Sugar & Artificial Sweeteners

I need help. I have been trying to eat healthier, but it doesn't seem to be doing a whole lot. Could you tell me about how many grams of sugar I should stay below each day? Some of the foods I eat say non-fat but have 30 grams of sugar in them and I...

You have been so kind to take the time to answer my questions. Thank you so very much. Please permit me a couple of follow-up questions. The US Dietary Guidelines recommend moderate intake of sugar which includes sugar you add to food at the table as well as sugar added by food manufacturers. Am I...

Does the US Dietary Guidelines in calling for no more than 10% of calories from sugar mean a) added sucrose, b) sucrose, added or naturally occurring, or c) all simple sugars (fructose, glucose, lactose, sucrose, etc.)? Do you also know whether sugars on the food label refers to added sucrose or to sucrose (whether or...

Hi. I'm trying to cut down on the number of sugars I eat. Since food labels typically show how many grams of sugar are in a serving, how can I know what a good "goal" should be? I'd like to record how many grams I eat now and then compare it to how many grams...

How does sugar affect your body? Sugar adds calories which if you eat more than you need, you will gain weight. Weight gain increases your risk of getting heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, or even some types of cancer. If your body doesn't make enough insulin like a person with diabetes, then the sugar...

Why do they have sugar in pop? Well, imagine plain water with food coloring and artificial flavor? You could make that at home even with carbonation. Sugar tastes sweet and adds flavor. But, there are 9 teaspoons of sugar in 12 ounces of pop (soda). Plain water or fruit juice (even diluted with twice as much...

For the past two weeks, I have started to take MetRx. A couple of my friends have brought up the fact that it contains aspartame which supposedly kills brain cells and has not been approved by the FDA. I take this mix twice a day and the difference I have noticed is that I...

Could you comment on the fact that many parents are feeding their very young children diet cold drinks with NutraSweet? What effect will this have on the development of these children? I am concerned because they do not seem to be getting enough water and healthy foods and beverages. Children do not need diet beverages...

Does aspartame cause headaches? I think I get migraines from aspartame. I was on vacation in Jamaica over Spring break and I didn't have any migraine headaches. The only thing different that I noticed was the pop had saccharin in it instead. I do drink several cans of diet pop a day. Try eliminating all...

What is in NutraSweet? It tastes good and doesn't leave a bitter aftertaste like saccharin. NutraSweet is the brand name of aspartame. Aspartame contains two amino acids, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Together they make foods taste sweeter. Persons with PKU (phenylketonuria) cannot use aspartame because it would raise their blood levels of phenylalanine. PKU is...