#sugar substitutes

[bpod-bpod]

Sugar and Sprouts

Love sugar? Too much can damage your blood vessels, increasing your risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Love artificial sweeteners? Unfortunately, they too may increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Researchers investigated in zebrafish embryos. Fluorescence microscopy revealed exposing embryos to lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners caused excessive blood vessel sprouting (angiogenesis) along the length of the body (pictured) – a process linked to diabetic complications in humans, including cardiovascular disease. Looking closer at embryos exposed to artificial sweeteners, they found cells lining their blood vessels (endothelial cells) developed into cells that promote sprouting. Analysing the RNA of these cells revealed changes in gene activity, notably reduction of one, Foxo1a (highlighted in red in the vessels along the fish embryo), was underlying the increase in sprouting when the embryos were exposed to sugar. Further experiments confirmed activity of this gene played the same role in embryos exposed to artificial sweeteners, uncovering how these sugar alternatives can negatively affect blood vessels.

Written by Lux Fatimathas

Image from work by Xiaoning Wang, Jinxiang Zhao and Jiehuan Xu, and colleagues

Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong Laboratory of Development and Diseases, School of Life Science; Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China

Image contributed by the authors under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence

Published in eLife, October 2024

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[kingdrawcse]

Chemistry Behind Sugar Substitutes

Many people have come to recognize the detrimental effects of consuming excessive sugar. It not only leads to weight gain, which can trigger chronic diseases, but it also negatively impacts the skin.

While we understand these concerns, the temptation of sweet treats is hard to resist. This is where scientists turned to the use of sugar substitutes. As a sweetener, stevioside is widely used in beverages, bread, pastries, fried foods, as well as sausages and ham.

According to some studies, stevioside has several effects on human health, including lowering blood pressure, blood sugar, providing antioxidant properties, and exhibiting antibacterial properties. However, the dosage and regulations of stevioside require more standardization and monitoring to avoid adverse reactions or complications.

[misforgotten2]

1950

[wildwoodherbalist]

Stevia, a quick summary, 5 health benefits and 1 remedial use!

The Stevia plant is used as a substitute for Sucrose and other calorie rich Sugars/Sugar substitutes, when used to sweeten something it adds no calories and is up to a hundred times sweeter than Sucrose in the same concentration.

It is extremely helpful for diabetics and people who suffer from blood sugar level problems as it does not raise the glucose level in the blood.

It grows natively in Paraguay & Brasil where it has been used as a medicine and sweetener for centuries.

Some studies and revelations have found that it may be slightly carcinogenic but even if this is true, due to it’s sweetness potency only a small amount is needed and this ends up making it a safer and healthier alternative to other sugars and alternatives.     

   There are many reasons why it is safer, such as the lack of calorie intake, lack of sugar high and addiction, less problems for diabetics, the damage sugar can cause is totally absent. Also the many health fears over Sugar substitutes such as Aspartame are also absent.

Another great point about Stevia is that you can easily grow it on your land and at home, and it is easy to add to dishes, it would be much more complex        (and unhealthy) to grow and process your own Sugar canes in comparison.

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Five health benefits

1. Stevia in it’s whole form is packed full of many anti-oxidants, quercetin,   flavonoids, tannins, triterpenes, caffeic acid, kaempferol, and more!                  

2. Great for Diabetes control due to it not raising blood sugar levels.

3. As opposed to Sucrose, Stevia actually helps to aid oral health even fighting decay in some cases. It helps to keep bad bacteria in the mouth at bay also meaning less risk of abscesses and more nasties.

4. Despite the potential revelation for it being slightly carcinogenic, some of the antioxidant compounds  found within it are actually known to be very capable in Cancer prevention.

5. It reduces stress on the cardiovascular system due to relaxant properties. This can lower blood pressure and help to prevent Cardiovascular diseases from developing in the long term.

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A remedial use for Stevia

To relieve symptoms of IBS and poor digestion such as heartburn and indigestion, drink a cup of Stevia tea after a big meal. In Paraguay & Brasil it has been used to aid digestion and gastrointestinal complaints for hundreds of years!

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This post topic was suggested by @thelushfaerie 

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(:

[gymra]

Try healthier alternatives to artificial sweeteners to get one step closer to your weight loss goals!

[misforgotten2]

It really works, I’m no longer hungry . . . or able to sleep.

c.1950

[misforgotten2]

It’s made of Xanax and Dexedrine. It didn’t sweeten but you didn’t care.

THE FOLLOWING JOKE IS IN EXTREME  BAD TASTE. YOU’VE BEEN WARNED.

Adolph’s Research Kitchens. Isn’t that what the called Auschwitz.

National Geographic Magazine  November 1960

[redshift-13]

One Common Sweetener May Increase Stroke Risk by Damaging The Brain's Protective Barrier

The blood-brain barrier surrounds the blood vessels that run through the brain, letting in oxygen and nutrients while keeping out toxins and

"Past studies have suggested a link between higher erythritol levels and a greater risk of heart attack or stroke, and this additional research could explain why, if the same effects occur in the body.

"The results presented herein support and experimentally extend epidemiological studies reporting a link between erythritol and increased stroke risk," write the researchers in their published paper."