Download aspartame and sugar alternatives

Aspartame and sugar
Alternatives
What is Wrong with White Sugar?
• Refined white sugar has been linked to dental
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cavities, increased cholesterol levels, heart
disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity,
osteoporosis and nutritional deficiencies.
Can create dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar
which, over time, can wear down both the
pancreas and the adrenal glands.
Because it provides no nutrition, most dietitians
agree that white sugar has no legitimate place in
a healthy diet.
Manufacturing of Table Sugar
• Modern sugar cane farming, chemical fertilizers and
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pesticides are used to grow the sugar cane plants.
The mature sugar cane is harvested and sent to refining
factories, where the cane's vitamins, minerals and other
nutrients are separated from the sucrose.
After further refining, the cane juice is dried, processed
into crystals and bleached to remove its naturally dark
color.
What is Aspartame?
• Aspartame is a low-calorie sweetening
ingredient that provides the sweet taste of
sugar without the calories. Aspartame has
been used in numerous foods and
beverages for more than 20 years and is
enjoyed by millions of Americans every
day.
Where Can Aspartame be Found?
• Aspartame is used to sweeten products
such as low-calorie tabletop sweeteners,
carbonated soft drinks, powdered soft
drinks, puddings, gelatins, frozen desserts,
yogurt, hot cocoa mixes, teas, breath
mints, chewing gum and other foods, as
well as some vitamin and cold
preparations.
Acceptable Levels of Aspartame
• 50 mg / kg of body weight
• Average aspartame Contents of Selected foods
FOOD
12 oz. diet soft drink
8 oz. powder drink
8 oz. sugar-free fruit
yogurt
4 oz. gelatin-dessert
I package of sweetner
Aspartame (mg)
170
100
124
80
35
History of Aspartame
• Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by a researcher, Mr. James
Schlatter, at G.D. Searle & Company.
• Schlatter was a scientist doing research with amino acids, working
to develop a treatment for ulcers. In 1965, while creating a
bioassay, an intermediate chemical was synthesized -aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester (aspartame). In December of
1965, while James Schlatter was recrystalling aspartame from
ethanol, the mixture spilled onto the outside of the flask. Some of
the powder got onto his fingers. Later, when he licked his fingers to
pick up a piece of paper, he noticed a very strong sweet taste.
• Since that time aspartame has become one of the most highly
valued and widely used sweeteners in the world, known for its clean
taste and amazing sweetness (180-200 times sweeter than
sucrose). Aspartame also quickly became a highly valued ingredient
among people with diabetes because it literally changed their lives,
allowing them to enjoy foods that are sweet and tasty without
ingesting sugar.
How is Aspartame Handled by the
Body?
• Aspartame is broken down in the body to the amino
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acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine as well as a small
amount of methanol. It is a mixture of 40 percent
aspartic acid, 50 percent of phenylalanine, and 10
percent of methanol.
These components are also found naturally in foods such
as meats, milk, fruits and vegetables.
The body uses these components in exactly the same
way whether they come from aspartame or common
foods.
In fact, the foods you consume every day provide much
greater amounts of these components than does
aspartame
The Molecular Structure of
Aspartame
Methanol and its Break Down in our
Body
• Methanol (methyl alcohol or wood alcohol) is a colorless, poisonous,
and flammable liquid. It is used for making formaldehyde, acetic
acid, methyl t-butyl ether (a gasoline additive), paint strippers,
carburetor cleaners for your car's engine, and chloromethanes, et al.
This poison can be inhaled from vapors, absorbed through the skin,
and ingested.
• Methanol is the type of alcohol you read about when people become
blind from drinking it. In aspartame, methanol poisoning and
poisoning from methanol's breakdown components (formaldehyde
and formic acid) can have widespread and devastating effects. This
occurs in even small amounts, and is especially damaging when
introduced with toxic, free-form amino acids, called excitotoxins.
• Methanol is quickly absorbed through the stomach and small
intestine mucosa. The methanol is converted into formaldehyde (a
known carcinogen). Then, via aldehyde hydrogenase, the
formaldehyde is converted to formic acid. These two metabolites of
methanol are toxic and cumulative.
Phenylalanine and its Breakdown in
our Body
• Phenylalanine is an amino acid. Well,
amino acids are good for us, right? Don't
they keep us healthy? The answer is yes,
amino acids are necessary for good
health, EXCEPT when you separate the
individual amino acid from its protein
chain, and use it as an "isolate" or by
itself.
Aspartic Acid and its Breakdown in
our Body
• The Aspartic acid, in aspartame, is also an excitotoxin. An
excitotoxin, is a deleterious substance that excites or overstimulates nerve cells. This occurs in the brain, as well as the
peripheral nerves, because aspartic acid, in free form, is an
absorption accelerant & easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.
• This pathological excitation of nerve cells creates a breakdown of
nerve function, as we will see. Basically, they are a group of
compounds that can cause special neurons within the nervous
system to become overexcited to the point that these cells will die.
• That's right, they are excited to death. Excitotoxins include such
things as monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartate, (a main
ingredient in NutraSweet), L-cysteine (found in hydrolyzed vegetable
protein) and related compounds.
Studies and Experimental Data
• G.D. Searle approached Dr. Harry Waisman, Biochemist, Professor of Pediatrics,
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Director of the University of Wisconsin's Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial
Laboratory of Mental Retardation Research and a respected expert in phenylalanine
toxicity, to conduct a study of the effects of aspartame on primates. The study was
initiated on January 15, 1970 and was terminated on or about April 25, 1971.
Seven infant monkeys were given aspartame with milk. One died after 300 days.
Five others (out of seven total) had grad mal seizures. The actual results were
hidden from the FDA when G.D. Searle submitted its initial applications.
Neuroscientist and researcher John W. Olney found that oral intake of glutamate,
aspartate and cysteine, all excitotoxic amino acids, cause brain damage in mice
(Olney 1970). Dr. John W. Olney informed G.D. Searle that aspartic acid caused
holes in the brains of mice.
Ann Reynolds, a researcher who was hired by G.D. Searle and who has done
research for the Glutamate (MSG) Association, and was asked to confirm Dr.
Olney's tests. Dr. Reynolds confirmed aspartame's neurotoxicity in infant mice.
Excitotoxic compounds like MSG, aspartate, cysteine seem to create hypothalamic
lesions, particularly in young animals. The reason for the latter is likely the fact that
the blood brain barrier closes most slowly (if ever completely) around structures
like hypothalamus. The outcome for such animals (rats) was obesity,severe
behavioral changes, etc.
By H. J. Roberts, M.D., F.A.C.P.,
F.C.C.P.
• Every patient with unresolved neurologic, psychologic, allergic, dermatologic,
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gastrointestinal and metabolic/endocrine problems should be queried about
aspartame intake.
The diagnosis of multiple sclerosis should be deferred pending at least several
months observation in the case of persons consuming aspartame.
A pregnant woman should not risk the health of her fetus by consuming aspartame
products.
Visual, neurologic or bowel problems in diabetics should not be ascribed to a
presumed underlying retinopathy or neuropathy until evaluating the response to
aspartame abstinence.
Cataract surgery ought to be deferred in heavy aspartame users to evaluate for
spontaneous improvement after abstinence.
Patients presenting with seizures, headache, atypical facial or eye pain, the Meniere
syndrome, depression, the carpal tunnel syndrome, normal-pressure hydrocephalus,
and a host of other unexplained neuropsychiatric problems, or who fail to respond to
conventional treatment, must be queried about aspartame use … especially if invasive
studies are planned.
Young adults who express concern about "possibly having early Alzheimer's disease,"
based on recent confusion and memory loss, ought to be observed at least one
month after stopping aspartame before this diagnosis is pursued.
Gynecologic surgical procedures to evaluate gross menstrual changes should be
deferred pending the response to abstinence.
Aspartame Versus Table Sugar
• A can of soft drink sweetened with sugar contains about 150
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Calories, compared to only one or two Calories in a can of soft drink
sweetened with aspartame.
since it is sugar-free, aspartame can make an important contribution
to good dental health.
For people on the Atkins Diet, aspartame is ideal as it is does not
contain any carbohydrates
When aspartame-containing beverages are left at high storage
temperatures, the aspartame can degrade and form small amounts
of methanol.
Diketopiperazine (DKP) is another breakdown product of aspartame.
One small study (which has not been repeated) did find some
worsening of depression when depressed patients took large doses
of aspartame
It has not been shown to be dangerous to diabetics in any way,
where as sugar has.
Aspartame Versus Table Sugar
• Aspartame products have been shown to not
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satisfy cravings as well as regular sugar products
Overweight subjects who consumed fairly large
amounts of sucrose (28% of energy) mostly as
beverages, had increased energy intake, body
weight, fat mass and blood pressure after 10
wk. These effects were not observed in a similar
group of subjects who consumed artificial
sweeteners.
Is Aspartame Safe?
• Yes. Aspartame's safety has been documented in
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more than 200 objective scientific studies.
The safety of aspartame has been confirmed by
the regulatory authorities in more than 100
countries, including the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration, Health Canada, and the
European Commission's Scientific Committee on
Food, as well as by experts with the United
Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization and
World Health Organization.
Benefits of Aspartame
• Aspartame offers people with type 1 and type 2
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diabetes greater variety and flexibility in
budgeting their total carbohydrate intake and
helps them satisfy their taste for sweets without
affecting blood sugar.
People with diabetes are more likely to stick with
a healthful meal plan when they can include
foods they enjoy.
Consuming products with aspartame can reduce
calories, which helps people with diabetes
manage their weight.
Risks Associated with Aspartame
• Individuals with the rare genetic disease,
phenylketonuria (PKU), cannot properly
metabolize phenylalanine.
• (PKU) is detected at birth through a
mandatory screening program, and these
individuals must monitor their intake of
phenylalanine from all foods including
foods containing aspartame.
Other Natural Sugar Alternatives
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Any refined sweetener, whether it's white sugar, honey or another variation, is broken down by the body
into glucose, and is associated with the same problems, like weight gain and cavities. Even so, natural
sweeteners have their advantages. Most are less refined than white sugar, have a slightly higher nutritional
value, and tend to be broken down more slowly in the body, creating less impact on blood sugar. Following
are some sweet substitutes to try:
--Agave nectar. This liquid sweetener comes in light and dark varieties, and is a good substitute for corn
syrup.
--Brown rice syrup. Brown rice syrup has a mildly sweet, delicate flavor and is processed by the body more
slowly than white sugar.
--Date sugar. Made from ground dates, this pale brown sweetener makes an excellent substitute for brown
sugar.
--Evaporated cane juice. Also called "milled cane" or "unrefined cane juice," this less-processed version of
white sugar contains some vitamins and minerals, is unbleached and is available in organic versions.
--Fructose. This is available in both powdered and liquid versions. Fructose, which is plant sugar, releases
glucose into the bloodstream more slowly than white sugar and this makes it more suitable for diabetics.
--Fruit juice concentrate. Made from apples, grapes, peaches, pears, pineapples, berries or other fruit, these
sweeteners have the consistency of thick syrup and an intense flavor.
--Honey. Clover is the most common, but honey comes in dozens of varieties, depending on the flower that
produces it. Look for raw, unpasteurized honey, which retains its beneficial enzymes and nutrients. Honey
is also available powdered.
--Maple syrup. Nearly twice as sweet as white sugar, maple syrup adds rich flavor and trace minerals to
nearly any recipe. Maple sugar is made by evaporating the liquid from maple syrup.
--Molasses. Molasses contains the nutrients extracted from sugar cane and sugar beets. Blackstrap
molasses, from the bottom of the processing vats, is thick, dark and high in nutrients.
--Turbinado. Made from the initial pressing of the cane, turbinado contains molasses and has a sweet, rich
flavor and blond color.
Healthy Sweetener Use Guide
Sweeteners to Use
Sweeteners to Avoid
Stevia *
Aspartame
Barley Malt
Neotame
Evaporated Cane Juice
Sucralose (Splenda)
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
Sugar Alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol) #
Vegetable Glycerin
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Maple Syrup (Without Added Sugar)
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* Safe for Diabetics
# Can Be Used in Very Small Amounts
Economic Forces Behind Aspartame
• Before aspartame received its final green light from the FDA for use
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in dry foods in 1981 and in beverages in 1983, scientists objected to
its approval.
Initially granted FDA approval for use in dry foods in 1974, but was
later blocked by objections raised by attorney James Turner and
John Olney, M.D.
Investigators described aspartame safety studies conducted by G.D.
Searle between 1967 and 1975 as `shoddy science' and `sloppy
tests.' Ninety out of 113 aspartame safety tests showed
discrepancies.
FDA scientists and outside researchers insisted that more rigorous
and reliable testing was needed.
Despite these concerns, on July 18, 1981 aspartame was approved
for use in dry foods by FDA Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes who,
incredibly overruled his own Public Board of Inquiry which
recommended that approval be denied. He also ignored the law,
Section 409(c)(3) of the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act (21 U.S.C.
348), which says that a food additive should not be approved if tests
are inconclusive
Economic Forces Cont…
• In 1981, John Olney, professor of psychiatry and neuropathology at
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Washington University, St. Louis cited risks involved with the use of
aspartame.
Olney, who was instrumental in banning the use of cyclamates,
warned that aspartame had brain damaging properties.
The American Academy of Pediatrics raised concerns about the
effects of phenylalanine on PKU carriers who were unaware that
they had the defect. Astonishingly, even the National Soft Drink
Association had serious doubts about the safety of aspartame.
In 1983, the NSDA filed a 30-page objection to aspartame's use in
beverages and then, inexplicably reversed its opposition. Aspartame
received approval for use in soft drinks in 1983 and shortly
thereafter, Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes left the FDA. He was
then (allegedly) hired as a consultant (at the rate of $1,000 per day)
with G.D. Searle's public relations firm.
As said by Senator Howard Metzenbaum : “We had better be sure
that the questions that have been raised about the safety of this
product are answered. I must say at the outset, this product was
approved by the FDA in circumstances that can only be described as
troubling.”
Economic
Forces Cont…
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Prompted by mounting safety concerns within the scientific community, Ohio Senator
Howard Metzenbaum called for Senate hearings on NutraSweet.
Introduced the Aspartame Safety Act of 1985 on Aug. 1 of that year.
The bill called for clinical studies to ascertain the safety of aspartame, a moratorium
on the introduction of aspartame into new products until independent testing was
complete, labeling of products including the amount of aspartame in each serving
and the allowable daily intake, and a warning that aspartame is not intended for
infant use.
The bill also required the FDA to set up a clinical adverse reaction committee to
collect reports of adverse effects and to send written notices to physicians about
aspartame. In a March 3, 1986 news release, the Senator stated "we cannot use
American's children as guinea pigs to determine the `safe' level of NutraSweet
consumption." Sadly, the bill that potentially could have stopped an ongoing tragedy,
was killed in the Labor and Human Resources Committee, and never reached the
Senate floor.
After suffering a $28 million dollar loss in the previous year, G.D. Searle was bought
by the chemical company, Monsanto in 1985. Monsanto then created the NutraSweet
Company as a subsidiary, separate from G.D. Searle. Over the next decade,
aspartame consumption soared and reports of ill side effects increased.
In June of 1996, FDA Commissioner Dr. David Kessler lifted all restrictions on the use
of aspartame and granted it blanket approval, despite the fact that this neurotoxin
(mislabeled as a food additive) is in reality, a dangerous drug that changes brain
chemistry and interacts with other drugs. He did so without public notification. He
also ignored a request by Senator Metzenbaum (then retired) to initiate additional
safety testing. Aspartame could now be used as freely as sugar.
Which Would a 6 Year Old Find
More Appealing?
OR…..
Not Quite as Exciting!
 Often out of Children’s reach or above their eye-level
The Problem?
The Sweetest Advice?
• Use "natural" sugar substitutes like honey and
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maple syrup in moderation, or stick to fruit to
soothe your sweet tooth -- it's high in nutrients,
phytochemicals and fiber, and is broken down
more slowly than any kind of refined sugar.
Some ideas: puree frozen berries with
unsweetened rice milk for a fast breakfast
smoothie, stew pears and currants in apple juice
and cinnamon for a simple dessert, freeze
bananas for a cooling summer snack, munch on
grapes instead of candy.
Recipe's for low and Reduced Sugar
Diets
Blueberry Peach Pie
• Serves 6 to 8
• This fast and easy pie is loaded with juicy berries and peaches, and
sweetened with honey. Top with ice cream or frozen vanilla yogurt.
• 2 cups fresh blueberries2 cups fresh peeled and sliced peaches1/2
cup light agave nectar or honey3 Tbsp. cornstarch1 cup water1
Tbsp. fresh lemon juice2 Tbsp. unsalted butter or canola oilOne
prepared pastry crust
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and bake shell for 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine blueberries and peaches. Transfer 1 1/2
cups of the fruit mixture into a food processor. Puree briefly. In a
medium saucepan, combine agave nectar or honey, cornstarch and
water, whisking until smooth.
• Stir in pureed fruit and cook over medium-low heat for about 8
minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is thickened. Stir in lemon
juice, butter or oil, and remaining peaches and berries. Chill until
partially thickened. Spoon into the cooked pastry shell and chill for 3
more hours.
Plum Tart with Rose-Scented Cream
• Serves 8
• This dense and juicy tart uses only fresh and dried fruit and fruit
juice for sweetness.
• 14 medjool dates, chopped1/4 cup unsweetened shredded
coconut1/2 cup finely chopped pecans2 Tbsp. apple juice6 medium
plums, sliced8 oz. heavy whipping creamEssential rose oil (not
perfume oil)
• Combine dates, coconut, pecans and apple juice in a medium mixing
bowl. Mix well with hands, then press mixture into a glass pie dish.
Layer crust with sliced plums.
• Pour whipping cream into a glass bowl and add two drops of
essential rose oil. Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form, and
spoon on top of tart. Chill or serve at room temperature.
References
• American Dietetic Association (2003). Nutrition fact sheet:
straight answers about aspartame Journal of the American
Dietetic Association, v103 i6 p801(2)
• Davis, G., (2002). A Tale of Two Sweeteners-- Aspartame &
Stevia" of The Complete Guide to Vegetarian Convenience
Foods and So, Now What Do I Eat?
• Roberts HJ. Difficult Diagnosis: A Guide to the Interpretation
of Obscure Illness Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders Company,
1958.
• Turner, L., (2001). You can satisfy your sweet tooth with some
help from Mother Nature. (healthy sugar substitutes and
analysis of sugar and substitutes) Better Nutrition, v63 i2 p44.
References Cont…
• Stoddard, Mary Nash, (1995). "The Deadly Deception"
Compiled by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network for
volumes of available published information, ACSN, P.O. Box
780634, Dallas, Texas 75378, (800) 969-6050.
• Stegink, Lewis D., Filer L., (1984). "Aspartame: Physiology
and Biochemistry," Marcel Dekker, Inc., N.Y.
• USDA 1988. "1988 United States Department of Agriculture
Situation and Outlook Report; Sugar and Sweeteners."
Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, pp. 51.
• Whitney, E.N. & Rolfes, S. R., (2002). Understanding
Nutrition 9th Ed. Pg.93-128.Wadsworth Thompson Learning