How safe is Sugar Free /Low Calorie Sugar Substitute ?
(We know that sugar is not good for our health, but we do not know whether low calorie sugar substitutes are safer than sugar).
Low calorie sugar substitute (LCSS) like Sugar Free are completely safe for the following reasons: -
1. Sugar Free is made of aspartame, a protein derivative. It is made up of 2 protein constituents - phenyalanine and aspartic acid. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are the building blocks of protein and are found in all protein containing foods.
2. Methanol is present in small amount in aspartame. It is found naturally in human body and also in some fruits and vegetables juices. Methanol is a natural byproduct. Hence Sugar Free with aspartame gets easily digested and metabolized into amino acids in the body.
3. World Health Organization (WHO) has approved Aspartame as a safe ingredient, of low calorie sugar substitute.
4. Apart from WHO, Aspartame has been approved by various bodies like American Medical Association, American Diabetic Association, USFDA, American Heart Association etc.
What is Aspartame?
Aspartame is a new generation, internationally acclaimed non-toxic and a safe low calorie sugar substitute. It was discovered in 1981 and approved first in U.S. by USFDA (United States Food and Drug Administration). Today, it is used across 100 countries worldwide in a variety of low calorie foods and beverages like Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi etc.
Aspartame is 180 times sweeter than sugar. Therefore, it can be used in small quantities as compared to sugar. The main advantage of aspartame is that unlike saccharin, it has no bitter after taste. The other advantage of aspartame on saccharin is that it is made of protein and, therefore, has some nutritive value.
How much of Aspartame can be consumed safely ?
The World Health Organization has set an acceptable daily intake limit for aspartame as 40mg per kg of bodyweight. This means that if you weigh 70kg, you can consume 155 tablets of Sugar Free daily without worrying about any of its side effects (each tablet of Sugar Free contains 18mg of aspartame).
For more information on aspartame, click here
Are low calorie sugar substitutes only for diabetics?
No, low calorie sugar substitutes can be consumed by any health conscious individual, who wants to cut down his/her calorie intake from sugar. He can adopt a low calorie sugar substitute as part of a healthy balanced diet.
However, since excess sugar can create metabolic imbalances, people having or prone to obesity, diabetes, cholesterol and cardiovascular diseases should be doubly conscious. They should cut down their sugar intake and replace it with a low calorie sugar substitute.
Does sugar give energy? If yes, then is it essential as a part of the diet?
It is not sugar alone that gives energy, all carbohydrates do. Because, they get converted as glucose in our body and is used as body fuel.
Sugar gives quick energy in the form of empty calories! Energy, which does more harm than good. Because, simple sugars give a sudden burst of energy followed by a slump, whereas complex carbohydrates like cereals, vegetables, fruits, etc. give energy with nutrients like vitamin, minerals and dietary fiber - therefore the energy derived from these is more sustained and long lasting.
How is excess sugar harmful for our health?
Excess sugar consumed is not used for energy, but stored as glycogen in the liver. However, if this is beyond the capacity of your liver and your body requirement, this excess sugar gets converted into body fat by a metabolic process called lipogenesis. This can give rise to a number of lifestyle diseases like cholesterol, cardiovascular problems, obesity, etc.
There are number of conflicting reports about the safety of Aspartame and saccharin. How true are they?
Various reports raising questions about the safety of aspartame have not been substantiated by any clinical or scientific evidence / studies and are often inaccurate and misinformative. Hence, they often serve no purpose other than fuelling the controversies. The truth is that a number of respected international organizations like the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association, the World Health Organization, the American Heart Association, have all conducted extensive studies and investigation. They  have concluded that aspartame is safe for human consumption. For further information, please refer to the following articles:-
http://www.nutrasweet.com/infocenter/index.asp
http://www.diabetes.org/ada/aspartame.asp
http://www.americanheart.org/Heart_and_Stroke_A_Z_Guide/artsweet.html
http://www.caloriecontrol.org/aspartame.html

The only persons, who should not consume aspartame, are individuals suffering from Phenylketonuria, which is a very rare genetic disorder of amino acid metabolism.
What is a calorie? Is it good or bad?
A calorie is a unit of energy that measures the amount of heat (energy) provided to your body. Although calories are synonymous with energy, a high calorie diet does not mean more energy. On the contrary, it could be a serious health risk because excess calories get converted and stored as fat cells in the body. Therefore, it is important to count calories intake and keep it within the required daily intake as this will help us live a longer and healthier life.
Which is more important, fat or calories?
There is a growing awareness that low fat diet alone is not sufficient for a healthier body until and unless calorie intake from carbohydrates (which normally contributes more than 60% of the calorie intake) is high.
A diet that restrict not just fats, but over all calorie intake is beneficial and can help in weight loss and lower cholesterol level.
Above statement is supported by a fact that the total number of calories consumed and burned or used up for energy determines your weight.
Total Calories consumed minus Burned Calories = Weight Gain
This weight gain is the result of deposition of fat cells in the body.
What should be the daily calorie intake?
Your daily calorie intake depends upon your ideal weight. Given below is a standard reference chart recommending the ideal daily calorie intake for the specific height and weight combination.
DAILY-RECOMMENDED CALORIE INTAKE FOR MEN
Height (ft/inch)
Ideal Weight (kgs)
Daily Calorie Intake
     
5' 4" 59-63 1830
5' 5" 60-65 1875
5' 6" 62-66 1920
5' 7" 64-68 1980
5' 8" 65-70 2025
5' 9" 67-72 2085
5' 10" 69-74 2145
5' 11" 71-76 2205
6' 73-78 2265
DAILY-RECOMMENDED CALORIE INTAKE FOR WOMEN
Height (ft/inch)
Ideal Weight (kgs)
Daily Calorie Intake
     
5' 50-54 1300
5' 1" 51-55 1325
5' 2" 53-56 1365
5' 3" 54-58 1400
5' 4" 56-59 1438
5' 5" 55-61 1450
5' 6" 58-63 1515
5' 7" 60-65 1563
5' 8" 60-65 1600
For persons with normal weight, the Daily Calorie Intake (DCI) has been calculated @ average 30 calories per kg. of body weight for men and 25 calories for women.
The DCI figures for normal weight have been rounded off to indicate average calorie intake for a particular weight range.
If you are overweight, your DCI should be reduced by approx. 5 calories per kg of body weight.