From ??????, Age 11 - 04/29/04 - IP#: 67.168.12.xxx Click here to reply
how many diet sodas should you have a day? are they helthy?
Reply from juststrange, Age 12 - 05/27/04 - IP#: 148.167.126.xxx that whole thing with aspartame causing cancer is BS. i found this online, and its from a good source or health info....................................................... It's a known fact that most humans have a sweet tooth, and kids are certainly no exception. But are artificial sweeteners that contain aspartame, which offer more sweetness with less calories, safe for kids? When aspartame was first developed, many people had concerns about whether it was safe. After all, sugar had been around in various forms for many hundreds of years. True, sugar in excess has its own health concerns, including that it contributes to obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and other health problems. But what about aspartame? Would it prove to have harmful side effects? The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the government agency most responsible for assuring the safety of the food and beverages sold in the United States, conducted an evaluation of aspartame. Its studies were reassuring; they found that aspartame was indeed safe, and so the FDA approved it for use as a sweetener in food and drink. The American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) also approved aspartame as an alternative sweetener. What Is Aspartame? Aspartame was approved by the FDA in 1981 and is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners on the market. It is used in beverages, chewing gum, breakfast cereals, and desserts and is also available in packets as a tabletop sweetener. Other popular artificial sweeteners include saccharine, acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K), and sucralose. "Nutritive" sugars - such as honey, lactose, glucose, and sucrose - supply calories and energy in addition to flavor. Manmade sugars such as aspartame and saccharine are labeled as "non-nutritive" sweeteners, meaning they supply flavor only, not calories for energy. Non-nutritive sweeteners are sometimes called high intensity sweeteners because they are far sweeter than normal table sugar. As a result, only a little is needed for sweetening. Aspartame, for example, is 160 to 220 times sweeter than regular white granulated sugar (sucrose). Are There Any Health Risks Associated With Aspartame? Aspartame does not seem to pose any health risks to the general population. An exception is the small segment of the general population who have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare, hereditary metabolic disease that affects approximately one in 10,000 people. Aspartame contains the amino acid phenylalanine. People with PKU lack an enzyme that metabolizes (breaks down) phenylalanine in the body. If they take in significant amounts of food products containing phenylalanine, it builds up in the body, causing mental impairment and possibly permanent brain damage. People with PKU need to stay on a phenylalanine-restricted diet to be healthy, and they should avoid all aspartame products. It is unlikely that the average person without PKU would consume enough aspartame to reach a potentially hazardous level. Although the FDA recommends no more than 50 milligrams of aspartame per 1 kilogram of body weight for adults, the average person consumes only 4 % to 7% of this total. Some people with liver disease and pregnant women with high blood levels of phenylalanine may also have trouble breaking down aspartame and may need to restrict their intake. Aspartame has not been found to cause birth defects or to otherwise affect reproductive health. If you are concerned about the harmful effects of phenylalanine consumption for your child, consider this: the amount of phenylalanine in six 8-ounce glasses of soda sweetened with aspartame is equal to the amount of phenylalanine in one 8-ounce glass of milk. Aspartame in Your Child's Diet According to the American Dietetic Association, children can safely consume aspartame as part of a diet consistent with the Food Guide Pyramid. Although the ADA estimates that the daily intake of aspartame in children ages 2 to 5 years old is 8 to 17 mg/kg body weight, that's below the acceptable daily intake of 50 mg/kg body weight. Organizations like the American Diabetes Association also approve the use of aspartame for people with diabetes because artificial sweeteners do not raise blood sugar levels. The FDA requires all products that contain aspartame and artificial sweeteners to indicate their usage on the label. However, if you are concerned about the exact amounts of aspartame used in a specific product, you can contact the manufacturer for more information. Here's a quick guide of popular products and the average amount of aspartame that can be found in a serving of each: 12 ounces of diet soda = 225 milligrams of aspartame 8 ounces of sugar-free yogurt = 80 milligrams of aspartame 1/2 cup sugar-free frozen dairy dessert (frozen yogurt, ice cream, etc.) = 47 milligrams of aspartame 1 packet of artificial sweetener (Equal, Nutrasweet) = 37 milligrams of aspartame The rising number of children and adults who are obese is a growing health problem in the United States. Will the use of aspartame in foods and beverages help to reverse this trend? That's hard to know. Despite the use of artificial sweeteners in foods, the number of obese people has been increasing. Still, it stands to reason that, for many children, limiting the the intake of sugar calories can be part of the solution. A balanced diet and an active lifestyle are important no matter what your age. So, don't fret if your child eats sugar-free candy or beverages now and then. Just make sure these sweet treats aren't getting in the way of proper nutrition! Reviewed by: Kim Rutherford, MD Date reviewed: October 2001......................diet soda doesnt cuase cancer. most people who say that are just looking for somthing to blame a family members cancer on.
Reply from niqua, Age 12 - 05/20/04 - IP#: 209.240.205.xxx yep they have 0 calories and all that but they can cause cancer
Reply from anonymous, Age 12 - 05/03/04 - IP#: 205.188.116.xxx diet sodas arent normally healthy the best liquid to drink is water but if you want to drink soda it is better to have diet soda then regular THINK WATER
