Misleading Sugar Advertising
Anything but
The makers of the sugar substitute Splenda have been cited by the New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority for misleading the public by comparing the sweetener directly to sugar. According to the complaint, the advertising is “confusing consumers into thinking it’s as natural as sugar.”
Well, I could have told them that! We’ve received quite a bit of mail recently asking why we didn’t include Splenda in our list of natural sweeteners. Of course the answer is because this sweetener is anything but natural.
The fact is, Splenda is an artificial sweetener that is manufactured chemically. Its sweetness can be attributed to the chlorocarbon chemical sucralose.
The sweetener doesn’t cause a spike in blood sugar, so many diabetics have considered it a welcome addition to their diets. But they — and everyone else — should be fully aware of just what they are ingesting. The manufacturer, Johnson & Johnson, claims that sucralose passes through the body without being absorbed. But the FDA says 11 to 27 percent of ingested sucralose may be absorbed, and the Japanese Food Sanitation Council pegs that number even higher, at 40 percent.
According to the Sucralose Toxicity Information Center, once sucralose is absorbed, about 20 to 30 percent is metabolized by the body. Research done by the center in the ’90s demonstrated that years of use may lead to immune system or neurological disorders.
If you’re soured on Splenda, there are two alternatives to try: stevia and lo han. Both are truly all natural and will not spike glucose levels, so they are safe for diabetics.
****************************************************
Rest assured
Q: I am 66 years old and was recently diagnosed with BPH. My most bothersome symptom is nighttime urination that keeps me from getting a good night’s rest. How do I treat this?
JVW: Having benign prostatic hyperplasia or BPH, is quite common. It is a typical form of prostate gland enlargement that affects men as they age. By some estimates, up to 90 percent of all men will develop some symptoms of it by age 85. Those symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate, urinary urgency, nocturia, decreased size and force of stream, incomplete bladder emptying, and dribbling.
I’ve observed that men who try diet and supplemental essential nutrients first almost always experience a big decrease and sometimes even a complete elimination of their BPH symptoms. BPH may actually be a symptom of zinc and/or essential fatty acid (EFA) insufficiency for some men.
I usually recommend 30 milligrams of zinc (picolinate or citrate) three times daily to start, tapering down slowly as symptoms recede, along with 2 milligrams of copper. I also recommend taking 1 tablespoon of organically grown, carefully processed “high-lignan” flax oil twice daily along with 400 IU of vitamin E.
If zinc and essential fatty acids don’t completely eliminate your symptoms, you may also want to consider taking the herb saw palmetto. The vast majority of trials of saw palmetto extract in men with BPH have shown it to be an effective and exceptionally safe therapeutic option. Saw palmetto extract is widely available in health-food stores and by mail order from nutritional supplement companies. Keep in mind, though, that not all saw palmetto extracts are alike. It’s important to make certain that the product label indicates that the saw palmetto extract is 85 to 95 percent fatty acids and sterol. Anything less may not have the potency to do any good. The dose most often found to be safe and effective is 160 milligrams twice daily. No serious side effects of saw palmetto extract, taken in reasonable doses, have ever been reported.
****************************************************
What is…a prostate?
The prostate is a male gland that helps to produce semen. It is located at the base of the bladder and surrounds the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body. When the prostate becomes enlarged, it narrows the urethra, causing problems with urination.
An enlarged prostate is rare in men under 40, but it affects nearly 60 percent of men by age 60. The degree to which those affected experience symptoms varies greatly. Not all men with prostate enlargement, or benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), will have symptoms.
Yours in good health,
Amanda Ross
Editorial Director
Nutrition & Healing
Sources:
“Splenda ads by Johnson & Johnson are misleading, says Advertising Standards Board; New Zealand authority upholds complaint against J&J,” U.S. Newswire, press release (www.usnewswire.com), 7/25/05