The skinny on artificial sweeteners

and weight gain

Presented by Ann Cohenand Jessica Kovarik

Taste: how Groups of taste cells on papillae (bumps) Chemical binds with taste cell

Depolarization of nerve fibers action potential to brain

Adaptation of nerve transmittion

Taste: what and why 5 tastes: salty, sour, bitter, umami, and

sweet No longer taste ‘zones’

Taste and survival Avoid bitter Seek out sweet

Sweetness abounds Sugar = Carbohydrates

Simple and complex Main source of energy (4 calories per gram) Occur naturally in foods and added to foods

Simple sugars: Sucrose = glucose + fructose

Table sugar Lactose = glucose + galactose

Dairy Maltose = glucose + glucose

Germinating grains

Sweetness abounds Other natural sweeteners:

Honey, molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup

Sugar alcohols or polyols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, isomalt

Sweet energy Nutritive sweeteners

Contain calories Honey, HFCS, table sugar, maple syrup, etc.

Nonnutritive sweeteners Reduced or no calories Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners

Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners Low-calorie sweeteners

Sweet taste with fewer or no calories Food and Drug Administration approval

Six intense, low-calorie sweeteners: Saccharin – Sweet’N Low/Sugar Twin Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) Aspartame Neotame Sucralose - Splenda Tagatose

Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners Sucralose aka Splenda

Heat stable = use for baking 3 chlorine atoms instead of hydroxyl groups 600 times sweeter than sugar Created from sugar, so tastes similar to sugar

Body not able to break it down

Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners Stevia

Natural sweetener extracted from plants Not FDA approved, so sold as a supplement Body cannot metabolize, so no calories Studies inconclusive about safety: some show

no adverse reactions, others suggest smaller offspring

Rumor has it sugar causes… Cavities

Contact time of bacteria, not type of food leads to decay

i.e.: bread can be worse than caramel Hyperactivity

No scientific research to support Is it the sugar or the environment? May have a calming affect

Rumor has it sugar causes… Diabetes

Important to monitor to control diabetes Obesity

Energy imbalance leads to weight gain

High fructose corn syrup What is it?

Corn starch converted to glucose Glucose isomerized by enzymes to 42% or 55%

fructose Named ‘high fructose’ to distinguish from

glucose corn syrup Sweet taste, low cost, easy to use resulting in

wide use Soft drinks, fruit drinks, baked goods, processed foods, dairy products

High fructose corn syrup Media claims HFCS causes obesity

Increase in obesity coincides with increased HFCS use

i.e.: added to soft drinks in early 1980s But obesity also problematic in countries where HFCS

use is not as prevalent

High fructose corn syrup Media claims HFCS causes obesity

Fructose converts to fat easier than glucose Absorbed at different site by different mechanism Any fructose metabolized same

HFCS vs. sucrose Fructose metabolized differently than glucose once in

the cell

Fructose verses glucose Insulin

Glucose causes insulin to be released Fructose does not stimulate insulin release

Satiety Glucose used by the brain and helps sense

satiety

Fructose verses glucose Leptin

Increased by insulin release Increased leptin decreased food intake

Controls appetite Glucose insulin release increased leptin

decreased food intake

High fructose corn syrup verdict No evidence to support HFCS contributes

significantly to obesity Energy imbalance leads to obesity

Sweeteners and obesity Artificial sweeteners may cause disruption

in body’s ability to gauge caloric density Body appears to gauge calories based on

thickness Semi-solid and liquid foods/beverages inhibit

body’s ability to accurately compensate

Sweeteners and obesity Obesity has continued to rise as use of

artificial sweeteners has risen Multi-factorial problem

Energy balance: energy in and energy out Sugar = calories

Excess calories (and inactivity) = weight gain Weight balance = energy out vs. energy in

Laboratory ideas Tooth Decay

Explores the effect of various liquids on decaying teeth

Sugar composition of beverages Determine the sugar content of various

beverages All the same type: such as juice or soft drinks Compare different types: such as milk, juice, soft

drinks, water, etc.

Experiments with soft drinks http://www.eepybird.com/science1.html

Resources for teachers http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006-0

6/member_high.htm http://www.free-science-fair-projects.net/

http://www.free-science-fair-projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth-decay.html

http://www.splenda.com/ http://www.eepybird.com/science1.html

References Physiology of taste. Accessed June 12, 2006 from

http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm Schorin MD. (2005). High fructose corn syrups, part 1. Nutrition Today, 40(6), 248-252. Hein GL, Lineback DR, Storey ML, & White JS. (2005). Highs and lows of high fructose

corn syrup. Nutrition Today, 40(6), 253-256. Science fair projects on tooth decay. Accessed June 12, 2006 from http://www.free-

science-fair-projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth-deecary.html Juices. Accessed May 31, 2006, from

http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/8TH/tarrahw/JUICES.HTML Which beverage contains the most sugar? Accessed May 31, 2006, from

http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/6TH/Sugar/COURTNEYA.HTML Duyff RL. (2002). Complete food and nutrition guide. 2nd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey:

Wiley. Physiology of taste. Accessed June 13, 2006, from

http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm Study: artificial sweeteners may disrupt body’s ability to count calories. (2004). Purdue

News. Accessed June 13, 2006, from http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2004/040629.Swithers.research.html