The Different Types of Natural and Artificial Sweeteners
Diabetics use several types of sweeteners as sugar alternatives. These sweeteners are sometimes natural, such as Stevia and fruit juice.
Other sweeteners are man-made, such as Aspartame (as-per-teym) and
Splenda. Different sweeteners are often used in different ways. For
example, Aspartame is frequently used in diet beverages whereas Splenda
is most often used in prepared foods and by the teaspoon.
Stevia and fruit juices give the body nutrients and minerals and may
even help to regulate the blood sugar level. Stevia is calorie-free, so
it will not cause weight gain or lead to complications of weight gain.
The Coca Cola company will soon introduce the “Truvia” brand. PepsoCo
will introduce their execution of a Stevia natural sweetener. Look for
them.
Fruit juice, however, does tend to contain a large amount of
calories and does raise the blood sugar level when taken. Therefore, it
is not recommended that Diabetics consume large amounts of fruit juice.
Natural sweeteners tend to be more expensive and harder to come by
than artificial sweeteners. Furthermore, when in liquid form, natural
sweeteners have a shorter shelf life. As a result, most processed foods
and commercial outlets prefer to use and sell artificial sweeteners.
are widely used to help control weight. They are not converted to
energy by the body to give calories. This means that they have no
energy units that can be stored by the body as fat.
However, they do mimic the effects of sugar on the body. As such,
when a person consumes an artificial sweetener, the body will think
that it has consumed sugar and it will start the process of trying to
break the artificial sugar down. The pancreas will release insulin to
deal with this ‘ghost’ sugar. Consequently, blood sugar levels will
become difficult to control as the body responds to the artificial
stimulant.
There are serious side effects that are associated with many
artificial sweeteners. The majority of these side effects are
associated with Aspartame. Aspartame accounts for about 70% of the
sweetener market. Among these effects include:
-
Optic nerve damage
Sugar imbalances
Weight gain
Obesity
Cancer
Birth defects
Mental retardation
DNA damage
Infertility
Sexual problems
Brain tumors
Headaches
Seizures
Blindness
