on body mass and metabolic rate, it starts storing it as fat therefore increasing the obesity rate in this country. Lower calorie intake is t...
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...any other high-potency sweeteners, and is likely to become a major source of high-potency sweetener for the growing natural food market in the future (1-10)”.
History has proven that people have been consuming sugar substitutes for centuries without any adverse affects. Unless there is a global conspiracy against a healthy future for mankind, sugar substitutes are the new way to combat diabetes and obesity worldwide. Sugar substitutes allow consumer to maintain a level of sweetness in their food without the calories, tooth decay and diabetes associated with table sugar. Some individuals consuming low-calorie sweeteners may feel more satisfied with their eating plans, helping them to lose weight and keep it off. This ultimately gives the consumer the power and knowledge that these chronic epidemics can be beaten with little sacrifice of the sabotage sweet tooth.
National Academy of Sciences (U.S.). Sweeteners: Issues and Uncertainties. Washington, D.C.: National Academy of Sciences, 1975.
Aspartame, or more commonly known as NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful and Equal Measure; was discovered purely by chance in 1965 by a chemist named James M. Schlatter, who was testing an antacid drug (Prantini; 2014). The commercial industry believed that “a wonder product” had been discovered, which stood to revolutionise the food industry as an artificial sweetener. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener which is found in many of our foods and beverages universally. Aspartame is two-hundred times sweeter than sugar and is commonly used as a tabletop sweetener, a sweetener in prepared foods, diet foods or drinks, flavored waters, chewing gum, condiments and is even found in flavoring of medicines. It is found in majority of our food products marketed for weight control (Prantini; 2014). Aspartame has a sweeter taste in comparison to sugar, and therefore less of the sweetener can be used in food products in order to achieve the same level of sweetness as if sugar was used; which results in an individual consuming fewer calories and less sugar (American Cancer Society; 2014).
The food that we as a nation consumes reflects the health and well being of the American people. We have become so accustomed to fast food and easy, unhealthy, diet choices that diseases like diabetes has become very prevalent and on the rise. One in every three Americans born after 2000 will contract early onset diabetes. In the film “Food Inc.” takes a look into a typical grocery store and reveals the illusion of variety. Most of the food in the industry leads back to corn. High fructose corn syrup, a sweetener made from corn starch, is found in many of the foods and beverages that we consume. High fructose corn syrup has been linked to metabolic diseases like obesity and diabetes. Corn has become very affordable and abundant and big food
However, the outcome was different from his desired result due to strong protest from the dairy and livestock industry, so the Congress instead urged people to buy lean meat and less fat food so the dairy and livestock industry do not go out of business. This created the fat-free boom in the market in the 1980s. However, food companies began to put more sugar in their products because the taste was bad when they reduced fat in the food. Now, the sugar intake of Americans has doubled compared with before. In the American market, there are approximately 600,000 different food products, and 80% of those include sugar. Although sugar is written in various forms and names, one suggests that it’s bad in any form, especially if taken too much. Sugar consumed naturally through fiber-rich fruit or vegetable should be fine, but the added sweeteners stimulate the hormones that increase insulin. High insulin prevents people from thinking they are full, and thus crave more food. This causes many diseases. Of course one meal high in sugar will not kill them, but the problem is that people generally exceed daily sugar intake in one meal alone when consuming process food. We eat more processed and convenient food instead of fruits, vegetables, and
High fructose corn syrup was first created in the 1970s by the Japanese as a form of sweetener. Combining 45% glucose and 55% fructose it was the sweetest substance yet and its cheap production, longer shelf-life, and versatility helped it over the next three decades emerge as the dominant sweetener on the market. However, despite its success, it has most recently been noted that effects of the substance are extremely detrimental to consumers, and its increased use directly correlates to the rise in obesity and diabetes among Americans.
Reinke, Beth Bence. "How Sweet It Is: Sorting Out Sweeteners." CBN. The Christian Broadcasting Network, 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2014.
The low-calorie, high-intensity sweetener market has been dominated by one major player, NutraSweet, with annual sales of $711M and about 80% market share (the total market in 1986 was $884M annual sales). NutraSweet, a monopolist in the industry, was able to charge premium prices and successfully capture the majority of the pie. Also, the market was expected to grow 15% annually, with a 70% projected sales growth in Europe and Canada. However, since NutraSweet’s original patents were due to expire soon (Europe/Canada market patent expires in 1987 and US in 1992), a new entrant was threatening to enter the lucrative low-calorie sweetener market – HSC.
Sugar is considered a toxic poison. Sugar leaches the calcium out of the skeletal frame of a human’s body. Sugar literally sucks the calcium straight from our bones; therefore it is known to many as a “skeletal poisonous powder.” There are thousands of individuals struggling throughout the United States with sugar addiction. Sugar is a leading cause of a number of health-related issues. Sugar causes health issues such as, fibromyalgia, diabetes, obesity, and osteoporosis. Like me, many individuals have no clue that they are addicted to sugar. Up until this single subject design, I thought my eating habits were quite normal. I honestly did not realize how much sugar I was taking in everyday. This single subject design has truly encouraged me to live a healthier lifestyle. The purpose of this study is to indirectly determine my sugar intake, by counting calories daily and reducing my caloric intake.
HFCS is being used for almost every food product in the food industry. However, if we look at HFCS from a limited point of view we just see it as something present in our food and not the health factors behind it. HFCS can be habit forming since it is a sweet replacement for sugar and in his article Peretti mentions that David Kessler said “sugar, through its metabolisation by the gut and hence the brain, is extremely addictive, just like cigarettes or alcohol.” People enjoy the taste and because of this they consume large quantities, which lead to health factors such as: obesity, diabetes, heart problems, infertility, liver problems, and so on. Our limited perspective may cause us to lose sight of how much of a risk HFCS possess. In my case I use to think that my family gained significant amount of weight only through fatty foods and...
For years doctors have been saying that refined sugars are empty calories and consist of absolutely no vitamins or minerals that people need to survive. Dentists warn that sugary foods encourage tooth decay. Many people avoid sweet food because it can lead to obesity, heart problems, diabetes and cancer. These negative responses by people’s bodies are actually warnings. Maybe people eat sugar for other reasons than the sweet taste. The human body's negative responses to sugar may be a similar purpose to the reason kids feel pain when they are playing too roughly. People’s consumption of sweet foods might also serve as a sign of defiance against their bodies’ health limitations. What many people do not realize is that their tasty treats can affect their mind and emotions.
The worldwide demand for high potency sweeteners is expected to rise especially with the new practice of blending various sweeteners; the demand for alternatives is expected to increase. The sweet herb of Paraguay; Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni produces; in its leave;, such an alternative with the added advantage that stevia sweeteners are natural products. The sweet steviol glycosides have sensory & functional & properties superior to those of other high potency sweeteners. Stevia is to become a major source of high potency sweetener for the increasing natural food market in the coming future.
The American Heart Association (AHA) among other experts worldwide have made consistent recommendations regarding daily sugar intake however research has provided evidence that the American population surpasses these recommendations putting their health at risk. These recommendations include limiting added sugar to “6 tsps (25 g) for women, 9 tsps (38 g) for men”, and limiting added sugar intake for children to “Range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 - 25 grams) per day” (UCSF,2014). However, data collected by the Department of health and Human services and the Centers for Disease Control and prevention suggests that “The average American consumes 19.5 teaspoons (82 grams) every day” (Ervin et al. 2013). The US Department of Agriculture translates this to “About 66 pounds of added sugar consumed each year, per person” (USDA,
The first step is to understand the effects of sugary drinks on the human body. Daines states that, “Many factors contribute to obesity, but there’s one pernicious one: added sugar” (632). Consumption of sugary drinks alone has held an increasing placement in our daily eating routine. As stated in A Tax That Invests in Our Health, “We consume about 300 calories more a day than we did 30 years ago, and most of those calories come from sugar-sweetened sodas, energy drinks or fruit-flavored drinks” (632).
These sweets can direct our health to diabetes, heart disease, and cancers later in life. Many sweet desserts will increase our blood sugar and our triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood. If someone who is diabetes or a diabetes-related condition, he or she will have a risk of heart disease due to the sugar. According to Rachel Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont in Burlington, “What we know is that added sugars put you at a higher risk for a poor lipid profile . . . A poor lipid profiles increase your risk for coronary heart disease” (Cox). Diabetics need to avoid having lots of desserts. Besides being diabetic, most Americans are having long-term health issues because of too many calories through sugary foods. A person who is receiving the sweet is not getting any fiber, vitamins, or minerals. This cause crucial health development to him or