The Silent, Sweet Killer -- Aspartame
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 variety of foods which claim "sugar free", contain 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 related to this sugar substitute. The article "Dangers of Aspartame" from The WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE and the MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS FOUNDATION and written by Nancy Markleis a must-read for anyone consuming food or drinks containing the sweetener. It will open your eyes to what big harm this tiny sweet little thing can do to your body. In the extract, it was reported that heavy diet drinkers potentially could suffer from the ASPARTAME-DISEASE which is causing 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. As many of us constantly fighting the bulge we often turn to low-calorie foods and artificial sweeteners in hope of satisfying those sweet cravings without the added
calories.
The above mentioned article revealed that artificial sugar is not a wise diet product for people who are trying to
lose weight,
on the contrary and ironically, it makes you crave carbohydrates and will make you
fat.
And, many
diabetics
have also made the grave mistake of taking artificial sweeteners as a substitute for
table sugar,
thinking that it could improve their health condition, but in reality could make them even sicker. Many studies also support the recommendation that
pregnant women,
nursing mothers,
infants
and children should avoid all products containing the sweetener.
Sugarless Splenda Tastes Like SugarPopular 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?End of "The Silent, Sweet Killer -- Aspartame". Back to "Use honey, a natural sweetener for healthy immunity system"
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