Have you taken your sweetener, sweetie?

What you should know about sweeteners

Many people think that sweeteners are good because they are much healthier and kinder to use as far as the health of your teeth is concerned. They don’t cause as many cavities. The other reason people use sweeteners is to lose weight.

There are others who will say no to artificial sweeteners because they reckon they are the precursors to cancer and other nasty diseases. You be the judge.

What really are sweeteners?

When saccharin first came out around the early 1900s, people questioned its use. It was Teddy Roosevelt who said: “Anyone who thinks saccharin is dangerous is an idiot".

Even so, presidents can also be wrong and saccharin still is one of the most studied molecules around today.

After saccharin, two more artificial sweeteners arrived on the market; called aspartame, and acesulfame K. All were created and invested in, to take the place of sucrose.

Saccharin was discovered by a chemistry research assistant, Constantine Fahlberg. He was working on a new food preservative when some of the compound was left on his hands, which he then noticed to be so intently sweet.

He named it saccharin after the Latin word saccharum which means sugar.  He went back to his to lab to trace back his steps to be able to synthesize saccharin in bulk.

Where we stand today

Today, we are putting artificial sweeteners in our coffee, we drink them in our diet sodas, and millions use them to cut calories and to hopefully lose weight.

But the question is always asked – are they hazardous to our health? It is a critical question because the average American is consuming around 24 pounds of artificial sweeteners every year!

Apart from sodas where they are commonly found, sugar substitutes are also added to nearly 6,000 other products in the US. You might not have even realized it, but these sweeteners are included in baby foods, yogurts, and frozen dinners.

There are four major groups of FDA-approved artificial sweeteners around. These are:

• Aspartame (these include the Equal and Nutrasweet brands)
• Sucralose (includes the Splenda brand)
• Saccharin (includes the Sweet’N Low brand)
• Acesulfame Potassium (includes Sunett and Sweet One brands)

Is it true that they can actually cause you to gain weight?

There are millions of people who use artificial sweeteners to cut down on their caloric intake. But in fact, the very opposite can occur.

There is new research which shows that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your taste receptors that sense sweetness in your stomach and esophagus. Because the pancreas anticipates energy, it releases insulin, an important hormone in the body which accumulates body fat.

At the same time, chemicals get sent to the brain’s satiety center. The brain becomes confused as to whether or not the body is actually receiving calories when sweeteners are ingested.

The end result is that you feel even hungrier and less full, which can lead to weight gain.

Some people say artificial sweeteners are addictive

Research completed on artificial sweeteners shows that they can affect the same parts of the brain that has to deal with addiction. Artificial sweeteners are substances that some people just cannot do without, a kind of addiction.

They are also much sweeter than natural sugars, such as the sugar found in whole grains, fruits and skim milk – and therefore can actually reset your taste buds.

The body can then build up a tolerance, which in turn can cause overuse – another sign of addiction.

The theory which exists that artificial sweeteners can cause weight gain extends to include even addictive behavior.

This is because the sweet receptors in the esophagus and the stomach become “tricked” into receiving the zero-calorie sugar substitute, making a person crave more food and becoming susceptible to addictive eating habits like binging or overeating.

And some say they cause you to need to the bathroom more often

It is reported that artificial sweeteners can cause you to go to the bathroom more often because they might cause the muscles in the bladder to become hyperactive – where you need to urinate more frequently.

Just one packet could be enough to cause you to urinate more frequently than normal, wearing out the bladder, and increasing the risk of urinary tract infections and urge incontinence.

Other reports link some of the sugar substitutes to major digestive problems including bloating, diarrhea, cramps, and gas. These ones are called sugar alcohols, calorie-reduced sugar substitutes that include sorbitol and maltitol, found in sugar-free gums, candy and baked goods.

Because artificial sweeteners can cause your body to crave more food, it is very possible that you can then also put on weight, which further increases your risk for diabetes.

Apart from diabetes, these artificial sweeteners could well be contributing to a nationwide epidemic of metabolic syndrome. This includes diabetes-inducing insulin resistance, too much fat around the waistline, and high blood pressure.

Whether you are a diabetic or not, you need to limit yourself to no more than 2 servings of artificial sweeteners per day.

Some say they can cause cancer

When artificial sweeteners like saccharin were first marketed, there were some animal studies which showed an increased rate of cancer in animals.

But the FDA has done their research and no evidence exists that the moderate use of sweeteners in humans can cause cancer. But still, a report from the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) as well as the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), show that the evidence that excess body fat increases the risk of developing cancer is stronger now than it ever was.

Go natural on going sweet

Instead of artificial sweeteners, try one of these natural alternatives – they will be far better for your health, and they are trustworthy -

• Honey: It is unlike table sugar. It is a complex food, totally natural. Just one teaspoon contains 25 other compounds which include proteins, amino acids and trace minerals.
• Raw buckwheat honey: It’s also honey, but it is the darker version of honey and is much less processed and refined than the light-colored regular honey. Raw Buckwheat honey hasn’t been strained or heated, so it retains a lot of the many disease-fighting nutrients and antioxidants. Try about one tablespoon a day.
• Agave:  A distilled sweetener derived from the blue agave cactus, agave has a low glycemic index. In its natural form, extracts from the agave plant have strong anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.
• Stevia: This is a non-caloric sweetener that comes from a plant and it is all-natural. Just be careful, because there are heaps of stevia products which are sold with extra additives – some companies blend it with other sweeteners.

Respect your body - look forward to feeling clean and healthy. Your body deserves better than laboratory-made sweetness
(Damon Gameau)

Life begins after going gluten-free - gene variants linked to gluten sensitivity

Feeling bloated is one of the main complaints of people who are gluten sensitive. Gluten intolerance is the body’s autoimmune reaction in the small intestine, and it’s very probable when you have celiac disease.

If you are someone with gluten intolerance, studies suggest that it is likely that you carry the genes that play a role in the onset of being gluten intolerant; that only really effective known treatment is to be on a lifelong diet of gluten-free products.

No conclusive evidence yet of genes linkage to gluten sensitivity

• There was a research project carried out at the Academy of Finland's Research Program on Nutrition, Food and Health (ELVIRA) that brought with it some new knowledge on the hereditary nature of gluten intolerance.

  They identified genes that carry higher risks of developing gluten intolerance.

  The research showed that the questionable genes are linked closely to the immune system and inflammation occurring rather than actually being connected with the actual breaking down of gluten in the digestive tract.

• In the research, some genes identified were linked to the immune system’s defense against viruses, which might indicate that virus infections could be connected in some way to the onset of being gluten intolerant.
• It was further discovered in the research that those genes that predispose people to be gluten intolerant are extremely widespread in people.

  As a result, they form only a minor part of the explanation that gluten intolerance is inherited.

• The knowledge of genes being behind gluten intolerance is still valuable information in itself, however, because it helps the researchers to further explore the actual reasons why people become gluten intolerance.

  This in turns builds the potential to develop new treatments and also to develop preventive methods.

  This is very important because being gluten intolerant is relatively symptom-free, and yet it can and does have some serious complications if it is not treated.

• The researchers localized the risk genes – using their data on entire families and other patients.

  The material coming from the study forms part of extensive studies on thousands of people who suffer from gluten intolerance.

• Research into hereditary conditions has come a long way over the last few years. Gene researchers have closely analyzed what the risk factors are in the genes that predispose people to be gluten intolerant.

  Researchers know it is important to discover how these risk factors impact on gene function and also the role they play in why people become gluten intolerant.

• Gluten which occurs naturally in products like rye, wheat, and barley causes damage to the lining of the intestines, and this causes problems with nutrient absorption, etc.

  Apparently, most sufferers carry the genes which play such a key part in the onset of gluten intolerance.

• People with celiac disease, which is the most understood of the 5 different types of gluten allergies, almost always have one of two very specific genes.

  Actually, doctors routinely use gene testing to rule out if you have the celiac disease or not and if you don't have the gene which is required to develop celiac, they let you know you don’t have the condition. Celiac disease genes appear in around 35-40% of the overall population.

  The fact that you have the genes doesn't necessarily mean you will develop celiac disease — it just means you have the genetic potential to do so.

• Because everyone gets two genes from their mother and father at birth, it means a person can have any one of many different gene combinations.

  Some of the genes will predispose you to celiac disease, while other genes could predispose you to gluten sensitivity.

When it comes to gluten sensitivity, one research in 2011 at the University of Maryland analyzed the genes of people diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, comparing them with other people who had been diagnosed with celiac disease.

The researchers found that just 56% of those people diagnosed as being gluten sensitive carried genes DQ2 or DQ8.

This indicated that those genes are far less involved in the development of gluten sensitivity than what they are in the development of celiac disease.

But the genes did appear more often in the people who were gluten sensitive than they do in the general population. It was realized that they may play some role in gluten sensitivity — it's just not clear what role.

But many researchers and physicians want to see the above findings repeated before they would agree that gluten sensitivity exists.

You might be gluten intolerant with these symptoms:

1. Diarrhea and constipation
Those who report have gluten intolerance say they have regular instances of constipation and diarrhea.

2. Bloating
One of the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance is bloating.

3. Abdominal pain
Those who report gluten intolerance often say they experience abdominal pain without obvious reason.

4. Fatigue
Fatigue is another symptom that people can’t really identify as fatigue because it can be from a lot of different causes.

5. Nausea
People with gluten intolerance could also experience nausea, sometimes more so after eating meals that contain gluten.

6. Headaches
Experiencing regular headaches is another symptom that people with gluten sensitivity seem to experience.

7. Other symptoms

Other symptoms can include:

• Muscle and joint pain
• Anxiety and depression
• Confusion
• Severe stomach pain
• Anemia

It is important to have yourself checked out in case you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy.

The doctor will take a blood sample to analyze if you have antibodies that could indicate celiac disease or a wheat allergy. Unfortunately, there are no tests for gluten intolerance. Most people try to monitor their diet and reduce or remove gluten from their diet.

People who think they have gluten intolerance should try and avoid any foods with gluten in it, which includes any foods that contain:

• Wheat, and its derivatives, such as spelt
• Barley, including malt
• Brewer’s yeast which is usually derived from beer
• Rye

The process of elimination then rules out a lot of different types of foods and drinks. Here is a list of some common foods and drinks that contain gluten:

• Pasta
• Bread and pastries
• Noodles
• Crackers
• Cereals
• Pancakes, crepes, and waffles
• Biscuits
• A lot of sauces and gravies
• Beers
• Malt beverages

Gluten intolerance problems get worse when dieting trends of the day suggest that consuming gluten has adverse health implications. There is hardly any research suggesting that if you exclude gluten from your diet, you will experience certain health benefits if you don’t have wheat allergies or have celiac disease.

And even for those people who do have gluten intolerance, it still remains unclear if they will benefit from following the gluten-free diet.

Conclusion

People who believe they might be gluten intolerant should seek medical attention before they make any dietary changes themselves. If you are someone who thinks you have celiac disease but feel better when you cut out consumption of gluten also need to take care when they make dietary changes.

It is important to take good care to avoid adverse health consequences like vitamin deficiencies.

Don’t despair about the food you can’t have but rather remind yourself of all the good foods that you can have!

Gluten is linked to a number of health problems. This is why a lot of modern diets and health advice systems vouch for the removal of foods that contain gluten in their diet. Gluten-free food is rising in popularity, with specialized gluten-free products and food services being a multi-billion dollar industry. There are a number of health benefits attached to going gluten-free, but which of them are true and which are not? Ultimately, should you go gluten-free? This article will educate you about the ins and out of the gluten-free diet and if it should work for you.

What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in most grains that are cultivated for food. Grains that have gluten content include the likes of wheat, rye, and barley. While there is no significant nutritional value attached to gluten (even though it is a protein), gluten is actually linked to the characteristics of grains and their byproducts. For example, it is gluten that is responsible for making bread “rise”. Also, gluten is added as an ingredient to some food products, ranging from bread to ice cream. A lot of dishes commonly consumed worldwide contains gluten to some degree.

The most commonly linked health problem with gluten is celiac disease. This disease is mainly triggered by an autoimmune reaction to gluten. This leads to multiple acute and chronic symptoms that make it difficult or impossible for people with celiac disease to consume products that contain gluten. Symptoms of celiac disease include constipation, abdominal cramping, bloating, and indigestion. Another adverse effect of celiac disease is it compromises the intestines, leading to decreased absorption of nutrients. It can be so bad that people with (sometimes undiagnosed) gluten sensitivity have significant vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

It is for this reason why most proponents of the gluten-free diet are pushing the complete removal of gluten-containing food products in the diet. They believe that gluten also causes gastrointestinal abnormalities even to people without celiac disease.

The advantages of a gluten-free diet

1. It helps you avoid celiac disease
This is the main indication for avoiding gluten in the first place. If you are diagnosed with celiac disease or you are showing signs of it, it is imperative that you avoid consuming any food that contains gluten. For those who do not know, the symptoms and effects associated with this condition are serious enough to make you sick to your stomach, both literally and figuratively. If you are sensitive to gluten, it is your biggest reason why you should turn to a gluten-free diet.

2. It increases your awareness of food
A lot of people are not aware of what’s going into their plate (and later what’s going into their body) until they start feeling ill effects from it. One of the advantages of following a gluten-free diet (and following healthy diets in general) is it improve your awareness and knowledge of food. It opens you up to the idea of healthy food options (more on this later), as well as the ingredients being added to some of your favorite dishes. When you are more aware of what you eat, you end up making better diet decisions.

3. It opens you to healthier food options
When you start to follow diets such as a gluten-free diet, you open yourself up to healthier food options. You’ll be surprised to know that there are healthier carbohydrate options compared to wheat, rye, and barley. You will also be surprised that there are a lot of healthy (and tasty) food options that don’t use gluten as part of their ingredients. When you explore the gluten-free diet, you become more exposed and well-versed to healthier food options. For example, quinoa and buckwheat are gaining a reputation for being a healthy source of energy and nutrition.

4. Gluten is actually empty nutrition
While gluten is considered to be a protein, it does not benefit your body like how you think it should. It does not contribute to either muscle growth or metabolic function. It is not even digested properly by your body, and some of it can even stay in your gut, causing digestive problems and prolonged irritation.  Not only you don’t gain anything from gluten in a nutritional standpoint, but it can also lead to digestive issues. Those reasons alone should be enough reason to cut gluten from your diet.

The disadvantages of a gluten-free diet

1. It doesn’t necessarily make you healthier
If you think that switching to a gluten-free diet will make you fitter and healthier, you are absolutely wrong on that one. This is because there is more to proper nutrition than just switching to a certain diet. While you can significantly improve your digestive function by cutting gluten from your diet, expecting that it would transform your health singlehandedly is a wrong assumption. Going gluten-free will not help you lose weight unless there’s a caloric deficit. You still got to follow other healthy practices to reach and maintain your dream physique, stave off aging, and prevent disease.

2. You still need to improve your eating habits
Even if you switch to a gluten-free diet, it’s not a guarantee that you will become healthier. A lot of fad diets work under the premise of making you healthy, with weight loss being their most common evidence. However, weight loss alone should not be your basis of saying that a diet works, as it’s possible that it’s only caused by creating a caloric deficit. Improving eating habits will ensure you get enough nutritional value at all times and your gastrointestinal tract is working like it should.

3. You might have shortage of dietary fiber
Deficiencies in daily dietary fiber consumption is seen as one of the biggest drawbacks of switching to a gluten-free diet. Wheat, especially in its whole-grain form, is one of the best sources of dietary fiber readily available in diets of most countries. Not getting enough fiber can result to poor gastrointestinal motility and even increase the risk for certain diseases. Removing that means you got to adjust your diet to compensate for those losses. This is where working with a nutritionist can possibly help as you embark on a diet change.

Conclusion

So should you go gluten-free? If you have signs or symptoms that you are sensitive to gluten, then by all means you should go for it. However, for the rest of the population, there is no solid evidence that retaining or removing gluten will improve or worsen your health. Overall, it’s a holistic approach to health that will ultimately help you achieve your health and fitness goals.