Artificial sweeteners are completely synthetic food additives. Debate has raged for many decades over the safety and side effects of artificial sweeteners, but as of 2011 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has listed five as safe. This quintet — saccharine, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame K, and neotame — have all been granted the FDA’s “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAF) designation. Studies continue into the long-term health effects of all these products, and at least some evidence points toward the possibility of potential dangers.
The FDA approved aspartame in 1981, and as of 2011 it is included as in food ingredient in over 6,000 different foods. It has been approved as safe not only by the FDA, but also by the European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) and the European Scientific Committee on Food (ESCF). All of these authorities have stated that aspartame has no link to cancer, depression, or dementia, as detractors initially claimed.
The side effects of artificial food sweeteners containing aspartame continue to be studied. Private researchers believe that some evidence shows a link between aspartame and headaches, depression, and cancer. Many of these studies were conducted on small groups of volunteers, but anecdotal evidence as to side effects continues to arise.
Sucralose was approved for general use in 1999 by the FDA, and is found in 4,500 products. It was discovered by scientists attempting to create a new and more effective insecticide, but the FDA claims it poses no risks to humans. Being one of the newer products, long-term studies have not been done on sucralose. The greatest fear of researchers studying the side effects of artificial sweeteners is that sucralose contains chlorine. Possible but unproven side effects are a host of gastrointestinal ailments, skin irritation, depression, and anxiety.
Saccharine is the oldest artificial sweetener on the market, and has undergone over 30 human studies stating that it is safe for human consumption. The US National Toxicology Program (NTP) deemed in 2000 that the product was not a potential carcinogen. The side effects of artificial sweeteners containing saccharine may be minimal, but some people still feel it could pose risks. Saccharine contains sulfonamides, which could potentially lead to severe allergic reactions in those who cannot tolerate sulfa drugs. Some researchers believe saccharine might be responsible for muscle dysfunction in infants.
A virtually unknown artificial sweetener is Acesulfame-K. The FDA approved it in 1988, but long-term studies remain inconclusive as to possible side effects. The greatest concern regarding this sweetener is that that it contains the carcinogenic chemical methylene chloride. Heavy exposure to methylene chloride can cause ailments ranging from cancer to headaches to a generalized confusion. It is not known if brief exposure to this chemical, or ingestion of small amounts, is harmful to humans.
Neotame, approved by the FDA in 2002, is a new and improved variation of aspartame. The FDA says that it is completely safe, while detractors claim that it holds the same risks as the chinafooding sweetener from which it was derived. The argument regarding side effects of artificial sweeteners remains a contentious one, a situation not expected to alter in the foreseeable future.
Showing posts with label Acesulfame-K. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Acesulfame-K. Show all posts
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Ingredients Of Soda
Have you ever wondered what are the soda ingredients that make your favorite soft drink so desirable? Just like every other edible drink, there are certain ingredients added to make a soda.
Soda is carbonated water that is flavored and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners. They have become a part of Western culture and are accompanied with the favorite fast foods like hamburgers, french fries and pizzas. The new fad today is ‘Diet Soda’ that claims to have less amount of sugar. There are studies that show soda is very bad for your health. They claim it causes dental caries, obesity, diabetes, dehydration, lowering of immunity, calcium loss, depletion of minerals, osteoporosis, deprivation of oxygen to the body parts, etc., the list is endless. So what are these sods ingredients that can cause the innumerable health problems and yet we cannot stop ourselves from drinking them? Is it the attractive colors like orange, green, black, brown, pink, etc. that make you have a sip of the artificial taste? Or is it the tangling taste that plays with our taste buds? Let us learn about the various ingredients of soda to help us answer our doubt.
Ingredients in Soda
Soda ingredients basically consists of water, sweeteners, an acid and some flavor. The extra or optional ingredients include fruit or fruit juice, carbon dioxide, preservatives and color. 86% of carbonated drink or soda consists of water. The sugar added to soda is mostly sucrose that is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. This sugar provides about 17kJ/g of energy to the body. There are many other artificial sweeteners added like aspartame. This aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so the manufactures add very little of it to the soda.
The preservatives added like citric acid and phosphoric acids help not only in preventing spoilage, but giving a distinct tartness or bite to the drink. If there is too much citrus acid or phosphoric acid in the blood, you will need calcium to help normalize the pH of the blood. The calcium is leached from the bones that leads to osteoporosis. Thus, many teenagers complain of weak bones due to excessive soda drinking.
The natural flavors added are derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, leaves, herbs, spices, etc. The sodas that are added with natural ingredients require preservatives to prevent spoilage. The artificial flavor added can give you many choices and flavors. There are many artificial flavors that mimic natural flavors very well.
Caffeine is an age-old ingredient of soda which is nothing but extracted cola leaf and cola nut. Excessive caffeine in the body can cause dehydration of the body. It will also lead to large-scale depletion of minerals from the body. The bubbly appeal of soda drinks is due to carbon dioxide. The process called carbonation that occurs under pressure and chilled temperatures helps adding the bubbles to the soft drink. This makes the drink refreshing and adds the zing in soda. The carbonated water ingested with every soda bottle decreases the oxygen in blood by 25% for up to 3 hours.
Ingredients of Different Soda Types
There are many sodas available in the market and each and every brand has some specific and common soda ingredients. Let us have a look at some of the popular soda ingredients that are commonly used:
Carbonated Water, Fructose corn syrup or sucrose, Caramel color, Phosphoric acid, Natural flavors, Caffeine, Citric acid, Sodium citrate, Sodium benzonate, Modified food starch, Ester gum, Red 40, Yellow 5, Malic acid.
Let us get more specific and have a look at some of the ingredients that make up a few of our favorite drinks:
Diet Coke: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), sweeteners (aspartame, Acesulfame-K), phosphoric acid, citric acid, flavorings (including caffeine). Contains a source of phenylalanine.
Mountain Dew: Carbonated water, sugar, phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor.
Pepsi: Carbonated water, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, caffeine, sodium citrate, erythorbic acid (preserves freshness), gum arabic, concentrated orange juice, calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), yellow 5, brominated vegetable oil.
Mirinda (Orange): Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, modified food starch, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), sodium citrate, potassium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preserve freshness), glycerol ester of wood rosin, natural flavors, yellow 6.
It is not necessary that all ingredients are used by your favorite soda brands. They may use some common food additives and some special ingredients that give a distinct taste to their brand. Sodas are generally high in calories, sugars and sodium content. Soda consumption has been linked to weight gain by many studies. Elevated blood pressure, liver and kidney damage, etc. are also found to be prevalent in people who drink excessive sodas. Studies have found that dental enamel, the outer covering of teeth that protects them from tooth decay get eroded due to soda intake. The enamel is broken down by phosphoric and citric acids making teeth 3 to 11 times more prone to decay and damage.
I hope this article on soda ingredients has proven helpful to you. Sodas are great drinks to drink when eating fast food or watching a movie. But they do have their repercussions and health disadvantages. So if you drink a lot of these sodas, you better cut off your intake, if you do not want to end up in a hospital or become obese. Maybe you should take up drinking water, coconut water or even fresh fruit juices to quench your thirst for some punch. Nothing is bad when taken in a limit. You should drink soda, but avoid over consumption. After all, it’s a question of your own health.
Soda is carbonated water that is flavored and sweetened with sugar or artificial sweeteners. They have become a part of Western culture and are accompanied with the favorite fast foods like hamburgers, french fries and pizzas. The new fad today is ‘Diet Soda’ that claims to have less amount of sugar. There are studies that show soda is very bad for your health. They claim it causes dental caries, obesity, diabetes, dehydration, lowering of immunity, calcium loss, depletion of minerals, osteoporosis, deprivation of oxygen to the body parts, etc., the list is endless. So what are these sods ingredients that can cause the innumerable health problems and yet we cannot stop ourselves from drinking them? Is it the attractive colors like orange, green, black, brown, pink, etc. that make you have a sip of the artificial taste? Or is it the tangling taste that plays with our taste buds? Let us learn about the various ingredients of soda to help us answer our doubt.
Ingredients in Soda
Soda ingredients basically consists of water, sweeteners, an acid and some flavor. The extra or optional ingredients include fruit or fruit juice, carbon dioxide, preservatives and color. 86% of carbonated drink or soda consists of water. The sugar added to soda is mostly sucrose that is made up of two simple sugars, fructose and glucose. This sugar provides about 17kJ/g of energy to the body. There are many other artificial sweeteners added like aspartame. This aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so the manufactures add very little of it to the soda.
The preservatives added like citric acid and phosphoric acids help not only in preventing spoilage, but giving a distinct tartness or bite to the drink. If there is too much citrus acid or phosphoric acid in the blood, you will need calcium to help normalize the pH of the blood. The calcium is leached from the bones that leads to osteoporosis. Thus, many teenagers complain of weak bones due to excessive soda drinking.
The natural flavors added are derived from fruits, vegetables, nuts, leaves, herbs, spices, etc. The sodas that are added with natural ingredients require preservatives to prevent spoilage. The artificial flavor added can give you many choices and flavors. There are many artificial flavors that mimic natural flavors very well.
Caffeine is an age-old ingredient of soda which is nothing but extracted cola leaf and cola nut. Excessive caffeine in the body can cause dehydration of the body. It will also lead to large-scale depletion of minerals from the body. The bubbly appeal of soda drinks is due to carbon dioxide. The process called carbonation that occurs under pressure and chilled temperatures helps adding the bubbles to the soft drink. This makes the drink refreshing and adds the zing in soda. The carbonated water ingested with every soda bottle decreases the oxygen in blood by 25% for up to 3 hours.
Ingredients of Different Soda Types
There are many sodas available in the market and each and every brand has some specific and common soda ingredients. Let us have a look at some of the popular soda ingredients that are commonly used:
Carbonated Water, Fructose corn syrup or sucrose, Caramel color, Phosphoric acid, Natural flavors, Caffeine, Citric acid, Sodium citrate, Sodium benzonate, Modified food starch, Ester gum, Red 40, Yellow 5, Malic acid.
Let us get more specific and have a look at some of the ingredients that make up a few of our favorite drinks:
Diet Coke: Carbonated water, colour (caramel E150d), sweeteners (aspartame, Acesulfame-K), phosphoric acid, citric acid, flavorings (including caffeine). Contains a source of phenylalanine.
Mountain Dew: Carbonated water, sugar, phosphoric acid, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, caffeine, citric acid, natural flavor.
Pepsi: Carbonated water, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural flavors, caffeine, sodium citrate, erythorbic acid (preserves freshness), gum arabic, concentrated orange juice, calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), yellow 5, brominated vegetable oil.
Mirinda (Orange): Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, modified food starch, ascorbic acid and calcium disodium edta (to protect flavor), sodium citrate, potassium benzoate and potassium sorbate (preserve freshness), glycerol ester of wood rosin, natural flavors, yellow 6.
It is not necessary that all ingredients are used by your favorite soda brands. They may use some common food additives and some special ingredients that give a distinct taste to their brand. Sodas are generally high in calories, sugars and sodium content. Soda consumption has been linked to weight gain by many studies. Elevated blood pressure, liver and kidney damage, etc. are also found to be prevalent in people who drink excessive sodas. Studies have found that dental enamel, the outer covering of teeth that protects them from tooth decay get eroded due to soda intake. The enamel is broken down by phosphoric and citric acids making teeth 3 to 11 times more prone to decay and damage.
I hope this article on soda ingredients has proven helpful to you. Sodas are great drinks to drink when eating fast food or watching a movie. But they do have their repercussions and health disadvantages. So if you drink a lot of these sodas, you better cut off your intake, if you do not want to end up in a hospital or become obese. Maybe you should take up drinking water, coconut water or even fresh fruit juices to quench your thirst for some punch. Nothing is bad when taken in a limit. You should drink soda, but avoid over consumption. After all, it’s a question of your own health.
Monday, May 7, 2012
Are Food Additives Safe?
Many times, you cannot resist the temptation of your favorite dish. But processed foods contain various types of additives. Are food additives safe to eat? In facts,harmful elements in the food can affect your health seriously. Let’s through the following article to know which food additives are safe and which are harmful.
Common Food Additives
Food additives are usually added to enhance the taste and color of the food. Some are used to bind the ingredients. Food preservatives are also a type of food additives which help preserve the food. Some additives help retain the taste, color and flavor of the food and make it more presentable. Some additives enhance the nutritional value of the food. You might be perhaps surprised to know that there exist more than 14000 synthetically manufactured chemicals which are named as food additives or preservatives. FDA approval is essential for every food additive. But it is a fact that excessive use of FDA approved artificial sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, Acesulfame-K and sucralose results in hypoglycemia, tumors, cancers, headache, eczema, nausea, diarrhea, and various other disorders. If you are doubtful about the safety of an additive, you should first find out the chemical formula of that additive. Then, you should find out ‘ingestion of how much quantity of the particular additive is considered as safe’.
Acid brilliant green, allura red AC, amaranth, azorubine, brilliant black, brilliant blue, brilliant scarlet, carmines are some of the commonly used synthetic food colors. Potassium benzoate, potassium nitrate, benzoic acid, calcium sulfite, formic acid, calcium hydrogen sulfite, etc. are commonly used as food preservatives. Disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate 5, disodium ribonucleotides 5, glutamic acid and all glutamates and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are some of the most common synthetic flavor-enhancers. Octyl gallate, propyl gallate, stannous chloride, tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) are some of the synthetic antioxidants which are added to foodstuff. You should avoid all these additives.
Use of harmful food additives can result in:
Birth defects in infants
Various types of cancers
Skin allergies
Asthma
High blood cholesterol levels
Obesity
Dysfunction of liver and kidneys
Vitamins and mineral deficiencies
High blood pressure
Stroke
Heart attack
Natural Food Additives
Salt, sugar, curry leaves, vinegar, rosemary extract, are examples of natural food preservatives. These are safe food additives. Since thousands of years, food has been preserved with the help of simple methods like drying under the sunlight, filling with salt or coating with sugar. Salted meat, fish can be kept for several years. Through the process of osmosis, microbes are dehydrated, when salt is added to the food. Sugar sweetens the food and it also prevents the growth of microbes. You can preserve the food in either sugar syrup or sugar crystals. This is the best way of storing fruits. But being high in sugar, food preserved in sugar should be consumed in small quantity. While preparing fruit jams, fruit pieces are cooked with sugar till the point of crystallization. Instead of sugar, you can use jaggery if you like.
Vinegar is the best medium for preserving vegetables. You can even use homemade vinegar if you want 100% safe food preservative. The acetic acid in vinegar kills harmful microbes and prevents spoiling of the food. These days, various types of vinegar are available in the market. Rosemary leaf extract, also known as rosemary oleoresin is another safe traditional food preservative. Rosemary leaves extract carries antioxidant properties which help prevent food-spoiling. The elements phenolic diterpenes, carnosol, carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid help preserve food and they also help retain the original color and aroma of the food. Rosemary extract itself comes with a pleasant aroma and flavor.
For nice color and flavor you can always use natural herbs like mint, basil, lemon grass, etc. and various nuts and seeds along with honey. Cardamom and saffron can be used in both spicy and sweet dishes. There exist innumerable natural spices which can be used to enhance the tastes and flavors. For example, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, all carry medicinal properties.
There exist numerous types of food additives and the harmfulness or usefulness of the additives depends upon their characteristic properties. So the question ‘are food additives safe’ cannot be answered in just one word ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Take a look at the above section which provides information on some of the commonly used food additives and at the end, you will get an answer to the question lurking in your mind.
Whatever is offered by nature is safe and healthy. Use of chemicals in food should be avoided. They can prove to be harmful for health in several ways. Side effects of these chemicals may not be seen instantly but in the long run, they can be life-threatening.
Common Food Additives
Food additives are usually added to enhance the taste and color of the food. Some are used to bind the ingredients. Food preservatives are also a type of food additives which help preserve the food. Some additives help retain the taste, color and flavor of the food and make it more presentable. Some additives enhance the nutritional value of the food. You might be perhaps surprised to know that there exist more than 14000 synthetically manufactured chemicals which are named as food additives or preservatives. FDA approval is essential for every food additive. But it is a fact that excessive use of FDA approved artificial sweeteners like saccharin, aspartame, Acesulfame-K and sucralose results in hypoglycemia, tumors, cancers, headache, eczema, nausea, diarrhea, and various other disorders. If you are doubtful about the safety of an additive, you should first find out the chemical formula of that additive. Then, you should find out ‘ingestion of how much quantity of the particular additive is considered as safe’.
Acid brilliant green, allura red AC, amaranth, azorubine, brilliant black, brilliant blue, brilliant scarlet, carmines are some of the commonly used synthetic food colors. Potassium benzoate, potassium nitrate, benzoic acid, calcium sulfite, formic acid, calcium hydrogen sulfite, etc. are commonly used as food preservatives. Disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate 5, disodium ribonucleotides 5, glutamic acid and all glutamates and monosodium glutamate (MSG) are some of the most common synthetic flavor-enhancers. Octyl gallate, propyl gallate, stannous chloride, tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) are some of the synthetic antioxidants which are added to foodstuff. You should avoid all these additives.
Use of harmful food additives can result in:
Birth defects in infants
Various types of cancers
Skin allergies
Asthma
High blood cholesterol levels
Obesity
Dysfunction of liver and kidneys
Vitamins and mineral deficiencies
High blood pressure
Stroke
Heart attack
Natural Food Additives
Salt, sugar, curry leaves, vinegar, rosemary extract, are examples of natural food preservatives. These are safe food additives. Since thousands of years, food has been preserved with the help of simple methods like drying under the sunlight, filling with salt or coating with sugar. Salted meat, fish can be kept for several years. Through the process of osmosis, microbes are dehydrated, when salt is added to the food. Sugar sweetens the food and it also prevents the growth of microbes. You can preserve the food in either sugar syrup or sugar crystals. This is the best way of storing fruits. But being high in sugar, food preserved in sugar should be consumed in small quantity. While preparing fruit jams, fruit pieces are cooked with sugar till the point of crystallization. Instead of sugar, you can use jaggery if you like.
Vinegar is the best medium for preserving vegetables. You can even use homemade vinegar if you want 100% safe food preservative. The acetic acid in vinegar kills harmful microbes and prevents spoiling of the food. These days, various types of vinegar are available in the market. Rosemary leaf extract, also known as rosemary oleoresin is another safe traditional food preservative. Rosemary leaves extract carries antioxidant properties which help prevent food-spoiling. The elements phenolic diterpenes, carnosol, carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid help preserve food and they also help retain the original color and aroma of the food. Rosemary extract itself comes with a pleasant aroma and flavor.
For nice color and flavor you can always use natural herbs like mint, basil, lemon grass, etc. and various nuts and seeds along with honey. Cardamom and saffron can be used in both spicy and sweet dishes. There exist innumerable natural spices which can be used to enhance the tastes and flavors. For example, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, clove, all carry medicinal properties.
There exist numerous types of food additives and the harmfulness or usefulness of the additives depends upon their characteristic properties. So the question ‘are food additives safe’ cannot be answered in just one word ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Take a look at the above section which provides information on some of the commonly used food additives and at the end, you will get an answer to the question lurking in your mind.
Whatever is offered by nature is safe and healthy. Use of chemicals in food should be avoided. They can prove to be harmful for health in several ways. Side effects of these chemicals may not be seen instantly but in the long run, they can be life-threatening.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Is Acesulfame Potassium Safe During Pregnancy?
Sugar-free, zero calorie, fat free, you must have encountered many times. They are basically and artificial sweeteners. Acesulfame potassium, one of these sweeteners. However, what is acesulfame potassium? Well, it is by acetoacetate and potassium. The product is potassium salt was known as acesulfame potassium acesulfame or light, so it is widely used in many products, 200 times higher than the natural sucrose sweet.It just adds sweetness to the product without getting digested in the body which means no calories. But is acesulfame potassium safe during pregnancy? Well let’s discuss this in the following paragraphs.
Side Effects of Acesulfame Potassium
Though Acesulfame-K is approved by the FDA, there are some of the acesulfame potassium dangers, which need to be considered so as to avoid complications. Following are some of the common side effects of Acesulfame-K which may be observed if this compound is taken in a higher amount.
As we know acesulfame just gives sweetness to the products but it is not absorbed by the body. This means its molecules are not broken down or are not metabolized by the body. This may hamper the metabolic rate which may further result in the inability of the body to metabolize other food products.
Excess intake of Acesulfame-K by diabetic patient may result in the excess production of insulin which may cause hypoglycemia.
Higher amount of Acesulfame-K may also result in breast and lung cancer. Although the studies are still on and there is no significant proof about it, the studies conducted on rats reveal the development of cancerous cells.
Headaches, dizziness, visual disturbances, depression, nausea, are some of the other side effects.
The side effect enlisted above are the common side effects which can be observed in any person who take a higher amount of Acesulfame-K. Hence, it is always better to consult a doctor before having these products in the diet, specially when you are expecting a baby. Pregnant women should use honey for sweetening instead of using any artificial sweetener. If you want to have sweet products which contain Acesulfame-K then have it in a limited amount. Satisfy your taste bud but do not make it a habit of having products made up of Acesulfame-K.
Acesulfame Potassium During Pregnancy
Acesulfame potassium is considered as one of the safest artificial sweetener. It was discovered in 1967 and was approved by the FDA in the year 1988. Because of its high stability, it is used in preparing many baked item and is known for other beneficial uses too. In pregnancy many women try to cut down calories. Hence, they concentrate on sweets that have artificial sweetener which means they are fat free or low calorie products. This makes them indulge in the artificial sweeteners. Usually, these sweetener are not bad for health, but as excess of anything is bad, daily or excess use of these sweetener can take you to many health complications. Similarly, acesulfame potassium can take you to some side effects if taken in excess.
Acesulfame-K as a kind of food additives is considered safe by the FDA specially for children, pregnant women and breast feeding women. However, there are not much research done in order to prove that Acesulfame-K is totally safe for pregnant women. Hence, it’s necessary to consult the doctor before using the products which include Acesulfame-K. There are many other side effect also, which can become the matter of concern for some people, but if consumed in a limited quantity it is totally safe. It should not be included in every meal and should not be taken on regular bases. If a pregnant women observes some allergic reactions, then she must stop the intake of this product and should take medical help immediately.
Well, by now you would have understood that though Acesulfame-K is approved by the FDA and is considered safe during pregnancy, it is better to take it occasionally. Avoid its daily intake and try to maintain a healthy diet without the usage of artificial sweetener so as to avoid its side effects during pregnancy.
Side Effects of Acesulfame Potassium
Though Acesulfame-K is approved by the FDA, there are some of the acesulfame potassium dangers, which need to be considered so as to avoid complications. Following are some of the common side effects of Acesulfame-K which may be observed if this compound is taken in a higher amount.
As we know acesulfame just gives sweetness to the products but it is not absorbed by the body. This means its molecules are not broken down or are not metabolized by the body. This may hamper the metabolic rate which may further result in the inability of the body to metabolize other food products.
Excess intake of Acesulfame-K by diabetic patient may result in the excess production of insulin which may cause hypoglycemia.
Higher amount of Acesulfame-K may also result in breast and lung cancer. Although the studies are still on and there is no significant proof about it, the studies conducted on rats reveal the development of cancerous cells.
Headaches, dizziness, visual disturbances, depression, nausea, are some of the other side effects.
The side effect enlisted above are the common side effects which can be observed in any person who take a higher amount of Acesulfame-K. Hence, it is always better to consult a doctor before having these products in the diet, specially when you are expecting a baby. Pregnant women should use honey for sweetening instead of using any artificial sweetener. If you want to have sweet products which contain Acesulfame-K then have it in a limited amount. Satisfy your taste bud but do not make it a habit of having products made up of Acesulfame-K.
Acesulfame Potassium During Pregnancy
Acesulfame potassium is considered as one of the safest artificial sweetener. It was discovered in 1967 and was approved by the FDA in the year 1988. Because of its high stability, it is used in preparing many baked item and is known for other beneficial uses too. In pregnancy many women try to cut down calories. Hence, they concentrate on sweets that have artificial sweetener which means they are fat free or low calorie products. This makes them indulge in the artificial sweeteners. Usually, these sweetener are not bad for health, but as excess of anything is bad, daily or excess use of these sweetener can take you to many health complications. Similarly, acesulfame potassium can take you to some side effects if taken in excess.
Acesulfame-K as a kind of food additives is considered safe by the FDA specially for children, pregnant women and breast feeding women. However, there are not much research done in order to prove that Acesulfame-K is totally safe for pregnant women. Hence, it’s necessary to consult the doctor before using the products which include Acesulfame-K. There are many other side effect also, which can become the matter of concern for some people, but if consumed in a limited quantity it is totally safe. It should not be included in every meal and should not be taken on regular bases. If a pregnant women observes some allergic reactions, then she must stop the intake of this product and should take medical help immediately.
Well, by now you would have understood that though Acesulfame-K is approved by the FDA and is considered safe during pregnancy, it is better to take it occasionally. Avoid its daily intake and try to maintain a healthy diet without the usage of artificial sweetener so as to avoid its side effects during pregnancy.
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