Sugar Poisons Our Health Mind & Body

We live today in a society where sugar is commonly accepted and eaten in

large quantities. Larger in fact, than ever before in the history of the
human race. But what effect is this having on usour weight and our
health? Unfortunately a gravely negative effect on all parts of our
physical, mental and emotional well-being, yet so few of us take a stand
to do anything about it. In this essay, I will share with you why any
sugar consumption must be taken seriously if we wish to increase, rather
than decrease the quality of our health, and life.
According to a USDA document which outlines Dietary Trends from 1970-
2005, sugar consumption increased by 19% since 1970, coming in at
about 140 pounds of sugar per person, per year or 30 teaspoons of sugar
per day! And what else is both interesting and scary, corn syrup
consumption increased 387% in that time frame!
It would be one thing, if the problem was fruit sugars or natural sugar
cane, but that is not what we are talking about. We are talking about
the white or brown sugar and high fructose corn syrup type of sugars,
that are commonly added to almost EVERY single processed food. And what
makes this story worse is that sugar, just like most of our food today,
is processed. There is nothing natural about white sugar, although most
refer to it as a natural sweetener to offset the difference between
it, and the artificial sweeteners.
I personally refer to these categories as follows: chemical
sweeteners, referring to the typical white/brown sugar and toxic
sweeteners, referring to the Aspartame, Sucralose, etc. I think it is
time we call them for what they really are, and not kid ourselves any
longer about their chemical makeup. But anyway, back to the sugar point.
People today are eating a substance that is wreaking havoc on every part
of their health, and what is worse we call those foods with the highest
concentrations of sugar treats. If we change that word slightly, to
read threat, that I can agree with, as sugar is a threat to every
aspect of good health, but it is in no way a treat.
Thus today, we are going straight into the core and getting the real,
raw truth about what sugar really does in and to our body, and why if we
are serious about good health and longevity, we want to avoid this
substance like the plague.
What is Sugar?
The sugar I am going to refer to here, is specifically the white sugar
that comes as granules or cubes, as well as brown sugar and all the
various mixes of glucose, fructose and sucrose, including high fructose
corn syrup.
So what is it? Here is the simplest definition I can give you:
Sugar is a drug that has no nutritional value and is an addictive
chemical.
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Hence, no wonder that today we have a nation that is addicted to sugar!
In fact many experts have come forth, comparing sugar to cocaine, when
it comes to its effects on our brain.
While some of us know this or are starting to realize it, many more do
not. In fact, most people in the population have no idea just how
harmful sugar is on our health.
Eating sugar, is not just about putting yourself at a higher risk for
diabetes type 2 or weight gain. Sugar affects every single system in
your body, and none in a positive way.
Sugar Effects on the BRAIN
One of the most debilitating health problems in our modern, Western
world today is depression. According to the World Health Organization,
depression is not only sharply on the rise, with suicides alone having
risen 60% in the last 45 years, but it is currently the 4th leading
contributor to the global burden of disease. And according to a report
from CNN, antidepressants are the most prescribed drugs in the US, with
their numbers tripling over the last couple of decades.
So what does this have to do with sugar?
Our natural feel-good brain chemical is the neurotransmitter, serotonin.
Our bodies naturally make this in balanced amounts.
Sugar raises the serotonin level in our brain. Hence, we can understand
why we feel good eating sweets. Through this mechanism, sugars cause
the body to have a chemical high mentally, which results in a lift in
mood.
However, the huge problem with this, is that over time the body cuts
back serotonin production, which results in slight to serious
depression. Just by not having a sugary substance, one can experience
mood swings, unhappiness, irritability and other negative symptoms.
Basically put, sugar throws off your natural serotonin balance, and to
add to this the brain is now addicted to getting the serotonin high
artificially.
Sugar Effects on the TEETH
We have always been told that sugar causes cavities. However to get the
full story, we have to understand that while sugar itself can be
slightly corrosive, depending on its concentration and material it comes
in contact with, what causes most cavities are bacteria. So where sugar
comes into the equation, is that cavity causing bacteria feed on sugar.
Hence, the more sugar we eat, the more bacteria we have, to do all sorts
of damage to our teeth.
Thus, it has long been known that sugar is the leading cause of dental
deterioration, cavities in teeth, bleeding gums, and loss of teeth.
Sugar Effects on the PANCREAS
Although we are told that high sugar diets increase our risk for
diabetes type 2, we are not really given the exact mechanism of what is
really happening.
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Diabetes type 2 is caused by a slew of symptoms, the main ones being the
bodys inability to properly use or produce insulin. Insulin is a
hormone produced by our pancreas, that our body uses to regulate that
amount of sugar in our blood. Too high concentrations of sugar in our
blood can kill us, just as too low concentrations of sugar.
Sugar causes our pancreas to overwork in its production of insulin,
leading to insulin resistance and other problems, which manifest as the
known diabetes type 2.
Sugar Effects on our BONES
When sugar is digested it has an acidic effect on our body. In the
understanding of the acid-alkaline balance of the body, an acidic body
is prone to various diseases, and our bodies do everything they can to
make sure the blood, via which sugar is carried, does not get too
acidic, going out of its slightly alkaline range.
To do this, the body needs an alkaline substance to neutralize the
effects of the acidic sugar. Calcium is an alkaline mineral, highly
abundant in our bones. And so, calcium is used to neutralize the acidic
effects of sugar. This results in bones becoming weak, porous and
eventually osteoporotic due to the withdrawn calcium. This being a much
bigger reason of why we have the osteoporosis rates we do, instead of it
being a lack of dairy or calcium. Instead of taking more calcium,
whether through dairy or supplements, which can lead to so many other
health problems, we need to reduce our sugar intake.
Sugar Effects on our HEART
When most people think of what causes heart disease, fat is normally the
answer that follows. However, we have to awaken to the fact that sugar
leads to heart disease as well, and today there is a HUGE link between
diabetes and heart disease. Diabetics are at a higher risk for
atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
Sugar causes artery damage, inflammation of the arteries and hence
weaker arteries. This is due to the biochemistry of what it does as it
travels through the blood stream in large, especially poorly regulated
amounts, if our pancreas is stressed and having a hard time with the
correct production and use of insulin.
This makes one more susceptible to clogged arteries, hypertension (high
blood pressure), weak arteries, strokes and heart attacks.
Sugar Effects on DEFICIENCIES
Many people do not think twice when digesting sugary substances, that in
doing so, they can be stripping valuable nutrients from their body.
The digestion of sugar requires many vitamins, minerals and enzymes to
be stripped from healthy cells. Over time this is taxing on our system,
and especially to those who are already eating poor diets based on empty
calorie, nutrient deficient, processed foods. This is also not something
that can be fixed by taking a synthetic multivitamin, but requires a
good, natural, wholesome, nutrient rich diet.
Sugar Effects on OBESITY
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Glucose is our bodys number one fuel or energy source, and generally
speaking all sugar breaks down into glucose. For most of us, there is a
huge discrepancy between how much fuel is needed and how much
we provide. Thus, being resourceful, our body never throws away energy,
that could be potentially used in the future, and so on average 40% of
sugar ingested is stored as fat.
Whenever there is an excess in energy, whether from sugar calories, or
protein calories or fat calories, they all get converted to and stored
in fat cells. Hence, it is no surprise that high sugar diets, lead to
weight problems and obesity.
In fact, if we take those 30 teaspoons the average North American eats
daily on average, that accounts to over 400 calories daily just in sugar
alone!
And we can fool ourselves all we want, and use the treat word as an
excuse to ingest sugar foods regularly, but in the end, when the weight
comes on, there is no fooling ourselves about that.
Sugar Effects on the IMMUNE SYSTEM
What always boggles my mind, are parents who want their children to be
healthy and complain when their kids get sick, and yet they have no
issues giving their kids regular sodas, cookies, candies, sugary cereals
and you name it. And let us not even get into the whole premise of
Halloween or Easter in our society.
Eating sugar makes your immune system slow down to a crawl. In fact,
sugar has been found to almost paralyze the white blood
cells responsible for engulfing harmful invaders like viruses and
bacteria for up to around 5 hours and reduces their ability to work
properly by up to 40%. The effects of sugar and the immune system appear
to have been first studied by Dr. Linus Pauling in the early-mid 1900's.
Today, you can read more about this from natural health experts like Dr.
Marcel Hernandez or allopathic health experts like Dr. William Sears.
To add to this, over time, the stress hormone cortisol becomes elevated
and causes increases to various infections as well as general organ
malfunction, including heart disease.
Conclusion
Most people think sugar is just dangerous if you fear gaining weight,
and some even boast about how much sugar they eat, without gaining any
weight.
However, with sugar being in most foods today as one of the top five
ingredients, it is time we wake up to the bitter truth about sugar, how
it harms our body and plays a leading role in almost every disease and
health condition out there.
Its harmful effects go way beyond just weight problems. And the worst
part is that, it is no longer safe to just avoid sweets, as sugar is
added to pretty much every processed food, from bread to ketchup!
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If you think the list and explanations above are way more than you
bargained for when it came to eating sugar, I hate to break it to you
but that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sugar causes damage to
literally every system or organ in our body, including ones not even
mentioned like the liver and kidneys. It is also linked to learning
disorders in kids, ADD/ADHD and sugar is directly related to cancer.
The higher the sugar consumption, the greater the risk of cancers.
For many, this news comes as a shock, to the point that they are tempted
to brush it aside, disbelieve it and pretend they never heard it. After
all, our society is saturated in sugar and every major holiday makes
sure we get lots of it, so how could this be? Why wouldnt our doctors
and nutritionists and governments protect us from this? For those of you
who know the back end of the system, I am sure I do not have to explain.
My personal inspiration to go sugar free took place after my own journey
in optimal nutrition, finally made me face the facts about sugar.
Following up with Dr. Olsons book Sugarettes, was the final tipping
point. That was exactly 2 years ago. Remember, this does not mean things
like fruits and dates, or even some raw honey. I know I can safely
consume these as part of my diet, enjoy the delicious sweet taste and
health benefits of them.
And what was the effect of this for me? Along with all other aspects of
my optimal nutrition, eliminating sugar has made me feel even more
amazing, but the biggest area I noticed a huge change in, were cravings.
Detoxing from sugar, meant no more cravings of any kind where sweets
were concerned. I was no longer a slave to anything sweet true
freedom at last!
So in the end, as with everything else, what you do with this
information is as always up to you. Will a little hurt you? Probably
not, but we no longer have a little when it comes to sugar today, as it
is in literally every processed food in large quantities. Thus, I know
that I personally would never advise someone to eat any amounts of sugar
or give it to them in any foods, especially those I most love and care
for. And as crazy as it may sound to some people, like Dr. Olson, I too
believe that there will come a time in society, where we will look at
sugar, like most today look at cigarettes.
Sugar's effect on your health
The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds
of sugar each week, which is not surprising
considering that highly refined sugars in the forms of
sucrose (table sugar), dextrose (corn sugar), and
high-fructose corn syrup are being processed into so
many foods such as bread, breakfast cereal,
mayonnaise, peanut butter, ketchup, spaghetti sauce,
and a plethora of microwave meals.
In the last 20 years, we have increased sugar consumption in the U.S. 26
pounds to 135 lbs. of sugar per person per year! Prior to the turn of
this century (1887-1890), the average consumption was only 5 lbs. per
person per year! Cardiovascular disease and cancer was virtually unknown
in the early 1900's.
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The "glycemic index" is a measure of how a given food affects blood-
glucose levels, with each food being assigned a numbered rating. The
lower the rating, the slower the absorption and digestion process, which
provides a more gradual, healthier infusion of sugars into the
bloodstream. On the other hand, a high rating means that blood-glucose
levels are increased quickly, which stimulates the pancreas to
secrete insulin to drop blood-sugar levels. These rapid fluctuations of
blood-sugar levels are not healthy because of the stress they place on
the body.
One of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level,
which inhibits the release of growth hormones, which in turn depresses
the immune system. This is not something you want to take place if you
want to avoid disease.
An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar
balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep
blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Insulin also promotes the
storage of fat, so that when you eat sweets high in sugar, you're making
way for rapid weight gain andelevated triglyceride levels, both of which
have been linked to cardiovascular disease. Complex carbohydrates tend
to be absorbed more slowly, lessening the impact on blood-sugar levels.
Sugar depresses the immune system.
We have known this for decades. It was only in the 1970's that
researchers found out that vitamin Cwas needed by white blood cells so
that they could phagocytize viruses and bacteria. White blood cells
require a 50 times higher concentration inside the cell as outside so
they have to accumulate vitamin C.
There is something called a "phagocytic index" which tells you how
rapidly a particular macrophage or lymphocyte can gobble up a
virus, bacteria, orcancer cell. It was in the 1970's that Linus
Pauling realized that white blood cells need a high dose
of vitamin C and that is when he came up with his theory that you
need high doses of vitamin C to combat thecommon cold.
We know that glucose and vitamin C have similar chemical structures, so
what happens when the sugar levels go up? They compete for one another
upon entering the cells. And the thing that mediates the entry of
glucose into the cells is the same thing that mediates the entry of
vitamin C into the cells. If there is more glucose around, there is
going to be less vitamin C allowed into the cell. It doesn't take much:
a blood sugar value of 120 reduces the phagocytic index by 75%. So when
you eat sugar, think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl.
Here we are getting a little bit closer to the roots of disease. It
doesn't matter what disease we are talking about, whether we are talking
about a common cold or about cardiovascular disease, or cancer or
osteoporosis, the root is always going to be at the cellular and
molecular level, and more often than not insulin is going to have its
hand in it, if not totally controlling it.
The health dangers which ingesting sugar on an habitual basis creates
are certain. Simple sugars have been observed to aggravate asthma, move
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mood swings, provoke personality changes, muster mental illness, nourish
nervous disorders, deliver diabetes, hurry heart disease, grow
gallstones, hasten hypertension, and add arthritis.
Because refined dietary sugars lack minerals and vitamins, they must
draw upon the body's micro-nutrient stores in order to be metabolized
into the system. When these storehouses are depleted, metabolization of
cholesterol and fatty acid is impeded, contributing to higher blood
serumtriglycerides, cholesterol, promoting obesity due to higher fatty
acid storage around organs and in sub-cutaneous tissue folds.
Because sugar is devoid of minerals, vitamins, fiber, and has such a
deteriorating effect on the endocrine system, major researchers and
major health organizations (American Dietetic Association and American
Diabetic Association) agree that sugar consumption in America is one of
the 3 major causes of degenerative disease.
Honey is a simple sugar
There are 4 classes of simple sugars which are regarded by most
nutritionists as "harmful" to optimal health when prolonged consumption
in amounts above 15% of the carbohydrate calories are ingested: Sucrose,
fructose, honey, and malts.
Some of you may be surprised to find honey here. Although honey is a
natural sweetener, it is considered a refined sugar because 96% of dry
matter are simple sugars: fructose, glucose and sucrose. It is little
wonder that the honey bear is the only animal found in nature with a
problem with tooth-decay (honey decays teeth faster than table sugar).
Honey has the highest calorie content of all sugars with 65
calories/tablespoon, compared to the 48 calories/tablespoon found in
table sugar. The increased calories are bound to cause increased blood
serum fatty acids, as well as weight gain, on top of the risk of more
cavities.
Pesticides used on farm crops and residential flowers have been found in
commercial honey. Honey can be fatal to an infant whose immature
digestive tracts are unable to deal effectively with Botulinum Spore
growth. What nutrients or enzymes raw honey does contain are destroyed
by manufacturers who heat it in order to give it a clear appearance to
enhance sales. If you are going to consume honey, make sure it is raw,
unheated honey. Good to use in special cures, but not as an every day
food. It is not much better than white or brown sugar.

Here is a list of ways sugar can affect your health:
Sugar can suppress the immune system.
Sugar can upset the body's mineral balance.
Sugar can contribute to hyperactivity, anxiety, depression,
concentration difficulties, and crankiness in children.
Sugar can produce a significant rise in triglycerides.
Sugar can cause drowsiness and decreased activity in children.
Sugar can reduce helpful high density cholesterol (HDLs).
Sugar can promote an elevation of harmful cholesterol (LDLs).
Sugar can cause hypoglycemia.
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Sugar contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial infection.
Sugar can cause kidney damage.
Sugar can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
Sugar may lead to chromium deficiency.
Sugar can cause copper deficiency.
Sugar interferes with absorption of calcium and magnesium.
Sugar can increase fasting levels of blood glucose.
Sugar can promote tooth decay.
Sugar can produce an acidic stomach.
Sugar can raise adrenaline levels in children.
Sugar can lead to periodontal disease.
Sugar can speed the aging process, causing wrinkles and grey hair.
Sugar can increase total cholesterol.
Sugar can contribute to weight gain and obesity.
High intake of sugar increases the risk of Crohn's disease and
ulcerative colitis.
Sugar can contribute to diabetes.
Sugar can contribute to osteoporosis.
Sugar can cause a decrease in insulin sensitivity.
Sugar leads to decreased glucose tolerance.
Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease.
Sugar can increase systolic blood pressure.
Sugar causes food allergies.
Sugar can cause free radical formation in the bloodstream.
Sugar can cause toxemia during pregnancy.
Sugar can contribute to eczema in children.
Sugar can overstress the pancreas, causing damage.
Sugar can cause atherosclerosis.
Sugar can compromise the lining of the capillaries.
Sugar can cause liver cells to divide, increasing the size of the liver.
Sugar can increase the amount of fat in the liver.
Sugar can increase kidney size and produce pathological changes in
thekidney.
Sugar can cause depression.
Sugar can increase the body's fluid retention.
Sugar can cause hormonal imbalance.
Sugar can cause hypertension.
Sugar can cause headaches, including migraines.
Sugar can cause an increase in delta, alpha and theta brain waves, which
can alter the mind's ability to think clearly.
Sugar can increase blood platelet adhesiveness which increases risk of
blood clots and strokes.
Sugar can increase insulin responses in those consuming high-sugar diets
compared to low sugar diets.
Sugar increases bacterial fermentation in the colon.
Source: www.nancyappleton.com
Sugar and cancer
Of the over 4 million cancer patients being treated in the U.S. today,
almost none are offered any scientifically guided nutrition therapy
other than being told to "just eat good foods." Many cancer patients
would have a major improvement in their conditions if they controlled
the supply of cancer's preferred fuel: GLUCOSE. By slowing the cancer's
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growth, patients make it possible for their immune systems to catch up
to the disease. Controlling one's blood-glucose levels
through diet, exercise, supplements, meditation and prescription drugs -
when necessary - can be one of the most crucial components to a cancer
treatment program. The saying "Sugar feeds cancer" is simple. The
explanation is a little more involved.
German Otto Warburg, Ph.D., the 1931 Nobel laureate in medicine, first
discovered that cancer cells have a fundamentally different energy
metabolism compared to healthy cells.
The gist of his Nobel thesis was this: malignant tumors frequently
exhibit an increase in "anaerobic glycolysis" - a process whereby
glucose is used by cancer cells as a fuel with lactic acid as an
anaerobic by-product - compared to normal tissues.(1)
The large amount of lactic acid produced by this fermentation
of glucose from the cancer cells is then transported to the
liver. This conversion of glucose to lactate creates a
lower, more acidic PH in cancerous tissues as well as overall
physical fatigue from lactic acid build-up.(2,3) Therefore,
larger tumors tend to exhibit a more acidic PH.(4)
Hence, cancer therapies should attempt to regulate blood-glucose levels
through diet, supplements, exercise, medication when necessary, gradual
weight loss and stress reduction. Since cancer cells derive most of
their energy from anaerobic glycolysis, the goal is not to eliminate
sugars or carbohydrates entirely from the diet but rather to control
blood-glucose within a narrow range to help starve the cancer cells and
boost immune function.
Sugar - The Sweet Poison
The Health Hazards Of Sugar
Sugar was once called white
death. It deserves 100% of this
title. It is a key factor in most
degenerative disease, and in order
for us as a society to get control
over our health, we must stop
consuming it.
On some level most of us know that
sugar is not healthy, but the
majority of us truly have no idea how
devastating sugar really is to our
health. The worlds consumption of
sugar or processed carbohydrate that
converts to sugar has grown to
enormous proportions in the last
century. It is estimated that the
average Western person consumes about
10 200lb of this highly processed
substance each year and is estimated
that sugar constitutes about 25 to 35 per cent of the western diet.
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The human body is designed to breakdown complex carbohydrates found in
whole grains and fresh fruit and vegetables into glucose. This glucose
then slowly releases into the bloodstream while absorbing the vital
nutrients from them. Glucose the sugar that fuels the body, needs
insulin which is released from the pancreas, to do its job. Feeding the
body with the correct foods will allow the gradual release of glucose
with small amounts of insulin, into the bloodstream. This process keeps
the body running smoothly, with energy levels stable and mind and body
feeling balanced and nourished. When we eat the wrong foods, processed
foods and sugar, it sends the body into overdrive. Glucose instantly
floods the bloodstream, sending the pancreas into a panic to produce
enough insulin to handle the excess. This momentarily creates a blood
sugar high glucose that is eventually moped up by the insulin, leaving
the body worn out, tired and depleted. The sugar low then sets in, and
it's time to eat again. Eventually with this ongoing consumption of
sugar the body becomes sluggish unable to cope, the brain becomes less
efficient memory is impaired and the inevitable slide of ill health
begins.
Nature has given us sugar in the form of sugar cane and sugar beet.
When sugar cane and sugar beet are analyzed it is found that every piece
is equipped with every nutrient our bodies need to metabolize every
molecule of sugar, in that piece properly. But we dont eat sugar cane
or sugar beet in its natural form. We extract the sugar out of them and
throw everything else away. That processed sugar comes into our bodies
like a villain, robbing and pulling nutrients out of our bones, muscles,
brain and other tissues in order to be metabolized. For example, for the
body to metabolize just one molecule of sugar, the body requires around
56 molecules of magnesium. The over consumption of processed
carbohydrates and sugar is a major reason for the widespread magnesium
deficiency in our modern society, eventually leading to high blood
pressure, heart attacks, strokes and neurological problems. Sugar is
also implicated in causing type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, kidney
disease, liver disease, obesity and depression.
Every tablespoon of sugar depresses the immune system for up to 6 hours.
If you get sick often, this could be in a large part due to your sugar
consumption. Sugar has a detrimental effect on the gut flora, it
promotes the growth of parasites, worms and fungi, encouraging the
growth of Candida Albicans. Fungi attack living tissue and survive by
producing toxins and enzymes to defeat the hosts immune system. Sugar
also increases the growth of cancerous tumors, as cancer cells love
sugar.
Refined sugars are everywhere, and it is hard to find any processed food
without it. Crackers, biscuits, crisps, breads, pastries, pastas,
chocolates, sweets, jams, breakfast cereals are highly processed
carbohydrate, and full of sugar. A bowl of breakfast cereal will start
your day with the first round of the blood sugar roller coaster. The
manufacturers of these cereals claim that with a bowl of their product
you will get all the fiber that you need. Unfortunately it is the wrong
kind of fiber for most people. Fiber in breakfast cereals are full of
phytates - substances that bind essential minerals and take them out of
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the body, thus further depleting you of minerals. Soft drinks (pops,
cordials, lemonades, etc.) are a major source of sugar. A can, can
contain 5 to 10 teaspoons of sugar. Tinned soups, baked beans, tinned
peas, ready made dinners; basically everything that has been processed
is laced with processed sugar.
Refined sugar is in almost everything and can be very difficult to avoid
unless you are preparing your own foods from scratch. Start reading
product labels and avoid, as best as you can this deadly concoction of
sugars. Avoiding these processed foods and sugar is a huge start in our
longevity of health. Try naturally sweetening foods, with organic fresh
fruits or try a natural alterative like:
Xylitol: A low calorie natural sweetener made from birch bark. Xylitol
is not only safe, natural sweetener without the bad side-effects of
sugar and artificial substitutes, it's also good for your teeth,
stabilizes insulin and hormone levels and promotes good health. Xylitol
is widely distributed throughout nature in small amounts. Some of the
best sources are fruits, berries, mushrooms, lettuce, and corncobs. One
cup of raspberries contain less than one gram of xylitol.
Stevia: Used worldwide as a no-calorie herbal sweetener, Stevia is a
South American herb that is 30 times sweeter than sugar. With hundreds
of studies showing Stevia is a safe alternative,
Avoid artificial sweeteners especially:
Saccharin: Saccharin is carcinogenic. It was banned in the US in 1911,
but this ban was lifted during the sugar rationing of World War I. In
the 70s the Canadians proved conclusively that saccharin caused cancer.
As a result, the FDA required that any saccharin products carry a
warning label. The warning labels read: "Use of this product may be
hazardous to your health. This product contains saccharin, which has
been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals." But this warning
was removed in 2000 by the US Congress (not by the FDA) after heavy
lobbying by the saccharin industry. Further research was then done on
saccharin, because the FDA wished to ban saccharin outright but the food
companies fought this (successfully). The National Cancer Institute ran
studies in the next 2 years and found that saccharin was indeed
connected with bladder cancer. Saccharin is an artificial sweetener
known as Sweet N Low. Saccharin is found in many children's soft drinks,
medicines and some toothpastes. Saccharin is used frequently in products
that are sugar free.
Aspartame: Found in many foods as an artificial sweetener, found in the
NutraSweet sweetener. Aspartame when heated above 86 degrees (remember
the body is 96.4 degrees) it turns into Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is
a suspected carcinogen and neurotoxin and banned in some countries.
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