Sweeteners in the Bible

In last month's article, we discovered that honey is often referenced in the Bible as being a very healthy and beneficial sweetener. Other sweeteners mentioned in the Bible are freshly squeezed juices, dates, and sugar cane. If these sugars are dehydrated at relatively low temperatures, many of their ingredients are reserved.

Today we have many other kinds of sweeteners. Based on the Three Principles (for information on the Three Principles, please go to The Good Life Newsletter archives), these sweeteners could be classified from best to worst by placing honey at the top, followed in declining order by rice malt, barley malt, molasses, date sugar, fruit-juice sugars, maple syrup, beet sugar, corn syrup, and cane sugar. It is my impression that most of the corn, cane, and beet sugars are heavily processed, leaving them denatured, white and devitalized.

Barley and rice sweeteners are low in calories but very sweet. One advantage of barley and molasses is that they are not heavily processed. Processed maple syrup may be slightly better than other syrups. Molasses ranks higher nutritionally than raw sugars, but honey is still the best product. Turbinado sugar and brown sugar contain a little molasses for coloring, but are otherwise no different from white (naked) sugar.

The more commonly used sugars such as those from cane, beets, and corn are more likely to increase allergic reactions. Therefore, I would avoid them as much as possible. All of these sources are great in their natural state. By the time many of these sweeteners find their way to your table, they have often gone through 10 stages of processing.

Aspartame

During a recent year, 80 percent of the complaints filed about food additives were pertaining to aspartame, the sweetener in Nutrasweet. Five deaths were reported. Symptoms included headaches, dizziness, balance problems, depression, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, altered vision, weakness, seizures, numbness, hives, memory loss and sleep disorders.

One of the components of aspartame - aspartic acid - is a neurotoxin. Another component,
phenylalanine, is considered harmful to the unborn, and facilitates seizures. A final component, wood alcohol, is a generalized toxin, particularly harmful to the brain and the eyes.

When heated or in liquid form, aspartame breaks down into products thought by some researchers to cause brain tumors. There are many other health reactions that can come from aspartame.

Aspartame reactions frequently reproduce symptoms similar to chronic fatigue syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, post-polio syndrome, carpal tunnel syndrome, Lyme disease, myalgia, Lou Gehrig's disease and anxiety phobia disorders.

In defense of Aspartame, sugar abuse can cause many of these same symptoms. Certainly these diseases are frequently caused by other factors. Aspartame sometimes mimics the symptoms of these diseases.

According to "The Food Additive Book", research before Aspartame was released on the market in the United States showed an increased incidence of brain cancer in rats that were fed Aspartame. Since 1981, the incidence of brain tumors has gradually increased. It remains nearly impossible to prove a one-to-one correlation, but many people have eradicated many strange symptoms by withdrawing from Aspartame.

Many of the symptoms and diseases I mentioned are probably dose related. The biblical warning against too much is still applicable. It is my impression that both blood sugar and Aspartame are addictive. Many people consume much too much. People striving for good health should stay away from both sugar and artificial sweeteners as much as possible.

Other Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners and sugar stimulate hunger. Someone trying to lose weight and eating artificial sweeteners or sugar will probably consume more food because of the craving caused by these sweeteners. People trying to gain weight might be well advised to drink diet sodas before meals to stimulate their appetite.

Other names of sugars to be avoided include sucrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, dextrin, maltose, monosaccharides and disaccharides, and syrup. Here is one of the most unusual names for a sugar: unbleached evaporated cane juice crystals. That one was found on a commercial cookie. Know what it means? Sugar!

Next month, we'll look at sweeteners more specifically related with Principle 3.

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DISCLAIMER: The information in the Healthy Living Tip of the Week is intended for educational
and inspirational purposes only and neither Hudson Productions nor Rex Russell M.D. is offering medical advice. Please consult your physician for all medical, nutritional and health care advice. Hudson Productions and Rex Russell M.D. are not liable for any medical decisions made by the reader.