The topic of sugar and its substitutes is a land mine in the health and wellness of our nation. When looking at the significant increase in sugar consumption in the American diet, particularly in processed foods, that increase parallels a similar increase in metabolic diseases. Certainly, numerous studies have demonstrated the link between increased sugar and a higher risk for disease. According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average American is now supplied with over 140 pounds of calorie dense sweeteners per year. That is approximately 36 teaspoons for every man, woman and child, every day. Just to give a context to that figure, in the late 1800's sugar consumption was only 5 pounds per person, per year, or less than 2 teaspoons per day. An important difference in sugar consumption from earlier times is that sugars came solely from complex natural sources that had other nutritional qualities. Those whole food sweeteners were usually only available seasonally, making sweet foods a rare treat.
During digestion the body is designed to process sugar and depends on glucose (naturally found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables) as the primary source of energy for every cell in the body. From whole food sources the glucose molecule is the main source of energy for the brain and muscles. When the mouth "tastes" sweetness, real or artificial, through digestion it signals the liver and pancreas to expect sugar and both enzymes and hormones are triggered to receive this important source of energy for the body.
The problem of our culture is that sweet tastes are expected routinely from meals or snacks. A large variety of processed foods deliver that sweet taste, whether real or artificial, and the body is challenged to perform at peak with excess calories that deliver little or no nutrient value. The more processed a food item becomes, no matter how good it tastes, it cannot give the body's cells the tools needed to construct health, energy or satisfaction as completely as a whole food source. Too much sugar in the diet has associated problems that are recognized in symptoms like tooth decay, headaches, hyper-activity, fatigue, and indigestion along with the more serious consequences of hormonal imbalance, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The increasing presence of sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners seem to be a marketing manifesto against the rising tide of illness; or is it? While labeled as safe by the USDA, all sugar substitutes have side effects primarily reflected as headaches, bloating, gas, constipation or diarrhea. While stevia and the sugar alcohols (erythritol, malitol, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol) are considered natural substances, the resulting product that is manufactured is still a highly processed substance not found in nature.
Basically, sugar substitutes confuse your brain as the sweet substitute taste in the mouth primes cell receptors for an insulin surge. When nothing of food value is processed, the brain "feels cheated" and begins sending out signals that translate into cravings. Through the digestive process of these substitutes the body is being set up for cravings; because these substitutes are more intensely sweet that natural sugars, cravings for these products can trigger an increase in impulses from digestion to eat more food. The diet foods industry that promises to reduce dependence on sugar may actually boosting the opposite. A 2005 University of Texas Health Science Center survey found that for every can of diet soda that individuals consumed daily, there was a 41% increased risk of being overweight. (Time Magazine, Health, February 10, 2008)
Sugar consumption is a big problem in our nation and the solution for reducing consumption must go further than just dietary restrictions. Create simple changes by consuming a wider variety of sweetness that comes from whole food sources, like fruits and vegetables. It is simply much better for health to consume fruits, vegetables and whole grains which contain a rich supply of the necessary energy source of nutrients that balance sugar along with vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes to promote healthy digestion and satisfaction. Including greater satisfaction from non-food activities that make life and relationships "sweet" is another key for making lasting changes for healthier food choices. This combination is powerful enough to transform cravings for sugar or sugar substitutes into a simply balanced, healthy life.
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