NEVADA CITY, California
United States
Cornell College Mt. Vernon, IA
University of California, Berkeley
Author, From Fat to Fit--Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction
Author, The Fat to Fit Meltdown Manual
Author, Remembering When I Was Young
Motivational Speaker and Columnist
Rowley, IA
San Francisco, CA
The ancestor to every action is a thought. Ralph Waldo Emerson
Artificial Sweeteners: What's Your Take?
Artificial sweeteners--for example, Stevia and Spenda--are a wonderful blessing for some of us. We can enjoy a diet soda or sweeten our coffee without adding calories.
But artificial sweeteners have their critics. Some argue that the sweeteners are causing a host of serious health problems, including obesity. Another criticism is that the impact of long-term use has not been thoroughly researched, especially for children. Moreover, some people report a bitter aftertaste with some sweeteners. (I’m one of those people.) And some people report gas or cramps after consuming artificial sweeteners.
Dr. Andrew Weil, a leading proponent of holistic medicine, is one of the critics of artificial sweeteners. In the past, he has consistently argued against their use.
Imagine my surprise to learn of a relatively new product, Zsweet, which has Dr. Weil’s stamp of approval. In the October 20, 2007 issue of Self Healing, Dr. Weil writes:
"This natural, calorie-free sweetener appears safe, and I think it’s a better substitute for baking or flavoring than sucralose (Splenda) and other artificial sweeteners, which I don’t recommend using.
Zsweet is a blend of erythritol (a sugar alcohol found in many fruits and fermented foods like soy sauce, cheese, and wine) and other fruit extracts.The crystalline white powder is about 70 percent as sweet as sugar, and lacks the bitter aftertaste of some artificial sweeteners.
Unlike table sugar, Zsweet is considered safe for teeth by the FDA and, unlike many artificial sweeteners, is unlikely to cause gas or cramps. It has no effect on blood sugar, so it’s also safe for diabetics."
The product was introduced by Ventana Health, Inc., a small California-based company whose stated mission is to provide information and products that foster healthy lifestyles through intelligent food and supplements.
Zsweet was also favorably mentioned in the New York Times best-selling book The Perricone Weight-Loss Diet by Nicholas Perricone, MD. Dr. Perricone particularly likes the fact that Zsweet doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. Since its introduction, Zsweet has been certified by the FDA as organic, is certified as kosher, and is sold at Whole Foods and other health food stores.
I value the opinions of medical professionals and researchers; however, at the same time, I value my own experience of a product. Consequently, I’ve ordered Zsweet from my local health food store and look forward to giving it my personal taste test.
If you want to do your own research, you can begin by getting a free copy of the October issue of Self Healing in which Dr. Weil’s article appeared. You can copy and paste the following address to reach the article: http://www.drweilselfhealing.com/show_document.asp?iDocumentID=509&iBDC=6108&iPageNumber=5.
If you then give Zweet a test, let me know what you think.
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