One of the biggest lies in the modern world is that artificial sweeteners can prevent diabetes and obesity. These sweeteners exist in low-calorie and diet foods and beverages. Although the marketing makes it seem like these are healthier food and beverage options, there are serious health risks associated with these artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda (sucralose). Research continues to uncover the negative health effects of artificial sweeteners like sucralose. 

Instead of grabbing one or two white or brown cane sugar packets, people opt for yellow or pink packets of artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda. The “sugar-free” option is a healthier substitute, or at least that’s what manufacturers want you to think. The reality is that it is better to opt for healthier sugar alternatives that provide natural sweetness, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. 

What Is Sucralose?

As a chlorinated sucrose derivative, sucralose is derived from sugar and contains chlorine. There is a multistep process that goes into creating sucralose. One has to replace three hydrogen-oxygen groups of sugary with chlorine atoms. This process ultimately intensifies the sweetness of sucralose, which was found via the development of an insecticide compound. Later, the public was introduced to sucralose as a “natural sugar substitute.” And in 1998, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sucralose for use in 15 food and beverage categories. These categories included products like gum, water- and fat-based products, baked goods, frozen dairy desserts, and beverages. 

Data shows that the range of product utilization with sucralose is quite extensive. It is very popular in food and beverage products because it is readily soluble with ethanol, methanol, and water. For this reason, it has applications in water- and fat-based products. Other artificial sweeteners, like saccharin and aspartame, are not as soluble. 

Reasons To Avoid Sucralose

Linked To Leaky Gut Syndrome

As of now, the understanding is that the body cannot digest sucralose. It travels through the digestive tract and damages as it goes, harming the intestinal walls, which can potentially cause leaky gut syndrome. According to one animal study from Duke University, Splenda reduces beneficial bacteria in the gut and increases fecal pH levels. That indicates the amount of nutrients you can absorb in the gut. 

Associated With Weight Gain

Isn’t it interesting that the food that was supposed to help you lose weight does the opposite? There are epidemiological human studies that suggest an association between the consumption of artificial sweeteners and weight gain. Artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Although these studies didn’t directly identify sucralose’s effect on weight gain, they did show that it doesn’t help with weight loss. 

One study monitored two groups of children, which received either an eight-ounce can of no-calorie sweetened beverage or sugar-sweetened beverage. At the end of the study, the overall calorie consumption was greater for the group that consumed sugar-sweetened beverages. That said, the sucralose group gained more weight during the study period. 

Increases Risk Of Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Ongoing evidence supports that sucralose may cause symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease. One researcher made note of this years ago after examining a rapid increase of IBS among residents of Alberta, Canada. Sucralose seems to have a more detrimental effect on gut bacteria than other artificial sweeteners. A more recent study found that the use of artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, doubles the risk of Crohn’s disease. 

May Increase Diabetes Risk

One study found that consuming sucralose dramatically increased the risk of diabetes. Another small study found that daily consumption of diet soda increased the risk of metabolic syndrome by 36% and type 2 diabetes by 67%. Researchers note that these findings indicate that sucralose is one of the many unexpected triggers of diabetes. The answer, then, is that sucralose is dangerous for diabetics and non-non-diabetics alike. 

For the first time, researchers evaluated this phenomenon in human subjects. 17 obese and insulin-sensitive individuals took oral glucose tolerance tests after consuming sucralose with water. The tests revealed an increase in peak plasma glucose concentrations, but they also noted a 23% decrease in insulin sensitivity, which prevents glucose absorption in cells.

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Do you know what you’re consuming? This season, The Toxic Inspector will go over everyday household items that contain toxic chemicals and health risks. This week, we’ll be going over ASPARTAME. Have we been increasing our health risks all along?

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At any given moment, there are millions, perhaps billions, of people who want to lose weight or cut down on calories. In an effort to be healthier, many people switch to artificial sweeteners, which are commonly in pudding, candy, jams and jellies, diet soft drinks, and dairy products. While the zero-calorie or low-calorie aspect may seem enticing, consuming artificial sweeteners may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

The study followed more than 100,000 adults for about a decade, making it among the largest to date to identify heart-related problems with sugar substitutes. The BMJ noted that artificial sweeteners increased the overall risk of any form of cardiovascular disease by 9%. Consuming artificial sweeteners increased the risk of stroke by 18%. Additionally, the participants in the study experienced an increased risk of cerebrovascular disease, which refers to a group of conditions that affect blood flow to the brain.

The BMJ Study

At the beginning of the study none of the participants had a history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. Nobody was diagnosed with either of these conditions during the first two years of the study. Over these initial two years, participants completed five food questionnaires, which revealed that 37% of them consumed artificial sweeteners. Those who did consumed an average of 43 milligrams (mg) per day. That is roughly the amount in one tabletop sweetener packet. People with the highest artificial sweetener consumption ingested about 78 mg per day, while participants who consumed the least took in 7.5 mg per day.

Over the course of the study, there were 1,502 cardiovascular events, including strokes, heart attacks, clogging of blood vessels, and more. There were also medical procedures that had to restore blood flow in the obstructed arteries or veins. According to researchers, the annual absolute risk of cardiovascular disease was 314 cases per 100,000 people among the participants who didn’t consume artificial sweeteners. The number of cases increased to 346 for people who took in the most artificial sweeteners. 

Were Risks Higher Based On Different Sweeteners?

The study concluded that the risks of cardiovascular disease increased if participants consumed certain sweeteners. The consumption of aspartame, which is in NutraSweet and Equal sweeteners, increased the risk of stroke by 17%. Acesulfame potassium, sold under names like Sunett and Sweet One, was linked to a 40% increased risk of coronary heart disease. 

Because this was not a controlled study, the primary goal was not to determine if artificial sweeteners directly caused cardiovascular episodes. The results may have been skewed by the poor recollection of participants, regarding what they ate and drank. 

Is It Safe To Consume Artificial Sweeteners?

It’s natural for people to turn to foods or beverages with artificial sweeteners if they want to control blood sugar or lose weight. Unfortunately, this way of thinking is not healthy for the brain, heart, or body in general. Artificial sweeteners have been around for more than 100 years, though, originally found in the Sweet’N Low sugar substitute in 1879. Since then, researchers have found other artificial sugar substitutes like sucralose, aspartame, stevia, and xylitol. 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, controversy and artificial sweeteners have gone hand in hand. There have been warnings and concerns about type 2 diabetes and weight gain, but results are varied and inconclusive. Despite concerns from health officials, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers the consumption of artificial sweeteners safe. The caveat is that people do not exceed the acceptable daily intake for each sweetener. For example, the FDA says that a 132-pound person could consume 23 packets of sucralose (in Splenda) before exceeding the daily limit. 

The more artificial sweeteners you consume, the more you increase your risk of certain health disorders. As the study found, the participants that consumed more artificial sweeteners experienced higher rates of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. An occasional sweetener may not ruin your life, but regular consumption, especially in excess, may compromise your overall health. The general recommendation: limit your consumption altogether because foods that contain artificial sweeteners also contain other harmful preservatives, toxins, and chemicals. Consider switching to natural options like stevia, allulose, and monk fruit for better long-term health.

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There are many all-natural ways to speed up your metabolism. That would be a magical statement if people didn’t regularly  sabotage their metabolism and ability to burn fat. How do they do this? Well, as with most things that relate to your health, it all comes back to what you put in your body. That’s right, folks, there are many foods that slow your metabolism and prevent you from reaching your weight loss goals. 

The problem with “healthy diets” is that many of the foods that sabotage your weight loss efforts. You may engage in moderate aerobic exercise for 30-40 minutes per day for weeks on end without seeing any progress. Well, the foods you eat can plateau your weight loss by slowing your metabolism. What is it about these foods that makes them slow your metabolism, though? Some foods kick your immune system into overdrive and throw your blood sugar out of whack. If you are intolerant to certain foods, then you may experience chronic inflammation, keeping your nervous system in a constant state of fight-or-flight. Finally, some foods negatively affect the gut and take very long for the body to digest. If you want to know what foods are ruining your metabolism, continue reading. 

Canola Oil And Vegetable Oils

Canola oil and processed vegetable oils are extremely popular in various cooking applications. Safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, and vegetable oil can be used for cooking or frying foods, or in salad dressings. Unfortunately, these oils are processed and rich in unhealthy fats that may interfere with appetite regulation, your mood, and hormone levels. Canola oil, in particular, has a reputation of being a “heart-healthy oil,” when it is not in reality. Most canola oil is genetically modified, meaning that the crops used to produce the oil are rich in pesticides. Several studies indicate that GMO foods cause cellular change and toxicity, two things that don’t help your body’s metabolism. Instead, it is better to consume oils that are naturally rich in monounsaturated fats. Some of these oils include cold-pressed olive oil, virgin coconut oil, and avocado oil.

Fruit Juice

Fat in your diet isn’t the primary culprit that makes your waist bigger. More often than not, it is the excess sugar you consume. Sugar hides in many different beverages and foods, and consuming too much sugar wrecks your metabolism. Too much sugar in your body contributes to sluggishness, unhealthy food cravings, and inflammation, all of which slow down your metabolism. Some of the most sugar-laden beverages are bottled fruit juices, including orange, grape, and apple juices. These are more like sugar water than juice, and they are extremely unhealthy for you, even though they sound healthy. Store bought fruit juices do not contain the benefits from the fruit, unlike juices that you make yourself. Consider this: one eight-ounce serving of fruit juice can contain up to 30 grams of sugar! If you are going to drink juice, do so sparingly and make sure that you are making your own juice. 

White Flour

White bread and white pasta are the enemy, in addition to all of the other white flour floods. All purpose white flour is essentially processed wheat that is bleached, enriched, and stripped of all the antioxidants and fiber. Because white flour lacks fiber, your body breaks it down quicker than whole grains, which take longer to digest. The body doesn’t burn extra calories to break down white flour foods, leaving your metabolism operating at a slower level. Alternatively, whole grains that are high in fiber ramp up your metabolism because it has to work harder to break down the fiber. 

Artificial Sweeteners

Similar to high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners slow your metabolism like no other food. Aspartame is linked to lots of adverse health effects, such as apoptotic changes in the brain, free radical damage, and altered brain antioxidant status. In addition to these adverse health effects, artificial sweeteners trick your body into wanting more food because of how sweet they actually are. For example, one study evaluated the effects of diet soda on people with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes. Consuming just one diet soda a day significantly increased the risk for weight gain. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame and sucralose increase your cravings for carbohydrates. So although diet drinks are “calorie savers,” you end up eating calorically dense foods as a result of drinking them.

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As you may know by now, inflammation is both helpful and harmful. On the one hand, inflammation is the body’s way of fighting infection, helping the body heal itself. On the other hand, inflammation that’s left unchecked can be detrimental to your overall health. In fact, chronic inflammation increases your risk of developing serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and more. 

How does inflammation reach a point where it is harmful to the body? More often than not, your diet is the culprit. Various foods and beverages contain ingredients that elevate inflammatory markers in the body. After a certain point, these inflammatory markers start to attack the different systems in the body. While sleeping enough, exercising, self-care habits, and healthy meals can counteract inflammation, it’s often difficult to recover from the damage. Fortunately, there are steps you can take, and beverages you can eliminate from your diet, that will help you lower inflammation in the body. The following drinks are pro-inflammatory and you should avoid them as much as possible. 

Soda

Some people despise soda, while others can’t get enough of it. Some people drink as many as six 12-ounce cans per day! Sodas contain lots of refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, dyes, and high fructose corn syrup, depending on the variety. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners, which are known for increasing inflammatory markers. One study proved that excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened soda increased the risk of inflammatory diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, a long-term study from 2013 monitored people who regularly drank artificially sweetened beverages like diet soda. The researchers of the study observed an increase in metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and weight gain.

Alcohol

The occasional glass of wine isn’t a problem, but drinking too much daily can increase inflammation in the body. For example, a 2017 study found that excess alcohol intake leads to intestinal inflammation. It did this by altering the function and composition of gut microbiome, weakening the intestinal lining. In doing so, alcohol actually comprised the integrity of the intestines’ mucosal immunity. Compromising gut microbiome can affect the way your immune system functions. If it influences the immune system to attack the body, you may develop an autoimmune disorder. 

Energy Drinks

Similar to sodas, energy drinks also contain artificial dyes and sweeteners or high amounts of sugar. Regularly consuming lots of sugar is a surefire way to increase inflammatory markers in the body. Studies show that a high intake of refined sugar can suppress immune function and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. Additionally, sugar-free energy drinks typically contain sucralose or aspartame, two artificial sweeteners that are inflammatory. 

Drinks With Artificial Sweeteners

As we previously mentioned, artificial sweeteners have an inflammatory effect on the body. Artificial sweeteners like aspartame actually trigger the immune system in such a way that results in an inflammatory response. The Arthritis Foundation discourages arthritis patients from consuming artificially-sweetened beverages because they can cause joint stiffness by increasing inflammation. One study found that increased intake of artificial sweeteners, especially in regards to sweetened beverages, can cause subclinical inflammation. 

Oat Milk

This is a popular dairy-free milk alternative that people incorporate into lattes, smoothies, or in a bowl with cereal. It may surprise you to learn that people who consume a lot of oat milk have blood sugar spikes soon after consumption. Even if oat milk doesn’t contain added sugar, it does contain about seven grams per cup. The reason for this is due to the enzymatic breakdown of oat starch. If you love to enjoy an oat milk latte every day, you may increase inflammatory markers in the body. Because it increases inflammation and blood sugar, you may experience a crash not too long after you consume it. If you want to enjoy dairy-free milk alternatives, consider unsweetened cashew, soy, or pea milk instead.

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According to recent research studies, consumption of artificially-sweetened diet beverages has been linked to increased risk of stroke and cerebrovascular disease, including dementia. This may come as a shock to some because diet sodas are often seen as the healthier option, when compared to regular sodas. The reality is that while these diet sodas have no calories, the artificial sweeteners can make you crave sugary, highly caloric foods, which ultimately makes you consume more calories than you intended.

Aspartame is the most commonly used artificial sweetener in diet sodas. It is 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar. Aspartame is technically a neurotoxin, but the FDA has deemed it to be a food additive. But diet soda wouldn’t sell as well if the cans stated that there was a neurotoxin in the soda.

Researchers at Boston University found that aspartame is terrible for your arteries. The study, which they conducted, found that people who had one or more diet drinks a day were 2.9 times more likely to develop dementia and than those who did not consume diet sodas. Additionally, results showed that these diet soda consumers were three times more at risk of developing strokes.

Aside from this study, there has been a lot of research indicating the negative effects of diet soda consumption. These studies have shown that regular consumption can lead to obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and stroke, all of which are predominantly due to poor diet. These people with poor diets tried to reverse the damage by consuming diet sodas, which ultimately worsened their health. Some researchers suggest, then, that the results may just be residual impact of diabetes and obesity.

What is interesting is how these diet sodas can alter your taste buds. Because artificial sweeteners are highly concentrated, people may find that naturally sweet foods like fruit are less appealing. Additionally, less-sweet foods like vegetables may be unpalatable for them. The fact that these sweeteners can make you avoid certain foods means that the body is missing out on a lot of nutrients, found in fruits and vegetables, which help protect against cerebrovascular and cardiovascular damage.

The bottom line is that you should avoid soda altogether. You may want to try making detox waters or consuming various teas in place of sodas. More research is still being conducted on the dangers of diet sodas. Based on current research, they are very dangerous to your health.

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When you start an exercise or diet program, you are anxious to see results. That makes sense, especially if you are working hard to eat healthier. Are you positive that you are eating the right foods, though? There may be hidden foods in your diet that are counteracting your weight loss efforts by killing your metabolism.

Not all foods are healthy, even if you think they are. Since weight loss is about 80% diet and 20% exercise, it’s crucial to provide your body with the right foods. To achieve your weight loss goals, it is beneficial to avoid the foods in this article. Most of these foods can cause the following:

• Weight Gain
• Fatigue
• Muscle Weakness
• Blood Sugar Imbalance
• Thyroid Dysfunction
• Unhealthy Cravings
• Digestive Discomfort

Farmed Beef

Farmed beef is full of antioxidants that destroy healthy gut bacteria. As you can imagine, this leads to digestive problems and weight gain. A recent study found that the antibiotics in farmed beef alter the way the body processes food. This is why it is best to avoid meat and meat products. The results of a meaty diet can be detrimental to not only your metabolism, but your overall health as well.

Fruit Juice

Where do we begin with fruit juice? Let us first start by saying that fat in your diet isn’t typically the first thing that is adding inches to your waist. Consuming foods with hidden sugars, such as bottled fruit juice, can cause cravings, inflammation, and can slow your metabolism. The most common fruit juices people consume are orange, apple, and grape, all of which are basically sugar water. A typical eight-ounce glass of fruit juice contains about 30 grams of sugar. Instead of drinking these sugar drinks, you can make your own juice using a juicer, or you can add fresh fruit to water. You can also make homemade lemonade by squeezing fresh lemons in water and adding a little stevia.

“Healthy” Chips & Crackers

There are a lot of so-called “healthy” chips and snacks out there, but they often contain processed vegetable oils such as safflower or sunflower oils, both of which have omega-6 fats. Unlike healthy omega-3 fatty acids, which are in walnuts, avocados, flaxseeds, or cabbages, omega-6 fats is correlated with obesity. There used to be a balance between omega-3s and omega-6s in the American diet, but high consumption of processed foods has led to a high omega-6/omega-3 ratio. These “healthy” chips, for instance, can also contain trans fats and soybean oil. Plus, it takes the body almost 3 times longer to process these foods than it does to process fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds.

White Flour

It’s no secret that Americans love pasta and bread. Well, white flour is processed and devoid of all the health benefits that whole, sprouted grains offer. White flour is wheat that doesn’t have any of wheat’s benefits, which include dietary fiber and antioxidants. Because it doesn’t have any fiber, it does nothing for your metabolism or intestinal health. Typically, white flour and refined grains slow your digestion. This is why it is beneficial to eat sprouted grains like barley wheat or quinoa, both of which work to encourage a healthy metabolism.

Artificial Sweeteners

Probably one of the worst foods for your metabolism, artificial sweeteners are attractive to people because they lie to you by saying you can consume them guilt-free. Aspartame, for instance, has been linked to free radical damage, accelerated aging, increased cravings for carbs, and apoptotic changes in the brain. Artificial sweeteners are typically found in diet sodas. Drinking one diet soda a day significantly increase a person’s risk of weight gain and adds inches to the waist. Avoid artificial sweeteners and use stevia, agave nectar, or organic grade B maple syrup instead. The best part with all of these alternatives is that a little goes a long way.

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In a world of processed foods and artificial ingredients, toxins and chemicals can easily accumulate in the body. These built-up chemicals can lead to obesity, heart disease, migraines, high blood pressure, and diabetes, among many other ailments. Because people are now understanding the negative effects of these chemicals, they are trying to be more health conscious and live a healthier lifestyle.

Aspartame is one of the worst chemicals to put in your body. Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener that is made from phenylalanine and aspartic acid, both of which are amino acids. Aspartame is technically a neurotoxin, but the FDA has deemed it to be a food additive. We are pretty sure that diet soda probably wouldn’t sell as well if it said that it contained a harmful drug.

Side Effects of Aspartame

Believe it or not, aspartame is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Continued aspartame consumption, including drinking diet soda or using artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Equal, or Nutrasweet, can pollute the body and cause adverse side effects. These side effects include:

• Decreased Vision
• Impaired Hearing
• Tinnitus
• Headaches
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Abdominal Pain
• Memory Loss
• Hear Palpitations/Irregular Heartbeat

Symptoms of Aspartame Withdrawal

Yes, this is a real thing. If your body gets used to a chemical, or in this case, a drug, discontinuing it from your diet can cause withdrawal symptoms. During the time it takes for the body to detox aspartame from its systems, one can experience the following symptoms:

• Anxiety
• Appetite Changes
• Cravings
• Inability to Concentrate
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Mood Swings
• Restlessness
• Sleep Changes
• Weight Fluctuation

How Long Do Withdrawal Symptoms Last?

This can vary depending on the person and the amount of aspartame that has been consumed. Some people experience symptoms that last a week or so, others have symptoms that can last up to a month, and the lucky ones don’t experience any symptoms at all. The body’s energy and blood sugar levels should return to normal once aspartame is fully detoxed.

Detoxing From Aspartame

One of the best things you can do while you are detoxing from aspartame is to maintain proper nutrition levels. It’s best to cut out processed foods, other artificial sweeteners, meat, and dairy products from your diet and switch to a more plant-based diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds can provide you all the proper nutrients that your body desires without unnecessary chemicals that are added to other foods. You can use great natural sweeteners instead of aspartame such as stevia, agave, maple syrup, or raw organic honey.

Activated charcoal is a great option to help your body detox from aspartame. You can put a little bit in water, mix it in, and consume it daily. It is designed to help naturally extract heavy metals and chemicals from your body. You can also try taking B-Complex vitamins or consuming 3 drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a glass of water every day to aid the detox process.

While you are detoxing from aspartame, it is beneficial to replenish the body with taurine, since aspartame robs the body of this nutrient. Taurine, which is synthesized by the body from the amino acid cysteine, can be found in many seaweeds, spirulina, and sesame and sunflower seeds.

Once you have completely eliminated the aspartame from your system, you may notice that headaches disappear, managing your weight is easier, kidney function improves, and your attitude towards food changes. Ridding your body of aspartame lowers your risk of developing diabetes and your bones start getting healthier.

Did you eliminate aspartame from your diet? Let us know in the comments section below. How do you feel now and what did you do to stop consuming it?

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Did you know that Americans drink almost more soda than water?

Water is the most important nutrient for the human body. Water comprises about 75-80% of the human mass and is vital for every cell. Since it is the body’s most abundant substance, water is a very important component in your overall health.

The term “soft drink” is misleading because it is anything but soft on the body. In fact, there are many potential health risks associated with soft drinks. Many soda drinkers are not aware of the dangers of this beverage.

Origins

Soda pop actually originated in pharmacies. It was used as a drug or pharmaceutical substance. Several inventers of certain brands of soda pop, such as John Pemberton, the inventor of Coca-Cola, were pharmacists who patented soda pop as medicine. Adding to its appeal, Coca-Cola was known to relieve indigestion and hyspepsia.

Because soda pop was supposed to be a great reliever of dyspepsia, a brand was finally produced whose name was hidden in the word “dyspepsia”. We find Pepsi within the word dys(pepsi)a.

7-Up was originally a drug or medicine used on mental patients. It was given to people in insane asylums. The name 7-Up derives from the drug originally having seven ingredients, with the seventh ingredient being lithium, a known chemical drug that is given for depression.

Incidentally, soda pop originally started out as liquid drug (medicine) sold at the local pharmacy.

So why do we drink soda pop? Well, because we’ve been conditioned to drink soda pop and we enjoy the taste. But it’s potentially quite dangerous to our health.

Sweeteners

Soda pop contains some of the most harmful synthetic sweeteners in existence. Many brands of soda pop contain aspartame and saccharin, both of which are artificial sweeteners and proven to cause cancer.

Aspartame

Aspartame-which is 200 times sweeter than sugar-is an artificially made sweetener composed of two amino acids – phenylalanine and aspartic acid. It contains 10% methyl alcohol, which is also known as methanol (a light volatile pungent flammable poisonous liquid alcohol used as a solvent, anti-freeze, or denaturant for ethyl alcohol and in the synthesis of other chemicals). It’s also a known neurotoxin that impairs brain health and function. A neurotoxin is a toxin that can adversely affect fetal brain development in unborn babies.

At the temperature of 86 degrees farenheit, aspartame converts into a neurotoxin called formaldehyde. Since the human body’s natural temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit, aspartame will automatically convert into formaldehyde once inside the human body. Those who consume aspartame are essentially embalming themselves with formaldehyde.

Saccharin

Saccharin is just as dangerous and toxic as aspartame. Saccharin is a non-caloric petroleum derivative that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Saccharin is absorbed but not modified by the body. It is excreted unchanged in the urine. Saccharine causes bladder cancer in lab animals, which means that it will also cause bladder cancer in humans.

Other sweeteners

High fructose corn syrup is another dangerous sugar that many soda brands contain. Once ingested, this harmful sugar goes straight into the blood and adversely affects blood sugar levels almost instantly.

ACE-K is one of the latest synthetic sweeteners added to soda brands such as Pepsi-Cola. This drug adversely affects the brain.

Other brands of soda pop may contain corn syrup or dextrose, both of which are harmful to your health.

Sugar

Some soda pop brands outright use sugar in addition to other artificial sweeteners. Sugar is the number one legalized drug on the planet. It kills more people in one day than all the illegal drugs combined within 1,000 years.

One can of soda is equivalent to 11 tablespoons of sugar. No wonder soda pop consumption plays a role in diabetes, kidney failure, and anxiety. Mark Pendergrast, author of “For God, Country and Coca-Cola” correctly states that soda is “99 percent sugar water.”

Nowadays, public schools have soda-dispensing machines throughout the campus of junior high schools and high schools throughout the nation.

Coloring

Caramel coloring creates a brown color of the cola beverages. Caramel is nothing but burnt white sugar. So soda pop literally contains sugar on top of sugar. Soda pop simply has too much sugar in it and thus is a major drug.

Caffeine

Soda pop contains high amounts of a drug called caffeine. Caffeine belongs to a chemical drug group known as Methyl-Xanthines.

Twenty to thirty percent of American adults consume more than 500 milligrams of caffeine per day. This is twice the amount that doctors consider to be a large “drug dose.”

Digesting caffeine places severe stress on your heart. It also drives your nervous system into a state of sympathetic alert, the state you attain when a wild animal is chasing you and you are running for your life.

Hundreds of thousands of young American schoolchildren are drinking a soda in the morning before class starts every single day. Caffeine and sugar consumption is the a major reason why anxiety is a problem in American public schools. Caffeine is one of the world’s most psycho-active drugs and sugar is the most addictive drug on the planet.

Caffeine depletes you in B-vitamins, especially B1 (thiamin). Vitamin B1 deficiency symptoms include fatigue, nervousness, general aches and pains, and headaches.

If your adrenal glands do not react to the stimulation of caffeine, it could mean that you are headed for a physical breakdown due to adrenal exhaustion.

When you get into a state of sympathetic alert, your digestive system turns off because your blood is now sent preferentially to your muscles, lungs, and heart.

If you have any food in your digestive tract, it is subject to fermentation, and eventually becomes rancid from sitting too long in the intestinal tract that is shut down. Instead of being nourished by your food, your body becomes poisoned by the rotting products of incomplete digestion.

Caffeine also has diuretic properties that put extra stress on the kidneys and causes dehydration. Caffeine makes the nervous system work harder than it needs to.

Various studies have linked caffeine to birth defects. Research shows that caffeine interferes with DNA replication and depletes the body of vital nutrients, especially B-vitamins, Vitamin C, zinc, and potassium. Caffeine can also prevent the absorption of iron.

More than all other drugs combined, Americans have a physiological and/or psychological dependency on caffeine.

Most well-known and liked soda brands are loaded with caffeine. Consider the following:

• Mountain Dew – 54.0 milligrams
• TAB – 46.8 milligrams
• Coca-Cola – 45.6 milligrams
• Diet Coke – 45.6 milligrams
• Shasta Cola – 44.4 milligrams
• Dr. Pepper – 39.6 milligrams
• Pepsi-Cola – 38.4 milligrams
• RC Cola – 36.0 milligrams

Preservatives

Soda contains preservatives as well. The chief preservative in many soda brands is sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate is used to preserve freshness. Soda has to be preserved because it is a dead substance. If something needs to be preserved, then it is dead.

Most soda brands contain “taste freshener” chemicals such as erythorbic acid and potassium benzoate. It can also contain “flavor protector” chemicals such as calcium disodium. All of these chemicals are synthetic. Once inside the body, they help to preserve the taste of other chemicalized foodstuffs in addition to corrupting and polluting the taste buds.

Other ingredients

The acid in soda is erodes and weakens teeth, more specifically, the enamel. Calcium is the most alkalizing mineral in the body. Teeth are alkaline in nature due to calcium, the most alkalizing mineral in the body. Because soda is greatly acidic, it corrodes the teeth and enamel.

Another sinister ingredient some soda pop brands may contain is polyethylene glycol. Glycol is also used as an anti-freeze in automobiles and an oil solvent.

Phosphoric acid is another chemical that is found in soda. It is very acidic and it dissolves calcium out of the bones. This plays a major role in the development of osteoporosis, the weakening of the bones and skeletal structure. Due to the bones becoming fragile, a person becomes more susceptible to broken bones.

Phosphoric acid also damages the skeletal system and greatly disturbs the body calcium-phosphorus ratio. It fights hydrochloric acid, a chemical that is needed for digestion in the human stomach.

Carbon dioxide makes soda effervescent. Carbon dioxide is a natural waste product that the body produces. Carbon dioxide is released with every exhalation. When you drink soda, you are putting carbon dioxide back into the body even though the body naturally expels it with every exhalation. Essentially, nature takes out the carbon dioxide and then people put it back into their body. Soda is predominantly carbon dioxide and colored sugar water.

A few brands of well-known soda pop brands indirectly contain synthetic phenylalanine, a synthetic amino acid that plays a role in phenylketonuria. Penylketonuria is a metabolic disease that is characterized by the inability to oxidize a metabolic product of phenylalanine and also by severe mental retardation. This is why a few soda cans warn the consumer (who may be a phenylketonuric) that the beverage contains phenylalanine. Everything containing aspartame also contains phenylalanine.

Cleverly hidden within the chemical name, glycerol ester of wood resin, is actually wood alcohol. This type of alcohol is terrible for human health. However, it doesn’t stop the soda manufacturer from using it in their products.

Petroleum-based chemical color dyes or lake dyes are dangerous to human health. Yellow Lake, Blue Lake, Red Lake, and Green Lake are all carcinogenic or cancer causing.

Other ingredients in soda pop may contain citric acid, sodium citrate, sodium polyphosphates, potassium sorbate, and gum acacia. Just about every soda pop can or bottle may have the ingredient “natural flavor” listed, but this isn’t what is seems. Natural flavor is an umbrella term that allows companies to hide synthetic chemicals under the banner of that which is natural. If the flavor is natural or derived from natural sources, why not list them on the product? Well, clearly because the truth of the matter is that the “natural flavor” is derived from unnatural and synthetic chemicals that pollute and corrupt our taste buds and our blood.

A recent health finding shows that leptospirosis is caused by digesting soda. Leptospirosis is caused by dried rat urine on soda pop cans. Occasionally, rats may pee or urinate on the soda cans in many stores and markets. The urine dries on the can and then unconscious consumers purchase the can of soda and drink from the can, exposing their mouth to the dried rat urine. If you are going to drink soda, make sure to drink it from a glass or cup.

Rat urine contains very toxic and fatal substances. A New York City University study showed that the tops of soda pop cans are more contaminated than public toilets and are full of so-called germs and bacteria.

Flavors

Soda doesn’t contain the real source of its flavor. If you drank a strawberry soda and read the ingredients on the can or bottle, you rarely see the word strawberry under the list of ingredients. However, most soda labels tell you in fine print that the beverage is artificially flavored. The artificial flavoring industry is very good at what they do.

“The flavor industry is highly secretive. Its leading companies will not divulge the precise formulas of flavor compounds or the identities of clients. The secrecy is deemed essential for protecting the reputation of beloved brands. The fast food chains, understandably, would like the public to believe that the flavors of their food somehow originate in their restaurant kitchens, not in distant factories run by other firms. The New Jersey turnpike runs through the heart of the flavor industry, an industrial corridor dotted with refineries and chemical plants. International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF), the world’s largest flavor company, has a manufacturing facility off Exit 8A in Dayton, New Jersey; Givaudan, the world’s second-largest flavor company, has a plant in East Hanover. Haarman & Reimer, the largest German flavor company, has a plant in Teterboro, as does Takasoga, the largest Japanese flavor company. V. Mane Fils, the largest French flavor company, has a plant in Wayne, Bush Boake Allen is in Montvale, and Heavenly Flavors is in Bayonne. Dozens of companies manufacture flavors in New Jersey industrial parks between Teaneck and South Brunswick. Indeed, the area produces about two-thirds of the flavor additives sold in the United States.” Fast Food Nation. Schlosser, Eric. New York: Houghton Mifflin (2001), pg. 121

pH

All soda is 100% acid forming regardless of the type or brand. It has a pH balance of 2. This is a very low pH number.

Our bodies were made to have a natural pH balance of 7.3, which is slightly alkaline. A pH of 6 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 7. A pH of 5 is 100 times more acidic than a pH of 7. A pH of 4 is 1,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7. A pH of 3 is 10,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7. And a pH of 2 is 100,000 times more acidic than a pH of 7.

One can of soda pop greatly lowers your alkalinity. Once can of soda is 100,000 more acidic than your natural pH level.

A pH of 2 means that a person would have to drink 32 eight ounce glasses of alkaline water just to neutralize the effect of one can of soda.

There is nothing soft about soft drinks. All soda is harmful to your health. Unfortunately misleading, diet soda is just as worse as regular soda. If you drink diet soda and don’t physically exercise, the sugars in diet soda will convert into fat.

Solutions

People who find themselves addicted to soda pop should replace the soda with cider. There are many carbonated ciders that taste comparable to soda. Some even contain pure fruit juice and sparkling mineral water.

Cider is far better for your health than any brand of soda pop. The Crystal Geyser carbonated sparkling fruit juices are also healthier alternatives. Along with fruit cider, these make for a good transitory beverage for the soda pop addict.

So while you may still be ingesting carbon with cider and/or sparkling fruit juice, you are not digesting the harmful chemical sugars, caffeine, phosphoric acid, caramel, phenylalanine, and preservatives that are commonly found in soda pop.

“Virgils” makes pretty near-healthy soda pops that include the traditional American favorites such as root beer, sarsaparilla, black cherry, and ginger ale. These compare well to the average soft drink company.

If you enjoy ginger ale and/or root beer, you can find a few good brands on the shelves of health food stores.

In general, the less soda, the better. If you continue to drink soda, the healthier brands are generally more expensive. However, the cost outweighs the health benefits when compared to the average soda pop.

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Originally, chewing gum was made from tree sap but today’s commercial brands are loaded with harmful ingredients and chemicals.

The modern day chewing gums are made of four major ingredients including synthetic rubber, plastic, sugar, and coloring (dye). Modern day gums are produced from synthetic polymers such as styrene-butadiene rubbers and polyvinyl acetate. The final product is composed of 60% sugar, 20% corn syrup, and only 20% actual gum material.

If you’re chewing gum you are chewing rubber and plastic. Chewing gum is known as a harmless cultural tradition but it contains many properties that may be hazardous to our health.

Today’s chewing gums and bubble gums are predominantly sugar by volume. Seventy to eighty percent of most gums on the market today are sheer vehicles for sugar, the number one drug on the planet. Just as cigarettes are a conveyor for the addictive drug “nicotine”, so is gum for sugar.

There is great danger in chewing gum due to numerous toxic and poisonous chemicals used as ingredients. There are several common ingredients in gum that are harmful to human health.

Brief History of the Origin of Modern Gum

The first recorded history of mixing a gum with sugar can be traced to the Arab sugar traders who mixed the sugar with acacia, known as “gum Arabic.”

In 1850, modern commercial chewing gum originated in Bangor, Maine.

In 1859, Thomas Adams of New York used “chicle,” the dried latex material of the sapodilla tree in Central America, to make chewing gum. Adams received a patent in 1871 for “chicle gum.”

In 1885, William J. White of Cleveland, Ohio further refined and improved gum by adding corn syrup and flavoring the gum with peppermint, making it very successful.

In 1893, William Wrigley invented Juicy Fruit and Spearmint gums, greatly improving chewing gum.

In 1900, Frank Fleer of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania placed a hard shell on gum and called in Chiclets. In 1906 Fleer would also go on to invent Bubble Gum and an employee of the Frank H. Fleer Company, Walter Diemer, invented the pink colored Double Bubble, bubble gum.

Aspartame

Aspartame, a known carcinogen, is a neurotoxin. It converts into formaldehyde when exposed to heat above eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit. This means that aspartame converts into formaldehyde when inside the human body.

Aspartame is absorbed by the buccal mucosa of the mouth, gums, and the tongue-making it even more dangerous than if injected intravenously. By passing the spinal cord and the blood-brain barrier when absorbed in the mouth, the aspartame goes directly into the brain. The smallest amount of aspartame can be very dangerous and damaging.

When aspartame is ingested into the digestive tract, it breaks down into numerous other poisons. Most Americans are unaware that the candy, gum, and soft drinks that they consume, contain aspartame.

Saccharin

Saccharin is another known carcinogen. Government studies have linked the use of saccharin to bladder cancer since 1971, which led to forcing manufacturers to place warnings on any product that contained saccharin. Unfortunately, in 2000, the government decided that the link to cancer was less of a concern to humans than to rats, so the label warning requirement was repealed.

Regardless of the legislation, saccharin should also be avoided at all costs.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup is prominent in highly processed foods and is a toxic food ingredient. The commercial food industry promotes the use of high fructose corn syrup because it is cheap to produce.

It can be found in everything soda, bread, candy, gum, commercial fruit juices, and even meat. Introduced into the American food supply as a cheap alternative to sugar, high fructose corn syrup is a booming business.

It has become increasing more difficult to find a processed food product without high fructose corn syrup. After carbonated water, it is the leading ingredient in soda beverages. It has been found that drinking soda may increase Type 2 diabetes and is also responsible for tooth decay.

High fructose corn syrup is also found in most chocolate drinks, condiments, ice cream, bakery goods, yogurt, and cereal.

High fructose corn syrup masquerades under the name of crystalline fructose in flavored waters and energy drinks.

The human body does not metabolize high fructose corn syrup. In fact, it disables the body’s ability to recognize when its full and instead, increases a person’s appetite. By digesting high fructose corn syrup, you are increasing your risk for metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. It increases your risk of developing a serious disease and it not recommended.

When fructose is consumed, the uric acid in the bloodstream rises and blocks insulin. Insulin regulates how the both will use and store sugar for energy. If uric acid levels are high, serious health risks may develop over time including high blood pressure, obesity, and elevated blood cholesterol levels.

Other Sweeteners

Gums will also contain other sugars denoted with the suffix “-ose” and/or “-ol”. These harmful sugars include gluc(ose), sucr(ose), dextr(ose), fruct(ose), mannit(ol), sorbit(ol), malit(ol), and xylit(ol). All of these sugars are suspect. Your ‘-ose’ ending sugars are derived from fruits and your ‘-ol’ ending sugars are derived from grains or even wood.

Color Lake Dyes

The various ‘color lake’ dyes such as blue lake, green lake, red lake, and yellow lake are all derived from petroleum and are known to be dangerous due to its carcinogenic properties. Normally used for textile dying, lake dyes are industrial agents.

Petroleum is derived from rocks or stones. Even though rocks are not typically considered a food product, they become one when you use petroleum to make gum. Believe it or not, the federal government actually defines chewing gum as food.

Gum is made from synthetic rubber and plastic and therefore cannot be assimilated by the human body nor do they provide essential nutrients. Therefore this food product cannot repair the body, promote growth of the body, or maintain the human body. Therefore, gum should not be considered a food product.

Also, the artificial sweeteners used in most commercial gums are 200-300 times sweeter than regular sugar. The petroleum-based lake dyes are derived from rocks and should not be considered food. The body cannot digest gum and even if it could, gum does not provide any essential nutrients that the body can benefit from. It does not repair, nourish, or sustain the human body.

BHT (Butylated hydroxytoluene)

The chemical BHT is used as a preservative in gum. It is also found in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, petroleum fluid, jet fuel, and embalming fluid. In some cases, gum will contain two embalming fluids, aspartame and BHT.

Habitual Chewing

Due to the constant chewing and grinding of the teeth, chewing gum destroys the teeth. Some people believe that chewing gum strengthens your teeth but this is certainly not the case. Some brands may provide less harmful products with minimal sugar, but all of them are harmful to the teeth.

Most Americans don’t have a clue that they are habitually chewing gum due to tension. They have been trained that something must always go into the mouth, that they must always be chewing or chomping down on something. Many people have an oral fixation but are totally oblivious and unconscious of this fact.

Chewing gum promotes the desire to continuously eat. Gum causes the body to produce digestive juices (hydrochloric acid) in preparation of eating solid food, which can lead to digestive problems.

Contrary to popular belief, you cannot whiten teeth by chewing gum. All those brands that purport to whiten teeth while chewing gum are simply exploiting people with stained teeth whose teeth most likely became stained from drinking soda pop, drinking coffee, and/or smoking cigarettes.

Solutions

If you must chew gum, you should purchase the product from a health food store with moderately safe ingredients, brands such as:

• Peelu
• Glee Gum
• Spry, and
• Xylichew

They are made with far better and safer ingredients than the common commercial brand gums.

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