Soft Drinks : The Alternative Sweetener Raúl Barrera Beloit College, Beloit, WI

1. Results In a study done by Tordoff and Alleva, subjects were found to gain more weight drinking soda that was sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup (Fig 5) than drinking Aspartame sweetened beverages or no experimental soda over the course of a 2 week period [5]. After the time period of three weeks, there was a larger significant weight change in females than in males. Females lost and gained a more significant amount of weight than males did. While drinking High Fructose Corn Syrup sweetened beverages, females gained a significant amount of weight and males did slightly. When drinking Aspartame sweetened beverages, women gained weight slightly; however, men lost weight significantly. In terms of caloric intake, when consuming HFCS-sweetened beverages, there was a 13% increase in calorie intake and significant increase in weight gain as opposed to consuming aspartame-sweetened beverages, where there was a decrease in caloric intake of about 7% [5]. These were all short term effects. In terms of having an energy intake, there was a strong correlation in energy intake with soft drink consumption. There was an increase of energy intake because of sugar-sweetened beverages and the failure to decrease the rest of their food energy intake. Consumers had 17% more energy than their normal diet even after consuming soft drinks. There is an emphasis on the correlation of soft drinks to other aspects of dietary intake. The corrrelation of weight gain and soft drink consumption was due to the increase in daily energy intake caused by soft drink consumption and the failure to compensate for the energy intake [6]. The strong association of where energy comes from in terms of soft drinks emphasizes the fact that nutrient intake decreases. Calcium intake was negatively associated with the intake of sugar, especially HFCS. A study performed by Vartarian et al demonstrated that a 1 oz decrease in soft drink consumption was related to approximately a 0.25 oz increase in milk consumption [6]. This means that if there was a 16 oz per day decrease consumption in soft drinks, there would be a 4 oz increase of milk per day. However, the consumption of artificial sweeteners has been proven not to be safe for diabetics in the short term. In 2007, Ferland et al investigated the effect of aspartame on plasma glucose and insulin levels in 14 men with type 2 diabetes. The result of the test was that the aspartame based meal provoked a similar rise in glucose and insulin levels at baseline to a sucrose based meal [7]. Thus, it is unsafe for diabetics to continue the usage of sugar-free substitutes if it has the same effects. The acceptable daily intake of artificial sweeteners tends to change over time as more research surfaces. Cyclamate has been banned in the US since 1970 due to its carcinogenic potential. Saccharin is currently restricted to 5 mg/kg of body weight per day; Acesulfame-K is 15 mg/kg of body weight per day; Sucralose is 5 mg/kg of body weight per day; Neotame is at 18 mg/kg/d; and Aspartame has an ADI of 50 mg/kg/d. [7] Abstract The purpose of this project is to educate the general public about sweetened beverages, both regular ones and artificially flavored beverages. Artificially flavored beverages have no caloric intake and no immediate effect on blood sugar levels. As of now, there are six approved artificial sweeteners most commonly used in the United States. These sweeteners are acesulfame-K (potassium), saccharin, aspartame, neotame, sucralose, and stevia. Because artificial sweeteners have no caloric intake, food marketers claim they provide the robust, intensified sweetened flavor that regular sugar does. However, peer-reviewed research indicates they are hazardous to ingest, are deceptive because they are hazardous to diabetics, and are unlikely to assist in weight control. Introduction Various environmental and social factors have been identified to contribute to obesity. More than half of all Americans and adolescents consume soft drinks daily, most of which are sugar-sweetened as opposed to being artificially sweetened. In search of a “healthier”, low caloric beverage, the public has moved from drinking sugar sweetened sodas to artificially sweetened beverages (see Fig. 1 and 2). Some of the artificial sweeteners used in beverages are acesulfame-K, cyclamate, saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, and stevia. Advertisers claim the reason the use of products containing these sweeteners has increased is simple. Advertisements claim these beverages provide the full sugar flavor found in normal sugar based drinks without the harmful effects for diabetics. People who believe consuming less sugar provides a healthier life may choose artificial sweeteners.This fact will emphasize the reason why people have chosen artificially flavored drinks: one teaspoon of white sugar (Fig 3) has 15 calories and one teaspoon of corn syrup has 20 calories. One can of soda contains about 11 teaspoons of white sugar. The calories would be roughly 165 for sugar, or 220 for corn syrup. These figures are for a can of soda with just 12 ounces. People have made a switch to artificial sweeteners since their discovery because dietary sugar is related to weight loss, dental caries, and blood sugar levels. But how their use affects weight loss, and whether they are safe, are controversial (8). The most commonly used artificial sweetener is Aspartame (Figure 4). Aspartame was discovered in the year 1965 by a scientist James Schlatter in creating a bioassay while working on a new ulcer drug. Some of the aspartylphenylalanine-methyl-ester, or aspartame, landed on his finger which he licked later to pick up a piece of paper. He noticed the strong sweet taste. Aspartame is compound of three components; methanol, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Method For the most part, I read peer-reviewed articles, educational websites, online articles, and nutritional sites. Each of the articles and/or websites was reviewed by me with the help of Roc Ordman. I used the sources to gain a better understanding of the types of artificial sweeteners and their effects as well as to educate myself on regular sweetened beverages. Furthermore, I relied heavily on these sources to compare and contrast sweetened beverages. I was also careful to distinguish peer-reviewed articles from those that were commercial or personal. Figure 1: Soft drink usage in the United States 12-oz. cans/person 1947-2004 (right) Soft Drinks : The Alternative SweetenerRaúl BarreraBeloit College, Beloit, WI Figure 2: Soft drink usage between Sugar-Sweetened Beverage and Artificially-Sweetened Beverage (Left) Discussion In terms of consumption for sugar-sweetened beverages and artificially-sweetened beverages, both have been controversial for different audiences. Artificial sweeteners provide the sweetness of sugar without the calories. There are only 5 FDA approved sugar substitutes that exist and mostly all provide 0 kcal/g. This allows diabetics to enjoy the full flavor of sweetness without the sugar. Although they do provide benefits such as no calories being present, artificial sweeteners have shown to cause mild headaches and in some studies they have shown to increase weight gain as opposed to promoting weight loss. The available data correlates the consumption of soft drinks and an increase in energy intake. At times, consuming soft drinks displaces nutrients as it replaces other beverages such as milk which allows calcium intake. Meaning that consuming more soft drink beverages will decrease the nutrient intake. Figure 4: Aspartame Chemical Structure (right) Figure 3:Sucrose chemical structure (bottom) References Bray, George A. et. al. “Consumption of High-Fructose Corn Syrup in Beverages May Play a Role in the Epidemic of Obesity.” The American Journal of American Clinical Nutrition 79 (2004): 537-43. American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. <http://www.ajcn.org>. Fowler, Sharon P. et.al. “Fueling the Obesity Epidemic? Artificially Sweetened Beverage Use and Long-term Weight Gain.” Obesity Journal 16.8 (2008): 1894-1900. Obesity Journal. Web. 4 Oct. 2010. <http://www.obesityjournal.org>. Mattes, Richard D. et. al. “Nonnutritive Sweetener Consumption in Humans: Effects on Appetite and Food Intake and Their Putative Mechanisms.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrtion 89 (2009): 1-14. American Society for Nutrtion. Web. 5 Oct. 2010. <http://www.ajcn.org>. Raben, Anne et. al. “Sucrose compared with artificial sweeteners: different effects on adlibitum food intake and body weight after 10 wk of supplementation in overweight subjects.” American Journal Clinical Nutrition 76 (2002): 721-9. Print. Tordoff, Michael G, and Annette M Alleva. “Effect of drinking soda sweetened with aspartame or high-fructose corn syrup on food intake and body weight.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 51 (1990): 963-9. American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Web. 6 Oct. 2010. <http://ajcn.org>. Vartarian, Lenny R, Marlene B Schwartz, and Kelly D Brownell. “Effects of Soft Drink Consumption on Nutrition and Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” American Journal of Public Health 97.4 (2007): 667-675. Framing Health Matters. Web. 1 Oct. 2010. Whitehouse, Christina R. et. al. “The Potential Toxicity of Artificial Sweeteners.” Continuing Education 56.6 (2008): 251-259. Print. 8. Ordman, A., “Are Artificial Sweeteners in Soft Drinks Safe? “, http://chemistry.beloit.edu/Ordman/nutrition/sweeters.htm, accessed Oct 31, 2010. Figure 5:Fructose Chemical Structure (top)