Q: Am I wrong in thinking that children don’t need artificial sweeteners? I can’t see putting chemicals in a growing body. Also, will you discuss the role all the corn sweeteners plays in obesity? What about stevia?
A: You are not wrong! Artificial sweeteners are not worth what you might save in calories because of the potential risks in digesting chemicals. Kids bodies are developing rapidly and what is put into their body will affect them later. Although the Food and Drug Administration refers to artificial sweeteners as “generally safe” it makes you wonder why they are saying generally! We believe organic is best and although it is a bit more expensive to do this it is worth the health benefit you are giving your kids. Splenda adds chlorine molecules to the sugar molecule. The FDA cites a handful of studies suggesting that large amounts of stevia could be harmful however I have also read some literature from doctors that are proponents. Again, you can’t go wrong with natural. Honey is a great alternative to any sweetener because it is natural and unrefined.
Corn sweeteners are the darling of the government. It is the cheapest way to sweeten foods and it has the longest shelf like. Corn sweeteners (high-fructose corn syrup), sometimes referred to as liquid candy, plays a direct role in the obesity epidemic our country is facing. It is one of the two qualities that make up the term “junk food” (the other one is trans fat). Anything made with HFCS is best left on the shelf.
Here is a great rule of thumb: Anything processed in a factory is not healthy.
