Steroids Done Right

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.

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?

The use of high fructose syrup, also known as HFCS, has skyrocketed in recent years because of its wide availability and cost efficiency. It is comprised primarily of corn syrup that has been stripped down and heavily processed to increase the fructose content. This leaves it with a taste that is far sweeter than that of regular cane sugar, thereby allowing much smaller quantities to be used. It also has a longer shelf life than sugar, especially all natural cane sugar which contains no preservatives to extend its use. This makes high fructose syrup very attractive to manufacturers of nearly all food products, especially beverage companies.

When reading labels, youll find High Fructose Corn Syrup in many different products from things like soft drinks that you expect to contain sweeteners, to other products like iced tea and juices where its presence might surprise you. And, if you look closely at the labels, youll also notice that sometimes, products that claim to be All Natural have HFCS hidden in the ingredient list, which makes them not really all that Natural after all.

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.

Other conclusions have been drawn that say that HFCS is no less healthy for the body than sugar, and that all sweeteners should be in used in moderation. Even natrual sugar, they say, when consumed in excess of 10% of daily calories can lead to weight gain and obesity. This translates to a mere 50 grams of sugar each day within a diet of 2,000 calories. Of course, even less is better.

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.

Ace-K is commonly used in combination with other artificial sweeteners to heighten the effects. Using more than one sweetener in the same product enhances the overall flavor and allows the diet version of a product to taste as appealing as possible.

Ace K can also enable people to enjoy beverages without the threat of tooth decay as well as offering those with diabetes a way to enjoy sodas and other sweetened drinks without negative effects.

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.

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