Sweet mystery Opinions still vary on natural versus artificial sweeteners By Laurelle Walsh
T
he health pages and talk shows these days are full of talk about sugar, leading with somewhat alarming headlines like, “Study finds moderate levels of sugar toxic in mice.” Artificial sweeteners have received similar media scrutiny – “Diet soda can be deadly” – compelling industry giant Coca Cola to defend its use of aspartame and to begin marketing a cola with the “natural” no-calorie sweetener stevia. Which is better, natural or artificial sweeteners? Are we “bad” if we crave sweets? How are consumers supposed to sort out all the choices on the shelves these days? First of all, we know for sure that the desire for sweet things is a universal trait among humans and other mammals. In the natural
Photo by Laurelle Walsh
Glover Street Market in Twisp offers an array of sweeteners. environment calories are scarce, so early humans learned that
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sweet-tasting things were good. We are also at the mercy of our
brains, which release the pleasure chemicals dopamine, seratonin and endorphins while, and even before, eating sugar. Nurse practitioner Kathleen Manseau, with Methow Valley Family Practice in Twisp, thinks, in general, that “sugar is a source of energy in our diets that should be enjoyed in moderation.” While some populations, diabetics for example, may need to worry more about sugar, Manseau says that added sugars should be “a concern for everyone exposed to the modern American diet, which is very high in added sugars.” Added sugar is what we, or the food industry, add to food, not the sugars that occur naturally in fruits, vegetables and milk. The American Heart Association recommends that women consume
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