Question

A Sweet Debate



1

I recently walked into a local café and noticed a large sign advertising the virtues of the food that was served there. The sign boasted that the tasty choices were high in fiber, a good source of vitamins, and contained no artificial sweeteners. The ad seemed reasonable; after all, fiber and vitamins are good and artificial sweeteners are bad, right? As I thought about it, though, I considered that I did not know a great deal about artificial sweeteners. I decided to do some research, and what I found surprised me.

2

Let's start with a definition: an artificial sweetener or sugar substitute is a product created to use in place of sugar to make food sweet. The dictionary defines it as a noncaloric substitute, or in other words, something that does not add calories. If you look on the label of a diet soda or sports drink, you might see sugar substitutes such as sucralose, aspartame, or saccharin. If you look on the label of a chewing gum package, you might see such sweeteners as xylitol or sorbitol. Each of these is simply a chemical name given to a product that is manufactured to be used in place of sugar.

3

One of the main reasons why artificial sweeteners have a bad reputation is a series of studies that took place in the 1970s. When the studies were finished, scientists concluded that saccharin, the most popular artificial sweetener of the time, caused cancer in laboratory rats. Soon afterward, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned saccharin. They called it a hazardous potentially cancer-causing chemical.

4

Over the next several decades, though, more studies were conducted. In 1994, the National Cancer Institute published its own findings. Researchers concluded that there was no connection between saccharin and cancer. In fact, they could not link saccharin to any health problems. In 2001, the FDA approved saccharin for consumption, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) removed it from its hazardous chemicals list.

5

People began to view artificial sweeteners as a positive thing. Consumers who wanted to control their weight saw artificial sweeteners as a way to enjoy a sweet treat without added calories. Artificial sweeteners also helped some people who had health issues. For example, people with diabetes, a disease that causes high levels of blood sugar, could use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar in their diets. Dentists preferred the use of artificial sweeteners too because they did not cause tooth decay. And to this date, no one has published a reputable study demonstrating that artificial sweeteners are dangerous.

6

Still, the jury is out on the sweetener debate. No matter how many reports show that artificial sweeteners are safe, there continue to be skeptics. Plus, some studies have begun to show a connection between the use of artificial sweeteners and weight gain. No one is sure why this link exists. Perhaps people use artificial sweeteners in products such as baked goods and overeat them thinking they are healthy. Or maybe the supersweet taste of artificial sweeteners causes users to crave them, and maybe this craving causes an increase in appetite.

7

Regardless of where you stand on the issue, it is important to remember that nutritionists advise that we should consume snacks that contain artificial sweeteners in moderation. Also, foods that contain artificial sweeteners should not be eaten in place of foods that are good for you such as fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates. Above all, do your own research and be aware of what you are putting into your body. Just because something isn't harmful doesn't mean that it is good for you.

8

The next time I visit the local café, I will have a new perspective on the food that I purchase there. Perhaps I will even share what I have learned with the manager of the café!


In paragraph 1, the author uses the words virtues and boasted to describe the café's advertising sign. Such word choices suggest that the author views the cafe's attitude as


cleverly humorous.


morally superior.


scientifically accurate.


casually inviting.

Answer 1

morally superior.

"Boasted" and "virtues" imply the café was bragging about being better, i.e., taking a morally superior tone.