What amount constitutes concern?

I received an email today from a blog reader in South Africa asking about the quantity of artificial sweeteners in consumable products and what level is considered to be a concern? He'd seen my blog post on Aspartame, but was asking about artificial sweeteners in general.

Andy, I'm going to defer to the experts on this one. Phillip Day, a brilliant reporter and health researcher, includes a chapter called "The sweetest poison: the lethality of sweeteners" in his book Food for Thought: fabulous food that won't kill you. I love Phillip Day's style. Straight down the line, fabulous sense of humour but always that whack between the eyes of startling reality about the dangers of modern western lifestyle. He writes:

When it comes to identifying the most common poison we willingly use against ourselves, an amazing feat resulting in millions of deaths worldwide every year, there really is no contest...but seeing as we are in the mood for some truth, lets take a hard look at the "s" word [sucrose] and also its partners in crime, the "sweeteners" aspartame and saccharin. Are you nervous about shattering some highly refined illusions?

He goes on to warn of the health dangers in consuming sucrose ("refined sugar"), including:

• excess insulin secretion
• mood changes and behavioural upsets
• spiky, chaotic patterns of blood sugar levels potentially leading to type 2 diabetes
• oxidisation and free-radical generation leading to cell death
• accelerated aging
• leaching of minerals, especially copper (potentially leading to aneurism and stroke) and calcium (potentially leading to osteoporosis)
• accumulation of fat
• lethargy
• abnormal blood pressure
• depletion of Vitamin C and B vitamins
• cellulite
• heightened PMS symptoms
• ADD and ADHD
• varicose veins
• rotting teeth (a dentist recently confirmed to a close friend of mine that this is due to calcium depletion as the body tries to re-alkalize itself)
  
• increased risk of cancer of the breast, ovaries, prostate and rectum, colon and biliary tract
• increased risk of Crohn's Disease, ulcerative colitis and exaccerbation of multiple sclerosis

He also mentions links with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's.

All refined sugars are parasitic. They have no accompanying vitamins and minerals of their own and no nutritive value.

He provides references to health articles on the potential dangers of Saccharin, around which there is debate about its risk as a carcinogen in humans.

The main concerns he raises around Aspartame relate to its neurological effects: "According to researcher Alex Constantine in his essay entitled Sweet Poison, aspartame may account for up t 75% of the adverse food reactions reported to the US FDA due primarily to its reported ability to affect neurological processes in humans."

The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology declares "It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants and children. The existence of evidence for potential endocrine responses... would also suggest a neuroendocrine link" (and goes on to suggest that it should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders).

So "how much is safe"? The consumer has the ultimate choice to make on this issue. Scientists and researchers have real concerns about these products and their material is readily available.

You can still choose to consume something scientifically proven to be harmful to humans if you wish to, but it may be prudent to research more widely on these issues if they concern you. Food additives are always a case of "buyer beware". A basic principle of good health and longevity is to halt the influx of toxins into the body, detoxify your body regularly and consume food which will foster a slightly alkaline internal environment for the body to thrive.

At the Health Highway, we recommend maintaining a good alkaline balance in the body and can provide information on a range of supplements which will help you restore that balance. We have a vitamin supplement for children which is especially helpful in metabolising sugars and restoring balance, with proven results for ADD / ADHD sufferers. Another standard product in the range is a wholefood supplement containing green, yellow and red vegetables, fruit and berry extracts, potent herbs, marine greens and cereal grasses. This product helps reduce waste in the gastrointestinal tract, support normal body function, alkalize the body and supply antioxidants.

Contact us at the Health Highway if we can help you on these issues.