Artificial Sweeteners - Review of Class Blog

I start every morning off with two Splendas in my coffee. When I came across the article “Artificial Sweeteners: How Bad Are Saccharin, Aspartame?” I decided it was probably a good time to do some research on my bad Splenda habits. Luckily, the article told me that my habits with artificial sweeteners aren’t going to give me cancer, but they certainly aren’t all that healthy.

There are many types of artificial sweeteners, and some have been labeled as dangerous over the past years. Saccharin was the first artificial sweetener to be discovered in 1879, but it left an aftertaste of “unpleasant metallic”. So when cyclamate came out in 1951, lots of companies used it in their products because it tasted better than saccharin. However, cyclamate was soon being linked to cancer, and the government ordered it be taken out of all foods. Saccharin, although not linked to cancer, needed to carry warning labels because a study indicated that it might contribute to cancer in rats. Aspartame was then created and became the main additive in diet cola drinks. Numerous tests have been conducted on aspartame and all confirmed that it is safe to consume aspartame.

According to the National Cancer Institute, there are no clear connections linking cancer and artificial sweeteners. Numerous studies are conducted on artificial sweeteners before they are marketed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also regulates artificial sweeteners and requires artificial sweeteners be FDA approved before marketed for sale. This makes sense; according to "Artificial Sweeteners", diet cola has been tested more than 200 times, and each time it has been proven diet cola is safe to drink.

One quote that stood out to me in "Artificial Sweeteners" article is: “The fear-mongering and misinformation plaguing the faux-sweetener market seems to be rooted in a common misconception. No evidence indicates that sweeteners cause obesity; people with weight problems simply tend to eat more of it.” People struggling with their weight may try to use artificial sweeteners as a substitute for real sugar to cut out calories, but may later overcompensate by eating more of another food item. Using artificial sweeteners does not mean people should eat more calories of other foods. Although artificial sweeteners are lower in calories and much sweeter than sugar, but a little bit of the naturally sweet sugar may be just sweet enough.

Real vs. Fake Food

I will admit that I too am guilty of listening to the constantly changing opinions on which nutrients are good and bad. About a year ago, I kept hearing about new studies and reports on how bad cholesterol was for me. Knowing I ate a lot of hamburgers, which contained high amounts of cholesterol, I decided to try incorporating veggie burgers into my diet, which were considered to be an overall healthier food.

Hamburgers had always been one of my favorite foods, so I was skeptical to try the veggie burgers. They actually tasted surprisingly delicious. I was not expecting to like them at all, so I was thrilled to find a new food. Another thing I liked about veggie burgers was how convenient it was to make them; it took less than ten minutes to prepare.

Veggie burgers look about the same as regular hamburgers, but a little lighter in color—more of an orange/red than brown. Veggie burgers taste excellent, although they taste more like vegetables than meat. The smell is also different; distinct although quite difficult to describe.

In addition to convenience and taste, around the time I started eating veggie burgers, there were numerous breakouts of various food bacteria. My chances of ingesting E. coli became much smaller by eating a veggie burger compared to a hamburger. Along with my fear of food bacteria, the nutritional value of veggie burgers was more appealing to me than hamburgers. There were smaller portions available, less saturated fat, and more soy and protein. Although veggie burgers contain more nutrients than hamburgers, they are not real meat, so it is difficult to tell if the veggie burger can really be compared to a hamburger.

As for now, I try and switch between eating veggie burgers and hamburgers. There are pros and cons to each food, so it is best to get a little bit of the natural food if I continue to eat the processed version. All in moderation, and it should be fine.