eproj@burl.UUCP (eproj) (07/10/85)
Greetings folks. Hopefully by the time you read this article I'll be a dad for the first time. Our due date was yesterday (July 9) and the doctor said there was a fifty-fifty chance of delivery this week! Aside from that there is a question I wish to ask that concerns nutrasweet and pregnant women. I was told that a physician at Emory has stated that nutrasweet may be harmfull to the unborn baby. My question is twofold: 1. Why wasn't this studied earlier? i.e. Before it's release to the general public. and 2. Are any of you out there in net.land familiar with this statement? My concerns stem from the fact that my wife drank quite a few softdrinks containing nutrasweet unknowing of any problems. I am a little perturbed about this but also my concerns may be unfounded. thanks for the time. Dave Schumacher
ron@brl-tgr.ARPA (Ron Natalie <ron>) (07/12/85)
> My concerns stem from the fact that my wife drank quite a few > softdrinks containing nutrasweet unknowing of any problems. I am > a little perturbed about this but also my concerns may be unfounded. The major problem about NutraSweet that I'm aware of (and it is marked on the can) is that it contains Phenylalanine. There is a hereditary disease called Phenylketonuria (PKU) which involves the inability to metabolize these anines. The disease is called such because Phenylketones show up in the urine. Left untreated it can cause mental retardation. I don't believe it's much of a problem anymore because they can detect it and all you do is keep the specific proteins out of the baby's diet and it grows out of it. This is all kind of hazy in my mind, it's been a long time since I had the course that this was discussed in (like it as in 1977). -Ron
45223wc@mtuxo.UUCP (w.cambre) (07/12/85)
REFERENCES: <771@burl.UUCP>
Historically lots of things that effect fetuses get to the market
without the public knowing those effects, i.e. X-RAYS, DES, ULTRASOUND . . .
Why should Nutrasweet be any different?
Moral: If pregnant, stick to the NATURAL stuff and certainly stay
away from anything NEW.caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (07/14/85)
In article <787@mtuxo.UUCP> 45223wc@mtuxo.UUCP (w.cambre) writes: >Moral: If pregnant, stick to the NATURAL stuff and certainly stay > away from anything NEW. What's natural about Sugar save advertising hype? If it weren't for our ADDICTION to sugar, there wouldn't be much of a need for Nutrasweet in the first place. -- Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf CIS:70715,131 Omen Technology Inc 17505-V NW Sauvie Island Road Portland OR 97231 Voice: 503-621-3406 Modem: 503-621-3746 (Hit CR's for speed detect) Home of Professional-YAM, the most powerful COMM program for the IBM PC
smuga@mtuxo.UUCP (j.smuga) (07/15/85)
> The major problem about NutraSweet that I'm aware of (and it is marked > on the can) is that it contains Phenylalanine. There is a hereditary > disease called Phenylketonuria (PKU) which involves the inability to > metabolize these anines. The disease is called such because > Phenylketones show up in the urine. Left untreated it can cause mental > retardation. I don't believe it's much of a problem anymore because > they can detect it and all you do is keep the specific proteins out of > the baby's diet and it grows out of it. > > -Ron Babies born in hospitals are routinely checked for PKU - it's a simple blood test - before they are released. -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Janet Smuga I've had a great many troubles in my time, mtuxo!smuga and most of them never happened. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
eproj@burl.UUCP (eproj) (07/19/85)
Hello again. Thanks for all the informative views on the nutrasweet issue. It was interesting to know that there are alot of netters out there who are concerned and willing to share what information they have on the subject. Now for the BIG NEWS!!!! I am no longer an expecting father!!! SARAH ELIZABETH SCHUMACHER was born Saturday July 13, 1985 @ 5:41 pm. Her weight was 8lbs.5 1/2 oz. and length was 20". Every thing is great with her and her mother.(Pop is still recovering) She is a beautiful baby. (What else did you expect me to say?) We're calling her Sarah Beth for short. Now back down to earth. so long, Dave Schumacher
knf@druxo.UUCP (FricklasK) (07/22/85)
Congratulations. '`'`` Ken '`'``
connolly@steinmetz.UUCP (C. Ian Connolly) (07/22/85)
> In article <787@mtuxo.UUCP> 45223wc@mtuxo.UUCP (w.cambre) writes: > >Moral: If pregnant, stick to the NATURAL stuff and certainly stay > > away from anything NEW. > > What's natural about Sugar save advertising hype? If it weren't for our > ADDICTION to sugar, there wouldn't be much of a need for Nutrasweet in > the first place. > -- > Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf CIS:70715,131 Sucrose, or table sugar, is a perfectly natural substance which is found in, among other things, sugar cane and beets. Sugar is not physically addicting, either, as far as I know. There is no current need for Nutrasweet, given Saccharine (and cyclamates, if they brought them back). I consider the latter a far safer substance. -- C. Ian Connolly, WA2IFI - USENET: ...edison!steinmetz!connolly , , ARPANET: connolly@ge-crd An rud a bhionn, bionn.
connolly@steinmetz.UUCP (C. Ian Connolly) (07/24/85)
> > Babies born in hospitals are routinely checked for PKU - it's a simple > blood test - before they are released. > -- I know of a few people who claim to suffer adverse effects from drinking diet soft drinks with Nutrasweet, but none of them know whether or not they are Phenylketonurics. A) this is anecdotal, and must be taken with a grain of salt, but this might indicate that B) PKU tests were not routine until recently, or C) something other than PKU is the problem here. Any ideas? -- C. Ian Connolly, WA2IFI - USENET: ...edison!steinmetz!connolly , , ARPANET: connolly@ge-crd An rud a bhionn, bionn.
fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) (07/24/85)
C. Ian Connolly: >Sucrose, or table sugar, is a perfectly natural substance which is found >in, among other things, sugar cane and beets. Sucrose is harmless _IF_ you limit your intake to the amount normally found in a typical serving of sugar beets or sugar cane. The danger is when the sugar is removed from the cane or beets, and concentrated. This allows people to eat far more sucrose than could ever occur in a natural diet. This is analogous to the alcohol question. People drank slightly fermented fruit juices since prehistoric times. Hard apple cider is probably very good for you. But chemical processes which separate and concentrate the alchohol makes it much easier to drink it in toxic quantities. Likewise for sugar. >Sugar is not physically addicting, either, as far as I know. Neither are coffee and cigarettes physically addictive. Sugar, like caffene and nicotene IS habit forming. And all three are unnecessary. >There is no current need for Nutrasweet, given Saccharine (and cyclamates, >if they brought them back). I consider the latter a far safer substance. Why not simply avoid sweeteners in general? Frank Silbermann
wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) (07/24/85)
In article <15@unc.UUCP> fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) writes: >>Sugar is not physically addicting, either, as far as I know. > >Neither are coffee and cigarettes physically addictive. Sugar, like caffene >and nicotene IS habit forming. And all three are unnecessary. True about the habit forming qualities of these drugs, but both caffein (sp?) and nicotine (sp?) are also physically addictive. When I was a heavy smoker and quit, I had a number of unpleasant physical reactions including the jitters and headaches. Same thing when I quit coffee after drinking it heavily: I suffered from headaches and extreme fatigue. These sort of physical reactions are quite common among people who quit these drugs 'cold turkey.' It IS true that the behavioral patterns involved in using these drugs are much harder to deal with when giving them up than withdrawal symptoms. As to giving up sugar in foods, it's amazing how the natural sweetness of things like fruit and grains can only be appreciated after you stop using a lot of sugar. Many desserts are FAR too sweet to me now. I find the same thing about salt in food: I don't even have any salt in the house and never miss it. Many things I eat at other people's houses and in restaurants now seem grossly oversalted to me. -- Good eatin', Bill Ingogly
fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) (07/25/85)
>>>Sugar is not physically addicting, either, as far as I know. Frank Silbermann: >>Neither are coffee and cigarettes physically addictive. Sugar, like caffeine >>and nicotine IS habit forming. And all three are unnecessary. William Ingogly: >True about the habit forming qualities of these drugs, but both caffein >(sp?) and nicotine (sp?) are also physically addictive. When I was a >heavy smoker and quit, I had a number of unpleasant physical reactions >including the jitters and headaches. Same thing when I quit coffee >after drinking it heavily: I suffered from headaches and extreme >fatigue. These sort of physical reactions are quite common among >people who quit these drugs 'cold turkey.' > >It IS true that the behavioral patterns involved in using these drugs >are much harder to deal with when giving them up than withdrawal >symptoms. It is my impression that physicians consider a substance addictive only if quitting it cold turkey has the potential to kill you. only half :-) Frank Silbermann
connolly@steinmetz.UUCP (C. Ian Connolly) (07/26/85)
Your points about concentrations of sucrose in beets & sugar cane are well taken. > > >Sugar is not physically addicting, either, as far as I know. > > Neither are coffee and cigarettes physically addictive. Sugar, like caffene > and nicotene IS habit forming. And all three are unnecessary. > I'm pretty sure caffeine is physically addictive. I can't give you a specific reference, but I've seen articles on the subject appear in Science &/or Science News, and I *have* experienced headaches in going through caffeine withdrawal. True enough though, sugar is habit forming. > >There is no current need for Nutrasweet, given Saccharine (and cyclamates, > >if they brought them back). I consider the latter a far safer substance. > > Why not simply avoid sweeteners in general? > > Frank Silbermann Probably a good idea, but my taste buds don't want to. -- C. Ian Connolly, WA2IFI - USENET: ...edison!steinmetz!connolly , , ARPANET: connolly@ge-crd An rud a bhionn, bionn.
caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (07/27/85)
Sugar is addicting in the sense that eating sugared foods causes a temporary increase in the blood sugar level and an improvement in perceived well-being in many people. The effect is canonized in such phrases as "Pepper Upper" and "The Real Thing" (Coke). Dieters' binges are another result. I don't remember the particular references, but it has been reported that the same boilogical effect is used by animals about to hibernate, when a surefeit of eating (which would normally result in the cessation of eating) results in more eating, in preparation for a winter of hibernation. It is well to argue that Nutrasweet is unnecessary because of the existience of cyclamates. This may become a true statement if and when cyclamates are approved as safe. Perhaps a product which is a mixture of cyclamates and some weak poison could be approved. The purpose of the poison would be to inhibit cancerous growths by gigadoses of the material as was done with saccahrin and/or cycalamates. By the way, studies have suggested a significant correlation of certain types of cancer with levels of sugar consumption found in the general population. No study has ever found a siginificant correlation between consumption of aritficial sweeteners and any form of cancer. -- Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf CIS:70715,131 Omen Technology Inc 17505-V NW Sauvie Island Road Portland OR 97231 Voice: 503-621-3406 Modem: 503-621-3746 (Hit CR's for speed detect) Home of Professional-YAM, the most powerful COMM program for the IBM PC
mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) (07/29/85)
++ > Perhaps a product which is a mixture of cyclamates and some weak poison > could be approved. The purpose of the poison would be to inhibit cancerous > growths by gigadoses of the material as was done with saccahrin and/or > cycalamates. Hey people, does this guy make any sense to you? Or is it just me? > By the way, studies have suggested a significant correlation of certain > types of cancer with levels of sugar consumption found in the general > population. No study has ever found a siginificant correlation between > consumption of aritficial sweeteners and any form of cancer. > -- Chuck Forsberg Studies???...Studies?...What studies? References, Please!!! By now I think they are necessary. We seem to have exhausted all of the interesting combinations of shouting our dogmas at each other. WHERE'S THE BEEF, CHUCK!!?!! -Mark Garrett ...allegra!bellcore!mwg
caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (07/31/85)
In article <428@petrus.UUCP> mwg@petrus.UUCP (Mark Garrett) writes: >++ >> Perhaps a product which is a mixture of cyclamates and some weak poison >> could be approved. The purpose of the poison would be to inhibit cancerous >> growths by gigadoses of the material as was done with saccahrin and/or >> cycalamates. > >Hey people, does this guy make any sense to you? Or is it just me? The crux of the matter is the "Delaney Amendment" which forbids the use of any product which has been shown to cause cancer IN ANY CONCENTRATION. The addition of the poison would kill the animal before the level of the suspected carcinogen was high enough to cause a detectable effect. As I recall from articles I've read, you cannot inject rats with megadoses of sugar because the animals would simply die, therefore you can't test sugar the same way you can saccahrin. -- Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf CIS:70715,131 Omen Technology Inc 17505-V NW Sauvie Island Road Portland OR 97231 Voice: 503-621-3406 Modem: 503-621-3746 (Hit CR's for speed detect) Home of Professional-YAM, the most powerful COMM program for the IBM PC