3/9/15

History  of  Sugar   Effects  of  the  Napoleonic  War  

l  Sugar  cane  plant  first  discovered   l  In  the  early  1800’s,  Britain  

Artificial   in  New  Guinea  around  6000BC  

l  Spread  to  SE  Asia  &  India  around  
blockaded  France’s  trade  routes  
with  the  Caribbean,  limiting  
their  supply  of  sugar  
1000BC,  then  west  to  
Sweeteners   Mediterranean  
l  Sugar  cane  was  desired  for  its  
l  In  response,  Napoleon  
developed  the  sugar  beet  
industry  in  order  to  provide  
sweetness  and  use  in  cooking   France  with  a  source  of  sugar  
without  the  need  for  the  cane  
The  History  and  Facts  of   l  In  1441,  Prince  Henry  of  
plant  
Portugal  imported  African  slaves  
Sugar  Substitutes   to  his  colony  of  Madeira  to  help   l  Following  the  war,  sugar  had  
become  affordable  to  the  
expand  his  sugar  trade— general  public  
established  the  “Trade  Triangle”  
l  With  sugar  consumption  greatly  
l  Brazil  developed  their  own  sugar   increasing,  adverse  side  effects    
industry,  further  expanding  the   began  to  become  apparent  
trade  of  sugar  

Saccharin:  the  1st  Sugar  

Substitute  
Industry  Development  
l  In  1878,  Russian  chemist  Constantin  Fahlberg  inadvertently   l  (1914)  WWI  saw  a  shortage  of   l  (1958)  Cumberland  Packing  
contaminated  his  own  dinner  roll  with  a  sweet  residue  from  his  
laboratory  
sugar  and  a  subsequent  push  by  
the  scientific  community  for  
Corp.  introduced  Sweet  ‘N  Low,  
a  blend  of  saccharin  and  
A  Closer  Look  at  Artificial  
l  This  sweet  substance,  now  called  Saccharin,  was  in  fact  benzoic  
sulfinide—formed  by  a  reaction  between  0-­‐sulfobenzoic  acid,  
saccharin  usage  
l  (1939-­‐45)  WWII  saw  a  similar  
cyclamate.  Due  to  its  more  
sugar-­‐like  taste,  the  use  of   Sweeteners  
sugar  shortage  and  increased   artificial  sweeteners  increased  
phosphorus  chloride,  and  ammonia   dramatically.  
use  of  saccharin,  resulting  in  a  
l  In  1882,  Fahlberg  tested  the  safety  of  Saccharin—after  24  hours  of  no   change  in  the  public’s  diet   l  (1963)  The  introduction  of  
adverse  side  effects,  he  also  found  that  the  entire  dose  had  been   l  Processed,  pre-­‐made  food  items   artificially  sweetened,  “calorie-­‐
excreted  into  his  urine.   began  to  replace  traditional,   free”  soft  drinks  saw  a  threefold  
prepared  foods   growth  of  the  industry.  
l  Doctors  began  prescribing  Saccharin  for  headaches  and  nausea   l  (1965)  The  discovery  of  
aspartame,  now  the  primary  
l  In  1912,  with  consumption  skyrocketing,  Saccharin  was  prohibited  in   sweetener  in  diet  sodas  
processed  foods.  

The  5  Most  Common  Sweeteners:  

What  Are  They?  
Saccharin   Aspartame  

l  Oldest  sugar  substitute— l  Discovered  in  1965  

l  1)  Saccharin   discovered  1878   l  ~200x  sweeter  than  sugar  
l  ~200-­‐700x  sweeter  than  sugar  
l  2)  Aspartame   l  Known  for  stability—long  shelf  
l  Not  stable  at  high  temperatures;  
limited  use  in  certain  products  
life!  
l  3)  Acesulfame  K   l  Known  to  have  a  bitter/metallic  
l  Composed  of  aspartic  acid  and  
phenylalanine—NOT  safe  for  
aftertaste  at  high   those  with  Phenylketoneuria  
l  4)  Sucralose   concentrations   (PKU)  
l  Unstable  at  high  temperatures;   l  Sold  under  Equal,  NutriSweet  
l  5)  Neotame   limited  use  in  baked  goods   l  Considered  safe  by  FDA,  Joint  
l  Sold  under  Sweet  ‘N  Low,   Expert  Committee  on  Food  
NectaSweet   Additives  (JECFA),  World  Health  
l  Approved  as  a  “special  dietary   Organization,  and  Scientific  
sweetener”  by  the  FDA   Committee  for  Food  of  the  EU  
(SCF)  

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Acesulfame  K   Sucralose   Neotame  

l  Discovered  in  1967   l  Discovered  in  1976   l  Newest  artificial  sweetener—
l  Listed  as  “acesulfame   approved  by  FDA  in  2002;  not  
potassium”  or  also  known  as   l  Derived  from  sugar   widely  used  yet  
“ace  K”   (sucrose)—3  hydroxyl   l  ~8000x  sweeter  than  sugar  
l  Exists  as  a  potassium  salt   groups  replaced  by   l  Possesses  a  clean,  sweet  taste  
l  ~200x  sweeter  than  sugar   chlorine  atoms   like  sugar  
l  Stable  under  high  
temperatures;  very  versatile— l  ~600x  sweeter  than  sugar   l  Similar  structure  to  
used  in  many  kinds  of  products   aspartame;  release  of  
l  Most  heat-­‐stable  sugar  
Sold  under  Sunette,  SweetOne   phenylalanine  during  
l  substitute   breakdown  is  reduced  
l  Considered  safe  by  FDA,  
JECFA,  and  SCF   l  Sold  under  Splenda  

Products  Containing  Artificial  

Sweeteners  
Products  (cont.)  

l  Dark  chocolate  chips   l  Canned  goods  

l  Sugar  alcohols:  xylitol,   l  Typically  sucralose  
The  Artificial  Sweetener  Market   mannitol,  sorbitol,  
lactitol,  erythritol  
(heat  stable!)  
l  Ideal  for  diabetics  
l  Ice  cream   l  Gum  
l  Usually  contains   l  Xylitol  (prevents  tooth  
sucralose  (or  Stevia)   decay)  
l  “Guilt-­‐free”  ice  cream   l  Sorbitol  (cheaper  than  
xylitol)  

Marketing:  Splenda  vs.  Equal   “Splenda  Essentials”   “Splenda  Essentials”  (cont.)  

Splenda   Equal   l  New,  “improved”  version   l  Splenda  Essentials  with  
of  original  Splenda   Antioxidants  
l  Derived  from  sugar l  Aspartame  (not  derived  
l  Consumers  made  to  believe  
—”natural”   from  sugar)   l  Spenda  Essentials  with  B   it  will  offer  the  same  
l  “Tastes  like  sugar”   l  Promoted  as  an  artificial   Vitamins   benefits  as  fruit  
l  Misconception:  Splenda  is   sweetener   l  “Helps  support  a   l  “20%  daily  value  of  
healthy  metabolism”   antioxidants  
sugar,  but  without   l  “Sweet,  clean  taste,  like  
l  Vitamins  C  &  E  from  real  
calories   sugar”   l  “Helps  with  weight  
fruit  
l  Only  sugar  substitute   loss”  
l  Fortified  with  other  
that  measures/bakes  like   l  Marketed  as  a  weight   chemically  synthesized  
sugar   loss  product   vitamins  

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Foods  Containing  Artificial  

“Splenda  Essentials”  (cont.)   Sweeteners  
Artificial  Sweetener  Market  

l  Splenda  Essentials  with  Fiber   l  Tend  to  also  contain  masking  flavors   l  Aspartame:  highest  global  production  
l  Package  has  pictures  of   l  Rising  due  to  safety  concerns  of  sucralose  
l  Mask  lingering  sweetness/bitter  aftertaste  
whole  grain  cereals  
l  “Small  boost  of  healthy   l  Added  acidity  (such  as  citric  acid)  
l  Significant  demand  for  sugar  alcohols  
fiber”   l  Rare  food  intolerance  
l  Contains  refined  corn  fiber   l  Potential  to  reach  $1.5  billion  by  2015  
l  Lawsuit:   l  Chemosensates  added  to  increase  saliva  production  
l  Violates  Consumers   l  Reduce  bitterness   l  Lack  of  education:  
Legal  Remedies  Act   l  General  public  does  not  read  food  labels  
l  Induce  cooling/warming  effects  
l  Violates  Sherman  Food,   l  Conflicting  information  on  artificial  sweeteners  
Drug,  Cosmetic  Law  

Marketing  Strategies   Sweeteners  to  Examine:  

l  Nutrition  claims:   l  Sucralose  (Splenda)  

l  Sweeteners  do  not  lead  to  
increased  sugar/calorie   l  Aspartame  (Equal)  
consumption  
l  Increased  obesity  rate,  so  
Physiological  Effect  &  Safety  
l  Saccharin  (Sweet  ‘N  Low)  
consume  more  “diet”  soda?  
l  “Guilt-­‐free”   l  Neotame  (NutraSweet)  
l  Consume  more  to  satisfy  
cravings!  
l  Stevia  (Truvia)  
l  Sweeteners  aid  in  weight  loss  
l  Partner  with  other  healthy  
project  development  
companies  
l  Splenda  and  nutrition  bars  

Sugar  vs.  Artificial  Sweeteners   Single  Parenting  &  Sweetener  Use   Splenda  

l  Sucrose  =  disaccharide   l  Splenda  contains  sucralose  

l  Energy  source  from  carbohydrate   l  Top  selling  packaged  sugar  substitute—side  effects?  
l  ^Blood  glucose  à  Pancreas  à  Insulin  à  Glucose  storage   l  Splenda  is  not  calorie-­‐free!  
l  Harmful  to  the  gut  microbiome:   l  Sucralose  is  600x  sweeter  than  sugar;  <1%  in  Splenda  
l  Feeds  bacteria  such  as  C.  difficile     l  Other  99%  is  filler:  maltodextrin  (polysaccharide)  and  
l  Harms  bacteria  such  as  Lactobacillus  rhamnosus   destrose  (D-­‐glucose)  
l  Carbohydrate  (sugars)  contain  4  kcal/g   l  4  kcal/serving  
l  Artificial  sweeteners  contain  (nearly)  0  kcal  

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More  About  Sucralose  (Splenda)   Equal   More  About  Aspartame  (Equal)  

l  Covalently  bonded  chlorine  atoms  (C-­‐Cl)  as  opposed  to   l  Equal  contains  aspartame   l  Linked  to:   l  Heavily  linked  to  weight  gain:  
l  Migraines   stimulates  release  of  insulin  
ionically  bonded  (Na-­‐Cl)   and  leptin  
l  Most  prevalent  artificial  sweetener  in  processed  food   l  Asthma  
supply   l  Insulin  triggers  energy  
l  Some  is  excreted  via  digestive  and  pulmonary  elimination;   l  Leukemia   storage  
remainder  is  stored  in  adipose  tissue  (fat  soluble)   l  Chemical  composition:   l  Brain  tumors   l  Leptin  inhibits  appetite  
l  Implications  for  fat  storage  and  release   l  40%  aspartic  acid,  50%  phenylalanine,  10%  methyl  ester   l  Irritable  bowel  syndrome   l  Risk  of  leptin  resistance  
l  Parkinson’s  disease  
l  Linked  to:   l  Biochemical  and  metabolic  dangers:   l  Multiple  sclerosis  
l  Headaches,  GI/vision  problems,  allergies,  weight  gain   l  Methanol  byproduct  is  different  than  naturally  occurring   l  Epilepsy  
methanol  in  fruits/vegetables  
l  Cancer  metastasis  
l  Formaldehyde  accumulation,  decreased  serotonin,  &  many  
others  

Other  Artificial  Sweeteners   Where  Are  We  Now?  

l  Saccharin  (Sweet  ‘N  Low)  has  been  linked  to  weight  gain   l  Exponential  increase  of  
and  bladder  cancer  (similar  to  aspartame)   artificial  sweeteners  in  
l  Neotame     What  Does  It  All  Mean?   the  food  supply  
l  FDA  has  approved  
l  Nearly  identical  structure  to  aspartame  
l  Added  3,3-­‐dimethylbutaldehyde  blocks  enzyme  responsible   recommended  daily  
for  cleaving  aspartic  acid  and  phenylalanine   intakes  
l  Formation  of  formaldehyde  still  present   l  In  the  media:  

l  Stevia  (Truvia)     l  Controversies  explored  

l  Steriol  vs.  stevia  
in  documentaries,  in  
l  Overwhelming  consensus  that  stevia  is  safe  
the  news,  and  online  

Obesity  Correlated  with  Sugar  

Consumption  
Diet  Soda  Popularity   Acceptable  Daily  Intakes  (FDA)  

l  Aspartame  (Equal):   l  Acesulfame  K:  

l  50mg  per  kg  body  weight   l  15mg  per  kg  body  weight  
l  ~18-­‐19  cans  of  diet  soda   l  ~6  cans  of  diet  soda  
l  Saccharin  (Sweet  ‘N  Low):   l  Neotame:  
l  5mg  per  kg  body  weight   l  2mg  per  kg  body  weight  
l  ~10  packets  of  Sweet  ‘N  
Low  
l  Sucralose  (Splenda):  
l  5mg  per  kg  body  weight  
l  ~6  cans  of  diet  soda  

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Where  Do  We  Go  From  Here?   Get  Informed!   To  Eat,  or  Not  to  Eat?  

l  Moderation  is  key!   l  Various   l  The  massive  amount  of  evidence  suggests  that,  when  used  
documentaries   correctly  and  in  moderation,  artificial  sweeteners  are  
l  Education  of  the   perfectly  safe  
explore  the  issue  of  
public  is  needed!   artificial  sweeteners   l  However,  the  correlation  between  sugar  substitute  
l  Make  healthy   l  Children  must  be   consumption  and  obesity  shouldn’t  be  dismissed!  
choices!   taught  about  the   l  As  a  consumer,  YOU  have  the  choice  to  use  the  knowledge  
sweeteners  in  their   available  to  make  the  best  decision  for  yourself.  
food,  and  which  foods  
to  avoid  

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