Hello, Johnny!
I am certainly happy to answer this for you. I am not Missy, and I
know she will be looking this over to make sure I have given you good
service :), so I will try my hardest to be thorough and to the point!
Before I answer the different components of your question, however, I
want to provide a little background about the two main sweeteners used
in "Sugar Free Syrup" - Sorbitol and Aspartame.
Since I was initially intrigued by the mention of "sugar alcohol," I
did a little investigative work at the grocery store! I looked through
five brands of sugar-free Syrup and found something quite interesting.
All of the sugar free syrups I looked at contained Sorbitol. However,
two of the sugar free syrups contained both Sorbitol and Aspartame.
*Only* the brands which contained Aspartame listed Sugar Alcohol in
the nutritional breakdown.
Because Sorbitol is actually a sugar alcohol, calories from sugar
alcohol are listed under Carbohydrates in those brands with both
Aspartame and Sorbitol. The brands which contain only Sorbitol break
down the Carbohydrate content simply as Total carbohydrates, with a
sublisting of carbohydrate grams as Sorbitol. Sound confusing? Don't
let it be!
==
I went on a search for information about each of these sweeteners and
found a descriptive chart at the "Sugarless Shop" Website.
http://www.sugarlessshop.com/2000/sweetenerinfo.htm
Both Aspartame, Sorbitol and Sugar Alcohol (which is actually a
catch-all term for several types of sweeteners) are used to replace
Cane sugar by providing a significant boost of "sweetness" to a
product without the attendant calories.
While Aspartame is considered an "artificial sweetener," the forms of
sugar alcohol, including Sorbitol, are actually natural sugars that
pack more of a punch than cane sugar. Thus, less is needed, meaning
fewer calories for the same amount of sweetness.
Aspartame (or Nutrasweet)
=========================
"Discovered in 1965, aspartame is a low-calorie sweetener which is
approximately 180 times sweeter than sucrose ( table sugar ). It is
sold in the United States under the brand name NutraSweet® by
Monsanto, and is also sold by Holland Sweetener Company. Aspartame is
made from two amino acids ( protein components ) -- L-phenylalanine
and L-aspartic acid. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA )
approved aspartame in 1981 for use in tabletop sweeteners and various
foods and dry beverage mixes, making it the first low-calorie
sweetener approved by FDA in more than 25 years. In 1983, FDA approved
it for use in carbonated beverages; today aspartame has established
itself as an important component in many low-calorie, sugar-free foods
and beverages."
Sorbitol
========
"Sorbitol, a polyol ( sugar alcohol ), is a bulk sweetener found in
numerous food products. In addition to providing sweetness, it is an
excellent humectant and texturizing agent. Sorbitol is about 60
percent as sweet as sucrose with one-third fewer calories. It has a
smooth mouth feel with a sweet, cool and pleasant taste. It is
non-cariogenic and may be useful to people with diabetes. Sorbitol has
been safely used in processed foods for almost half a century. It is
also used in other products, such as pharmaceuticals and cosmetics."
Sugar Alcohol
==============
"Sugar Alcohol is neither a "sugar" nor an "alcohol". Sugar Alcohols
such as Maltitol, Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol, or HSH ( commonly known
as Lycasin® ) have a negligible affect on blood glucose levels less
dramatically than regular table Sugar (sucrose) as they are digested
and absorbed much slower. Although Little or no insulin is needed for
metabolism of sugar alcohols as they are no longer counted as a
carbohydrate in the meal plan. Sugar alcohols are not free foods.
Foods containing "sugar alcohols" but no sugar can be labeled
"SUGARFREE" according to the FDA. We suggest only consuming the
recommended serving size as excess consumption can cause abdominal
discomfort and / or a laxative affect.
*Note: Sugar Alcohol sweetener such as maltitol etc. are slowly
metabolized polyols or sugar alcohols. These are included in the total
carb count but is not included in the net effective carbohydrate count
as they have a negligible effect on blood sugar levels. With the sugar
alcohols and dietary fiber subtracted from the total carbohydrate
count this gives you your net effective carbs.
=====
As you can see from the chart, Aspartame, by itself, is non-caloric.
However, the extra addition of Sorbitol to the ingredients gives the
syrup a certain amount of Carbohydrates.
I didn't find any "sugar-free syrups on the shelf that used Aspartame
as the only sweetening ingredient exclusively. This is likely due to
the fact that Sorbitol is needed to give the syrup its thick, "syrupy"
quality!
====
Now, to your questions!
===========================================================
"Can u tell me if sugar free syrup is ok to eat?? healthy??"
============================================================
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of the various
sweeteners used in Sugar-free syrups and considers them safe for human
consumption. However, there has been controversy surrounding the use
of alternative sweeteners for years, despite their FDA approval, and
you will run into opinions on both sides.
I can point you to articles containing both viewpoints, but it is up
to you to determine which opinion you consider most factual or
believable. The question of whether the syrup is ok or healthy to eat
is one that you ultimately have to decide for yourself! Most of us
consume and surround ourselves with a certain amount of "unnatural"
ingredients. Therefore, we each have to make decisions concerning the
products we most desire and the levels of natural vs. unnatural
ingredients we are willing to tolerate based on our own particular
lifestyle preferences.
The following articles present some differing viewpoints:
ASPARTAME (Safety concerns)
===========================
"Aspartame-Sugar Free is poison." based on a 1995 interview in
Nutrition and Healing Newsletter.
http://all-organic-food.com/aspartam.htm
Excerpts follow:
"Mary Nash Stoddard is founder of the Aspartame Consumer Network, and
author of Deadly Deception, a fact-filled source book concerning the
sweetener aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)....Stoddard has qualified as
an expert witness in aspartame-related courtroom proceedings and is a
board member of the National Nutritional Foods Association."
Question:
"Is it true that the large majority of non-drug complaints to the
Food and Drug Administration are about adverse reactions to aspartame,
also called NutraSweet or Equal?
Answer:
"Currently, it's about 78% of all complaints. At one time, the figure
was 85%! Yet this isn't reported in the newspapers or announced
through other media. It's a well-hidden secret."
When asked about symptoms:
"Aspartame not only causes individual symptoms, it can mimic entire
syndromes! For example, the CFIDS (chronic fatigue and immune
deficiency syndrome) newsletter calls it the sweet poison, NutraSweet,
because it can mimic the symptoms of CFIDS."
"It can also cause grand mal seizures. According to H.J.Roberts, M.D.,
it can cause decreased vision, pain in the eyes, decreased tears,
ringing in the ears, hearing impairment, headache, dizziness and
unsteadiness, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, sleepiness, slurring
of speech, numbness and tingling, tremors, depression, irritability,
aggression, anxiety, insomnia, phobias, heart palpitations, shortness
of breath, high blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain,
itching, hives, menstrual changes, weight gain, hair thinning and hair
loss, urinary burning and frequency, excessive thirst, fluid
retention, bloating, increased infection, and even death."
What is in Aspartame?
"Among other things, it's about 10% methanol (wood alcohol), famous
for causing blindness in alcoholics. In the body, methanol metabolizes
into formaldehyde, a neurotoxin; formic acid, a venom in ant stings;
and diketopiperazine, which causes brain tumors in animals. It's so
bad that in 1985 the National Soft Drink Association presented
official objections to putting aspartame in beverages. I'll read you
one of their objections: It is well established under Section 40283
that a food which contains a decomposed substance ... is subject to
seizure by FDA. It's thoroughly established that after a number of
weeks and at temperatures over 85 degrees there's no aspartame left in
a soft drink, only breakdown products. So why isn't FDA seizing it
under Section 40283?"
(Read more if you are interested!)
==
From "Bodytalk Magazine." November 2002
http://www.bodytalkmagazine.com/fakesugar.htm
"There is a very vocal opposition to aspartame's use in foods and
drinks like Diet Coke. A chain of "aspartame detox centres" has opened
in the US, which gives you some idea of the level of protest!"
"The concern is this: aspartame breaks down to formaldehyde in the
body. Formaldehyde is a gas used in the building industry and in
household products, and is present in the air we breathe.
Over-exposure to formaldehyde can cause skin and respiratory
irritations, and it is a known carcinogen. But the amount of
formaldehyde formed from aspartame use is quite low."
"Definitely a concern, but so far studies have not linked regular
aspartame consumption to cancer in humans."
"People with the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria cannot break down
phenylalanine so must avoid aspartame. Pregnant and lactating women
should also avoid it."
===
ASPARTAME (No Safety Concerns)
==============================
From "Sugar Substitutes." WebHealth. (Last updated 3/1/03)
http://jhhs.client.web-health.com/web-health/topics/GeneralHealth/generalhealthsub/generalhealth/nutrition&food/sugar_substitutes.html
"Are artificial sweeteners as safe as sugar?"
"With the exception of saccharin, there are no safety concerns for
sugar substitutes. Not only are they approved in the United States,
but they are also approved for use in other developed countries."
"The FDA feels that concerns over aspartame are not valid."
"There is no risk of aspartame doing damage the brain, other than in
the special case of someone with the disorder
phenylketonuria.(Phenylalanine is one of the components of aspartame.)
Therefore, solely for the benefit of those individuals, foods with
aspartame carry the precaution that they contain phenylalanine."
"There is no truth to claims implicating aspartame in the exacerbation
of disorders such as MS or lupus, according to the FDA. The same
applies to for birth defects or seizures.
The Epilepsy Institute has also concluded that aspartame is not
related to the occurrence of seizures."
==
From "Health Professional's Opinions on Aspartame." Calorie Control
Council. (2003)
"Scientist's/Regulators/Health Groups Support Aspartame's Safety
"The Food and Drug Administration and almost all scientists who are
familiar with the data conclude that aspartame, and its use in a wide
variety of products, is a safe and useful option for those individuals
who prefer a low-calorie sweetener. Also, the Joint Expert Committee
on Food Additives of the World Health Organization, the Scientific
Committee for Food of the European Union, regulatory agencies in more
than 100 countries and a number of health groups have reviewed
aspartame and found it safe for use."
Public comments supporting the safety of aspartame include:
"Available evidence suggests that consumption of aspartame by normal
humans is safe and is not associated with serious adverse health
effects."
From the American Medical Association Council on Scientific Affairs
report, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association,
July 19, 1985
==
"[P]resent levels of aspartame consumption appear to be safe for those
who do not have PKU. . . . The blood phenylalanine levels reported in
response to loading doses of aspartame in normal adults and those
heterozygous for the PKU gene do not seem to be sufficiently high to
warrant concern of toxicity to the individual or even to a fetus
during pregnancy."
From the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition, Task
Force on the Dietary Management of Metabolic Disorders, December 1985
Final Report
==
"[T]he data [consumer complaints alleging adverse reactions caused by
aspartame] do not provide evidence of the existence of serious,
widespread, adverse health consequences attendant to the use of
aspartame."
From the Centers for Disease Control "Evaluation of Consumer
Complaints Related to Aspartame Use," published (11/2/1984) in
Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
==
"In conclusion, based on our research, I concur with the findings of
the FDA and regulatory authorities around the world that aspartame is
safe at expected levels of consumption."
From Dr. Lewis Stegink, University of Iowa College of Medicine, in
April 2, 1985, testimony before the Senate Labor and Human Resources
Committee
==
"By conducting this study in a controlled hospital setting we were
able to determine that aspartame was no more likely than placebo to
cause allergic reactions in people allegedly sensitive to the
product."
From Dr. Raif S. Geha, chief of the Division of Immunology at
Children's Hospital in Boston and professor of pediatrics at Harvard
Medical School, in a Children's Hospital press release on research
abstracted in the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology, January
1992
==
"[Aspartame] consumed at daily doses equivalent to those contained in
approximately 10L of aspartame-containing beverage is not associated
with any significant changes in clinical measures or adverse
experiences in healthy adults."
From Dr. A.S. Leon et al, from their study, "Safety of Long-term
Large Doses of Aspartame," published in the October 1989 Archives of
Internal Medicine.
==
"[D]oses of aspartame commonly found in beverages do not negatively
influence mood or well being."
From Dr. E.E.A. Pivonka et al, in their study, "Aspartame- or
sugar-sweetened beverages: Effects on mood in young women," published
in the February 1990 Journal of The American Dietetic Association
==
"[I]t is my opinion that this entire issue [aspartame's alleged effect
on behavior] long ago transcended any scientific base that might ever
have supported it. Enough is enough; it is time to move on. There are
simply too many substantive issues that await investigation in the
area of nutrition and brain function to waste further effort being
obsessive about something that isn't really there."
From Dr. John D. Fernstrom, Department of Psychiatry, Pharmacology,
and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, in a letter
published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, April 1987
=====
SORBITOL - the Sugar Alcohol used in Syrup
=========================================
From "Reduced Calorie Sweeteners - Sorbitol." Calorie Control Council
(2003)
http://www.caloriecontrol.org/sorbitol.html
Excerpts follow:
"A French chemist first discovered sorbitol in the berries of the
mountain ash in 1872. It occurs naturally in a wide variety of fruits
and berries. Today it is commercially produced by the hydrogenation of
glucose and is available in both liquid and crystalline form."
"Sorbitol has been affirmed as GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is approved for use by the
European Union and numerous countries around the world, including
Australia, Canada and Japan."
"Provides one-third fewer calories than sugar--about 2.6 calories per
gram."
"Does not contribute to the formation of dental caries."
"Sorbitol’s safety is supported by numerous studies reported in the
scientific literature. In developing the current U.S. food and drug
regulation which affirms sorbitol as GRAS, the safety data were
carefully evaluated by qualified scientists of the Select Committee on
GRAS Substances selected by the Life Sciences Office of the Federation
of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB). In the opinion
of the Select Committee, there was no evidence demonstrating a hazard
where sorbitol was used at current levels or at levels that might be
expected in the future. We suggest only consuming the recommended
serving size as excess consumption can cause abdominal discomfort and
/ or a laxative affect" The Joint Food and Agriculture
Organization/World Health Organization Expert Committee on Food
Additives (JECFA) has reviewed the safety data and concluded that
sorbitol is safe. JECFA has established an acceptable daily intake
(ADI) for sorbitol of "not specified," meaning no limits are placed on
its use. An ADI "not specified" is the safest category in which JECFA
can place a food ingredient. JECFA’s decisions are often adopted by
many small countries which do not have their own agencies to review
food additive safety."
"The Scientific Committee for Food of the European Union (EU)
published a comprehensive assessment of sweeteners in 1985, concluding
that sorbitol is acceptable for use, also without setting a limit on
its use."
Side effects:
Remember, Sorbitol is a Sugar Alcohol. The sugar alcohols were
described above. The only health concern I found for the Sugar
Alcohols is the possibility of diarrhea or discomfort with over
consumption.
As noted above:
"We suggest only consuming the recommended serving size as excess
consumption can cause abdominal discomfort and / or a laxative
affect."
http://www.caloriecontrol.org/sorbitol.html
==
"Sorbitol is a sugar that is broken down by bacteria in the large
bowel and which, in turn, can cause diarrhea."
From "What are Antacids." Jackson Gastroenterology.
http://www.gicare.com/pated/riopan.htm
=====
Therefore, to sum it all up......
Sorbitol appears safe enough, in moderation. I have read nothing to
cause a scare, and there is no explicit limit on dosage as long as you
do not experience abdominal discomfort.
Aspartame seems a bit riskier. The federal government and mainstream
medical community are not concerned about it's safety, as long as an
individual does not have the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria.
Others, however, like Mary Nash Stoddard, as quoted above, would not
touch a product containing aspartame with a 10-foot pole (or longer!!)
Are people like her merely alarmists? I don't know.
If you are wary of aspartame, you can simply pick the brand on your
supermarket shelf that does not contain that particular ingredient. I
don't know what is available in your area, but the two brands I found
that were Aspartame-free were "Maple Grove Cozy Cottage" and "Sorbee
Zero Sugar."
Or, if you are merely calorie conscious, you can always water down
your regular syrup a bit!
==
I hope I provided sufficient information to answer your question. If
you need further clarification, please don't hesitate to ask. I will
be happy to help if I can!
Meanwhile, please enjoy some pancakes, french toast, or waffles
.....with whatever syrup you decide is for you!
umiat-ga
Google Search Strategy
aspartame +sugar alcohol
is sorbitol safe |
Clarification of Answer by
umiat-ga
on
26 May 2003 09:41 PDT
Johnny,
Does sugar free mean calorie-free? Not necessarily! Remember, weight
loss is related to "calories in versus calories expended." Therefore,
you will need to count the number of calories in the syrup in your
total caloric intake.
Even if the syrup is labeled sugar-free, it may contain some calories
depending on the type of sweetener used. Sugar-alcohol is a
carbohydrate, and all carbohydrates contain calories. Therefore, if
the product contains a sweetener like Sorbitol, it will still have
some calories.
The reason a product containing Sorbitol might be classified as
sugar-free is because Sorbitol contains roughly half the calories of a
normal gram of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates contain 4 calories per
gram, whereas Sorbitol contains 2.4 calories per gram.
If you remember from the Sweetener Information sheet provided at
http://www.sugarlessshop.com/2000/sweetenerinfo.htm :
"Sugar alcohols are not free foods. Foods containing "sugar alcohols"
but no sugar can be labeled "SUGARFREE" according to the FDA
==
"There are two types of artificial sweeteners that are used instead
of sugars in foods. They are non-caloric sweeteners and sugar
alcohols. Non-caloric sweeteners, like saccharine and aspartame, do
not add calories to foods, and are used in snacks and drinks."
* Sugar alcohols contain about the same number of calories as sugar *
From "Artificial Sweeteners." Diabetes Matters.
http://my.diabetovalens.com/nutrition/art3-tp4.asp
==
Therefore, the brand of syrup that you use should have a total
calorie content under the nutritional information related to the
amount of carbohydrates contained in the particular sweetener.
For example:
An analysis of the calorie content of four sugar-free syrups is
available on the Maple Grove website at
http://maplegrove.com/nutritional.html
As you can see, none of the syrups are totally free of calories
because of the presence of Sorbitol, which is a Sugar Alcohol
containing calories.
==========
There are calorie-free syrups!!
******************************
Several companies make sugar-free syrup that is totally free of
calories.
The Atkins center makes a calorie-free syrup because it uses a
sweetener with "zero" carbohydrates. Zero carbohydrates, zero fat, and
zero protein adds up to zero calories!
Atkins Sugar-Free Syrup:
"Great for Dieters Dr Adkins Diet because of Zero Carbohydrates, Sugar
Free, No Low Carb, Fat Free, No Calories. ATKINS SUGAR FREE PANCAKES
SYRUPS (12-oz Shatterproof Bottle) Pour some syrup for extra sweetener
or sweetening up breakfast foods, pancakes, waffles, pancake, syrups,
cereals on our pancakes or waffles and enjoy its smooth taste, free
from sugar, carbohydrates, aspartame and calories. A rich-tasting,
sugar-free syrup worthy of the Atkins name. This low-carb syrup can
flavor your life in many ways: add it to coffee tea.
* Our syrups now use sucralose, the only zero-calorie, zero-carb
sweetener made from a natural source sugar so it tastes just like
sugar. *
Order from JamDynamixz Shopping at
http://www.jamdynamixz.com/a1s9.html
====
Da Vinci Gourmet also provides a large assortment of calorie-free
syrups:
http://www.davincigourmet.com/page.php?page=788&SESSION=7a02dfad15abf44fd883a7be385d3978&s=0
"No Calories. Sugar Free. Great Taste. Sweetened with SPLENDA® Brand
Sweetener, our Sugar Free Flavored Syrups have the same world-class
flavor as our Classic Syrups, but without the calories. SPLENDA is the
only zero-calorie sweetener made from real sugar and as a result, it
tastes more like real sugar."
====
A bit more about sucralose......the sweetener used in the Atkins
syrup:
"Sucralose is the only non-caloric sweetener created from sugar. Its
unique combination of sugar-like taste and excellent stability allow
sucralose to be used as a sugar replacement in virtually every type of
food and beverage. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar, so very little
is needed to obtain the same sweetness intensity. On April 1, 1998,
the U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved sucralose for use in 15
different food and beverage categories."
From "SWEET CHOICES: Questions & Answers about Sweeteners in
Low-Calorie Foods and Beverages." Calorie Council. 2000.
http://www.geocities.com/chocoberry2/lowcalqa.html
Therefore, if you are truly concerned about cutting calories, I
suggest you try one of the non-caloric syrups like the Atkins product.
On another note, if you don’t mind my expression of concern......I
know you have asked about various diets in the past, and you have
mentioned that you are currently on a very strict diet. What
particular diet are you on?
I have seen so many people wreak havoc on their bodies by losing
weight but being “nutritionally underfed.” I spent many years as a
fitness instructor and personal trainer, and worked with many people
who went from one diet to another in a desperate attempt to lose
weight. However, they often left out vital nutrients, watched their
muscle mass deteriorate, lost energy, went through mood swings, and
on and on! Rather than allowing their body to adjust to the weight
that was normal for them, they strove to maintain a certain number on
the scale. As a result, although they became thin , they were actually
undernourished and their body fought them every step of the way to put
on the pounds necessary to get back up to a healthy level. Many thin
people are actually quite unhealthy-looking when you look at their
overall being .
I hope you are being sensible about they types of foods you eat and
the number of calories you absorb. It is vitally important to maintain
a certain caloric level which is above what your body needs merely for
metabolic functioning. If your calories are too low and you are
eating the wrong foods, you will end up, in effect, “starving
yourself” by breaking down muscle mass.
Are you on a fitness program to help in your weight loss? Men,
especially, can lose a good deal of weight by building up muscle
through excercise. The ratio of muscle to fat on the body is also
proportional to the amount of calories expended simply for daily
metabolic functioning.
Just some things to think about!
Thanks for allowing me the opportunity to answer another of your
questions. I believe I had the pleasure of answering your very first
question on GA!!!
umiat-ga
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