1. The skinny on artificial sweeteners and weight gain Presented by Ann Cohen and Jessica Kovarik

2. Taste: how  Groups of taste cells on papillae (bumps)  Chemical binds with taste cell Depolarization of nerve fibers  action potential to brain Adaptation of nerve transmittion

3. Taste: what and why  5 tastes: salty, sour, bitter, umami, and sweet No longer taste ‘zones’  Taste and survival Avoid bitter Seek out sweet

4. Sweetness abounds  Sugar = Carbohydrates Simple and complex  Main source of energy (4 calories per gram)  Occur naturally in foods and added to foods  Simple sugars: Sucrose = glucose + fructose  Table sugar Lactose = glucose + galactose  Dairy Maltose = glucose + glucose  Germinating grains

5. Sweetness abounds  Other natural sweeteners: Honey, molasses, maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup Sugar alcohols or polyols, such as mannitol, sorbitol, isomalt

6. Sweet energy  Nutritive sweeteners Contain calories Honey, HFCS, table sugar, maple syrup, etc.  Nonnutritive sweeteners Reduced or no calories Sugar alcohols and artificial sweeteners

7. Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners  Low-calorie sweeteners Sweet taste with fewer or no calories Food and Drug Administration approval  Six intense, low-calorie sweeteners: Saccharin – Sweet’N Low/Sugar Twin Acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) Aspartame Neotame Sucralose - Splenda Tagatose

8. Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners  Sucralose aka Splenda Heat stable = use for baking 3 chlorine atoms instead of hydroxyl groups 600 times sweeter than sugar Created from sugar, so tastes similar to sugar  Body not able to break it down

9. Getting 1+1=1: artificial sweeteners  Stevia Natural sweetener extracted from plants Not FDA approved, so sold as a supplement Body cannot metabolize, so no calories Studies inconclusive about safety: some show no adverse reactions, others suggest smaller offspring

10. Rumor has it sugar causes…  Cavities Contact time of bacteria, not type of food leads to decay i.e.: bread can be worse than caramel  Hyperactivity No scientific research to support Is it the sugar or the environment? May have a calming affect

11. Rumor has it sugar causes…  Diabetes Important to monitor to control diabetes  Obesity Energy imbalance leads to weight gain

12. High fructose corn syrup  What is it? Corn starch converted to glucose Glucose isomerized by enzymes to 42% or 55% fructose Named ‘high fructose’ to distinguish from glucose corn syrup Sweet taste, low cost, easy to use resulting in wide use  Soft drinks, fruit drinks, baked goods, processed foods, dairy products

13. High fructose corn syrup  Media claims HFCS causes obesity Increase in obesity coincides with increased HFCS use  i.e.: added to soft drinks in early 1980s  But obesity also problematic in countries where HFCS use is not as prevalent

14. High fructose corn syrup  Media claims HFCS causes obesity Fructose converts to fat easier than glucose  Absorbed at different site by different mechanism  Any fructose metabolized same  HFCS vs. sucrose  Fructose metabolized differently than glucose once in the cell

15. Fructose verses glucose  Insulin Glucose causes insulin to be released Fructose does not stimulate insulin release  Satiety Glucose used by the brain and helps sense satiety

16. Fructose verses glucose  Leptin Increased by insulin release Increased leptin  decreased food intake  Controls appetite Glucose  insulin release  increased leptin  decreased food intake

17. High fructose corn syrup verdict  No evidence to support HFCS contributes significantly to obesity  Energy imbalance leads to obesity

18. Sweeteners and obesity  Artificial sweeteners may cause disruption in body’s ability to gauge caloric density  Body appears to gauge calories based on thickness Semi-solid and liquid foods/beverages inhibit body’s ability to accurately compensate

19. Sweeteners and obesity  Obesity has continued to rise as use of artificial sweeteners has risen  Multi-factorial problem Energy balance: energy in and energy out Sugar = calories  Excess calories (and inactivity) = weight gain  Weight balance = energy out vs. energy in

20. Laboratory ideas  Tooth Decay Explores the effect of various liquids on decaying teeth  Sugar composition of beverages Determine the sugar content of various beverages  All the same type: such as juice or soft drinks  Compare different types: such as milk, juice, soft drinks, water, etc.  Experiments with soft drinks Experiments with soft drinks http://www.eepybird.com/science1.html

21. Resources for teachers  http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006- 06/member_high.htm http://science.nsta.org/enewsletter/2006- 06/member_high.htm  http://www.free-science-fair-projects.net/ http://www.free-science-fair-projects.net/ http://www.free-science-fair- projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth- decay.html http://www.free-science-fair- projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth- decay.html  http://www.splenda.com/ http://www.splenda.com/  http://www.eepybird.com/science1.html http://www.eepybird.com/science1.html

22. References  Physiology of taste. Accessed June 12, 2006 from http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm  Schorin MD. (2005). High fructose corn syrups, part 1. Nutrition Today, 40(6), 248-252.  Hein GL, Lineback DR, Storey ML, & White JS. (2005). Highs and lows of high fructose corn syrup. Nutrition Today, 40(6), 253-256.  Science fair projects on tooth decay. Accessed June 12, 2006 from http://www.free- science-fair-projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth-deecary.htmlhttp://www.free- science-fair-projects.net/science-fair-projects-on-tooth-deecary.html  Juices. Accessed May 31, 2006, from http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/8TH/tarrahw/JUICES.HTML http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/8TH/tarrahw/JUICES.HTML  Which beverage contains the most sugar? Accessed May 31, 2006, from http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/6TH/Sugar/COURTNEYA.HTML http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/MS/SciProj98/6TH/Sugar/COURTNEYA.HTML  Duyff RL. (2002). Complete food and nutrition guide. 2 nd ed. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley.  Physiology of taste. Accessed June 13, 2006, from http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm http://biology.about.com/library/organs/blpathodigest2.htm  Study: artificial sweeteners may disrupt body’s ability to count calories. (2004). Purdue News. Accessed June 13, 2006, from http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2004/040629.Swithers.research.html http://www.purdue.edu/UNS/html4ever/2004/040629.Swithers.research.html