Equal

Equal

Ahshare Thompson

DeVry University

Is Equal really equal? Equal is an artificial sweetener used for many things. From sweeting one coffee to making pies equal does it all. Discovered in 1965 by Jim Schlatter it has been a very popular sweetener since the early 1980’s. Here we will look into where it comes from, what it is made of, if it is safe and its relationship with obesity.

Equal is made out of Aspartame. Aspartame comes from “aspartyl-Phenyalalanine methyl ester”. It was discovered by accident while researching a new ulcer treatment. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar but at 4 calories per serving. It high sweetness with such low calories is with makes it so popular as a sugar substitute.

There have been many dangers that have been said to be associated with aspartame. In fact even though it was discovered in 1965 it was held back by the FDA, because it was thought to cause headaches. There was an article in a health publication that accused aspartame of being somewhat poisonous when mix with other beverages. “10% Methanol (when in solutions such as Kool Aid(C), coffee, tea, pop, etc.). Rietz, D. (1998).” says Alt Health Watch. Also it been accused of causing brain tumors. The FDA currently refutes any clams that these accusations are true citing no conclusive proof.

Aspartame link to obesity has been minimal. In fact since it is so low in calories it has been recommend as an alternative to sugar. Lower calories mean less weight gain and less chance for obesity. There has been a study done that says that it can actually reduce weight gain. “A meta-analysis of 16 human studies conducted by de la Hunty et al, published in 2006, concluded that, “using food and drinks sweetened with aspartame instead of sucrose results in a significant reduction in both energy intakes (calories) and body weight.( Aspartame proven to help reduce weight. (2008)).”

Finally Equal also known as aspartame is a good...