Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners

Hi. I'm trying to cut down on the number of sugars I eat. Since food labels typically show how many grams of sugar are in a serving, how can I know what a good "goal" should be? I'd like to record how many grams I eat now and then compare it to how many grams...

What do you think about sugar-free hard candy and breath mints? They're good tasting, low-calorie candies. Most sugar-free candy, gum and breath mints taste good. Read the label to see which artificial sweetener is an ingredient. Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are frequently used in these low-calorie candies. Sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol are sugars derived from alcohol....

How does sugar affect your body? Sugar adds calories which if you eat more than you need, you will gain weight. Weight gain increases your risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or even some types of cancer. If your body doesn't make enough insulin like a person with diabetes, then the sugar...

How much sugar is in a sucker? The size of suckers vary, but in a clear, hard candy sucker, there should be about 1 to 2 teaspoons of sugar (4 to 8 grams). Are your brushing your teeth after eating a sucker? Sweet sticky sugars like suckers or candy adhere to tooth enamel. The bacteria in...

What is in NutraSweet? It tastes good and doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste like saccharin. NutraSweet is the brand name of aspartame. Aspartame contains two amino acids, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Together they make foods taste sweeter. Persons with PKU (phenylketonuria) cannot use aspartame because it would raise their blood levels of phenylalanine. PKU is...

I need help. I have been trying to eat healthier, but it doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot. Could you tell me about how many grams of sugar I should stay below each day? Some of the foods I eat say non-fat but have 30 grams of sugar in them and I...

For the past two weeks, I have started to take MetRx. A couple of my friends have brought up the fact that it contains aspartame which supposedly kills brain cells and has not been approved by the FDA. I take this mix twice a day and the difference I have noticed is that I...

I've started using honey instead of sugar since it is a more natural sweetener. I've been trying to cut down on sugar. I'm not fat or a diabetic. I just think it would be more healthy. Well, you are still using sugar if you have switched to honey. Honey contains 40% sucrose (table sugar) and...

Could you comment on the fact that many parents are feeding their very young children diet cold drinks with NutraSweet? What effect will this have on the development of these children? I am concerned because they do not seem to be getting enough water and healthy foods and beverages. Children do not need diet beverages...

Does aspartame cause headaches? I think I get migraines from aspartame. I was on vacation in Jamaica over Spring break and I didn't have any migraine headaches. The only thing different that I noticed was the pop had saccharin in it instead. I do drink several cans of diet pop a day. Try eliminating all...