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Good Health begins and ends with Good Nutrition
Dianne Scheinberg Rishikof, MS, RD, LDN
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Nutrition is an essential ingredient for health. My definition of nutrition incorporates not only foods but also hydration, sleep, relaxation and exercise. No matter what state of health or stage of life, nutrition is crucial for everyone. And different for everyone.
You need an expert to assess and ensure you are getting vital ingredients in your diet and life.
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The expertise you need, with the personalized attention you deserve.
Call us at 617 257 3611 or email us at info@dbsnutrition.net
Serving the Greater Boston Area. Based in Newton.
Tip of the month:
Artificial Sweeteners
One of the questions I get asked most is about the safety of sugar substitutes. Sugar tastes great, but has empty calories, which are easily digested and absorbed to give us fast and short lasting energy. If we eat too much at a time (likely as sugar tastes so good. After all how many of us can resist it?) a blood sugar high occurs causing the body to deposit all these extra unneeded calories into our fat cells. Sugar intake should be kept to a minimum to maintain weight. But no one wants to sacrifice her sweet cravings. So these substitutes were developed.
Saccarin: this is a compound that is as sweet as sugar but has a metallic aftertaste that 1/3 of the population is sensitive to. In the 60s some studies in rats indicated that there was cancer risk associated with saccarin. These studies were poorly conducted and there have since been studies disproving these claims.
Aspartame: you might know it as Nutrasweet. This compound is made of two natural amino acids (one of which is phenylalanine, so people with PKU shouldn’t consume products with aspartame), so has calories and is metabolized but it is considered noncaloric due to the very small amounts of calories it contributes in the amount to sweeten a beverage.
Sucralose (Splenda): this is a molecule that is a derivative of sugar but significantly altered. This makes it much more potent than sugar. So again, a very small amount is needed to sweeten food.
Sugar alcohols are not sugar substitutes in terms of calories. When these molecules break down they provide almost as many calories as sugar. Therefore they are not freebees like the above three. However, these molecules are broken down very slowly, therefore they do not cause the sugar high and sugar crash that can lead to weight gain. Nevertheless they are empty calories.
All the above sweeteners are safe for general use. Children, and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your doctor or dietitian.
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965 Chestnut St. Newton Upper Falls, MA 02464 617-257-3611
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