Use Of Low-Calorie Sweeteners Raises Concern: The US Children Are The Key Consumers

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The use of low-calorie sweeteners increases rapidly in the US. A huge number of children in the US prefer to use the foods which contain saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. The use of these sweeteners raises a number of serious questions regarding the health issues.

Recently, a study was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Dr. Allison Sylvetsky is the lead author of the study. Dr. Allison Sylvetsky is an assistant professor of the exercise and nutrition sciences.

The study uniquely discovers the use of the low-calorie sweeteners in beverages and packet foods. The study relies on the current data. Actually, current data explores the real intake of the beverages and packet foods.

Low-calorie sweeteners are used to replace the added sugars. Sucrose and fructose are the most used added sugars in the food and the beverages. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has already approved a number of sweeteners that can be used in the food.

The approved list of the sweeteners includes saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, advantame and some others. A good number of children in the U.S. like to consume corn syrup which contains high fructose. The surprising fact is not only the children, but the adults also consume the low-calorie sweeteners.

Most of the time the adults consume soft drinks and some specific snacks that act as the source of the sweeteners. A team of researchers from the GW's Milken Institute School of Public Health has conducted a survey to know the real story. Researchers collected data from the National Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey.

The survey was conducted from 2009 to 2012 among 17,000 children, men, and women. The collected data were compared with the previous data from 1999 to 2008. The final survey result was prepared on the basis of the food and drink, consumed by children, men and women in the last 24 hours.

The survey clearly indicates that 20 percent of the children and 44 percent of the adult persons use the low-calorie sweeteners at least once in a day. Even some adults use it twice or thrice a day. That means a good number of adults and children have the tendency to use the sweeteners.

The modern scientific survey clearly indicates that there is no positive health impact from the low-calorie sweeteners. Even some analysts opine that consumption of the soft drinks or beverages can lead to weight gain. That means excessive use of these products can produce bad effects.

Dr. Allison Sylvetsky opines that many parents of the U.S. children don't understand the terms "no added sugar" and buy products that contain the low-calorie sweeteners. Several studies also reveal the probable side effects of these products. It is necessary that parents should follow the guidelines provided by the U.S. Government.

It is good to include fresh fruits and vegetables in the diet chart and should avoid products with the added sugars as much as possible. Dr. Sylvetsky said that the sweet taste of fruit is enough to sweeten the food. Even pure water is sufficient in place of soda.