Ramadan 10th, 1429
A POISON CALLED SUGAR!

As I mentioned last week, Ramadan is the best time to cleanse your body and fasting a great opportunity for us to get rid of addictions and any unhealthy habit. One of the most dangerous habit and addiction in our life today is SUGAR. It is a proven fact that sugar increases insulin levels, which can lead to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, premature aging, obesity, tooth and gum decay, stomach problems, mental disturbances and many other physical and mental problems.

it is a sad fact that 95% of people are addicted to this poison called “Sugar” to some degree or other! The average person now consumes approximately 115 lb. of sugar per year, this is per man, woman and child!

If you examine the “foods” in any supermarket more closely and start reading labels, you will find just about everything contains sugar. Most of the foods are loaded with it – from cereals, to soups, to ketchup, to hot dogs, candy, chocolate, sodas, soft drink, sport drinks, even baby’s formula and baby food.

Lets first understand what is Sugar.
Sugar is a white unnatural substance produced by industrial processes (mostly from sugar cane or sugar beets) by refining it down to pure sucrose, after stripping away all the vitamins, minerals, proteins, enzymes and other beneficial nutrients. What is left is a concentrated unnatural substance, which the human body is not able to handle. 

Is Sugar addictive?
Yes! Sugar is an addictive drug, it is pure chemical (like heroin) through refining it has been stripped of all the natural food nutrition that it originally had in the plant itself. Heroin and sugar are arrived at by very similar processes of refinement. 

In producing heroin, the opium is first extracted from the poppy: The opium is then refined into morphine. The chemists then went to work on morphine and further refined it into heroin. 
Similarly, sugar is first pressed as a juice from the cane (or beet) and refined into molasses. Then it is refined into brown sugar, and finally into strange white crystals, that are an alien chemical to the human system.

Sugar is also habit forming. Starting with sugar in the baby’s formula, people not only develop a strong taste for sugar but an insatiable craving for it so that they never seem to get enough of this poison.

Soft drink manufacturers are the largest single user of refined sugar in the United States. 

What sugar can do to you?
Sugar metabolize into acid, acid will go to the weakest point of your body and settle in there. Acid start to eat your muscles and bones.
It is strong enough to make a hole in your teeth, imagine what it will do to your muscles and skin tissue.
Increases hyperactivity in children.
It causes a rapid rise of adrenaline, hyperactivity, anxiety, difficulty concentrating, and crankiness in children.
Food allergies. 
Learning disorders.
High blood pressure
Gum disease.
Increases PMS symptoms.
Increase anxiety and panics in women.
East Candida grow in sugar environment in your blood.
The leading cause of dental deterioration – cavities in teeth, bleeding gums, failure of bone structure, and loss of teeth.
It is the main cause of diabetes, hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.
It is a significant cause of heart disease, arteriosclerosis, mental illness, depression, senility, hypertension, and cancer.
Increases chronic fatigue.
Increases anxiety and irritability.
Parkinson’s disease.
It can increase the size of your liver and the amount of liver fat.
kidney stones.
Sugar can damage your pancreas.
Depression.
Increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
It can be intoxicating, similar to alcohol.

These are just some of known ones.

If you think sugar is bad, there is worth… Aspartame (an artificial sweetener) is even much worth.

Many people, especially diabetics are under the impression that Artificial sweeteners are healthy alternatives for sugar. This is far a way from the truth, and sadly even some doctors promote these products! Such as NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet’N Low, Splenda…
All these products are Aspartame, it is unnatural chemical. This chemical is used in over 5000 products, mostly Diet and Weight loss products. Ranging from diet colas and fruit drinks to yogurt products and desserts. It’s known as a diet product, NutraSweet, Equal, diet coke, diet Pepsi, Sweeteners, Diet and Weight loss products.

What Aspartame can do to you?
Breast cancer and prostate cancer is 5 to 6 times higher in North America and Europe where consumption of aspartame is significantly higher. A February 1994 Department of Health and Human Services Report stated 92 afflictions relating to Aspartame which include:

Blindness
Joint Pain
Fatigue
Weight Gain
Chest Pain
Insomnia
Numbness
Depression
Weakness
Irritability
Nausea
Memory loss
Rashes
Dizziness
Headaches
4 types of seizures
Anxiety
Fainting
Loss of diabetic control
Cramps
Diarrhea
Panic
Burning tongue and loss of taste
Brain Tumors
Parkinson’s
Infant death
Lupus
Graves
Lymphoma
Diabetes
Alzheimer’s
Miscarriages
Breast tumors
Chronic fatigue
Psychosis
Birth Defects

Healthy Sugar Alternatives.

In the Quran, Allah SWT Said:
“And your Lord inspired the bees, saying: “take your habitations in the mountains and in the trees in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits, and follow the ways of your Lord made easy.” There comes forth from their bodies, a drink of varying colors wherein is healing for men. Verily in this is indeed a sign for people who think”. 16 : 68-69

Why go for something unnatural, addictive, that causes disease and illness, like SUGAR or ASPARTAME instead of the natural and healthy HONEY?

Before white sugar was even invented, people used honey both for food, and to support a wide range of body functions.
Honey is a natural and it helps improve your daily energy naturally. 

Honey has been shown to have an antimicrobial effect against many bacteria and fungi. Many medical studies found that honey sped up the healing of wounds, and it can help heal ulcers, as well as offering relief from diarrhea, insomnia, sunburn, and sore throats.

Other great alternatives:

Raw, wild Mesquite Pod Meal: 
It’s a nutritious condiment ground from the bean pods of the mesquite tree. This aromatic powder or meal can be used as a sweetener or flavor enhancer.

Stevia: 
It’s an herb native to South America, is now grown and cultivated throughout the world. Stevia easily digested, dissolves quickly, is safe for diabetics and has no calories or carbohydrates. 

Raw organic yacon syrup: 
It’s a new vegan sweetener. Pressed from the yacon root, this gift from nature has been enjoyed for centuries in the Andean highlands of Peru. 

Organic sun-cured wildcrafted vanilla beans! 
These are moist and very plump beans. These vanilla beans have a complex aroma, and a dark, robust flavor. Vanilla beans are ideal for making your own raw desserts and smoothies. 

Organic Raw Agave Nectar from mature plants – The agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has been long been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. 

We all have to take personal responsibility, eliminate these poisons, and protect ourselves, our families and most importantly our kids, who consume so much of these poisons daily throw candies, sodas, gums, soft drinks… 

Diseases are on the rise every minute, Heart Disease, Cancer, Diabetes, Obesity, and many others… 

Disease is easier to prevent than it is to cure. 

It is your choice. 

- Badr Bakry
mySabil

For most of the history of humanity man ate a diet of wild game and natural vegetation including some seeds, nuts, and fruit during certain sea-sons. In our era, with the advent of processed foods, mankind’s diet has undergone a radical change. People are eating foods that never existed in nature before, foods which the body was never designed to utilize. The result is that the heavy consumption of refined sugar, and refined flour products too, has led to serious health problems for those who regularly eat them. Today 65% of Americans are overweight, and 27% are clinically obese. Even children are starting to show more and more symptoms of this growing health problem. Diabetes is starting to appear more frequently in the very young. When we look at the diet of the typical American, it is easy to see how this has happened. The average American each year consumes 125 pounds of sugar in the form of 300 cans of soda, 200 sticks of gum, 18 pounds of candy, 50 pounds of cakes and cookies and 20 gallons of ice cream. I want to make clear just how much sugar is found in the sodas people are drinking each day. There are 7 to 8 teaspoons of sugar in some form, in the average soda drink. If you have a soda at lunch, one as a snack in the afternoon, one with your dinner, and one as you watch TV or go out for a final snack later in the night, you have consumed 28 spoonfuls of sugar.

Americans are also consuming too many foods which are made from highly refined flour, which act just like sugar in the body, such as pasta, bread and cookies and cakes. In addition to all the many obvious sources of sugar in the typical American diet, sugar is used as an inexpensive additive to improve the taste of many items in which the producers in order to increase profits use cheaper inferior ingredients or use less expensive ingredients. Among these items, you may have guessed, because they taste so sweet, are ketchup, and jams and jellies, which really should have no added sugar and should be made primarily from the fruit. Fruit flavored drinks and fruit flavored yogurts, and especially, sweetened canned fruit have unnecessarily large amounts of sugar in some form in them. But it is also surprising how much sugar, unhealthy sugar, is found in items like peanut butters, bread, soups, pickles, mustard, canned dishes like baked beans, and salad dressings. Even American’s general idea of proper cui-sine contributes to this problem. Making potatoes a staple at almost every meal has been an additional negative health factor. Potatoes, among all other vegetables, are the one of the most likely to affect the body in the same way as refined sugar.

A surfeit of carbohydrates in any form will lead to gaining weight and eventual obesity, but it is sugar in all its forms, and refined flour in our diets that do the most harm. They lead to a fast rise in blood sugar, which causes the pancreas to produce a large amount of insulin to lower our blood sugar quickly, because high blood sugar is dangerous to our health. Unfortunately, this strong dose of insulin makes the blood sugar drop below our normal level and makes us feel down in mood. In order to compensate for this psychological effect, we are driven by cravings to seek an immediate repeat of our ingestion of sugar to again raise our blood sugar to make ourselves feel better, and so the cycle continues on and on. This results in our taking in more calories than are necessary to supply energy to the body. The end result is overweight and eventual obesity. The high amounts of insulin also have other deleterious effects.

They make the insulin receptors become less and less sensitive, requiring the pancreas to produce larger and larger amounts of insulin each time, to deal with same amount of high incoming sugar. Eventually the receptors become very insensitive to the incoming insulin, and the person has developed a condition referred to as insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance aggravates another problem which results from the production of insulin in the body. When insulin in the body is high, another hormone called glucagon is low. Glucagon is a hormone which promotes the release and utilization of fat from the fat storage cells for energy. So that when glucagon is present, you will be burning and thus reducing your fat stores. In other words, you will be losing weight and the weight will be a loss of fat. However, the high level of insulin in insulin resistant people keeps them from burning any of their fat stores. They can only burn incoming sugar and carbohydrates, and when they are depleted, they will begin to break down and use muscle tissue as a source of energy. This is, again, because the insulin has blocked getting access to the body’s fat by blocking the production of the necessary hormone, glucagon. Now you understand why people who have eaten a lot of sugar, and sugar acting foods like refined flour and grains, and potatoes, in their life all the time have had trouble losing weight, or permanently keeping off any weight they have lost through extreme measures like very strict diets or fasting.

Eventually people on these refined high carbohydrate diets exhaust their pancreas, which stops generating any insulin at all, and they become diabetic, and must take insulin regularly to keep their blood sugar from staying at dangerously high levels.

There is another serious problem with too much sugar, sugar addiction. For many years people have spoken of sugar addiction because of the seemingly addictive behavior of people who have a strong desire for foods with sugar. However, it is only recently that it has been scientifically been shown to be a genuine addiction. Rats fed sugar showed classic signs of withdrawal when their sugar “fix” was taken away from them. When they were allowed to eat sugar again, they binged on it. The sugar had triggered natural pleasure producing opiods in their brains. The effect is similar to morphine and heroin, though not as powerful. Actual studies of these animals’ brains showed an accelerated growth of dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens in their brains. This helps explain why people who eat sugar regularly, have strong cravings and seek a sugar “fix” many times throughout their day.

You are probably addicted to sugar if you have the following: if you have cravings for food containing sugar, if you can’t stop eating after one piece of candy or one bite of cake or other baked goods; if you can’t go for more than a few hours without experiencing a letdown with fatigue or irritability or anxiety; if you have to have your sugared coffee and donuts or other baked goods every morning and have and eat candy and other sweets in your home all the time; if you regularly drink sugared sodas during the day to give yourself a pick-me-up because you’re dragging.

Nutritionally, refined sugars present another problem. It takes vitamins and minerals to digest and assimilate ingested refined sugars. Unprocessed sugar cane juice is rich in vitamins and minerals and provides some nourishment to the body, though it is still too high in sugar to be good for the body. But refined sugar is an empty calorie, which uses up valuable vitamins and minerals in order to be digested without supplying any of them. Thus, eating a lot of refined sugars depletes the body of these valuable health promoting factors. That’s why, you now can understand, even overweight people who have become so because of large amounts of sugar in their diets, can actually suffer from malnutrition.

Here’s a list of some of the negative health effects of sugar, and the refined flour products and potatoes that act like sugar within the body. Sugar can:

… cause an increase in insulin being generated in the body

… cause an increase in insulin sensitivity

… overstress the pancreas causing damage

… cause diabetes … cause weight gain and obesity

… produce a significant rise in triglycerides

… reduce helpful high density cholesterol, known as HDLs

… promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol, know as LDLs

… increase total cholesterol

… cause atherosclerosis

… increase systolic pressure

… cause hypertension

… upset the body’s mineral balance

… promote tooth decay

… cause hyperactivity, anxiety, concentration difficulties, and crankiness

in children

… lead to alcoholism

… cause depression

If you are seriously craving sugar, you should avoid all sugars. The following is a list of sugars and sweeteners that act like sugars, though you may not have recognized them as sugars before reading this article. Of course, if a label just says “sugar,” you will avoid that too!

AVOID THESE SWEETENERS: corn syrup, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, honey, sucrose, maltodextrin, dextrose, molasses, rice milk, almond milk, white grape juice, fruit juice sweetened, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, date sugar, cane sugar, corn sugar, beet sugar, succanat and lactose.

There are many other points to be made if one wishes to guide oneself correctly. Raw sugar and brown sugar, which was at one time sold in a lot of health food stores and still may be found in some supermarkets, is actually highly refined white sugar with some molasses put back in to give it brown color. Fructose doesn’t increase leptin, a hormone that decreases your appetite, and doesn’t suppress ghrelin, the hormone that makes you hungry. Thus, people who eat food containing fructose are likely to take in more calories, not less. And remember, almost all simple sugars, fructose included, and not just refined white sugar, are metabolized quickly and raise insulin levels too quickly. Just like refined white sugar, they play a role in creating insulin resistance. In addition, fructose is converted into triglycerides more efficiently than glucose elevating triglycerides that are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Fructose converts to fat more readily than any other sugar, and some believe its prevalence in our present food supply has made it an important factor in making Americans fatter and fatter.

Eating small amounts of fruit will not provide unhealthy large amounts of natural fructose, but fruit juices are best avoided as being too high in fructose for the body to assimilate without generating too much insulin. Aside from limited amounts of fruit, avoid fructose in food just as you would table sugar. One of the best ways to limit your intake of fructose, in general, is to eliminate soda and fruit juices from your diet.

Most artificial sweeteners are increasingly considered to be unhealthy for the body. Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame, which is frequently found in diet sodas, accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious. In addition, Aspartame suppresses serotonin production, the chemical in the brain that contributes to your feeling satisfied after a meal. The end result from ingesting Aspartame, just as it was from people eating fructose, is that people are less satisfied with their food and tend to eat more. Diet sodas may actually be increasing your total intake of calories.

Finally, artificial sweeteners in general, just like real sugar, give you an intense experience of tasting something sweet, which psychologically stimulates cravings to consume even more sweet tasting things.

In general, you will be better off health wise if you only buy products that say “no sugar added.” Jams should say fruit only. Often fruit juices are added to the food item, but don’t be fooled, this is an unhealthy form of concentrated sugar too, even though it is originally from fruit. And remember, cocaine and heroine are derived from natural sources, but no one would say they are good for your health. A lot of poisons start out as plant material too. So do not be fooled by people who insist certain sugars are healthy because they are made from natural sources.

YOU ARE READY TO GET HEALTHIER AND FEEL BETTER

Always keep in mind

Sugar is nutritionally worthless and is full of fattening calories Sugar creates cycles of emotional highs and lows, and is chemically additive Sugar is very bad for your body’s health

READ FOOD LABELS

If sugar appears in the ingredients in the first few listed items:

DO NOT EAT THAT PRODUCT

Always keep in mind except for occasional fruit, it is best if you avoid eating any sugar at all.

Many people are addicted to sugar and should avoid all sugars permanently for optimal health.

And remember refined flour products in bread, bagels, pasta, and cookies and cakes, act just like sugar in your body, as do potatoes and potato products too.

We must eliminate refined food products from our diets and choose carefully, selecting high-fiber, non-starchy vegetables as our carbohydrate choices. In this way, we generate less insulin and avoid any insulin resistance and the adverse health effects that result. Remember, even fruits that are relatively low in carbohydrates will generate some insulin in the body to deal with the sugars they contain. Since one of the goals of low-carb eating is to generate as little insulin as possible, enjoy eating fresh fruit, in reasonable moderate amounts. On the other hand, dried fruits should be much more limited because they have a high concentration of sugars. And remember, as noted above, fruit juices are too high in sugars to be appropriate for a low insulin generating diet. Berries, on the other hand, are a good choice.

It is marketed under several different tradenames, including Nutrasweet, Canderel, Equal and Tropicana Slim. In the European Union its E-number (additive code) is E951.

The controversy continues as to whether the artificial sweetener aspartame really is a migraine trigger or not. The manufacturers of NutraSweet strongly deny that there is a correlation, referring to research from Duke University which they say totally dismisses it as a possibility(1).

They usually neglect to mention that they funded the study, which consisted of a one day dosage of aspartame or placebo to migraine sufferers. On the basis that the findings showed no statistical difference between the two groups’ incidence of headache that day, the aspartame backers claimed that the suggestion of aspartame causing headaches was unsubstantiated.

The FDA have taken the study as conclusive proof, stating subsequently that there is nothing to substantiate the theory that aspartame is harmful to humans.

The tradition of the FDA backing aspartame against all opponents started in 1981 when President Reagan took office. Reagan had close ties with Searle drug company which manufactured the additive, and he fired the FDA commissioner who had been blocking the approval, then appointing Dr Arthur Hayes to the position.

A Board of Inquiry convened and recommended continuing to deny approval, citing the incidence of seizures and brain tumors in laboratory animals. Hayes approved the additive against the Board’s recommendation, and subsequently left the FDA for a position with Searle’s public relations firm.

Aspartame accounts for 75% of ALL complaints to the FDA for a food additive – with even MSG running a poor second. Aspartame has been reported in some studies to contain a carcinogen (cancer causing substance) and is suspected by many scientists of causing problems ranging from brain tumors to epilepsy.

A thirteen-week, double-blind, randomized cross-over study was conducted in 1988 by S M Koehler and the results were staggering. Participants were given doses of aspartame or placebo, and the results from the test indicated that at least 50% of the subjects given aspartame had increasing frequency and duration of migraines, while those on placebo had decreased attacks(2).

Various other double blind studies have concluded that aspartame did indeed cause worsening of migraines, the exception being the study financed by NutraSweet. In all studies conducted on aspartame that were funded by NutraSweet, aspartame was found to be completely innocent of causing any adverse effects.

Other privately funded studies showed aspartame to be in fact responsible for headaches and other health problems in over 80% of tests, with the majority of the ones still showing inconclusive results being funded by the FDA, which has been accused of turning a blind eye to the dangers of aspartame since it was approved.

In a very interesting twist, two patients studied by Newman and Lipton experienced worsening of migraine upon administration of rezatriptan, a medication that normally gave them relief. On examination, the medication was actually of a new form in a dissolvable wafer rather than the normal capsule – and the wafer was sweetened with aspartame. Both patients had formerly identified aspartame as a migraine trigger. They had no idea that the rezatriptan medication in the wafer form contained the sweetener, having just been given the samples for ease of dosing in case of migraine onset at work or school(3).

The multiple symptoms of aspartame sensitivity don’t stop with migraines, though headaches are one of the top three complaints. Extreme tiredness, dizziness, fainting spells and seizures are often reported, in addition to depression which in some instances has reached suicidal proportions.

Critics of aspartame point to the research that found medical conditions associated with it and where the condition disappeared after patients avoided aspartame. Thousands more have testified to aspartame’s negative influence on their health. On the other hand some well-respected scientists support the FDA view that aspartame is harmless.

The sweetener converts into several breakdown products including aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol, formaldehyde and formic acid(4). According to Wikipedia there is controversy surrounding the rate of breakdown into these various products and the effects that they have on those that consume aspartame-sweetened foods.

Although phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that occurs naturally, it is a health hazard to those born with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare inherited disease that prevents phenylalanine from being properly metabolized. Since individuals with PKU need to take account of aspartame as an additional source of phenylalanine, foods containing aspartame must carry warning labels. However, as this is a rare condition, and sufferers know they need to avoid the substance, that isn’t the most worrying health concern.

The main suspect breakdown product in aspartame is methanol, which breaks down into formaldehyde, highly toxic and classified as a probable human carcinogen by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Formaldehyde is used in embalming, glue, plywood, plastics, carpets and many other products. Because of toxicity concerns the EU has considered imposing a complete ban on its use even for embalming.

Defenders of aspartame point out that methanol is present in many natural foods at even higher levels than a diet soda, but fail to acknowledge that the naturally occurring methanol is ALWAYS accompanied by ethanol and pectin, natural antidotes to methanol poisoning which cancel out any ill effects. Aspartame does not supply ethanol, neither do products that contain the sweetener.

The controversy is far from over. The growing number of people claiming aspartame causes or worsens their migraines, has led many health professionals to believe aspartame to be a recognized trigger. Other symptoms are reported in increasing numbers each year. Yet, at the time of writing, the FDA still claims that aspartame is completely safe, and shows no signs of banning its use in food products.

One theory is that it is contained in so many diet foods that the commercial implications of withdrawing it would be financially prohibitive? Due to tumor concerns some manufacturers are slowly replacing it with sucralose, but as recipes will need reformulating and the products will need to be repackaged and quality controlled this will be a slow process.

In the mean-time consumers may wish to avoid aspartame-containing products to check if they experience improvement of any troublesome symptoms.

(1) Schiffman SS, Buckley CE III, Sampson JA, et al. Aspartame and susceptibility to headache. N Engl J Med. 1987; 317: 1181-1185.

(2) Koehler, SM, A. Glaros, 1988. “The Effect of Aspartame on Migraine Headache,” Headache, Volume 28, page 10-14.

(3) Newman & Lipton: 3.75 mg aspartame in Merck Maxalt-MLT worsens migraine Oct 2001 7.28.2

(4) C. Trocho, R. Pardo, I. Rafecas, J. Virgili, X. Remesar, J. A. Fernandez-Lopez and M. Alemany (1998). “Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo”. Life Sciences, 63 (5): 337′349.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in most diet, sugar-free and diabetic products that would normally contain sugar. Beverages, baked goods, ice cream, gelatins, candy, syrups, jams and jellies are some of the foods that commonly contain aspartame. While the sweetener was long touted as a wonderful substitute, allowing diabetics to enjoy sugar-free sweets. The side effects are now known, though, and they can be quite debilitating.

In 1965, a chemist was working on an anti-ulcer drug. He licked his finger after accidentally contaminating it with the drug and found it to be very sweet. This was the birth of aspartame. Preliminary tests caused brain tumors in rats so it was not approved by the FDA for many years. By 1983, it was approved for many foods and by 1996, all restrictions had been lifted in the US.

The only warning aspartame carries is for those born with phenylketonuria (also known as PKU.) One ingredient of aspartame, phenylalanine, is dangerous for those with PKU and can cause mental retardation. More recently, though, other health risks have been associated with aspartame consumption, though the FDA has not yet taken any action towards restricting it.

Aspartame is commonly marketed under the name NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel. Saccharin and sucralose, the main ingredients in other artificial sweeteners, do not pose the exact same risks as aspartame, though they do each come with their own set of potential side effects.

Side Effects

In 1995 it was reported, by the FDA, that aspartame accounted for three quarters of all adverse reactions to food substance reports from 1981 to 1995. Among the nearly 100 reported symptoms reported, the mild ones include:

Feeling flush in the face
Itching
Other allergy-like side effects
Burning eyes and throat
Excessive thirst or hunger
Inability to concentrate
Numbness or tingling of extremities
Bloating
Weight gain

More serious symptoms include:

Asthmatic reactions
Impotency and sexual problems
Anxiety and panic attacks
Menstrual problems or changes
Higher susceptibility to infections
Muscle spasms
Phobias
Noticeable personality changes
Nausea or vomiting
Diarrhea
Depression
Chronic fatigue
Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia
Migraines
Hair thinning or loss
Hearing and vision loss
Hypertension
Chest pains and heart palpitations
Seizures, convulsions and tremors
Death

Aspartame has also been linked to lymphoma and brain cancer in a few cases.

Research

Aspartame research is as controversial as the reported side effects are. Scientists conducting human studies often choose capsules, which are slow releasing, rather than a common form of ingestion, like sugar-free beverages. Because the absorption is much slower with the capsules, the results of the tests aren’t necessarily reliable.

What Makes Aspartame Dangerous

When you consume aspartame, about 10% of it is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. Methanol is transformed into formaldehyde, a potentially lethal substance that is known to cause rapid, shallow breathing, hypothermia, and can cause comas.

A 1998 study in Spain found that formaldehyde produced by methanol breakdown from aspartame consumption collected in the brain, liver and kidneys in lab animals. Some scientists, however, claim there is not enough methanol produced to cause toxicity.

Many users of aspartame treat it like a blank check to eat all the sweets and sugary foods they desire. Because most foods that contain aspartame are either free of nutrients and/or filled with empty calories, like processed flour, it likely contributes to being overweight or obese. While refined sugar consumption also contributes to obesity, when used in moderation it usually carries few other long term effects.

Deeply disturbing is the only way one can describe the numerous reports of ill health exppressed by individuals consuming an artificial sweetener called aspartame. For years now I sincerely believed it was only a matter of time before asparatame in its many forms would be removed from the market but after years of use and thousands upon thousands of horror stories from very sick consumers, aspartame is now being used in more products than ever before.

By way of this article I would like to provide a general understanding of aspartame poisoning (also known as aspartame disease), spurring the reader forward to: (a) research the topic to acquire an even greater understanding; (b) recognize one’s own toxicity if it exists and take action; and/or (b) ravage one’s house and make a bonfire in the backyard with all illicit products found. But please, I beg of you, do not hand over your stash to a dieting relative; homeless shelter; or any other member of your immediate community in need of nourishment. The garbage container is the only place fit to receive this poison.

WHAT IS ASPARTAME?

Aspartame is the most common sweetening additive being used in approximately 6,000 consumer foods, beverages, multivitamins, frozen desserts, cereals, pharmaceutical products, and tabletop sweeteners sold worldwide. If a product is described as “reduced calorie”, “low calorie”, “reduced sugar”, “light” or “diet” then closely review the ingredients. Consider all of the following ingredients as relating to aspartame and avoid: Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, Benevia, NatraTaste, Canderel, Acesulfame-k or Sunette and in the European Union, it is also known under the E number (additive code) E951. In Australia, instead of aspartame, the words “Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylaline” may be used.

Aspartame contains three major components: methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. All three chemicals individually have been shown to either stimulate brain cells to death, disturb hormone balances in the brain, or act as nerve poison. It is most certainly an unnatural and even life threatening substance.

Once aspartame reaches the small intestine, it is then broken down into methanol as a metabolic by-product called diketopiperazine (DKP). DKP produces a compound very similar to N-Nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumer-causing chemical. In addition, the methanol contained in aspartame breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde accumlates near DNA and causes serious damage. It has been noted that if a drink containing aspartame is stored at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees for a week or more, there would be no aspartame left in the beverage, just the components it breaks down into, like formaldehyde, formic acid, and DKP. All of these substances are known to be toxic to humans.

On June 27, 1996, the FDA approved aspartame for use in goods which are heated thereby allowing this process to occur even before we consume the product. Perhaps they were thinking why wait until it gets to the intestines to become formaldehyde and DKP. Let’s just get on with the poisoning! I would bet money that no member of the FDA consumes products containing aspartame.

Some of the damage to our health may occur as a result of the rapid breakdown of aspartame causing spikes of phenylalanine and aspartic acid which can upset chemical balances and cross the blood-brain barrier, as well as unnatural spikes in levels of methanol in places the body does not normally encounter it as within metabolic processes, raising concerns as to its safe containment and elimination.

The effects of aspartame poisoning are known to be cumulative. For some it will take months, years, or even decades to show itself by way of neurological damage, others will not be able to tolerate even the smallest amount.

Aspartame is also known to cause birth defects so you can imagine small, developing children are particularly susceptible to its ill effects. You need to make certain that your child is not ingesting this chemical and certainly look into whether or not your child’s school is offering products containing aspartame.

SYMPTOMS OF ASPARTAME POISONING:

The following symptoms are listed on the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet:

headaches, nausea, vertigo, insomnia, numbness, blurred vision, blindness and other eye problems, memory loss, slurred speech, depression, personality changes, hyperactivity, stomach disorders, seizures, skin lesions, rashes, anxiety attacks, muscle cramping and joint pain, loss of energy, symptoms mimicking heart attacks, hearing loss and ear ringing, and loss or change of taste.

Aspartame disease mimics or worsens the following conditions and should not be consumed even in the smallest quanity if afflicted:

Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Lupus, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, Diabetes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s Disease, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, Panic Disorder, Depression and other Psychological Disorders. Many reactions are quite serious, including seizures and death.

I personally know one woman who suffered for three years from vertigo, nausea, depression, anxiety attacks and ringing in the ear. She saw every specialist, tried numerous pharmaceutical drugs, even considered a recommended surgery. Her diet was never discussed to see if these symptoms were related to aspartame poisoning. On my advice she tried eliminating aspartame from her diet and the symptoms began to disappear. For three years, she suffered – missing numerous days at work – and yet one small diet change allowed her to regain her life. Giving up aspartame.

ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM ASPARTAME POISONING?

The best method to determine if your symptoms are related to aspartame consumption is to remove all aspartame from your diet for one week or longer and see if your symptoms improve. Once you are feeling better, try aspartame again. If you reacquire symptoms you will have a most compelling reason to never touch the stuff again.

It is amazing to think that numerous symptoms are being misdiagnosed everyday and in turn are being treated with a pharmaceutical drug. Apparently we have one more successful marketing maneuver attributable to this brilliant industry actually responsible for discovering and marketing aspartame and now making a great deal more money on the diseases and conditions it triggers! I sometimes wonder why the pharmaceutical drug industry has not gone into the business of death as well, buying up all the mortuaries across the country to insure they profit from each one of us, every moment from birth to grave.

DEADLY TIMELINE: A FEW KEY EVENTS

By way of background, these are just a few of the events surrounding the discovery and approval of aspartame:

1965 – James M. Schlatter, a chemist in the employ of G.D. Searle & Company synthesized aspartame in the course of producing an anti-ulcer drug candidate. He discovered the sweet taste quite by chance when he accidentally licked his finger contaminated with aspartame.

Fall 1967 – Dr. Harold Waisman, a biochemist at the University of Wisconsin, conducts aspartame safety tests on infant monkeys on behalf of the Searle Company, Monsanto. Of the seven monkeys that were being fed aspartame mixed with milk, one dies and five others have grand mal seizures.

September 30, 1980 – The Public Board of Inquiry concludes NutraSweet should not be approved pending further investigations of brain tumors in animals. The board states it “has not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive.”

January 1981 – Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle, states in a sales meeting that he is going to push to get aspartame approved within the year. Rumsfeld goes as far as to declare he will use his political pull in Washington, rather than scientific means, to make sure it gets approved.

January 21, 1981 – President Ronald Reagan’s transition team, which includes Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of G.D. Searle, hand picks Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to be the new FDA Commissioner.

July 15, 1981 – In one of his first official acts, Dr. Arthur Hayes Jr., the new FDA commissioner, overrules the Public Board of Inquiry, ignores the recommendations of his own internal FDA team and approves NutraSweet for dry products.

September 1983 – FDA Commissioner Hayes resigns under a cloud of controversy about his taking unauthorized rides aboard a General Foods jet. General Foods is a major customer of NutraSweet. Burson-Marsteller, Searle’s public relation firm which also represented several of NutraSweet’s major users, immediately hires Hayes as senior scientific consultant.

In a 1993 act that can only be described as unconscionable, the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86°degrees F (30°Degrees C).

February 1994 – the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the listing of adverse reactions reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994). Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all adverse reactions reported to the FDA’s Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS).

June 27, 1996 – without public notice, the FDA removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in everything, including all heated and baked goods.

WHY DOES ASPARTAME PERSIST AS A FOOD ADDITIVE?

Aspartame has been the subject of vigorous public controversy regarding its safety and the circumstances surrounding its approval for many years. Several studies have also recommended further investigation into alleged connections between aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors, brain lesions and lymphoma and yet it persists as a food additive.

One would surmise from all accounts – numerous testimonials provided, persistent public outcry, and strong scientific evidence demonstrating the health dangers of aspartame – the FDA is indeed driven by power and greed just as the corporations marketing this poison. For this reason and because of the questionable and unethical way the matter has been handled by the FDA, I do believe corruption is clearly present in this governmental agency sanctioned with guarding our safety.

These findings, combined with notable conflicts of interest in the approval process, have provoked vocal activism regarding the possible risks of aspartame. In fact, in New Mexico they are working on banning the substance altogether. Several countries, including Japan, have already done so. I do believe its days (perhaps years) are numbered but I urge you to not to become a casualty or class action member in the interim.

The Ugly Truth about Artificial Sweeteners

                Every week there is talk about a new artificial sweetner on the market. There is aspartame, splenda, truvia, stevia, and next week there will be a new “natural” artificial sweetner that is all the rage. Many people make the diet move to cut out sugary drinks and high calorie liquids from their diet only to switch to  calorie free versions of their old favorites. When you switch to beverages containing calorie free sugar substitutes you may be losing the calories but not all of the negative effects of sugar. Artificial sweetners are broken down by the body the same way as sugar. It causes your blood sugar to spike and drop and can also trigger real sugar cravings causing you to consume even more calories than you would have with the original beverage.

Water and tea are the two beverages naturally containing no sugar unless you add to them. Tea comes in all different types of flavors from black, herbal, green, peppermint, and fruit flavors. Tea can be enjoyed hot or cold. Switching out water and tea for your usual calorie free or sugar laden drink will leave you feeling more refreshed, energized, and keep your thirst satisfied longer. Because sticking to water and tea can become very boring I have included five recipes to give your water a burst and adds no more than ten calories per serving.

Spice Up your H20!

Cucumber melon water

Slice up a cucumber and 7-9 cubes of honey dew melon. Place in bottom of pitcher and fill with water. This is a cool and refreshing drink and is also a great choice to serve for guests instead of regular water.

Citrus

Slice up a lemon, lime, and half an orange. Place in bottom of pitcher and fill with water. This is a tangy but sweet taste and one of my all time favorites

Berry Delight

Place handful of raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries in bottom of pitcher and fill with water.  The berry flavor is the sweetest water created and while it’s not my favorite it is loved by many.

Coffee Fixer-Upper

When eliminating artificial sweetners from their diet many people struggle with what to add to their coffee. Skim milk just doesn’t add enough sweetness. Try some vanilla flavored PROTEIN POWDER! Or another flavor of your choice. It doesn’t take much and adds a sweet and creamy flavor.

I challenge  you to make the all natural beverage switch today. Water and tea does not have to be boring and the effect it will have on your diet and well being is insurmountable. Replace sugary or artificially sweetened drinks today with one of these delicious and flavorful recipes. Cheers!

There are a number of reasons for food manufacturers to add artificial and natural additives in food. For example, to lengthen shelf life, to make the food more appealing by enhancing color, texture and taste, to facilitate food preparation, or otherwise make food more marketable. An increasing number of additives are made synthetically, and some are from natural sources.

You may think many additives are used only in small amounts, and will do no harm, but it has been estimated that an average American consumes about 5 pounds of additives every year. When plain sugar is added, which is the most common used additive, the number rises to 135 pounds per year. This means that anyone whose diet includes a lot of processed food will consume a significant amount of additives and artificial ingredients. The numbers are rising.

Additives and artificial ingredients add very little or no nutritional value to the food product. Instead they pose a threat to your health. Some earlier approved additives have later been pulled off the market, or their use is allowed only if accompanied with warnings. Saccharin and Syclamate, which have been used as artificial sweeteners, are good examples. Some additives are used without warnings like Monosodium Glutamate and Aspartame, yet they have been known to cause health problems. Some reported disorders are head ache, diarrhea, confusion, memory loss, and seizures.

There are three main components in Aspartame; the amino acids Phenylalanine and Aspartic Acid, Methanol which is also known as Methyl Alcohol or as Wood Alcohol. It has been claimed that the amino acids in Aspartame are metabolized the same way as the natural amino acids in the food, but research suggests otherwise. Aspartame appears to cause a fast rise of these amino acids in the bloodstream. This will not happen when consuming natural dietary proteins.

No one disputes that Aspartame is not safe for people with PKU (Phenylketonuria). These people lack the enzyme required to convert Phenylalanine into Tyrosine, which is an amino acid. High concentrations of Phenylalanine can cause brain damage. It could also be beneficial to avoid food products containing Aspartame and other artificial ingredients for people who have other kind of disorders.

Methyl Alcohol is known to be toxic even in modest amounts. Disorders caused by toxic levels of Methanol include brain swelling, blindness, and inflammation of pancreas and the heart muscle. The cumulative effects of Aspartame are unknown.

The FDA states that the exposure to Methanol is not of “sufficient quantity to be of toxicological concern”. Regardless of any claims by the FDA, significant number of people have reported bad reactions to Aspartame like head aches, mood swings, nausea, diarrhea, sleep disorders, memory loss, changes in vision, confusion, and even convulsions. Aspartame appears to be especially dangerous for children.

Needless to say, it is wise to avoid food with additives and artificial ingredients, and eat fruit and natural whole food. Those are free of artificial colorings, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. Instead they are full of nutrients you need to stay healthy.

So you’re determined to lose weight and you’re going to use artificial sweeteners to help you do it. Well hold on! Before you reach for that diet soda, think about this. Habitual users of artificial sweeteners tend to gain more weight than users of the real thing! And diet drinks are the worst! Artificial sweeteners contribute mightily to raised insulin levels. On top of that, you need larger amounts of food and drinks made with artificial sweeteners to feel satisfied, partly because artificial sweeteners don’t have much taste to begin with. In order to make their processed foods taste better, manufacturers often combine two or more artificial sweeteners in their products. When these foods hit your mouth, your brain signals the pancreas that sugar is coming in and the pancreas shoots out a load of insulin to handle the sugar that isn’t there. Your stomach is disappointed, you’re still hungry, and you eat more to compensate for that lack of fullness. Now let’s take a look at some of the artificial sweeteners used in these chemical creations.

SACCHARIN – THE GRANDADDY OF THEM ALL
Sacharin, a petroleum derivative has been around for a long time. Saccharin is still found in little pink packets on restaurant tables even though it is well known to have carcinogenic potential. To many people, saccharin has a bitter after taste. Saccharin is the first chemically formulated artificial sweetener ever produced and today is being rather rapidly superseded by competing artificial sweeteners.

ASPARTAME
Aspartame, commonly known as NutraSweet or Equal is an excitotoxin for your brain. You will find aspartame in many diet sodas and other bottled drinks. Aspartame can cause all kinds of brain disfunction. Many users of aspartame have complained about headaches, mood disorders, and even skin rashes. Aspartame is a very poor sugar substitute! Here are some other reasons for staying away from it: Aspartame is made up of 50% phenilaline, 40% aspartic acid, and 10% methanol. Phenilaline is a substance many people cannot metabolize and they pass this trait on to their children, causing mental retardation in those children. Aspartame can stimulate your brain to death, trigger tumors and brain cancer, and interact adversely with prescription drugs. We said that Aspartame contains methanol. Methanol is wood alcohol. Methanol distributes itself throughout your body, including your brain, muscle tissue, fat, and nerve tissue, and that’s not all. When Aspartame gets into your body and reaches a temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit, the methanol converts to Formic Acid and Formaldehyde, commonly known as embalming fluid. Since you know that your normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees, you now know that you can have embalming fluid in your cells binding to proteins and DNA. Drink a lot of soda and you risk vision, brain, heart, nerve problems, and pancreatic inflammation. And if that’s not enough to convince you to stay away from it, Aspartame was once on a Pentagon list of bio-warfare chemicals submitted to Congress. Our government at work, looking after our welfare! There’s more, but we’re going beyond the scope of this article.

SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA)
Splenda, as an artificial sweetener, tastes better than Saccharin or Aspartame and has heat stability that enables its use in cooking. The claim that Splenda is made from sugar is only partly true. Splenda starts out as sugar, true enough, but then three parts of the sugar molecules are chemically replaced with chlorine atoms. This process creates a chlorocarbon very similar to insecticide. While the manufacturer is very quick to call Splenda “natural,” this artificial sweetener is still nothing less than a chemical concoction. The manufacturer of Splenda claims that his artificial sweetener is “not absorbed,” but the truth is that about 15% of Splenda, about 6 calories per tablespoon is absorbed. These calories come from a mixture of carbohydrates needed to stabilize this chlorocarbon compound.

SUGAR AND WEIGHT LOSS
Sugar, in contrast to artificial sweeteners, has really taken a bad rap when it comes to the weight loss question. It’s not the teaspoon of sugar you put into your morning coffee that’s doing all the damage. It’s all that sugar that other people are putting into the food you eat that’s making the waistband of your jeans too tight. Forget that those “Cocoa Krispies” are “organic” or that the “Krispy Kreme” donut is “”whole grain.” They’re loaded with a big sugar blast. Commercial processing of almost any whole food will blunt its flavor. Processors get the taste back into it by putting in sugar. (Most ingredients listed on the label that end in “ose” contain sugar. Any “syrup” contains sugar.) Too much sugar is not good for your body. Sugar adds calories. Sugar has no helpful nutrients and forces your body into insulin and inflammatory responses that can eventually backfire as asthma, gout, rheumatoid arthritis, and diabetes, among other health disorders. Some processed foods have as much as 300% of the recommended daily allowance for sugar.

THE UBIQUITOUS HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
The number one source of calories in America is high fructose corn syrup, or HFCS in sodas. There are about 40 grams of HFCS in each can of soda, far more than the American Medical Association’s recommended daily maximum consumption of all the sweeteners you consume during the day. And we haven’t even considered all the high fructose corn syrup that is included in just about everything that comes off the packaged grocery shelf. Twenty five percent of the calories consumed by the average American is in the form of manufacturer added sweeteners and the majority of those sweeteners are high fructose corn syrup. High Fructose Corn Syrup is known to raise your trigliceride and LDL cholesterol, putting you at increased risk of heart disease. The unbound fructose in HFCS, which contains zero vitamins, can in itself interfere wqith your heart’s use of copper, magnesium, and chromium, minerals vital to its functioning. HFCS interferes with your feeling of fullness when you eat, so you tend to eat more than you need, and to top it all off, HFCS is addictive! High Fructose Corn Syrup affects Leptin, a hormone made by the body’s fat cells. Leptin tells your body to stop eating! Processed fructose fails to stop the action of Ghrelin, a hormone that increases hunger and appetite. You fail to get the message to stop eating!

ONE SWEETENER THAT’S ACTUALLY BENEFICIAL
Without a doubt, the very best sugar substitute available to us today is XYLITOL This plant based sugar alcohol has the look and texture of sugar. Xylitol is slightly less sweet than sugar, but only slightly so. Essentially, Xylitol can be used one on one in recipes calling for sugar. It will not feed yeast however. Xylitol is metabolized much more slowly than sugar, and most diabetics, after consulting with their doctor, should be able to use it safely.

Xylitol of course, is priced somewhat higher than sugar. In fact the prices for it run all over the road and if you decide to try it, then you might want to do some exhaustive shopping for it. Or you can take our word for it when we say we’ve spent a lot of time looking for the best prices on Xylitol and the hands down winner for this on the basis of price, service, and quality of product is ProExercise.com Discounted prices on nutritional supplements, vitamins, herbal supplements, and much more. Those interested in bodybuilding should check out their Sports Nutrition formulas. The rest of us will have to be content with diet books, Weight Loss and vitamin stuff. Or nothing. The service from these folks is superb.

What is the big controversy over artificial sweeteners?  Is it really that bad for you?  If it is, why are over 200 million people consuming it on a regular basis?  It has endless adverse health affects that people may not be aware of or maybe they just don’t care.  They may feel the effects but do not know what the cause is and wonder why modern medicine can’t help them.  I recently tried a popular brand of powdered iced tea and I noticed a nasty after taste.  I believe it had an artificial sweetener containing aspartame. 

There are too many products on the market today to mention but some of the most common include: breath mints, gum, ice cream toppings, iced tea powder, many sugar free products, puddings, yogurt, table top sweeteners, and much more.  Many people do not let their children drink anything with it in it, which is understandable.  Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests or x-rays.  It changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, nor epinephrine, and adrenaline. 

If you have ever gone to the doctor and complained about physical symptoms and he or she couldn’t find the cause, it is most likely due to your diet and/or environment.  The aspartame detoxification program may help you if you experience any of the almost one hundred symptoms listed on the web ranging from blindness to shortness of breath.  Try it for 30 days and you should see some results. 

Start by removing all aspartame products from your house, write down any changes in your health, get your hair analyzed, be happy within yourself, exercise regularly, get enough sleep, drink tons of water, and eat plenty of raw foods.  Tell everyone you know about it, contact your local and federal government representatives, write a complaint to the FDA or the FAA, return all your groceries containing aspartame to the supermarket, set an example to others, and distribute literature to create awareness.  In this case, what we do know can help us.

We’re told time and again to cut down refined sugar in our diets to avoid obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and the rest. What do we do? Head straight for the “sugar-free” drinks and foods to satisfy our sweet tooths (should that be sweet teeth?).

You know the line…”I’ll have a bar of chocolate, oh, and a diet coke, because I’m slimming.” And, a lot of us switch to using artificial sweeteners in our cappuccinos and lattes.

But, have a quick look at the ingredient labels on the food, and you might be in for a shock. There are vast numbers of foods and drinks that contain sugar and sweeteners.

Part of the appeal is that sweet foods make us feel like consuming some more. One bit of chocolate is never enough. “May as well finish it – it’s only a small bar.” One biscuit leads to another, and so on – a great benefit for the manufacturers. No so good for a population rapidly gaining weight.

“So what?” I hear you shout. (At least I shouted it at the computer.) “If there is less sugar in my food, I must be lowering my risk of developing diabetes. And those artificial sweeteners have no calories, therefore no unsightly fat.”

True. Most sweeteners are calorie-free, or almost so, but they are still chemicals – food additives that could cause side effects. Here’s a brief rundown of the common sweeteners: -

Saccharin – discovered over 100 years ago – no calories – the first widely used artificial sweetener – still used today -safe – leaves a nasty aftertaste with some people (namely, me!).

Cyclamate – discovered in 1937 – no calories – 30 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar) – the least sweet of the “intense sweeteners” – used in combination with saccharin – banned in the USA in 1970 after safety concerns – still used in other countries – research says it’s safe.

Acesulfame-K – discovered in 1967 – 200 times sweeter than sucrose – calorie-free – no aftertaste – no documented adverse effects – currently used in many countries.

Aspartame (NutraSweet) – approved by the USA in 1981 – 200 times sweeter than sucrose – widely used but many reports of side effects – claimed to be safe, except for people with phenylketonuria (an inherited disease) – but it increases appetite and cravings for sweets – gets into the brain – causes headaches, dizziness, memory loss, slurred speech, ringing in the ears, drowsiness, insomnia, aggression, skin problems, weight gain and more – symptoms sometimes called “aspartame disease” – demands for its removal from the market, but it is still there.

Sucralose (Splenda) -1998 – calorie-free – 600 times sweeter than sucrose – made from sugar – claimed to be safe – many studies but no toxic effects -is added to many products – but reports of symptoms such as sleep disruption, damage to the immune system and nerve damage – it is a chlorinated molecule similar to some pesticides and may have similar effects, such as building up in body fat over time – nothing has been proved, yet.

Neotame -not available in the UK yet – approved in the US – 7,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sucrose – chemically related to aspartame – you only need a trace of it to make something sweet – too early to say whether it is good or bad.

Alitame (Aclaim) – another derivative of aspartame – 2,000 times sweeter than sucrose – no aftertaste – not yet approved in the USA, but used in Australia, New Zealand and China – no reports of problems, so far.

Stevia – comes from a small plant – a natural sugar substitute – 300 times sweeter than sucrose – used world-wide for many years with no reports of toxicity -approved in the USA only as a supplement and herb.

Polyols – are a group of sugar-free carbohydrates- fewer calories than sugar – do not affect blood sugar levels – do not cause tooth decay – names such as isomalt, maltitol, lactitol and xylitol.

My worry is that the food giants are creating sweeteners that should really be treated more like drugs. When you think of it, just by indulging your weakness for a particular food or soft drink, you could be consuming, over the years, a significant quantity of chemical that might affect your health, and we need to know the side effects. More products now use mixtures of sweeteners to capture the “real taste” of sugar, and who’s tested that?

I try to avoid sweeteners, although it is not easy. Checking the labels of even “healthy options” reveals just how often the sweetener card is played. For me, a little sugar in my yoghurt or soda water is better than a cocktail of sweeteners.

There is no free ticket to eating low-sugar products. Some may even make you ill and put weight on. Pass the sugar!