His problem is that by interacting chemically with sulfonamides may cause hives in people allergic to these products and because it crosses the placenta other sweeteners are recommended during pregnancy.

ASPARTAME
It is composed of two amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Its use is not recommended by the controversies of its action in health checked.
Consumption is dangerous for children with phenylketonuria-that rare congenital metabolic disease, and its consumption at high doses can even cause headaches or depression. At Gourmet loses sweetness when cooked in the oven, so sweets are prepared with aspartame must always cooked in a microwave.

Its use should be monitored in diabetics because it has some glycemic response.

Acesulfame-Potassium
Also known as acesulfame-K. This sweetener is heat stable and can be used for cooking. It is suitable for diabetics. Used as a tabletop sweetener in beverages, dairy products, baked goods, chewing gum, candy, etc.. Not known adverse effects.

SUCRALOSE
It is one of the low-calorie sweeteners newer. It does not affect the heat and keeps the sweetness in hot beverages, baked goods and processed foods. It is derived from sucrose, but no calories and is 600 times sweeter. Can be used in diabetics.

CYCLAMATE
Is still used as a tabletop sweetener and in beverages, dairy desserts, gelatins, pharmaceutical and others.

It is also a heated sweetener which is then used some thirty years ago and whose use was highly questioned by the irritation produced in the urinary tract so rarely used today.
It was banned in 1969 by FDA, as it was shown experimentally that the mixture with saccharin was carcinogenic. However, since 1995 was approved again. We do not recommend their use.

STEVIA (STEVIOSIDIO)
The sweetener (Stevioside) of this tree is between 25 and 30 times sweeter than sugar and extract about 200 times more. Currently, stevia is cultivated in countries like Japan, China, Korea, Malaysia, Russia, Israel, South America and Mexico. In these countries it is used as sweetener in all food and beverages, especially because it has no side effects other sweeteners and, moreover, does not decompose.

Its young leaves have a pleasant licorice flavor and can be used to replace refined sugar because it contains sweet glycosides which are not metabolised and contain no calories. The dried leaves of stevia contain approximately 42% water-soluble substances also contains protein, fiber, iron, phosphorus, calcium, potassium, zinc and vitamins A and C.

Advantages and disadvantages of sweeteners

If you would like to cook, knows that sugar not only contributes sweetness to hot foods, especially sweets like cakes and cookies. It also affects how food is cooked and the final texture. You may substitute the sugar for a low-calorie sweetener affects the texture and flavor. Many people use a combination of sugar and a low-calorie sweetener to reduce total calories and sugar intake and still obtain acceptable results.

Advantage: They provide fewer calories than foods made with sugar and other caloric sweeteners. That may help if you try to lose weight or avoid weight regain.

Disadvantage:
~Many people consume more than they should be free to believe that the sugar can be eaten without restriction. This can make them gain weight.
~Some foods or sugar-free products that use low-calorie sweeteners actually have more calories and more fat than the versions that contain sugar.

All mentioned low-calorie sweeteners can help people with overweight or diabetes reduce calorie intake and stay within a healthy eating plan. Moreover, these sweeteners are helpful in reducing calories and carbohydrates when used in place of sugar to sweeten coffee, tea, cereals, fruits and desserts.

In fact it is largely the source of obesity, diabetes and many other nutritional problems that make it increasingly greater number of people leaving the consumption of sugar, pure and simple and look for alternatives.

Hence the light products are increasingly booming. Now the problem is that these are mostly made with sorbitol, mannitol or xylitol, which are sugar alcohols, have enough energy content (sometimes as much as conventional sugar) and eventually can cause side effects such as diarrhea or nerve damage in diabetic patients. In any case, it is not supposed to take sugar should give up on sweet products. But it should be well informed of the alternatives.

Sweet tips

Research has shown that sugar has the same effect on blood glucose than other carbohydrates such as bread or potatoes. Calorie for calorie, sugar raises the level of blood glucose similarly to other carbohydrates. Currently, experts agree that foods with sugar can always be viewed in the meal plan just as any other food containing carbohydrates. The same guidelines apply to other caloric sweeteners such as brown sugar, honey and molasses.

Undoubtedly, most sweets and desserts do not provide the important vitamins and minerals found in the healthiest foods, and for that reason, be sure to continue to consume the nutrients it needs. Many sweets also contain carbohydrates, have also high in calories and fat.

If you like sweets, but also want to lose weight, try these helpful hints:

* Satisfy your urge to eat something sweet with fresh or dried fruits.
* Eat a small portion of your favorite dessert instead of eating any dessert.
* When eating out, share dessert with a friend or relative.
* Reduce the amount of sugar and fat in your favorite recipes.
* Try new recipes for preparing lower-calorie sweets.
* Select versions of your favorite desserts with less calories and fat.
* Use a low-calorie sweetener instead of sugar for coffee or tea.

The review of 16 clinical trials of 15 herbal formulas the herbs showed reduced levels of blood sugar in people with “prediabetes,” which are those with impaired glucose control can become type 2 diabetes.

When the researchers gathered data from eight of these studies found that adding an herbal remedy to lifestyle changes doubled the likelihood of normalizing the blood sugar levels.

Moreover, people who had used the remedies were two thirds less likely to develop diabetes during the study, which lasted about 9 months.

The findings are published in the Cochrane Library, Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research.

For authors, the results are “quite promising.” But they cautioned that the studies had some methodological biases, preventing firm conclusions.

“There are many herbal remedies on the shelves, but few were subjected to a rigorous test,” he told Reuters Health via e-mail the author of the study, Suzanne J. Grant, Center for Complementary Medicine Research at the University of Western Sydney in Australia.

Many of the trials analyzed, explained, were “high risk of bias” that might overestimate the effects of therapies.

So, he added, is more rigorous trials necessary before recommending the use of herbal medicines to prevent diabetes.

The studies included a total of 1391 men and women with impaired glucose tolerance or blood fasting glucose, which are problems of control of blood sugar that increase plasma levels, but not enough to diagnose diabetes .

The studies examined various mixtures of Chinese herbs traditionally used to control blood sugar, as Jiangtang Bushen, Kang Tang Xiaoke huaya and yin.

In most trials, the products were added to lifestyle changes and compared with the effects of these changes only, which were not detailed in most studies.

Grant said that if the prediabetic want to try an herbal product, they must first consult with the physician and, ideally, be used with the supervision of a specialist in herbal medicine.