Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners

Does the US Dietary Guidelines in calling for no more than 10% of calories from sugar mean a) added sucrose, b) sucrose, added or naturally occurring, or c) all simple sugars (fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, etc.)? Do you also know whether sugars on the food label refers to added sucrose or to sucrose (whether or...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

Would you serve your children Kool-Aid with sugar or NutraSweet? My children never drank Kool-Aid as I didn't 't buy it. I also didn't buy my children sweetened carbonated beverages (soda or pop). Since children usually don't have their own money or drive a car, I was their food gatekeeper. Rather than dealing with children begging...

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...

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...

You have been so kind to take the time to answer my questions. Thank you so very much. Please permit me a couple of follow-up questions. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend moderate intake of sugar which includes sugar you add to food at the table as well as sugar added by food manufacturers. Am I...