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Across the globe, citizens are consuming record amounts of soda, energy drinks, and other caffeinated beverages to get them through the day. Growing health concerns concerning certain sweeteners used in these products have prompted drink manufacturers to create newer all natural versions to lower the health risks of popular beverages in order to maintain profits and alleviate the concerns of consumers and health professionals. However, not all all natural products are created equal. The use of sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup and Ace-K have prompted a debate in both the additives safety and effectiveness.
What is Pure Cane Sugar?
Pure Cane Sugar is sugar that has undergone less processing and is often more brown in color than Refined Sugar (the white stuff, also known as Table Sugar). You often find Pure Cane Sugar in health food stores and the Natural aisles in your grocery stores. While Pure Cane Sugar (or Dehydrated Cane Juice) can definitely not be described as being good for you because it is a sweetener, on a scale of bad to less bad, Pure Cane Sugar is one of the better sweeteners you can choose. Because of this, Pure Cane Sugar is often included as the sweetener in beverages that carry the label Natural.
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is essentially corn syrups that have undergone processing to increase their fructose content to make them sweeter. This way, less goes a lot further, which makes HFCS a more affordable sweetener than sugar; and especially Pure Cane Sugar. These processing methods also give High Fructose Corn Syrup a longer shelf life than sugar, which is a great bonus to manufacturers.
HFCS can be found in everything from soft drinks to canned goods, even if the item is labeled "all natural". For this reason, it is important to check all food labels to be sure that the "natural" product you are purchasing is actually made from natural ingredients. If HFCS is labeled, the product is not entirely natural.
Heated debates regarding the safety of high fructose corn syrup have been waged by many health organizations, primarily because it is believed HFCS may be a huge contributor in the current obesity epidemic. This is because high fructose corn syrup is processed differently by the body than sugar, and due to its unnatural composition, causes the brain to fail to recognize a feeling of fullness. This results in overeating when consuming products which contain HFCS, and because so many products have this sweetener in them, its hard to know which foods are safe. It is also theorized that HFCS may cause the body to produce more fat than usual, resulting in weight gain.
Of course there are other studies saying that HFCS is just the same as table sugar in the effect it has on the body and doesnt contribute to obesity any more than sugar. And again, it is important to remember that sweeteners overall, whether its High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pure Cane Sugar, or any other sweetener, arent the best for your body, especially in large amounts. After all, The World Health Organization recommends that only 10% of your daily calories come from sugar. Based on the average 2,000 calorie diet, thats only 50 grams of sugar per day you should be ingesting, and less is preferable!
Acesulfame Potassium or Ace-K
One of the less talked about sweeteners in the Sweetener Debate is Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K. Ace K is a calorie free sweetener along the same lines of aspartame and sucralose. Many diet sodas and other diet beverages contain Ace K as a sweetener because it enables them to give their products a sweet taste without additional calories.
In many products, like soft drinks, Ace K is used along with other 0 calorie sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame because the blend of these sweeteners makes a more palatable taste than any one of them used alone.
For diabetics, Ace-K and other artificial sweeteners are especially appealing because they do not raise blood sugar. They also do not contribute to tooth decay as sugar can. These characteristics pose health benefits to those suffering from blood sugar and dental problems, however Ace-K and all similar products should still be used in extreme moderation.
In the end, while one sweetener may seem to have less negative effects than another, any sweetener is best when consumed sparingly. Most importantly though, read the labels on the products that you buy, so that regardless of the sweetener in the beverage you choose, you can monitor how much sweetener of any kind youre putting in your system. - 24553
What is Pure Cane Sugar?
Pure Cane Sugar is sugar that has undergone less processing and is often more brown in color than Refined Sugar (the white stuff, also known as Table Sugar). You often find Pure Cane Sugar in health food stores and the Natural aisles in your grocery stores. While Pure Cane Sugar (or Dehydrated Cane Juice) can definitely not be described as being good for you because it is a sweetener, on a scale of bad to less bad, Pure Cane Sugar is one of the better sweeteners you can choose. Because of this, Pure Cane Sugar is often included as the sweetener in beverages that carry the label Natural.
What is High Fructose Corn Syrup?
High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is essentially corn syrups that have undergone processing to increase their fructose content to make them sweeter. This way, less goes a lot further, which makes HFCS a more affordable sweetener than sugar; and especially Pure Cane Sugar. These processing methods also give High Fructose Corn Syrup a longer shelf life than sugar, which is a great bonus to manufacturers.
HFCS can be found in everything from soft drinks to canned goods, even if the item is labeled "all natural". For this reason, it is important to check all food labels to be sure that the "natural" product you are purchasing is actually made from natural ingredients. If HFCS is labeled, the product is not entirely natural.
Heated debates regarding the safety of high fructose corn syrup have been waged by many health organizations, primarily because it is believed HFCS may be a huge contributor in the current obesity epidemic. This is because high fructose corn syrup is processed differently by the body than sugar, and due to its unnatural composition, causes the brain to fail to recognize a feeling of fullness. This results in overeating when consuming products which contain HFCS, and because so many products have this sweetener in them, its hard to know which foods are safe. It is also theorized that HFCS may cause the body to produce more fat than usual, resulting in weight gain.
Of course there are other studies saying that HFCS is just the same as table sugar in the effect it has on the body and doesnt contribute to obesity any more than sugar. And again, it is important to remember that sweeteners overall, whether its High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pure Cane Sugar, or any other sweetener, arent the best for your body, especially in large amounts. After all, The World Health Organization recommends that only 10% of your daily calories come from sugar. Based on the average 2,000 calorie diet, thats only 50 grams of sugar per day you should be ingesting, and less is preferable!
Acesulfame Potassium or Ace-K
One of the less talked about sweeteners in the Sweetener Debate is Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K. Ace K is a calorie free sweetener along the same lines of aspartame and sucralose. Many diet sodas and other diet beverages contain Ace K as a sweetener because it enables them to give their products a sweet taste without additional calories.
In many products, like soft drinks, Ace K is used along with other 0 calorie sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame because the blend of these sweeteners makes a more palatable taste than any one of them used alone.
For diabetics, Ace-K and other artificial sweeteners are especially appealing because they do not raise blood sugar. They also do not contribute to tooth decay as sugar can. These characteristics pose health benefits to those suffering from blood sugar and dental problems, however Ace-K and all similar products should still be used in extreme moderation.
In the end, while one sweetener may seem to have less negative effects than another, any sweetener is best when consumed sparingly. Most importantly though, read the labels on the products that you buy, so that regardless of the sweetener in the beverage you choose, you can monitor how much sweetener of any kind youre putting in your system. - 24553
About the Author:
Imbibe is a leader of great tasting private label beverages. Please visit http://www.imbibeinc.com to learn more about Imbibe.
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