By: Luis Trujano Anh Tran Luis Vargas

1. Sugar-Free Agents&Their Effects By: Luis Trujano Anh Tran Luis Vargas

2. Introduction • Sugar-free agents are synthetic compounds that have sweet taste similar to that of natural sugar. However, they are usually sweeter than regular sugar. • Some do not provide any energy at all; however, some provide only a small amount of energy after being consumed. • They have different names, including: sugar substitutes, sugar sweeteners, artificial sweeteners, etc. Sometimes, these names show the level of sweetness of sugar.

3. Types • Seven main types of Sugar substitutes: • Acesulfame-K • Aspartame • Neotame • Saccharin • Stevia (“Sweet Honey Leaf”) • Sucralose • Sugar Alcohols

4. Positive Effects • Lose weight • Dental Care • Reduce blood sugar levels • Reduce calories • Prevent people from having diabetes

5. Adverse Metabolic Effects • Brain Cancers • Bladder Cancers • Gain Weight- because people feel like they have not had enough sugar • Heart disease • Increase blood sugar levels

6. Acesulfame-K • Characteristics: 1. a calorie-free sweetener 2. 200 times sweeter than sugar 3. Made from the combination of acetoacetic acid, an organic intermediate, with the naturally occurring mineral, potassium 4. It’s a highly stable, crystalline sweetener 5. Safe if it is used in a small amount

7. Continue • Uses: • Serves mostly as an ingredient in foods in the United States • Foods that contain acesulfame potassium: candy, tabletop sweeteners, chewing gums, beverages, dessert and dairy product mixes, baked goods, alcoholic beverages, syrups, refrigerated and frozen desserts, and sweet sauces and toppings • Used in sweetener blends to produce a more sugar-like taste in a food or beverage with less calories

8. Baked Goods Chewing Gums

9. Negative Effects • Happens only when used in large amounts or for long terms. • Causes: • Headache • Gastrointestinal upset • Nausea • Mental Confusion • Liver Cancer • kidney Cancer • Visual disturbances

10. Aspartame • Characteristics: • 200 times sweeter than sugar • low-calorie sweetener • aspartame's taste is very similar to the taste of sugar • Has ability to intensify and extend fruit flavors • Breakdown rapidly

11. Continue… • Uses: • Used to make soft drinks taste sweeter • Beverages and foods contain Aspartame: soft drink, coca cola, chewing gums, etc • Used in sweetener blends to produce a more sugar-like taste in a food or beverage

12. Negative Effects • It is considered to be one kind of carcinogen. • Causes: • Brain Cancer • Headaches (some severe) • Dizziness • Confusion • Memory loss • Both severe drowsiness and sleepiness

13. Products containing Asparatame Negative Effects Products containing Asparatame

14. Neotame • Characteristics: • 7,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than sugar • Does not appear to accumulate in the body after being consumed • Breakdown rapidly • Stable at high temperature

15. Continue • Uses: • Serves both as an ingredient in foods and in beverages. • Foods and beverages that contain Neotame: coffee candies, chewing gums, beverages, dessert and dairy product mixes, baked goods, alcoholic beverages, syrups, refrigerated and frozen desserts, sweet sauces and toppings, and cereals.

16. Negative Effects • Causes: • Gain Weight because it made people addicted to it. Even though they use small amount but it made them kept using it again and again. • Increase Calories level (if overuse) • Damage endocrine system and nervous system- human body fails to respond to hormones sent from these systems.

17. Benefits • Reduce calorie intake (zero-calorie sweetener) • Dental care • Increase great flavors for foods and beverages • Save money • Important for people who have diabetes

18. Saccharin • Characteristics: • Provide no energy • Unstable when heated • 500 times sweeter than cane sugar • Has bitter and metallic taste • White crystalline powder • Calorie free sweetener • Rapidly breakdown • Does not accumulate in your body

19. Benefits & Uses • Serves both as an ingredient in foods and in beverages. • Foods and beverages contain Sacharrin: soft drinks, tabletop sweeteners, baked goods, jams, chewing gum, canned fruit, candy, dessert toppings and salad dressings • Also used in pharmaceuticals.

20. Continue… 4. Important for people who have diabetes 5. Reduce dental cavities 6. Reduce weights 7. Low cost

21. Negative Effects • Very toxic • Causes (if overuse): • Bladder distention • Bladder cancer • Urine osmolality • Increase of insulin- signals health problem- increase level of glucose in blood cells

22. Stevia (“Sweet Honey Leaf”) • Characteristics: • Made from leaves of Stevia flower, in South America • Calorie free sweetener • 300 times of sweetness of sugar • Available in health food stores

23. Benefits & Uses • Reduces blood pressures (if use only 750-1500 mg per day) • Reduce blood sugar levels • Reduce obesity • Important for people who have diabetes

24. Side Effects • Causes: • Dizziness • Bloating and Nausea • Mild muscle pains • Numbness • Prevent pregnancies • Carcinogens

25. Sucralose • Characteristics: • 600 times as sweet as sucrose • Does not break down in body • Calorie free sweetener • Stable under heat • Suitable over a broad range of pH conditions • Decompose into other substances at temperature above 119 °C or 246 °F • Safe for consumption by diabetics

26. Benefits and Uses • Used to make soft drinks taste sweeter • Beverages and foods that contain Sucralose: candy, breakfast bars and soft drinks • Used in sweetener blends to produce a more sugar-like taste in a food or beverage • Reduce dental cavities • Reduce weights • Does not affect insulin levels • Serves as energy storage

27. Adverse Effects • Very Toxic if overused. • Causes: • Brain Cancers • Bladder Cancers • Make people gain weight • Liver Cancers

28. Sugar Alcohols • Characteristics: • Extracted from plants’ leaves, such as seaweed • Not Calorie free • Very harmful for health • Provide about half the calories of sugar. • Body has difficulty breaking down these compounds.

29. Uses • Foods and products containing sugar alcohols: • Chocolates • Coffee • Star Brites Fruity Candies • Chewing gums. • Alcohol (beers, whines, etc) • Important for people who have diabetes only if they use half of the grams of alcohol sugars • Reduce dental cavities

30. Negative effects • Very harmful even a in small doses • They are slowly and incompletely absorbed from intestine into the blood • Overconsumption causes individual feel discomfort. It also produces abdominal gas. • Causes: • Gastrointestinal (GI) disturbances • Laxative effects

31. Continue… 3. Heartburn 4. Diarrhea 5. Nausea and Vomiting

32. Conclusion • Overall, sugar-free agents are diverse. They have different effects in our lives. In general, they share common characteristics and effects such as reducing weights, reduce dental cavities , and low caloric sweeteners. • The most important thing we need to remember is not to make use of these synthetic compounds because overconsumption could bring back some adverse and detrimental effects for our lives.

33. References Andrews, J. (2010, December 14). The Health Effects of Saccharin. Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/333674-the-health-effects-of-saccharin/ Astrup A., & Van Baak, M. A. (2004, October 1). The Sweet and Lowdown on Sugar Substitutes. Environmental Nutrition, 27(10), 2. Retrieved from http://0-web.ebscohost.com.lib.utep.edu/ehost/detail?vid=5&sid=45a7fa81-9336-4116-8d38-6345a4b6805a%40sessionmgr104&hid=120&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZSZzY29wZT1zaXRl#db=a9h&AN=15019347 Barry, J. (2008, March 1). Young Teeth. Nutraceuticals Now, 14-15. Retrieved from http://libguides.utep.edu/EatingandBreathing Kovacs, B. (2010, July 15). Artificial Sweeteners. Retrieved from MedicineNet website: http://www.onhealth.com/artificial_sweeteners/page10.htm Stock, S., Miranda, C., Evans, S., Plezzis, S., & Ridly, J. (2007, October). Healthy Buddies. American Academy of Pediatrics, 120(4), 869-879. doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2438