Sweeteners - What is the US view?

In the UK most people tend to buy food and drink that contains sweeteners rather than sugar whereas my wife and I avoid them wherever possible.

What is the view in the US? Do you get sweeteners in food targetted at children?







[edit on 18/9/2009 by LightFantastic]

reply to post by LightFantastic


Right now in the US, artificial sweetners are one of the most profitable businesses and are continuing to grow despite worries over whether or not they are more harmful than helpful.

According to market analysts Mintel, a total of 3,920 products containing artificial sweeteners were launched in the U.S. between 2000 and 2005. In 2004 alone, 1,649 artificially-sweetened products were launched. According to market analysts Freedonia, the United States artificial sweetener market is set to grow at around 8.3% per year to $189 million in 2008.[5]

Aspartame is currently the most popular sweetener in the U.S. food industry, as the price has dropped significantly since the Monsanto Company patent expired in 1992. However, sucralose may soon replace it, as alternative processes to Tate & Lyle's patent seem to be emerging. According to Morgan Stanley, this can mean that the price of sucralose will drop by 30%.[6]
Link: en.wikipedia.org...

In order to combat the possible negative effects of aspartame, we now have products such as Stevia, and Truvia, which claim to be all natural and as natural as sugar, but without the calories.

So far, the sales of these two new sweetners / sugar substitues continue to grow.

well they better use some naturals herbs or something,i know sugar can be bad,bud aspartame is frikkin poison!,ur better off with sugar

Most people in the US are stuck buying sodas and drinks with high fructose corn syrup in lieu of sugar, and with sucralose and aspartame in their diet drinks. Other countries still use real sugar in their drinks, unfortunately the US does not since they state it "costs more" to produce. Don't even get me started on what I think of that.

Anyone who has done any research on HFCS knows that your body breaks this type of sweetener down differently than sugar. It's worse on your digestive tract. Here's some info:

www.lef.org...

As far as the artificial sweeteners Splenda (sucralose) and Aspartame (phenylalanine) they are both harmful. Sucralose was never sufficiently tested prior to being released on the market and its origin is in pesticides. Aspartame is an exitotoxin/neurotoxin and both of these additives have significant negative effects on your health.

www.eruptingmind.com...

www.nutralegacy.com...

For me, the choice is either real cane sugar or for diet products Stevia or Xylitol.

[edit on 18-9-2009 by Orion65]

Originally posted by lpowell0627
In order to combat the possible negative effects of aspartame, we now have products such as Stevia, and Truvia, which claim to be all natural and as natural as sugar, but without the calories.

These sweeteners haven't made it to our shores yet, neither has Tagatose to my knowledge. Unfortunately in the EU "natural" on packaging means "of this universe."

It worries me that a lot of sweeteners have "possible negative" effects yet we are consuming them every day.

I have a recent paper that links increased sweetener intake with increased body weight. The authors presumed that our brains register the intake of regular sugar and modify our appetite accordingly. I suppose that is why some sweet things are "sickly" and it is difficult to eat a lot.

I've read a lot of studies on all the sweeteners, natural and artificial.

The human body can only handle a fraction of the sucrose we're exposed to. The new fructose based ones are also problematic. Artificial sweeteners have dangerous chemicals.

But it all comes down to quantities. In the 19th Century people consumed about a pound of sugar a year. Now they consume something like 200 pounds. Your system can't process that much.
Overweight, diabetes, organ exhaustion.

The best form of sweetening is in natural form from the food itself.
Sugar in fruit, simple carbs like wheat and rice converted to sugars in heating, etc.

But people have become addicted to sugar fixes. Low blood sugar due to insulin kicking in produces the craving for more sugar. The cycle never ends.

The wayt around it is to live the way your body wants you to. Activity and exercises, no huge caloric intakes at one sitting.
You body can tolerate all that sweetening, but only in small doses.


Mike

stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

Originally posted by redbarron626
stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

i was under the impression that saccharin was a real bad one that was going to be banned but it took them 10 yrs to change there mind and say "no we will leave it there its safe" i really try hard to avois any kind of artificial sweeteners at mo. it is hard because i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened. i live in the uk.

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by redbarron626
stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

i was under the impression that saccharin was a real bad one that was going to be banned but it took them 10 yrs to change there mind and say "no we will leave it there its safe" i really try hard to avois any kind of artificial sweeteners at mo. it is hard because i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened. i live in the uk.

Saccharin isn't as bad as Aspartame and Splenda, but Stevia is better than any of them. Xylitol is another good one, and it's great for your teeth - better than fluoride by a long shot.

Artificial Sweeteners in my part of the United States are regarded as something baneful.

Natural Sugars, including Sucrose and Fructose are bad, but being Overweight with Type 2 Diabetes is a step above the side-effects of Artificial Sweeteners, especially the Cancer they all have shown to produce.

Stevia seems to be the ideal option as it neither causes Diabetes, plus it is safe for Diabetics to consume. However, our Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved Stevia to be used for Consumption, and most likely never will (as the cost for Clinical Safety Trials on a substance that cannot be patented will not be bank-rolled by any company, and the opposition and bribes by the Sugar Growers and Sweetener Manufacturers would prevent such from ever happening). Still, a trip to one's local Cooperative or Natural Food Store can get one all the Stevia they need to add to their own food, even if Food Manufacturers cannot use it.

Originally posted by Orion65

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by redbarron626
stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

i was under the impression that saccharin was a real bad one that was going to be banned but it took them 10 yrs to change there mind and say "no we will leave it there its safe" i really try hard to avois any kind of artificial sweeteners at mo. it is hard because i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened. i live in the uk.

Saccharin isn't as bad as Aspartame and Splenda, but Stevia is better than any of them. Xylitol is another good one, and it's great for your teeth - better than fluoride by a long shot.

i would just avoid sweeteners full stop. if its made in a lab, its not ment to be.

I do get the impression with the fluoride that your being sarcastic. I hope you are because that is bad full stop too.

Xylotol is another natural sweetener that has less calories than cane sugar. It also fights toothe decay. it is found in some chewing gum products. Look into it , anybody on a low sugar diet would benefit from its use. Very wxpensive thjough as much as ten times that of cane sugar. it is derived I believe from the bark of a birch tree

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by Orion65

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by redbarron626
stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

i was under the impression that saccharin was a real bad one that was going to be banned but it took them 10 yrs to change there mind and say "no we will leave it there its safe" i really try hard to avois any kind of artificial sweeteners at mo. it is hard because i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened. i live in the uk.

Saccharin isn't as bad as Aspartame and Splenda, but Stevia is better than any of them. Xylitol is another good one, and it's great for your teeth - better than fluoride by a long shot.

i would just avoid sweeteners full stop. if its made in a lab, its not ment to be.

I do get the impression with the fluoride that your being sarcastic. I hope you are because that is bad full stop too.

That I'm being sarcastic regarding fluoride? Not at all. I use a Xylitol based toothpaste, and have had much better results. In a nutshell, it helps reduce bacteria from remaining on your teeth, therefore decreasing the buildup of plaque. End result, less cavities. Info on Xylitol and dental per Wiki:

en.wikipedia.org...

As far as fluoride, there is no reason that we should be ingesting it in our drinking water and there have been debates on whether it really is a good product for dental care, or whether fluoride usage is outdated altogether. Other countries have banned it from their water supply. Two interesting links:

www.fluoridation.com...

www.holisticmed.com...

Originally posted by Orion65

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by Orion65

Originally posted by Rickster01

Originally posted by redbarron626
stick with pure sugar derived from either sugar cane or sugar beets. The only artificial sweetener that is not too harmful to the body is sodium saccharin. ANY artificial sweetener is dangerous in large quantities.

i was under the impression that saccharin was a real bad one that was going to be banned but it took them 10 yrs to change there mind and say "no we will leave it there its safe" i really try hard to avois any kind of artificial sweeteners at mo. it is hard because i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened. i live in the uk.

Saccharin isn't as bad as Aspartame and Splenda, but Stevia is better than any of them. Xylitol is another good one, and it's great for your teeth - better than fluoride by a long shot.

i would just avoid sweeteners full stop. if its made in a lab, its not ment to be.

I do get the impression with the fluoride that your being sarcastic. I hope you are because that is bad full stop too.

That I'm being sarcastic regarding fluoride? Not at all. I use a Xylitol based toothpaste, and have had much better results. In a nutshell, it helps reduce bacteria from remaining on your teeth, therefore decreasing the buildup of plaque. End result, less cavities. Info on Xylitol and dental per Wiki:

en.wikipedia.org...

As far as fluoride, there is no reason that we should be ingesting it in our drinking water and there have been debates on whether it really is a good product for dental care, or whether fluoride usage is outdated altogether. Other countries have banned it from their water supply. Two interesting links:

www.fluoridation.com...

www.holisticmed.com...

prior to ww2 it was only ever a rat poison. Why would you want that in your toothpaste. it causes flourises of the teeth and doesnt really help at all. Why do you think toothpaste carries a warning to not let children eat and to supervise them when brushing?? because its a poison and they know it.
not to mention the calcification that builds up in your body over time.

Its in toothpaste for the same reasons its in water in places. as a mind controlling keep you dosile drug.
iv looked in to this stuff for only about 2 years now but i am convinced of the wrong doings going on.

about a year ago i changed my flouridated toothpaste to a make called euthoymol and honestly my teeth have never felt better,

reply to post by LightFantastic


Unfortunately, artificial sweeteners fall into the same category as other "eat this to live a long life! Wait, nevermind,,,,it could kill you! Return it immediately!"

Andybody remember the butter vs. margarine saga? They STILL haven't figured out which way that's supposed to go.

Words to live by: What they tell you will make you live forever today, will most likely be the number one thing that they say will kill you tomorrow (provided of course the profits have already been made ).

Originally posted by lpowell0627
Andybody remember the butter vs. margarine saga? They STILL haven't figured out which way that's supposed to go.

Coming from a health concious family, I remember switching to margarine (Flora) as a child only to learn recently that the trans-fats it is made from are worse for you than butter.

ya know, it seems to me that if we didn't have the high rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, heart disease and the like back in the 60's and 70's when our parents were all smoking like crazy, frying everything in lard, eating butter, and we were topping our cereal with spoon fulls of sugar....
but we have it now even after all these great, "more healthy alternatives" that they've created in labs,
that it's not our lifestyles that is causing us to be unhealthy!! it's their lab creations and instead of griping that people should stop eating sweet things, stop eating those hamburgs and french fries, ect.....we should be griping at them to get the danged lab creations our of our food, not to mention our water and air!!
instead, they are talking about taxing the high fructose corn syrup sweetened soft drinks which is more an attempt to get people into the aspertame (they now want the corn for our energy!!!) but I would venture to guess that aspertame will prove to be more of a danger than the corn syrup, which was more dangerous than your typical everyday sugar that I grew up on!
all the while, they are claiming they are concerned for our health......

just go back to eating the way your parents and grandparents did, lard and all....you'll live longer probably.

Originally posted by Rickster01
i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened.

You can try complaining to Robinsons as I did about Barley Water. Their "High Juice" doesn't have sweeteners.

reply to post by LightFantastic


People think they are good. I think they are poison. I refuse to drink or eat anything that was sweetener by artificial sweeteners.

My health has been getting better ever since.

Pure sugar only for me.

The US wouldn't have as much health problems if they do what I did.

Stop eating so much sugar. I rarely eat it int the uncommon dessert and a daily yogurt. No soda for me. No breakfast cereals.



[edit on 20-9-2009 by Miraj]

Originally posted by LightFantastic

Originally posted by Rickster01
i like barley water but as much as i look i cant find any that isnt sweetened.

You can try complaining to Robinsons as I did about Barley Water. Their "High Juice" doesn't have sweeteners.

Really strange because i was at a super market yesterday and they had a stall that had a new "natural" robinsons. it didnt have sweeteners but wasnt barley water. after thinking abt it. Its called natural and from what i see preservatives and flavours are natural so i got some. then today i was thinking if it was soo natural wouldnt it just be organic?? still it tastes ok and has no sweeteners so will drink it. I dont drink much of that any way.