Sweet Sorrow
After we published "A Killer On The Cob Rant" we realized that we must
have struck a chord with our readers because we received hundreds of
comments and questions related to that "rant".
Although this topic is certainly not computer-related, as one reader
wrote: "the sick and dying make for a tenuous audience". Indeed!
As most of you know, it's hard to avoid high fructose corn syrup in your
diet. It's in virtually every processed food imaginable. And, if you've
read "A Killer On The Cob" you know that the reason it's in everything
is because it's cheap. And, the price of HFCS is kept artificially low
(through subsidies funded by you and I - the American taxpayer) and
sugar prices are kept artificially high (through tariffs), So it's not
likely that food processors are going to remove HFCS from their products
anytime soon unless forced to by consumers like you and I.
Even now, many food processors are beginning to see the backlash
from the more health-conscious consumers who rightfully question the ubiquitous use of HFCS
in American food. Some food processors, rather than doing the right
thing and removing HFCS altogether, are trying to placate those who object to the use of HFCS by
introducing "organics". The problem with organics is that
they're not well regulated and they may not
really be "organic". Just because the label says "organic"
does not mean it does not contain HFCS or other questionable food
additives. But most organic products, fortunately, have abandoned HFCS
and replaced it with "certified" organic cane sugar.
Now, before you all fire up your email
programs and flame me for promoting sugar, I'm not. But, I would much
rather eat products sweetened with cane or beet sugar than I would
products loaded with HFCS. The long term
consequences of eating HFCS are not yet fully known. But we're already
seeing the health problems caused by HFCS which was introduced into the
American food supply in the 1970's and its use has continued to grow by
leaps and bounds until today when HFCS is used in almost everything:
salad dressings, bread, popsicles, soda pop, ketchup, pickles, and
almost everything else.
Research shows that
HFCS is not metabolized by the body as "sugar" but more like a fat. It's
broken down in the liver, is known to cause metabolic problems
(metabolic syndrome) and is a major contributor to the epidemic of Type
II Diabetes which has been sweeping America since the 1980's. And, it
can help make you fatter than if you had eaten products made with sugar
because unlike sugar HFCS does not trigger the "full" feeling that sugar
does - so you eat more of the foods sweetened with HFCS than you would
have eaten foods sweetened with sugar.
But the Corn Producer's Association and other pro HFCS groups insist
that HFCS is just another form of sugar and is harmless. The tobacco
industry in the late 1950's and early 1960's countered all research
showing tobacco products caused numerous health problems were just so
much hogwash. Hmmm. Tobacco was BIG business back in those days and it
took the government many years to finally admit that the research was
correct. Funny thing though, as far as I know, you can still buy
cigarettes almost anywhere these days, even though they can kill you. If
they cause cancer why doesn't the government just ban them like they did
cyclamates? That's easy to answer. The answer is money. And that's the
same reason why you aren't going to see an end to HFCS-contaminated food
until the consumer uproar is so great that the government and the
producers of food products have no other choice but to admit that the
research is correct and get HFCS out of our food supply (in the United
States). But, that's not going to happen for a long, long time. It will
probably never happen in most of our lifetimes. Money, money, money. In
money we trust or so it seems.
Almost everyone who wrote us asked what they could do about HFCS. You
can try to buy products that don't contain HFCS (nearly impossible in
the U.S.A.) and write to the largest food processing companies like
Kraft, Heinz, Smuckers, Coca Cola, Pepsi, and others and tell them
you're not as stupid as they think you are - and try to eat as many
natural unprocessed foods as possible (fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.)
as you can.
A new study shows the United States, though the the wealthiest and
arguably the most technologically advanced, ranks well behind two dozen
other countries in life expectancy. And a startling new study shows that
Americans are decidedly less healthy than their counterparts in England.
While the English exercise slightly more than Americans, other habits,
like smoking are about the same.
"Americans reported twice the rate of diabetes compared to the English,
12.5 percent versus 6 percent. For high blood pressure, it was 42
percent for Americans versus 34 percent for the English; cancer showed
up in 9.5 percent of Americans compared to 5.5 percent of the English.
The upper crust in both countries was healthier than middle-class and
low-income people in the same country. But richer Americans' health
status resembled the health of the low-income English.
"It's something of a mystery," said Richard Suzman of the U.S. National
Institutes of Health, which helped fund the study.
Health experts have known the U.S. population is less healthy than that
of other industrialized nations, according to several important
measurements, including life expectancy. The U.S. ranks behind about two
dozen other countries, according to the World Health Organization." (
Study Shows Americans Sicker Than English by CARLA K. JOHNSON and MIKE
STOBBE, Associated Press Writers; Click Here).
Those of you who read "A Killer On The Cob" should find no mystery at
all that Americans are sicker than the English. The English have no (or
very little) HFCS in their food supply and America is virtually drowning
in it. While we can't blame all our health problems on HFCS I believe it
certainly accounts for many of our health problems and why the richest
country on earth is not even close to being the healthiest. American
food is virtually dripping with HFCS while you'd be hard pressed to find
it in any other country.
Want to lose weight?
Many of us are, for cosmetic or health reasons, watching our weight and
many of you wrote and asked about artificial sweeteners like aspartame (NutraSweet),
Sucralose (Splenda) and acesulfame K or acesulfame potassium (Sunnette,
Sweet One, Sweet 'n Safe). There's not much good news about these
chemical compounds - but one, aspartame, is decidedly worse than the
others.
Because so many of you asked us to do some research on these artificial
sweeteners and because of the huge interest generated by "A Killer On
The Cob" Rant - we've taken a great deal of time to research the "Big
Three" artificial sweeteners and tell you what we found out. We're also
going to introduce you to a new but controversial natural sweetener that
contains no (or negligible calories) that you're going to be hearing a
great deal more about in the coming months and years.
Aspartame (NutraSweet)
First let's discuss the number one artificial sweetener in the world.
It's called aspartame and mostly marketed under the brand name "NutraSweet".
A neat little paragraph that sums up aspartame and references some
prestigious sources:
"NutraSweet, the "good stuff" of (the) sentimental adverts, is a truly
insidious product. According to independent trials, aspartame intake is
shown by animal studies to alter brain chemicals affecting behavior.
Aspartame's effects on the brain led Richard Wurtman, an MIT
neuroscientist, to the discovery, as recorded in _The New England
Journal of Medicine_ (No. 309, 1983), that the sweetener defeats its
purpose as a diet aid, since high doses may instill a craving for
calorie-laden carbohydrates. One of his pilot studies found that the
NutraSweet-carbohydrate combination increases the "sweetener's effect on
brain composition." Searle officials denigrated Wurtman 's findings, but
the American Cancer Society has since confirmed the irony-after tracking
80,000 women for six years-that "among women who gained weight,
artificial sweetener users gained more than those who didn't use the
products," as reported in _Medical Self-Care_ (387). (Since his battle
with G. D. Searle, Wurtman founded Interneuron Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the
producer of a sports drink that enhances athletic performance, and a
weight loss drug marketed in over 40 countries. Wurtman's share of the
company, established in 1989, was worth $10 million by 1992." (See "Nutrapoison"
by Alex Constantine
http://www.xs4all.nl/~stgvisie/aspartaam3.html )
According to numerous sources and independent sources, NutraSweet
(aspartame) causes a plethora of health problems even at very low doses.
If you want to embalm yourself before death simply increase your intake
of aspartame. Clinical trials and chemical research shows, without a
doubt, that aspartame is broken down in the human body into its
constituent amino acids and methanol. The body then further converts the
methanol into formaldehyde which is then stored mostly in the brain,
kidneys and liver. Formaldehyde, besides being the one of the principle
ingredients of Formalin (an embalming fluid) is a deadly poison. The
manufacturer of Aspartame (Monsanto/G. D. Searle) counters the contention
that aspartame is eventually broken down into methanol and then
formaldehyde in the body by saying you get methanol from fruit juice
too. What they fail to mention is that you get 1000 times more methanol
from aspartame than you do fruit juice; and other naturally occurring
micronutrients in fruit juice prevent the tiny amount of methanol
present from breaking down into formaldehyde in the human body.
And aspartame has an ironic side too - it may actually cause you to gain
weight by increasing the craving for carbohydrate-laden foods.
Aspartame is under the gun in Europe. A document from the European
Parliament says (that) "the use of aspartame increases the exposure to
its metabolites methanol/formaldehyde and phenylalanine and is reported
to provoke i.e.. headaches, nausea and allergic reactions, especially in
the case of vulnerable persons. Its widespread use should therefore be
re-evaluated by the Commission and the relevant scientific committees,
taking into account all available data and respecting the precautionary
principle. A historical evaluation is required as there seems to be
evidence that original studies did not prove the safety of aspartame. "
..
According to the Organic Consumers Association: "Aspartame Disease has
been declared a global plague by world expert H. J. Roberts, M.D.,
F.A.C.P.,F.C.C.P., who has treated aspartame victims in the trenches of
medical practice for 20 years. In the l980's a medical publication
selected Dr. Roberts as the best doctor in the US. He is listed in Who's
Who in America, Who's Who in The World and Who's Who in Science and
Engineering. As a diabetic specialist he realized aspartame was a toxin
when his diabetic patients began going blind, becoming confused and
blood sugar would not stay under control. He says in a position paper on
aspartame and hypoglycemia that aspartame can precipitate diabetes and
even interacts with insulin."
And, according to Guardian Unlimited
http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1667734,00.html
"A member of the parliamentary select committee on food and the
environment yesterday called for emergency action to ban the artificial
sweetener aspartame, used in 6,000 food, drink and medicinal products.
The Liberal Democrat MP Roger Williams said in an adjournment debate in
the Commons that there was "compelling and reliable evidence for this
carcinogenic substance to be banned from the UK food and drinks market
altogether". In licensing aspartame for use, regulators around the world
had failed in their main task of protecting the public, he told MPs.".
Apparently Europe and Great Britain are on the verge of banning
aspartame. Perhaps the clout of Monsanto's and other related industries'
lobbyists' is not so strong across the ocean. They still
have plenty of clout in the U.S.A. though. There is no credible evidence
or even rumors that the FDA is re-examining aspartame let alone
considering banning it.
Aspartame is currently the most widely used artificial sweetener in the
world. From no-sugar chewing gum to diet breads and every diet-thing in
between, you'll probably find aspartame in it. It's big business and big
business employs big lobbyists who sway the opinions of our elected
politicians. Most would call it bribery, but in Washington, D.C. it's
called "lobbying". Washington is the only place in the world where
bribery is an accepted and even honored practice.
Sucralose (Splenda)
Moving right along to the number two artificial sweetener: sucralose
(Splenda). Sucralose is marketed under the brand name "Splenda" by
McNeil Nutritionals, LLC and its advertising slogan is "It tastes like
sugar because it's made from sugar." Indeed, sucralose is a chlorocarbon
(read about chlorocarbons here
http://www.jahcs.org/english/Chloro1.htm
) . It's sugar with some of its hydrogen and oxygen molecules replaced
by chlorine atoms. In other words sucralose is natural sugar manipulated
by a complex chemical process so that what comes out is not recognized
by the body as sugar and therefore has no calories. The ideal no-cal
sweetener?
What is sucralose (Splenda)? According to James Bowen, MD: "Sucralose is
a molecule of sugar chemically manipulated to surrender three hydroxyl
groups (hydrogen + oxygen) and replace them with three chlorine atoms.
Natural sugar is a hydrocarbon built around 12 carbon atoms. When turned
into Splenda it becomes a chlorocarbon, in the family of Chlorodane,
Lindane and DDT, " Dr. Bowen continues - "Splenda/sucralose is simply
chlorinated sugar; a chlorocarbon. Common chlorocarbons include carbon
tetrachloride, trichloroethylene and methylene chloride, all deadly.
Chlorine is nature's Doberman attack dog, a highly excitable, ferocious
atomic element employed as a biocide in bleach, disinfectants,
insecticide, WWI poison gas and hydrochloric acid.
"Sucralose is a molecule of sugar chemically manipulated to surrender
three hydroxyl groups (hydrogen + oxygen) and replace them with three
chlorine atoms. Natural sugar is a hydrocarbon built around 12 carbon
atoms. When turned into Splenda it becomes a chlorocarbon, in the family
of Chlorodane, Lindane and DDT.
Dr Bowen states: "Any chlorocarbons not directly excreted from the body
intact can cause immense damage to the processes of human metabolism
and, eventually, our internal organs. The liver is a detoxification
organ which deals with ingested poisons. Chlorocarbons damage the
hepatocytes, the liver's metabolic cells, and destroy them. In test
animals Splenda produced swollen livers, as do all chlorocarbon poisons,
and also calcified the kidneys of test animals in toxicity studies. The
brain and nervous system are highly subject to metabolic toxicities and
solvency damages by these chemicals. Their high solvency attacks the
human nervous system and many other body systems including genetics and
the immune function. Thus, chlorocarbon poisoning can cause cancer,
birth defects, and immune system destruction. These are well known
effects of Dioxin and PCBs which are known deadly chlorocarbons."
"Just like aspartame, which achieved marketplace approval by the Food
and Drug Administration when animal studies clearly demonstrated its
toxicity, sucralose also failed in clinical trials with animals.
Aspartame created brain tumors in rats. Sucralose has been found to
shrink thymus glands (the biological seat of immunity) and produce liver
inflammation in rats and mice.
"In the coming months we can expect to see a river of media hype
expounding the virtues of Splenda/sucralose. We should not be fooled
again into accepting the safety of a toxic chemical on the blessing of
the FDA and saturation advertising. In terms of potential long-term
human toxicity we should regard sucralose with its chemical cousin DDT,
the insecticide now outlawed because of its horrendous long term
toxicities at even minute trace levels in human, avian, and mammalian
tissues...."
Splenda/sucralose is slowly overtaking aspartame as the number one
artificial sweetener in the United States. This is due perhaps to growing awareness of the public to the dangers of aspartame and the
public perception that sucralose is safer and tastes better than
aspartame.
Is sucralose better than aspartame? That remains to be proved. There
have been no studies done on the long terms effects of sucralose in the
human diet. So, if you want to be a guinea pig keep on consuming
sucralose and see what happens?
Acesulfame Potassium (Ace K, Acesulfame
K, "Sunette", Sweet & Safe" "Sweet One")
Acesulfame potassium sold as "Sunette",
"Sweet & Safe" and "Sweet One" is a calorie-free sweetener that has been
used in foods and beverages around the world for 15 years. The
ingredient, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar, has been used in
numerous foods in the United States since 1988. And while acesulfame
potassium (ace-K, for short) has been around since 1988, it wasn't until
2001 that it received approval for use in soft drinks and other
beverages.
"....Every step of the way this sweetener has met with opposition from
the CSPI, which publishes the Nutrition Action Healthletter. In 1996,
CSPI petitioned the FDA to reject the use of ace-K in soft drinks and to
withdraw all previously granted approvals for use in foods. The group
asserted that the additive causes cancer in animals and may increase
cancer in humans. CSPI's Senior Scientist Myra Karstadt indicates that
"Hoechst's [the manufacturer] studies of acesulfame's carcinogenic
potential were poorly designed, poorly executed, and poorly reported."
CSPI's web site, www.cspinet.org
lists several U.S. cancer experts who also criticize Hoechst's
studies..."(see
http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read,2001,1261.html )
"...acetoacetamide, a breakdown product (of
acesulfame potassium), has been shown to affect the thyroid in rats,
rabbits, and dogs. Administration of 1% and 5% acetoacetamide in the
diet for three months caused benign thyroid tumors in rats. The rapid
appearance of tumors raises serious questions about the chemical's
carcinogenic potency...."
While it is unlikely that sucralose or ace
K are as toxic as the Monsanto's aspartame, it is clear from the hazards
seen in pre-approval research and from their chemical structures that
years or decades of use may contribute to serious chronic immunological
or neurological disorders. It, therefore, is important that people who
have any interest in their health stay aware from the highly toxic
sweetener aspartame and other questionable sweeteners such as sucralose
(Splenda), and acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet & Safe, Sweet One).
Hope on the horizon?
There are two natural sweeteners that may
eventually replace the "big 3" artificial sweeteners now being used by
food processors who make "diet" or "dietetic" products. These are
"stevia" (Sweetleaf, steviocide) and tagatose (Naturlose).
Stevia
Stevia is available in the United States
right now at GNC stores and most health food stores and "organic"
grocery stores. It is made from a plant that grows wild in Central and
South America. If produced on a mass scale it could be made very cheaply
and in great quantities. The big problem is that the FDA has yet to
approve stevia as a food additive and has approved it only as a dietary
supplement. So when you buy stevia you'll never see the words "sweet" or
"sweetener" on the container. Yet, you can visit
www.sweetleaf.com and read all
about stevia and how to use it in drinks and recipes. I've tasted stevia
and, um, well, it has a decidedly bitter aftertaste to me, but your
taste buds might be different. Stevia has been used as sweetener
in South America for centuries and it has been approved for use in Japan
for over thirty years. In fact, Diet Coke in Japan is made with stevia.
Celestial Seasonings tea and Lipton tea have both petitioned the FDA to
approve stevia for use in their products. Many health organizations have
petitioned the FDA to approve stevia and want the FDA to list stevia as
GRAS (generally regarded as safe) since it's been used for centuries by
humans (in South America). Wouldn't you know that the major complainant
against stevia has been the maker of aspartame who claims that stevia
has "contraceptive" qualities and is used in South America for birth
control. There seem to be a lot of people being born in South America so
I'm not sure how valid that claim is. But Stevia seems to be a lot safer
than any of the alternative artificial sweeteners. Anyway, the FDA may
someday approve stevia for use as a sweetener in food products and
beverages. But, there are powerful forces at work to keep stevia off the
market as a food additive. Right now stevia is expensive and frankly,
I'm not impressed with the taste although many others swear by it.
Tagatose (Naturlose)
According to its patent-holder, Spherix
"Naturlose is our brand name for tagatose, a
naturally occurring ketose that is found in some dairy products and
other foods. We have patented the use of it as a low-calorie, full-bulk
sweetener, and also the process to make it starting from whey, a dairy
by-product. Naturlose has been determined to be a Generally Recognized
As Safe (GRAS) substance in the U.S., with the FDA permitting its use in
foods and beverages. Naturlose has also been determined GRAS for use in
cosmetics and toothpastes, and in drugs."
Right now a form of Naturlose is in stage
III testing as a drug for the treatment of type
II diabetes and has shown some promising results in prior stages of
testing.
Unfortunately, the company who has been
licensed to manufacture tagatose has ceased production. Here is the
statement from their Web site:
Tagatose production has been
put on hold
In March 2006 the Board of
Directors of SweetGredients decided to put the tagatose
project ”on hold”.
While progress has been made in
creating a market for this innovative sweetener, it has not
been possible to identify a volume potential justifying
continued investments.
Therefore, SweetGredients has
decided to close down the manufacturing of tagatose in
Nordstemmen, Germany.
SweetGredients has an existing
stock of tagatose, thus product is still available. |
"Tagatose
production has been put on hold - In March 2006 the Board of
Directors of SweetGredients decided to put the tagatose project ”on
hold”. While progress has been made in creating a market for this
innovative sweetener, it has not been possible to identify a volume
potential justifying continued investments. Therefore, SweetGredients has
decided to close down the manufacturing of tagatose in Nordstemmen,
Germany. SweetGredients has an existing stock of tagatose, thus product
is still available..."
So, it looks like
you won't be seeing tagatose in your local grocery store anytime soon.
I hope that this
article helps you decide and to become more aware of what's in the food
you eat. Americans are becoming more and more subjects of big
corporations and the almighty dollar and it may well be affecting our
health in many negative ways. Until our government stops protecting big
business at the expense of our health we'll never really know the
dangers that hide in the foods we eat. There's nothing wrong with
businesses making profits and there's nothing wrong with big business,
that's not my point. But when profits become more important than the
health of the people then something has gone terribly wrong. In America,
we've replaced sugar with HFCS because HFCS is cheap and makes baked
goods look better. Despite the overwhelming evidence that HFCS causes
health problems, contributes to obesity and is certainly at least
partially responsible for the epidemic of type II diabetes, you'll find
it very difficult to find any mainstream news organization taking on the
HFCS industry. Certainly there's a story there. A story that anyone who
lives in the United States should find immensely interesting. But, so
far, only a couple of news stories have been presented by the news media
and these were short "fill" pieces and not well-researched or given the
attention they deserved.
The only thing you
can do as a consumer is to write the food companies whose products you
buy and tell them what you think. It's unlikely that you or I will
change anything. It's all about profits, money and power. But, remember
the tobacco industry in the 1950's and 1960's had all kinds of evidence
that smoking didn't cause any negative health effects and it took the
government a long time to reach the conclusion that all the clinical
studies and scientific research that had been going on behind the scenes
for years and hidden from the public, was correct and only then did the
government start warning the citizenry about the dangers of smoking. Why
did the government wait so long? I think it was to give the
tobacco companies like Philip Morris (now call Altria), time to
diversify so that tobacco was only a small part of their holdings and
therefore only a small part of their income. Today, Philip Morris owns
Kraft Foods the world's largest food processing company.
As far as sweet
sorrow is concerned, stay away from HFCS, aspartame, sucralose, and ace
K as much as you can. Eat natural foods, drink water, unsweetened iced
tea (or use sugar or stevia to sweeten it). And be aware that America is
not a as healthy as it should be. We should be one of the world's
healthiest countries with one of the world's longest life spans, but
we're not. Dozens of countries are more healthy than we are; dozens of
countries have life-spans longer than ours; dozens of countries provide
their citizens with better health care and better access to health care.
But, we're not even close. I think this has a lot to with the food we
eat. What do you think?
Tell us what you think
- Please
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