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Artifi cial INTELLIGENCE Don't Sugarcoat It It may be tempting to turn to artifi cial sweeteners when trying to reduce the amount of sugar and calories in your diet. While they taste sweet and have few or no calories, there may be more to artifi cial sweeteners than meets the nutrition label. Six artifi cial sweeteners — saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame and advantame — are approved for consumption in the United States. Research in the '70s linked saccharin to bladder cancer, pushing the industry to fi nd alternatives for diet drinks. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved aspartame in 1981 and sucralose in 1999. While all are deemed "generally safe" by the FDA, the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis found that daily consumption of diet drinks increased the risk for metabolic syndrome — the onset of heart attack risk factors including obesity and Type 2 diabetes — by 36 percent and the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 67 percent when compared to those who did not consume artifi cial sweeteners. Need an alternative? Water is the safest and healthiest non- caloric beverage. Infuse a glass with apple or strawberry slices for a sweet taste. Americans are consuming as many as 30 teaspoons of sugar a day, according to the American Heart Association. The problem is that consuming too much sugar can lead to health issues such as obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, there are healthier, more natural ways to sweeten things up a little. BL ACKSTR AP MOL ASSES Unlike white sugar and corn syrup, which lack any nutrients, molasses includes minerals such as iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. DATE SUGAR Made from pulverized dried dates, this sugar is a very healthy alternative that's even sweeter than regular cane sugar. However, its inability to melt and blend doesn't make it a seamless replacement. HONEY Honey provides vitamins, minerals and, of course, a sweet taste. With 21 calories per teaspoon, compared with 16 calories for table sugar, honey is sweeter and more dense, so you can use less. Makeover Food Labels Get a The FDA recently mandated several changes be made to the Nutrition Facts labels found on packaged food and beverages in the next two to three years. Updates that better reflect current nutrition principles include: + added sugars listed in grams and percent daily value (%DV) + larger type sizes for "Calories" and "Serving Size" + removal of "Calories From Fat" value + serving sizes listed per serving as well as per package + vitamin D and potassium levels part of the %DV "Added sugars contribute to many chronic health issues, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease," says Julie La Barba, M.D., FAAP, medical director of The Children's Hospital of San Antonio's Culinary Health Education for Families (CHEF) program. "Added sugars should make up no more than 10 percent of your TOTAL calories each day. Otherwise, you're adding "empty" calories, which don't have any nutrients your body can use." ✚ Concerned about your family's health? Find a doctor at findachristusdoc.org or call (877) 250-DOCS. Fall 2016 | christussantarosa.org EATING WELL 11