Is Sugar better for you than Aspartame

Discussion in 'Science' started by ryobi, Nov 30, 2016.

  1. ryobi

    ryobi Well-Known Member

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    Do you believe that sugar is better for you than Aspartame?
     
  2. HereWeGoAgain

    HereWeGoAgain Banned

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    No. Diabetes and obesity are killing far more people than aspartame. Some scientist now think sugar should be regulated like a drug, because it is a drug, and because it has enormous consequences for health care.

    There are plenty of other options such as Stevia,
     
  3. LiveUninhibited

    LiveUninhibited Well-Known Member

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    Aspartame is safe and has been extensively studied. Sugar is generally worse for you, but primarily if it contributes to getting overweight or poor control of diabetes. Both can be safe, but moderation is more important for sugar.
     
  4. ryobi

    ryobi Well-Known Member

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    You guys are too smart.


    The regulation agencies in 90 countries have found that Aspartame is safe. The evidence that Aspartame is dangerous has been debunked. Meanwhile the dangers of sugar are well known and widely accepted: Cardiovascular Disease, Obesity, Diabetes
     
  5. ryobi

    ryobi Well-Known Member

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    Liberals believe dumb things because they believe completely in things in almost the complete absence of evidence in the presence of overwhelming contradictory evidence, even. For example, Alternative medicine, “health guru,” Dr. Mercola and creator of “the world's most popular health newsletter,” calls aspartame, “ a chemical poison” and “By Far the Most Dangerous Substance added to most foods today.” [1] However, The FDA has reviewed more than 100 toxicological and clinical studies confirming that aspartame is safe for the general population. [2] FDA officials describe aspartame as "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved" and its safety as "clear cut",[31] [3]


    But the dangers of consuming sugar are well known and widely accepted: an increased risk of obesity, and suspected of, or fully implicated as a cause in the occurrence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia, macular degeneration, and tooth decay. [4] And the evidence supporting claims that Aspartame is dangerous have almost completely been debunked. Dr. Mercola claims the following illness can be triggered or worsened by aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson’s disease, alzheimers, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, mental retardation and even diabetes.[5] Dr. Mercola claims that aspartame ingestion results in the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formate, [which can be toxic] [6] which is factual. However, David Hattan current Acting Director of the Division of Health Effects Evaluation in the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition explains, “…in the gastrointestinal tract aspartame is hydrolyzed to one of its component materials, methanol, as well as the two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. This methanol is taken up by the cells of the body and metabolized first to formaldehyde and then to formate. “ Hatten goes on to explain, “aspartame ingestion results in the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formate--substances that could be considered toxic at high doses. But the levels formed are modest, and substances such as methanol are found in higher amounts in common food products such as citrus juices and tomatoes. [7] For example, according to The American Cancer Society, “In the body, aspartame is broken down into phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol,” and like Hatten, The American Cancer Society also says, “Methanol can be toxic in high amounts, but the amounts that result from the breakdown of aspartame is lower than with many “natural” foods. For example, drinking a liter of diet soda would lead to consumption of 55 milligrams (mg) of methanol, as compared to as much as 680 mg of methanol from a liter of fruit juice.” Therefore, a liter of fruit juice contains about 12 times as much methanol as a can of diet soda with aspartame. So you’d think there would be even more people suffering from the diseases Dr. Mercola claims aspartame can trigger or worsen from consuming fruit juice, however; there is no evidence supporting such a claim.

    Dr. Mercola’s claim that aspartame can either trigger or worsen brain tumors has also been debunked. For example, one early study suggested that an increased rate of brain tumors in the US during the 1980s might have been related to aspartame use. However, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the increase in brain tumor rates actually began back in the early 1970s, well before aspartame was in use. And most of the increase was seen in people age 70 and older, a group that was not exposed to the highest doses of aspartame.

    Moreover in a more recent study which according to The American Cancer Society is the largest study of this issue, researchers from the National Cancer Institute looked at cancer rates in more than 500,000 older adults. This study found that, compared to people who did not drink aspartame containing beverages, those who did drink them did not have an increased risk of lymphomas, leukemias, or brain tumors.

    The opponents of aspartame claim that aspartame is not natural and sugar is natural, however, sugar is not natural. Sugar was invented. Sugar is manufactured from sugar cane and sugar beets and goes through several processes to become the granulated sugar you buy.

    Firstly, the raw sugar goes through a process called, “affination,” in which the raw sugar is mixed with a heavy syrup and centrifuged to wash away the outer coating of the raw sugar crystals. It is then “clarified,” by the addition of phosphoric acid and calcium hydroxide that combine to precipitate calcium phosphate. The Calcium phosphate particles entrap some impurities and absorb others, and then float to the top of a tank, where they are skimmed off.

    After any remaining solids are filtered out, the clarified syrup is decolorized by filtration through a bed of activated carbon or through an ion-exchange resin.

    The purified syrup is then concentrated to supersaturation and repeatedly crystallized under vacuum to produce white refined sugar. The sugar crystals are then seperated from the, “mothor liquor,” by centrifuging to produce the granulated sugar.

    It is then dried in a hot rotary dryer, and then cool air is blowed through Centrifugal Blower/fan for several days in so-called, “conditioning silos”.

    Meanwhile, aspartame is made from two naturally occurring amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine but sugar is natural and aspartame isn’t? Sugar must be handled with care as sugar dust explosions can occur. For example, in 2008 a sugar dust explosion in a Georgia refinery killed 13 people. How many natural foods do you know of than can explode and kill people?

    Opponents of aspartame argue,“ but isn’t there sugar in fruit?” It is true there is sugar in fruit but the sugar in fruit is fructose, which is metabolized completely differently by the body than the sucrose in granulated sugar. For example, fructose has a glycemic index of 25, while sucrose has a glycemic index of 65. The glycemic index of a food is important because foods with a low glycemic index are digested and absorbed slowly which produces a gradual rise in blood sugar and insulin levels and they have proven benefits
     
  6. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    I think it all depends on your health conditions. In general, sugar is safer. If you have diabetes, probably aspartame is safer.
     
  7. ryobi

    ryobi Well-Known Member

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    Dr. Mercola claims Aspartame causes obesity [1] Mercola writes, “One of the most appalling, especially to those consuming artificially sweetened sugar-free and diet products in the hopes of losing weight, is their propensity to fuel weight gain,” and he cites an article in the Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine which says, “Several large scale prospective cohort studies found positive correlation between artificial sweetener use and weight gain."[2]
    However, do artificial sweeteners cause weight gain? It’s been proven that Sugar provides a large amount of rapidly absorbable carbohydrates, leading to excessive energy intake, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome [3,4,5] Would people be better off just using sugar rather than artificial sweeteners? Do artificial sweeteners, like sugar, also cause weight gain?

    Dr. Mercola claims they do. Dr Mercola even cites a study by a team of Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) investigators who even revealed a potential reason why artificial sweeteners like aspartame prevent, rather than promote, weight loss. [6]
    The study Mercola cites found that mice fed aspartame-laced drinking water gained weight and developed symptoms of metabolic syndrome while mice not fed the artificial sweetener did not. The researchers revealed that phenylalanine, an aspartame breakdown product, blocks the activity of a gut enzyme called alkaline phosphatase (IAP). In a previous study, IAP was found to prevent the development of metabolic syndrome (and reduce symptoms in those with the condition) when fed to mice.[7] Richard Hodin, MD, of the MGH Department of Surgery, said in a press release:[8]

    "We found that aspartame blocks a gut enzyme called intestinal alkaline phosphatase (IAP) that we previously showed can prevent obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome; so we think that aspartame might not work because, even as it is substituting for sugar, it blocks the beneficial aspects of IAP."

    However, there was a study that found that an artificial sweetener caused bladder cancer in mice but later it was found that Bladder cancer associated with saccharin ingestion was found to be specific to rodent physiology[9] Similarly, chocolate is toxic to dogs and can cause renal failure however it is non-toxic to humans. Moreover, Mice in the study were fed either plain water or water infused with the equivalent amount of aspartame found in two to 3 1/2 cans of soda, along with a normal diet or a high-fat diet. Mice in the high-fat group that drank aspartame-infused water gained more weight than those eating the same diet without aspartame in their water. However, the amount of Aspartame in 3 ½ cans of soda consumed by a mouse weighing less than a pound is much greater as a percentage of body weight than the amount of Aspartame consumped in 3 ½ cans of soda by a human being weighing well over 100 pounds. Moreover, aspartame does contain calories, however; Aspartame is hundreds of times more sweeter than sugar and Therefore less of it has to be to have the same sweetness as sugar, so its calorie contribution is almost 0. For example, Web MD states, Artificial sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes, are compounds that offer the sweetness of sugar without the same calories. They are anywhere from 30 to 8,000 times sweeter than sugar and as a result, they have much fewer calories than foods made with table sugar (sucrose). Each gram of refined table sugar contains 4 calories, and even though artificial sweetners can contain calories, so much less of them has to be used to have the same amount of sweetness as sugar, that their calorie contribution is negligible. [10]

    Dr. Mercola also cites another study, the San Antonio Heart Study, which involved nearly 4,000 adults, which found drinkers of artificially sweetened beverages consistently had higher BMIs (body mass index) than non-drinkers{11] . But is there evidence of a cause and effect relationship between people who use artificial sweeteners and obesity or are heavier people just more likely to consume diet products containing aspartame than thin people?

    Moreover, according to a study cited by Dr. Mercola Research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics revealed that people who drink diet beverages may end up compensating for their "saved" calories by eating more foods high in sugar, sodium and unhealthy fats.[13] Therefore, it’s not the diet soda causing weight gain. It’s people compensating for the calories they did consume by drinking diet soda and then eating foods high in sugar, sodium, and unhealthy fats, the real culprits of their weight gain, not the diet soda.

    According to a researcher cited by Dr Mercola, Ruopeng, a kinesiology and community health professor at the University of Illinois,[14]

    "It may be that people who consume diet beverages feel justified in eating more, so they reach for a muffin or a bag of chips … Or perhaps, in order to feel satisfied, they feel compelled to eat more of these high-calorie foods."
    Therefore, diet drinks may not help people control their weight if they're not paying attention to the types of food they consume. Ruopeng writes:
    "If people simply substitute diet beverages for sugar-sweetened beverages, it may not have the intended effect because they may just eat those calories rather than drink them," he said. "We therefore recommend that people carefully document their caloric intake from both beverages and discretionary foods because both of these add calories -- and possibly weight -- to the body."[15]
    “Discretionary foods" are high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods that do not provide essential nutrients that the human body needs but may add variety. Foods such as cookies, ice cream, french fries and pastries fall under this category

    In conclusion, It’s not that diet products containing artificial sweeteners are contributing to weight gain. It’s that people compensate for the calories they’re not consuming in artificial sweeteners by consuming high calorie nutrient poor foods like cookies, ice cream, and potato chips, and it’s not that artificial sweeteners cause weight gain. It’s that people who are overweight to begin with tend to consume diet products containing artificial sweeteners. Therefore, there is a correlation between diet products containing artificial sweeteners and obesity, however; there is no cause and effect relationship between consuming artificial sweeteners and obesity.






    [1] http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/12/06/aspartame-causes-obesity.aspx accessed 12/22/2016

    [2] Yale J Biol Med. 2010 Jun; 83(2): 101–108.

    [3] Popkin BM, Nielsen SJ. The sweetening of the world’s diet. Obes Res. 2003;11:1325–1332

    [4] Schulze MB, Manson JE, Ludwig DS, Colditz GA, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC. et al. Sugar-sweetened beverages, weight gain, and incidence of type 2 diabetes in young and middle-aged women. JAMA. 2004;292:927–934

    [5] Saris WHM. Sugars, energy metabolism, and body weight control. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78:850S–857S.

    [6] Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism November 18, 2016

    [7] Preventive Medicine 1986 Mar;15(2):195-202

    [8] EurekAlert November 22, 2016

    [9] Kroger M, Meister K, Kava R. Low-calorie Sweeteners and Other Sugar Substitutes: A Review of the Safety Issues. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety. 2006;5:35–47

    [10] http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/are-artificial-sweeteners-safe#1 Accessed 12/20/2016

    [11] Obesity (Silver Spring). 2008 Aug;16(8):1894-900.

    [12] Preventive Medicine 1986 Mar;15(2):195-202

    [13] Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics September 9, 2015

    [14] BMJ. 2005 Feb 5; 330(7486): 309–310.

    [15] CBS News September 11, 2015
     
  8. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Aspartame can cause brain damage, you are far better off having sugar in moderation.
     
  9. spt5

    spt5 New Member

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    As for the OP last paragraph, negative, women are not too violent mostly. But what the best sugar formulation for them is, is the sugar tax. That's the only thing that may save them from obesity now.
     
  10. Alien Traveler

    Alien Traveler New Member

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    Prove it
     
  11. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Long-term consumption of aspartame and brain antioxidant defense status
    http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.3109/01480545.2012.658403


     
  12. HereWeGoAgain

    HereWeGoAgain Banned

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    To be fair, the study only shows issues at 1000 mg/Kg of body weight. Lower doses showed no negative effects.

    So for an average adult human we are talking about 72 grams a day or more. One packet of Sweet and Low has 36 milligrams of aspartame. So that would be like eating 2000 packets of Sweet and Low per day.

    Also, tests in mice is not conclusive. Beyond that, sugar comes with serious health consequences. So just having negative effects does not show that one is better than the other.

    https://www.uab.edu/shp/nutritiontrends/recipes-food-facts/food-facts/artificial-sweeteners
     
  13. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Sugar free drinks content of Aspartame below... some are well above 72 grams

    Therefore if you drink sugar free drinks, eat low fat ice cream and foods it all adds up.

    Please go ahead and use as much as you like. Me on the other hand will steer well clear of it.
     
  14. HereWeGoAgain

    HereWeGoAgain Banned

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    Those are milligrams, 1/1000th as much, not grams

    I quit using sugar and lost almost 70 pounds. It is hard to beat that!!! It is like being a different person. Like the song says, I'm half the man I used to be. :)

    I'm healthier than I've been since I was a young guy. I don't load up on artificial sweeteners but I do like Sucralose [Splenda] and use some products with Sucralose in it. Dryers has a pretty good low-sugar ice cream that has the natural milk sugars and then sucralose added.
     
  15. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    yes I appologise it's well above the
    in your previous post

     
  16. Derideo_Te

    Derideo_Te Well-Known Member

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    High Fructose Corn Syrup appears to be the cause of the obesity epidemic in this nation. Not that it is significantly any different on on the glycemic index to sucrose but that it has been added to so many prepared foods that the actual consumption has exceeded any normal person's ability to even identify how much of it that they are ingesting on a daily basis.

    So sugar itself is not bad for you but being unaware of how much you are actually consuming is the problem.
     
  17. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Just noticed it's 50mg/kg lol sorry I'm half asleep it's almost 9pm in Oz and it's been a long hot day. :)

    I don't trust the 50mg/kg recommendation over long term use. Short term might be ok

    There have been many studies on Aspartame, I've read several books on brain food recommendations and even come accross some studies that claim there's nothing to worry about.

    Similar to you it's a personal choice, if there's ANY doubt I simply stay away from it. I don't diet but regulate my health and weight with exercise, it's worked for me all my life.

    I am happy for you to have lost 70 pounds, it sounds like you are enjoying your life and that's terrific.

     
  18. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    Please watch your units.

    The highest one above is 125 mg. There are 1000 mg to the gram, so the highest value above is 0.125 grams. In order to get to the 72 gram mark, you'd have to drink 576 caffeine-free diet cokes.

    Low fat ice cream, unless it's also low sugar ice cream, has no aspartame in it.
     
  19. perdidochas

    perdidochas Well-Known Member

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    Again unit problems.

    the figure is 50 mg/kg of body weight. If you weigh 50kg (110 lb), your acceptable high value of aspartame is 2500 mg. Or, in caffeine-free diet coke terms, 160 ounces (which is well over a gallon (128 ounces). I doubt many 110 lb people are drinking over a gallon of caffeine-free diet coke.

    Edit: I realize you figured out your mistake Scarlet, but I left this post for people who aren't very numerate.
     
  20. ChrisL

    ChrisL Well-Known Member

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    I think a good rule of thumb is everything in moderation. :)
     
  21. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    What are you? Unit police? I've apologised twice below yet you ignore that little fact

    Sugar free drinks are not the only food with artificial sweeteners, many foods especially those advertised as low fat and low calorie are artificially sweetened. So if you stick to low fat and low calorie foods you also consume a cocktail of chemicals... lovely

    check the calorie count. How would they achieve such a low calorie count with sugar added, it has to be artificially sweetened

    Best thing is to stick to food in their natural form as much as you can and eat others in moderation.
     
  22. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    Again unit police... :rolleyes: your just being an ...ssss, at least I stand up acknowledge a mistake AND apologise for it
     
  23. scarlet witch

    scarlet witch Well-Known Member Past Donor

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    yeah whatever &#8230;<Mod Edit- Rule 9>... it must have been a huge achievement during my zzzzz's.. late at night when I apologised...:rolleyes:
     
  24. OldManOnFire

    OldManOnFire Well-Known Member

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    Quote;

    Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages. In the European Union, it is codified as E951. Aspartame is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide. It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet. It was first synthesized in 1965, and the patent expired in 1992.

    In what possible way can synthetic chemicals be compatible with our biological systems?

    Since the artificial sweetener only serves to enhance the 'taste' of the food item, what happens to it once it's in the human digestive system? I will assume the human body will try to move all of it along to the toilet each day. But what happens to these synthetic chemicals when they are not 100% removed and can accumulate in our system?

    When we have choices in life, no gun held to our heads, why will we choose in this case synthetic compounds to consume instead of organic materials? When did it become so horrible to drink water?
     
  25. Bowerbird

    Bowerbird Well-Known Member

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    Actually from a practical stand point it is probably better just to retrain your palate so that sweet things become very obvious. A bit like retraining away from salt - it takes about 3 weeks but after that even a pinch of salt makes a huge difference.

    I find that more sweet things I eat, "natural" of "artificial" the more I crave so I avoid sweet altogether
     

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