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artificial sweeteners
Are artificial sweeteners OK?
It always depends what you mean with safe.
I agree with the upper post when it comes to problems with diabetes.
There is always this question with artificial sweeteners and cancer, especially kidney cancer.
The reason behind this rumour is a badly quoted scientific paper about artificial sweeteners fed to rats. Yes, you get cancer from artificial sweeteners if you are a rat (they have different enzymes to metabolise sweeteners) and eat about 75% of your body weight in sweeteners every day for a period of a few weeks.
Since I highly doubt that you'd do that, artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption and will not cause cancer in humans with a normal, balanced diet.
I agree with the upper post when it comes to problems with diabetes.
There is always this question with artificial sweeteners and cancer, especially kidney cancer.
The reason behind this rumour is a badly quoted scientific paper about artificial sweeteners fed to rats. Yes, you get cancer from artificial sweeteners if you are a rat (they have different enzymes to metabolise sweeteners) and eat about 75% of your body weight in sweeteners every day for a period of a few weeks.
Since I highly doubt that you'd do that, artificial sweeteners are safe for consumption and will not cause cancer in humans with a normal, balanced diet.
Some are, some are borderline, and some not safe for diabetic consumption. You may get feedback that artificial sweeteners are derived through a chemical process. This is true, but so is sugar. Three brands of a-sweets on the mkt which the FDA considers safe for diabetic consumption are below. Taste is subjective. Check product web site for free samples.
Aspartame - Lot of negative press yet the FDA allows its use in foods and drinks. Use Google search. I, for one, avoid it.
Succralose [Splenda] - Derived from sugar. Granulated Splenda is safe for diabetics as it cannot be digested. Does not bake well. Baking Splenda contains sugar. Debate is ongoing on maximum daily amount one can ingest from 900 to 1500 mg/kg/day. Taste like sugar but sweeter.
Stevia - Derived from a plant. Also sold as Truvia and PureVia.
● Stevia has been around for a number of years. Used extensively in Japan. Very high sweet flavor. Some like it, some do not. Does not bake well. Safe for diabetics.
● Truvia contains erythritol, a natural sweetener found in fruits. Can elevate blood sugars if fruit intolerant. Baking Truvia contains sugar.
● PureVia contains dextrose, a carbohydrate found in fruits, and isomaltulose [found in honey and sugar cane juice]. Also contains glycoside. Gycoside is plant sugar converted to sugar and nonsugar substance. Doesn't appear safe for diabetics.
● Liquid "Sweet Leaf" Stevia has additives for flavoring. Google search turned up nothing on its ingredients.
Other sweeteners found in foods [read nutrition label] but considered borderline safe and unsafe for diabetic consumption.
● Erythritol
● Dextrose
● Maltitol [maltodextrine]
● Tagatose
● Xylitol
● Neotame [NutraSweet]
● Acesulfame potassium
● Saccharin
HTH
Aspartame - Lot of negative press yet the FDA allows its use in foods and drinks. Use Google search. I, for one, avoid it.
Succralose [Splenda] - Derived from sugar. Granulated Splenda is safe for diabetics as it cannot be digested. Does not bake well. Baking Splenda contains sugar. Debate is ongoing on maximum daily amount one can ingest from 900 to 1500 mg/kg/day. Taste like sugar but sweeter.
Stevia - Derived from a plant. Also sold as Truvia and PureVia.
● Stevia has been around for a number of years. Used extensively in Japan. Very high sweet flavor. Some like it, some do not. Does not bake well. Safe for diabetics.
● Truvia contains erythritol, a natural sweetener found in fruits. Can elevate blood sugars if fruit intolerant. Baking Truvia contains sugar.
● PureVia contains dextrose, a carbohydrate found in fruits, and isomaltulose [found in honey and sugar cane juice]. Also contains glycoside. Gycoside is plant sugar converted to sugar and nonsugar substance. Doesn't appear safe for diabetics.
● Liquid "Sweet Leaf" Stevia has additives for flavoring. Google search turned up nothing on its ingredients.
Other sweeteners found in foods [read nutrition label] but considered borderline safe and unsafe for diabetic consumption.
● Erythritol
● Dextrose
● Maltitol [maltodextrine]
● Tagatose
● Xylitol
● Neotame [NutraSweet]
● Acesulfame potassium
● Saccharin
HTH
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