Sugar: Too Sweet to be True........

Sugar: Too Sweet to be True - It's no secret that America has a love affair with sugar — and why not? It tastes great, gives you energy and can even elevate your mood. What's not to like? This is the crux of the problem. How can something that tastes so good be so bad for us? Health experts agree that the overuse of sugar is directly linked to many growing health concerns ranging from obesity and tooth decay to depression. In fact, the average American consumes nearly 160 pounds of refined sugar each year. This is a 25 percent increase over the past three decades. This increase has mirrored another rapid increase in the U.S. — soda consumption. Americans consume an average of 600 cans of soda per year, making soda consumption one-fourth of all drinks being consumed across the country. This equates to one 12 oz. can per day for every man, woman and child in the country. It is no surprise that nearly 50 percent of us are obese and childhood obesity is rapidly becoming the largest health concern of our time.
Out of this concern blossomed the "artificial sweetener" era. It seemed a logical answer to many of our sugar woes — at first. Three major players emerged — the first was Sweet-n-Low (saccharin or cyclamate), then came NutraSweet/Equal (aspartame, dextrose, maltodextrin), which was one of the first to take a large market share, and then more recently Splenda (sucralose). Each of these met with initial skepticism and were then released to the public — often without proper testing. One example of this is Splenda. To date, just six human trials have been done. Out of the six, the largest included 34 people and out of those 34, just 23 actually received Splenda. Here is a small sample of what to search for in each case:
Sweet-n-Low (saccharin) — linked to cancer since its inception. Banned in Canada.
Equal (aspartame) - 10 percent of aspartame is broken down into methanol in the small intestine, then quickly into formaldehyde.
Splenda (sucralose) — the sucralose molecule is classified a chlorocarbon, which falls into the same chemical category as DDT (synthetic pesticide).
There are a few natural sweeteners on the market that have much safer track records. Here's a small list to help you make a more educated choice:
Agave nectar — low glycemic index, but higher calorie count than sugar.
Stevia — natural source of sweetener has been used for centuries. Look for ground-up leaves rather than processed powder or liquid forms
Xylitol — Sugar alcohol has nasty side effects such as stomach cramps or diarrhea.
As you would do with any important family choice use your best judgment when deciding to use one or more of these sweet alternatives. Research the safety of each before you ingest it yourself or give it to your family.
Dr. Chris Pieda, DC, is the owner of Back to Health Chiropractic. For more information or references used in this article, visit www.backtohealthalameda.com
.....................................................................................
Do not forget honey.....