Health and Life Magazine October 2016

Not a Weight-Loss Aid
Artificial sweeteners were first introduced as
a diet-product, targeted at those looking to
shed a few pounds. So it may surprise you to
know they have the opposite effect. The truth
is these sweeteners actually help to pile on
the pounds.
Your body has complex systems to regulate
appetite and energy balance. When you eat
real sugar or food, your body recognizes it
and releases satiety hormones like Leptin and
Ghrelin to signal it has had enough calories.
On the other hand, when you consume
artificial sweeteners, you’re confusing your
body: giving it the sweetness without the
calories. This leads to hunger, overeating,
and weight gain: the exact opposite to the
marketing hype.
Research published in the American Journal
of Behavioral Neuroscience in 2008 shows
that artificial sweeteners actually stimulate
appetite, increase cravings for carbohydrates,
and promote fat storage and weight gain. In
other words, if you’re trying to lose weight,
reaching for the artificially sweetened food or
drink may make your dieting much harder!
Time to say NO to
Artificial Sweeteners
It may feel like a good idea to reach for
the sugar-free diet drink rather than
the regular version, but these foods are
not a healthy option. They confuse your
body into wanting more sweetness and
will make you feel hungrier and more
likely to overeat. Not only that, they
contain chemicals your body does not
know how to deal with and that cause
a myriad of chronic health conditions,
from depression to cancer. It’s time to
ditch the artificial sweeteners and reach
for natural alternatives that satisfy your
sweet tooth without compromising your
health. Which will you try?
Toxic Chemicals
But there’s more. As we’ve seen, artificial sweeteners are not foods, they are
chemicals. And human beings were never designed to consume chemicals.
Worse, these substances over-stimulate the brain and can lead to brain-cell death,
and side effects like dizziness and confusion. Let’s look at the main ones to avoid:
Aspartame
Added to sugar free foods like diet
yogurts, flavored water, ice creams,
cereals and many more, aspartame is the
best known and probably most widely
used artificial sweetener. It’s composed of
50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid,
and 10% methanol (wood alcohol). Why
is this important? Well, research indicates
that excessive amounts of phenylalanine in
the brain causes your levels of serotonin,
your body’s happy chemical, to decrease,
which in turn can lead to disorders like
anxiety and depression. Aspartic acid
is an excito-toxin. This means it overstimulates
the neurons in your brain until
they die. According to a 2008 study by
the University of Pretoria in South Africa
published in the European Journal of
Clinical Nutrition, aspartame is linked
to neurological disorders like ADHD,
depression and Alzheimer’s. Methanol
is a known neurotoxin and carcinogen.
When ingested, the body metabolizes it
into formaldehyde (or embalming fluid),
which is itself a carcinogen.
Little wonder that a plethora of studies
link aspartame to degenerative and
chronic conditions like leukemia, epilepsy,
psychiatric disorders, reproductive
problems and cancer. If you can avoid this
toxic ingredient, please do!
Saccharine
Saccharine’s scientific name is benzoic
sulfilimine, which sounds distinctly less
appetizing. It is 700 times sweeter than
sugar, hitting your senses with a level of
sweetness never found in nature. And it’s
made up of compounds you would not
want on your plate, namely anthranilic acid,
nitrous acid, sulfur dioxide, chlorine and
ammonia. It was accidentally “discovered”
in 1878 by a chemist working on coal tar
at Johns Hopkins University. In the 1970’s
research linked this artificial sweetener to
bladder cancer, based on studies carried
out on rats. Subsequent studies have
proven the link is not applicable to humans,
however benzoic sulfilimine is listed as a
carcinogen , so it’s probably best not to
add it to your morning cup of coffee.
Sucralose
This sweetener is not calorie-free because
it contains dextrose and maltodextrin,
which are both sugars. Sucralose is made
by chlorinating sugar, and is 600 times
sweeter than the white stuff you spoon into
your tea. It might be advertised as a sugar
replacement, but its molecular structure
actually bears a closer resemblance to
the banned chemical DDT. And that’s
not all—sucralose actually reduces the
amount of good bacteria in your gut that
is so vital for good health. Researchers
at the Department of Pharmacology at
Duke University in the USA administered
sucralose to rats and found that it
dramatically affected their gut microflora,
cutting the good bacteria by 50%!
Healthy Natural Sweetener Options
Satisfy your sweet tooth with these delicious nutritious sweeteners!
Honey – buy local
raw organic honey and
enjoy the delicate taste
of flower nectar in your
herbal tea. What’s more,
raw honey is rich in
antioxidants and essential
minerals.
Coconut sugar – dark
brown in color, this sugar
has a deep caramel flavor
and is a healthier option
for your cakes. It contains
essential amino acids,
vitamins and minerals,
like magnesium and zinc.
Maple syrup – made
from the sap of the sugar
maple tree, this sweetener
tastes delicious drizzled
over yogurt or pancakes.
Maple syrup contains a
healthy dose of
zinc, manganese
and calcium.
Molasses – this is the
substance left over after
the process of refining
sugar cane into white
sugar. It is nutrient-dense
and contains a good
amount of calcium, iron
and vitamin B6.
Dates – also called
“nature’s fudge”, dates
taste like sweet caramel
and can be chopped and
added to cereals, yogurts,
cakes, and any dish you
feel needs a little extra
sweetness. And they’re
packed with nutrients and
healthy fiber.
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OCTOBER IS THE BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
OCTOBER 2016