Sugar Substitutes

I had a momentary lapse of concentration this afternoon. I picked up a 20-ounce beverage that only has 100 calories in the bottle. For some reason, the package led me to believe that it was naturally sweetened, but as soon as I had my first sip I realized it wasn't. The ingredients include crystalline fructose and sucralose. From the description of crystalline fructose I found on Wikipedia, it sounds like "natural" and just as processed as high fructose corn syrup without all the negative media baggage. Natural sweeteners, how much ever they are processed, are fine with me. On the other hand, sucralose is totally artificial, most commonly known by the brand name Splenda. I always find it amusing how Splenda adds purport that it's made from real sugar - because it seems to have the same effect on me that aspartame does.

I do not intend to crusade against artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame. A lot of people use them to manage diabetes or reduce calories, reasons I think are perfectly legit. But I do seem to get headaches and stomachaches from artificial sweeteners and wish there were more beverages out there that were sold unsweetened or lightly sweetened with natural sweeteners. I do want to watch my calories but I don't want to ingest chemicals that make me feel sick in order to do so. Yes of course I could stick to water, or just drink soda on a limited basis, but sometimes I want something with a little more flavor without all the guilt to stay hydrated!

No matter what your stance on artificial sweeteners and other food additives, it's a good idea to double check the ingredients label before spending $2.25 on a yuppie drink.