Natural Sweeteners versus Artificial ... - Health And Fitness

All things sweet are always much loved. The same is seen in case of food as well. A large proportion of foods are sweet in taste and this has contributed to their large scale overconsumption too. Nevertheless, the present day has been burdened with problems like diabetes, obesity and the like. This has led to the infiltration of the market by a number of artificial sweeteners. The debate over the fact if natural or artificial sweeteners are better, still rages. Here is a brief look.

? Types of Sweeteners

Before you take ideas of any of the sweeteners, it would be smart to equip yourself with the idea about the distinct types of sweeteners. The first group is that of completely natural products like honey and fruit syrups which have been added with the least amount of preservatives or artificial sweetening agents. The next group is that of the semi natural sweeteners like products which come from natural sources but are refined before being fit for consumption. Among these, corn and sugarcane can be cited as examples. There are grades in this group as well. For instance, white sugar is added with more artificial agents than brown sugar! The last category is that of the thoroughly artificial sweeteners that are factory made. Examples are numerous and some may be named like saccharin and sorbitol.

? The Relevance of Sweeteners today

The relevance of sweeteners has become all the more pronounced today! In fact, as a society we are at a stage when millions go into curing health disorders. In such a case, the fact remains that a sweetener in any form means a storehouse of calories which are nutritionally valueless. Therefore, before you reach out for that extra spoon of sugar, make note of the useless calories that are going in. Comparatively, the artificial sweeteners that say ?no sugar? can be had in a medium dose. They come with the taste of sugar without the hoards of unwanted calories. An important note that you must make here is that maple syrup and honey ? first category natural sweeteners, house vitamins, so occasionally consumption in small doses is not a bad idea. But remember, the bottom-line is ? once in a while!

? The Real Story

Scientifically, the body has glands that secrete the required enzymes for the breakdown of sugar into sucrose. As soon as any sweet taste is absorbed by the taste buds, the automatic neural response is to dictate the endocrine and digestive systems to secrete the relevant hormones. However, the artificial sweeteners are not real sugars. This means, your body is fooled! Thus the insulin is secreted but there is no sugar to break down. As a result, you tend to become hungrier and your diet goes for a toss! This is the scientific and the simple explanation to what actually happens. With this explanation, you will really think twice before jumping into conclusions about the benefits of artificial sweeteners. The conclusion remains that no sugar in excess amounts is good for the health.

Brenda Lyttle is a health expert who began writing for publications in her community in 2005 and now commands an authority in writing on healthy living, diet pills, anti-aging, and acne treatment related topics.

Source: http://my-healthandfitness.com/health-and-wellness-2/natural-sweeteners-versus-artificial-sweeteners-%E2%80%93-the-debate/

deangelo williams deangelo williams fantasy football rankings iphone 5 features rachel zoe seahawks spice girls