bstempleton@watmath.UUCP (Brad Templeton) (06/27/83)
While we are on the subject of what USA residents might want to know about Canada, I thought I would point out something of interest to those who drink diet pop (or soda as it is called in some parts) in quantity. Many of you know of Canada as the source of the rats that got cancer from sacharrides. In the USA, diet pop has still used this stuff with a warning about cancer. In Canada, it was banned, and after an experiment with fructose they came up with a substance called ASPARTAME. The bottom line on this stuff is that it is great - an order of magnitude better than any other sugar substitute ever marketed. All the diet pop now tastes quite good - you can even believe the Diet Coke copy. They even have passable diet orange drinks, something they could never do with cyclamates or others. I don't know why, but it has not appeared in the states (at least when I checked a few months ago) but may be coming under the name Nutra*sweet if I am correct. As to what it is, I have heard two stories. One is that it is a Levo-protien (left handed, which means you can't metabolize it at all - it just goes right out the waste chute) that is 1000 times sweeter than sugar. the other is that it is a sweetness enchancer, and is mixed with a little dextrose to make it sweet. They say it doesn't work in hot liquids well. Whatever, it is more expensive than other stuff, but is much stronger too so it works out. Take some home if you want this stuff. -- Brad Templeton - Waterloo, Ont. (519) 886-7304
dyer@wivax.UUCP (06/28/83)
Aspartame is a small two amino acid fragment of aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and is metabolized by the body as a protein (i.e. the stuff is hydrolyzed to its amino acids which then are used by the body.) It is marketed in the US as NutraSweet, but hasn't yet been approved for use in diet soda drinks-- so far, you can buy it in iced tea, kool aid and together with lactose as a saccharin replacement. It actually tastes sweet--it isn't a sweetness enhancer. As a diet soda connoisseur, I look forward to trying it in Canada. At the very least, it should be an improvement to earlier Canadian diet sodas-- after the controversy, they removed saccharin completely! Ever taste unsweetened Sprite or TAB? Yecch!
lepreau@utah-cs.UUCP (06/28/83)
I believe that aspartane must be avoided by children with phenylketoneuria (pku). That's a hereditary metabolic disease whose nasty effects (severe retardation) can be completely avoided by avoiding foods with proteins containing phenylalanine. Luckily, the disease is trivially diagnosed (it is routinely screened for, I believe) and after young childhood such proteins are no longer harmful. -Jay Lepreau