Saccharine

"Several years ago, experiments on rats suggested that saccharin might cause cancer. Since then, however, studies of primates and humans have shown no increased risk of cancer from either saccharin or aspartame." American Cancer Society, 1996 Dietary Guidelines http://www.saccharin.org/scientists.html

Saccharin - the oldest Sweetener - Sweet'N Low and Sugar Twin

In 1907, saccharin was used as a replacement for sugar in foods for diabetics. Since it is not metabolized in the body for energy, saccharin is classified as a non-caloric sweetener. By the 1960s it was used on a massive scale in the "diet" soft drink industry.  Saccharin is the foundation for many low-calorie and sugar-free products around the world. It is used in table top sweeteners, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, candy, dessert toppings and salad dressings.  Saccharin also is one of the most studied food ingredients. Although the overall evidence indicates saccharin is safe for human consumption, there has been controversy over its safety in the past. The basis for the controversy rests primarily on findings of bladder tumors in some male rats fed high doses of sodium saccharin. Extensive research on human populations has established no association between saccharin and cancer. In fact, more than 30 human studies have been completed and support saccharin's safety at human levels of consumption.  Saccharin Web Site Saccharin - Chime in new window  http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/549saccharinhtml 

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Aspartame is in NutraSweet and Equal. WARNING if you have phenylketonuria, do not use aspartame.

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Sucralose - Splenda is a chemical compound that is made from sugar using Chlorine in the process.  I have a problem with Chlorinated water (it gives me indigestion) and after having ice cream with Splenda in it, I got indigestion.  That's when I looked up the information on Splenda.  I drink filtered water to avoid Chlorine and now have to avoid things that contain Splenda.

Following article is by:

Cleora Hughes St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Everyone can’t eat sugar including diabetics, folks with ADDHD and people who are trying to lose weight (to name a few).

Whatever your reasons to use a sugar substitute, there are things you need to know about baking with substitutes.

Saccharine based sweeteners mix well in hot or cold liquids. They do not seem to react badly when used to bake deserts. If you don't use too much, it will not have an after taste.

Cleora Hughes of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch gives the following advice.

  1. When baking with aspartame, add ½ cup milk & ½ teaspoon baking soda for every cup of sweetener.

  2. Aspartame does not do well in frostings, candy, fudge, caramel, pecan pies, angel food cake, and pound cake.

  3. Cookies made with artificial sweetener will not spread. Flatten them with a spatula before you put them in the oven.

  4. Aspartame looses a lot of it’s flavor. Add vanilla, honey or molasses.

  5. Poor color can be compensated by adding 1 to 2 tablespoons molasses to recipe or remove the item being baked 4 to 5 minutes before the end of bake time and brush on 1 to 2 teaspoons beaten egg white, milk, honey, maple syrup or spray with a cooking spray. Return to oven and lightly brown.

  6. Artificial sweeteners render limited preservation. They will only keep for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

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Natural Brown Sugar (there is a brown sugar that is made from processed white sugar and syrup - it is not natural)

The American Diabetes Association came out in 2006 and said that Natural Brown Sugar is OK for diabetics to use (in moderation).  I make a cake with brown sugar and a small piece does not raise my blood sugar.

Natural brown sugar is a name for raw sugar which is a brown sugar produced from the first crystallization of the sugar cane. As such "natural brown sugar" is free of additional dyes and chemicals. There is more molasses in natural brown sugar, giving it a higher mineral content. Some natural brown sugars have particular names and characteristics, and are sold as Turbinado sugar, Muscovado, or Demerara sugar.

Turbinado sugar is made by crushing freshly cut sugar cane to obtain a juice, which is heated and evaporated to a thick syrup, which is then crystallized. The crystals are then spun in a centrifuge (thus "turbin-") to remove the excess juice, resulting in the characteristically large, light brown crystals.[5][6]

Muscovado (also moscovado) is an unrefined, dark brown sugar that is produced without centrifuging and has much smaller crystals than turbinado sugar. The sugar cane extract is heated to thicken it and then pan-evaporated in the sun and pounded to yield an unprocessed, damp sugar that retains all of the natural minerals.[7]

Demerara (also spelled "demerera") sugar's name comes from the Demerera River area of Guyana, where sugar cane was grown. Demerara is another unrefined, centrifuged, large-crystalled, light brown, cane sugar; it is slightly sticky and sometimes molded into sugar cubes. Some Demerara is still produced in South America, but most is now produced in Mauritius, an island off Africa

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Sucrose (sugar)

Sugar or more specifically sucrose is a carbohydrate that occurs naturally in every fruit and vegetable. It is the major product of photosynthesis, the process by which plants transform the sun's energy into food. Sugar occurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugar beets from which it is separated for commercial use.

In the first stage of processing the natural sugar stored in the cane stalk or beet root is separated from the rest of the plant material by physical methods. For sugar cane, this is accomplished by:
a) pressing the cane to extract the juice containing the sugar
b) boiling the juice until it begins to thicken and sugar begins to crystallize
c) spinning the sugar crystals in a centrifuge to remove the syrup, producing raw sugar; the raw sugar still contains many impurities
d) shipping the raw sugar to a refinery where it is washed and filtered to remove remaining non-sugar ingredients and color
e) crystallizing, drying and packaging the refined sugar

Beet sugar processing is similar, but it is done in one continuous process without the raw sugar stage. The sugar beets are washed, sliced and soaked in hot water to separate the sugar-containing juice from the beet fiber. The sugar-laden juice is purified, filtered, concentrated and dried in a series of steps similar to cane sugar processing.

Sucrose is an easily assimilated macronutrient that provides a quick source of energy, provoking a rapid rise in blood glucose upon ingestion. Overconsumption of sucrose has been linked with adverse health effects. The most common is dental caries or tooth decay, in which oral bacteria convert sugars (including sucrose) from food into acids that attack tooth enamel. Sucrose, as a pure carbohydrate, has an energy content of 3.94 kilocalories per gram (or 17 kilojoules per gram). When a large amount of foods that contain a high percentage of sucrose is consumed, beneficial nutrients can be displaced from the diet, which can contribute to an increased risk for chronic disease. It has been suggested that sucrose-containing drinks may be linked to the development of obesity and insulin resistance.[6] Although most soft drinks in the USA are now made with high fructose corn syrup, not sucrose, this makes little functional difference, since high fructose corn syrup contains fructose and glucose in a similar ratio to that produced metabolically from sucrose.

The rapidity with which sucrose raises blood glucose can cause problems for people suffering from defective glucose metabolism, such as persons with hypoglycemia or diabetes mellitus. Sucrose can contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome.[7] In an experiment with rats that were fed a diet one-third of which was sucrose, the sucrose first elevated blood levels of triglycerides, which induced visceral fat and ultimately resulted in insulin resistance.[8] Another study found that rats fed sucrose-rich diets developed high triglycerides, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance.

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Honey

WebMD this year (2009) reported that time trials at the Mayo clinic show that a little honey (about a tsp) helps keep arteries free of inflammation.  That reduces the risk of heart attach and stroke.  One of the rewards from obeying God is a land flowing with milk and honey.  Scripture also says too much honey will make you sick.  Like everything else, honey should be used in moderation.  I have one tsp of honey each day with breakfast and it does not make my blood sugar go up.  I use honey in tea and coffee as a sweetener - it's good.

As a food and in cooking

The main uses of honey are in cooking, baking, as a spread on breads, and as an addition to various beverages such as tea and as a sweetener in some commercial beverages. According to international food regulations, "honey stipulates a pure product that does not allow for the addition of any other substance...this includes, but is not limited to, water or other sweeteners".[20

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High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

The number one source of calories in America is from HFCS in soda pop.   Studies have shown these high calorie drinks are causing Americans to gain large amounts of body fat.   One study eliminated HFCS drinks and the subjects lost weight.  No other diet item eliminated made ANY difference. 35 years ago, American soda’s were made with sugar, just like Mexican Coke is today. 35 years ago our obesity problem began growing out of control.

Consumption of HFCS is not only making us fat, it also damages organs like the liver and pancreas, leads to bone loss, anemia and heart problems.  Diabetes has increased 90% in the past ten years.   High blood sugar now affects one in four of us.   HFCS is not just used to sweeten pop, it’s now used in punch, fruit juices, processed pre-packaged foods (which account for 90% of the dollars we spend on meals).   It is also now found in cereals, salad dressings, cheese spreads, yogurt, jam, peanut butter, crackers, ketchup and ice cream, to name a few.   Most people get MOST of their calories now from HFCS, mostly from soft drinks.  Drinking only one soda a day adds up to 15 pounds a year.

HFCS creates insulin resistance.  Low insulin levels are a co-generator of most diseases, including cancer, heart disease, arthritis, osteoporosis and premature aging.   The liver does not process HFCS like ordinary sugars.   Most fats are made in the liver.   When sugar enters the liver it can store it, burn it or turn it into body fat.   HFCS bypasses this process and goes directly to fat.   There is strong evidence indicating that HFCS does not become blood glucose.  Consumption of the stuff leads to decreased signals to our central nervous system from leptin and insulin.  Leptin and insulin help regulate how much food we eat.  Without healthful levels, we increase food intake and of course, get fatter.

HFCS contains high levels of reactive compounds that trigger cell damage.   Natural sugar does not contain reactive compounds.   Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in our bodies increases dramatically when we eat or drink HFCS.   Bad cholesterol increases as well.  This increases the risk of heart disease.   HFCS can interfere with the heart’s use of minerals like magnesium, copper and chromium.  HFCS does not contain any enzymes, vitamins or minerals.  It actually leaches nutrients from the body.   A study with two groups of rats, one given large amounts of sugar, the other large amounts of HFCS turned out badly for the one group.   The high sugar group was unaffected.  The HFCS group male rats did not survive to adulthood, suffering from anemia and high cholesterol, their hearts enlarging until they actually exploded.   Their testicles also did not develop normally which was the least of their problems.   The females were not so physically affected but none could bear live young.   The livers of the rats on the HFCS diet looked like the livers of alcoholics.

Don’t get confused about “fructose.”   Fruit contains natural fructose.  Fruit also contains minerals and vitamins.  Eat a wide variety of fruits, especially berries.   They are loaded with antioxidants.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is the Number One Source of Calories in U.S. Diet

Although the trend is declining, an average intake of 40 pounds of HFCS per person, per year, is still far too much, if you want to obtain or maintain optimal health that is.

In case you forgot, or never knew in the first place, the number one source of calories in the U.S. is

high fructose corn syrup.  Let me restate that so you can more fully appreciate the impact of this fact.  Dietary fat has 250 percent more calories than sugar, but even with this major disadvantage, the food that most people get MOST of their calories from is HFCS, primarily in the form of soft drinks.

The good news about this shocking fact is that stopping the pernicious habit of drinking sodas is one of the easiest things you can do. You can radically improve your health just by cutting out soda.

I am HIGHLY confident that the health improvement would be FAR more profound than if you quit smoking, because elevated insulin levels are the foundation of nearly every chronic disease, including:

  • Cancer

  • Heart disease

  • Diabetes

  • Premature aging

  • Arthritis

  • Osteoporosis

And that’s just naming a few.

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The only bread company I know of that does not put high fructose corn syrup in their bread is Orowheat.  I buy their potato, rye, wheat, white, etc.  It has an excellent taste and stays fresh longer.

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My Comments:  I have had good luck with Sweet’N Low. If I want it brown, Pam makes an olive oil spray that can be used to enhance browning. See Sweet’N Low conversion table. Sweet’N Low comes in granulated packets, box for sugar bowl (pink spoon in box) and brown sugar (no conversion needed).

When I was in ninth grade, I had my last cavity.  I learned in home economics that if I ate healthy, avoided sweets and brushed regularly, I would not have a cavity.  I decided I could do that.  We had fruit trees (plum, peach & pear) and I replaced candy with fruit.  I was already eating healthy and brushing.  I never had another cavity.

I taught my children that eating sweets (mainly candy) would rot their teeth out and explained what that meant.  They ate carrots, celery, apples, oranges, peaches, pears and bananas for snacks.  They also ate a balanced diet and brushed their teeth every day. They did not have a cavity.  They had candy on Halloween; cake on birthdays and pies on Thanksgiving & Christmas.  Once a month I bought a bag of Oreos and they had a couple every once in a while.   When they had pancakes, they ate 100% pure Maple Syrup (no sugar added).  They had honey on biscuits occasionally.  So you see I did not totally cut them off I just allowed it occasionally.

Our daughter's dentist told her that candy would not rot her teeth out.  She started eating a lot of sweets when she was in her mid 20s and had her first cavity when she was 33. Our son listened and ate sweets only on special occasions. He is 41 years old and has never had a cavity. He could be a poster boy for Crest. The proof is - as they say - "In the pudding." 

I was diagnosed in 1974 with borderline diabetes.  Because I was not a sugar fanatic, I was able to keep it under control with diet only until 2003.  My doctors were amazed.  Diabetes runs in my family and I remembered what my Grandmother ate.  I just mimicked her diet (don't eat sweets, 100% maple OK occasionally, honey OK occasionally, small amount of potatoes, low starch, high protein and whole wheat bread).

High Fructose corn syrup is not a natural sugar like from fruit!!!!!  It is sugar made from corn and the worst kind of sugar on the market.  It makes a person gain weight faster than granulated sugar.  It is in sodas, bread, canned goods, yogurt, etc.  Read the labels. 

Food Facts

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by Frances M. McCrory-Meservy