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Aspartame, commercially known as Equal and Nutrasweet, has a flavor similar to sucrose, and also acts as a taste intensifier and enhancer. It is 200 times sweeter than
sucrose
but has a "flat" taste -- I am sure many people who have a sweet tooth knows what I am taking about, that means it basically has no aftertaste. A satchet of this artificial sweetener is equivalent in sweetness to two teaspoons of sugar (32 calories), for just four
calories,
an amount which is insignificant.
In 1981, the FDA approved Aspartame and declared it to be safe for use in a variety of products, as a table-top sweetener and in carbonated beverages. In the recent years, you might have noticed that on the shelves there are more and more varieties of food claiming "sugar free", but containing artificial sugars. In 1993, approval was made as well for use in hard and soft candies, baked goods and mixes, nonalcoholic beverages and malt beverages. However, there has been a lot of debate over the health concerns caused by this artificial sweetener which has been reported to be unsafe for humans. Serious reactions including seizures and deaths have been claimed to be related to this sugar substitute.
The famous article "Dangers of Aspartame" written by Nancy Markle, an anti-aspartame advocate, is an interesting read for anyone keen to have a glimpse of what the controversy is about. In the extract, she reported that heavy diet drinkers potentially could suffer from the ASPARTAME-DISEASE which could cause all kinds of neurological problems and symptoms such as spasms, shooting pains, numbness in your legs, cramps, dizziness, headaches, joint pain, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, and memory loss. Whether there is any germ of truth in this article, we have to take time to discern for ourselves.
In our constant battle of the bulge, we often turn to low-calorie foods and artificial sweeteners in hope of satisfying those sweet cravings without the added
calories.
With so much arguments about its health hazards and until researchers turn in more scentific conclusions, this artificial sweetener may not be the wisest diet product for those eagerly trying to
lose weight
and
diabetics
who are looking for
table sugar
substitutes to improve their health condition. Many studies have also supported the recommendation that
pregnant women,
nursing mothers,
infants
and children should avoid products containing the sweetener.
Sugarless Splenda Tastes Like Sugar
Popular diet sweetener Splenda is made from sugar and tastes like sugar, but strangely, it is free of sugar. Read full account in Can You Drink Safely with Splenda?Is Stevia Sweetener Natural or Artificial?
Herb-made Stevia has also become a controversial sweetener, with researchers pointing to its highly processed content that could pose severe health risks. Get it all in Natural Stevia Better Than Artificial Sweeteners? |
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