You will have noticed if you are a regular reader of this blog (or possibly if you accidentally stumbled upon it), that one of our biggest gripes in beverages is the sugar content, but I often prefer some sweetness. Pondering this conundrum, several questions fight their way up to the cerebral cortex of my frontal lobe.
- Why do humans put sugar in everything?
- Why do 'they' replace our beloved sugar with substitutes?
- Why do YOU care so much about sugar?
Problem: Sugar has a relatively low nutritional value, being simply carbohydrates, and there are a large number who support the idea that it is making us fat. Well, not me, you. The other health problems related to excessive sugar intake range from tooth decay and diabetes to gout and possibly cancer. And nobody likes cancer.
There are, of course, alternatives. Honey is popular, but its distinct flavor and variation keeps it from use in many products, which want a simple, homogenized taste, like the beverage industry. HFCS is currently the most widely used sweetener, but I've gone on about that one before.
So what does the industry do to alleviate this 'problem'? Use low or non-calorie sugar alternatives! Sounds simple, right? Well, it was possible (in the US) until stevia was banned (in the US) as a sweetener in the early nineties. There are myriad other substitutes, some of them low or no calorie, like erythritol, but still are not seen in wide use. But pseudo-health-conscious people still want their sodas, dammit. So what was the burgeoning diet industry to do? Ah-ha! We'll make sugar. With no calories. Sweet.
The first artificial sugar was accidentally made back in 1879 by a chemist screwing around with coal tar derivatives. This went on to be known as saccharin. It was stable, and sweeter than sucrose, but had an unpleasant bitter or metallic aftertaste. If that isn't enough to turn you off to it, (oh yeah, it's still out there) just look at how it's made. By the way, the U.S. Congress decided it would be cool to repeal the law requiring saccharin products to carry health warning labels. Thanks, republicans!
More recently, other sweeteners have become popular, namely aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal and phenylalanine) and sucralose (Splenda). I have been unfortunate enough to try beverages with these sweeteners in them, even without my knowledge, and I can STILL taste them. Why don't I like this? I want the sweet taste, right? Yes, I do. But not with that false, almost plastic aftertaste. And although there have been some accusations to the contrary, these two have been deemed relatively safe to ingest, with no real adverse side affects noted. (Side note: packaged Splenda contains bulking agents, giving it 86% the caloric content of sugar, ergo it is NOT low-calorie)
As far as I am concerned, there is no substitute for natural sweeteners, HFCS and CF excluded. I love sweets just as much as anyone; hell, I still drink sodas on occasion, but I still look for the ones with real, natural, relatively unprocessed sugar in them. The key is moderation. I don't drink a gallon of soda per diem like I used to, instead I rely water, tea and fruit juice for my fluids. If you can't understand that you shouldn't drink that 44 oz cola every day, or that 44 oz diet cola, than I doubt even a higher power can help you. If you don't want to drink empty calories, drink water. And if you still whine because you like flavor, try non-sweetened waters like Hint or Alaya's Herbal Water.
-- WiseGuise
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