Sweetener
A sweetener is a substance that enhances the sweetness of foods and beverages, with both natural and artificial varieties available. Natural sweeteners, like sugar, honey, and maple syrup, come from plant sources, while artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose, are synthetic alternatives. The history of sweeteners dates back thousands of years, with sugar being cultivated and utilized in diverse cultures for culinary and medicinal purposes. Over the centuries, sugar became a significant trade commodity, leading to complex socio-economic impacts, including the development of the transatlantic slave trade to support sugar production in colonies.
As health issues like obesity and diabetes surged, the safety and health implications of both natural and artificial sweeteners became subjects of debate. The discovery of saccharin in the late 19th century marked the beginning of synthetic sweeteners, which have been linked to various health concerns, yet remain prevalent in many products. Current research suggests that both types, when consumed in moderation, are generally safe. Ultimately, personal preferences, dietary choices, and ethical considerations influence consumer decisions regarding the use of sweeteners, reflecting a continuing dialogue about their roles in modern diets.
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Sweetener
A sweetener is a substance used to make foods and beverages taste sweet. Many types of natural and artificial sweeteners exist. Natural sweeteners are derived from nature—though they may undergo some processing—and include sugar, honey, maple syrup, and agave. Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes such as aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda), and saccharin (Sweet'N Low). Much controversy surrounds the use and health impact of all types of sweeteners.
Background
Honey has been used since ancient times not only as a sweetener but also as a treatment for different ailments. Sugar in the form of sugarcane can be traced back more than ten thousand years to New Guinea. Native inhabitants of the island picked sugarcane and chewed on it to release its sweetness. Sugar quickly became a beloved food, worshipped in myths, used in religious ceremonies, and utilized as a cure for numerous illnesses.
Sugar made its way to mainland Asia about 1000 BCE and to India about 500 CE. In India, sugar was ground into a fine powder and used to treat health issues such as headaches, digestive distress, and impotence. During this time, the art of grinding and processing sugar was a skill passed down from those who had mastered it. Sugar eventually reached Persia around 600 CE and spread to Arab countries after the Arabs conquered Persia. The Arabs perfected the art of processing and refining sugar, and it quickly became a big industry. They mixed ground almonds with sugar to make marzipan, from which they sculpted huge displays and even mosques.
Europeans were first introduced to sugar in the 1400s as they explored the unknown parts of the world for new territories. They formed trade agreements with the Arabs living in these regions to obtain sugar. The trade partnerships, however, did not yield as much sugar as was required by the Europeans, and eventually the spread of the Ottoman Empire dissolved the trade agreements. The Europeans needed what they called "white gold," and they were faced with a dilemma over how to acquire it. They could either buy it from pricey southern European sugar manufacturers, go to war with the Turks and take their lands, or create their own sources of sugar.
They decided to cultivate the crop themselves. They needed a proper climate, so they continued to conquer lands that were suitable to growing the crop. Portuguese explorer Henry the Navigator took sugarcane crops to Madeira. Sugar then spread to Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) and the Canary Islands. Explorer Christopher Columbus brought sugar with him on his voyage to the Dominican Republic near the end of the fifteenth century. From there, sugar spread to the Caribbean colonies, Brazil, and then several of the British, Dutch, and French colonies, including Barbados and Haiti.
Sugar became a huge industry, but its cultivation was difficult and required much labor. Many people were needed to aid in sugar production. As a result, the centuries-long African slave trade began. As more areas were colonized in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and sugar was planted in these colonies, the need for slave labor increased. Brazil, Jamaica, and Barbados became some of the most productive sugar producers in the world, requiring hundreds of thousands of slaves to cultivate sugar.
Overview
Sugar remained an important industry in the centuries that followed, and its consumption continued to rise. People were eating sugar in astonishing quantities, and health issues, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, were on the rise. Scientists and researchers began to study sugar's effects on health. In addition, scientists experimented with substitutes that were billed as healthier alternatives to sugar—though this claim has been heavily disputed throughout the years.
The first artificial sweetener, saccharin, was discovered by accident in 1878 at Johns Hopkins University. Chemists Ira Remsen and Constantin Fahlberg were experimenting with coal-tar derivatives and studying sugar. Fahlberg had spilled a compound on himself and then went home to eat dinner. He tasted a sweet substance on his hands, which prompted him to go back to the laboratory and taste all of the substances. He found the source, benzoic sulfinide, or saccharin as it became known.
A few years later, Fahlberg patented the chemical and began producing it in pill and powder form. Like sugar, it had a multitude of uses. It was utilized as a healing agent, weight loss aid, canning preservative, and sweetener for foods and beverages. At first, saccharin was thought to have no known adverse health effects. As time passed, some called for more testing of the chemical; even scientists found it hard to believe that the chemical was completely safe for consumption. However, many people, including the US president who was prescribed saccharin by his doctor, balked at claims that saccharin was unsafe. Despite the health concerns, it remained on the market. Several other artificial sweeteners were developed and released. In the 1960s, a medical chemist in Illinois found aspartame while testing a gastric ulcer drug, and a student at King's College in London mistakenly discovered sucralose in 1976 after tasting compounds. Soon, others followed.
The pattern concerning artificial sweeteners' health impacts repeated itself for many years. Researchers linked artificial sweeteners to an increased cancer risk, and threats of bans loomed. Those loyal to artificial sweeteners rushed to buy them as bans were discussed. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) even stepped into the debate and began to study the effects of artificial sweeteners on health. Meanwhile, artificial sweeteners seemingly were everywhere; they could be found in soft drinks, foods, and even in little pink (saccharin), blue (aspartame), and yellow (sucralose) packets on tables in restaurants.
In the twenty-first century, debate about the healthiness of sweeteners continues. While numerous studies have been conducted by researchers on both sides of the issue, no scientific evidence exists to prove that artificial sweeteners cause serious health problems. Studies also found that artificial sweeteners—like natural sweeteners—in limited quantities are safe for consumption. The ultimate decision on whether to use natural or artificial sweeteners rests in consumers' hands. Some people use natural sweeteners such as honey or agave in lieu of artificial ones for taste reasons, while others may choose sucralose for dietary reasons. Vegans, people who do not consume any animal products, may choose certain natural or artificial sweeteners over honey, which is made by bees. Whatever the reason, the debate over which type of sweetener is best continues.
Bibliography
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