There are so many aspects of nutrition that are controversial and remain so even between industry experts. How many times have you had a debate with another knowledgeable individual in regards to ANY related topic simply because your opinions stand in the way of what is actually true? And don’t say anything about “well this study says this, and that study says that,” because studies can be manipulated, results can be manipulated and people can be manipulated in to believing anything. If you are looking for a specific result, it is not uncommon for scientists and researchers to simply leave out data that does not coincide. It happens, life goes on.
Let’s discuss one topic that is constantly being brought up on a daily basis.
Sugar vs. Artificial Sweeteners
There are rumors out there that artificial sweeteners will cause cancer later in life, but somehow there seems to be no factual supporting studies for this claim. Again, we go back to the fact that results of a study can and will be manipulated to achieve the desired data. That, or crucial information will simply be omitted. Additionally, many of these studies are conducted on lab rats or other animals whose anatomy is incomparable to humans.
If you have a person who is overweight, not even obese, just overweight and wants to lose weight but simply loves the sweets, why the heck would you tell them to limit themselves to a small soda rather than their usual biggie-size?! Soda is still loaded with sugar no matter which size cup you put it in. And who says he/she isn’t going to refill the small cup?! No matter how much sugar you put in to your body at any given time you are still creating an insulin spike when it may not be necessary.
Artificial sweeteners and sugar-substitutes go hand in hand, where sugar-substitutes are considered to be natural, and artificial sweeteners are synthetic. Some are better than others in terms of flavor, after taste, effects on your gastrointestinal tract, etc., and using one that is natural as opposed to synthetic is not the difference between quality and crap. At this point, it becomes a measure of personal preference. Do you want to use a sweetener that is derived from fruits and berries or from another compound? Do you want to use a sweetener that tastes exactly like sugar, but leaves a slight after-taste, or do you want to use a sweetener that causes GI discomfort. How about simply using sugar that may cause you to pack on the pounds like a bear preparing for hibernation?
The best way to control your weight is to control when insulin is released into your bloodstream. As we all know, insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas when sugar is introduced. Insulin is the primary hormone responsible for raising glucose levels in the blood and delivers glucose to the muscle and cell. Glucose, in turn, provides the cell with energy to continue with metabolic processes. If your cells and blood already contain enough glucose to provide your body with fuel, any newly introduced sugar in to the body will have no place else to go but to take residence on your hips and thighs in the form of stored body fat. The only two times that your body will not store sugar as body fat is first thing in the morning and right after you workout, with which your body needs that sugar the most. Waking up in the morning, you are coming off of an 8 hr fast, so your body will need the sugar to provide you with energy and fuel for the day ahead. Immediately after training, your muscles need sugar to restore what was lost during training so that you will have enough fuel for your next workout. Other than those two times, depending upon your body type, there is no reason to consume sugar.
If you are overweight and trying to get in shape, why not use some sweetener in your coffee instead of sugar?!? It is practically calorie-free and will not illicit an insulin response.
Let’s weigh the positives and negatives shall we?
Negatives first:
Artificial Sweeteners/Sugar Substitutes – some people are saying that you MIGHT get cancer when you are 60 because of consuming artificial sweeteners. But then again, you might get cancer when you are 60 from talking on your cell phone too.
Sugar (including honey) – will illicit an insulin spike thus causing you to store body fat uncontrollably; then causing you to have a massive sugar-crash that makes you drowsy and unable to function properly in the real world. Stored body fat above and beyond the “healthy” limits will cause depression, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attack, among many other health complications that you do NOT want to have.
Positives next:
Artificial Sweeteners/Sugar Substitutes – calorie-free and do not illicit an insulin response. Does not cause you to store body fat. Taste just as good as sugar and cure a sugar craving. Can assist those trying to lose weight in reaching their goals.
Sugar (including honey) – taste delicious. Provide energy for your day and throughout your training session.
Someone who has trouble giving up sweets is a perfect candidate for sugar-substitute use. There are tons of studies out there that prove said sweeteners do and do not cause cancer, but it is a proven fact that sugar will induce an insulin spike, and excessive insulin spikes will cause you to store body fat.
Make your decision wisely. Ask yourself this, “Do I want to be fat and depressed and look terrible nekkid?” or “Do I want to have a hot body and enjoy all the artificial sweeteners I want and maybe when I am 60 or older, just maybe I will come down with some sort of chronic disease, which by then they will have a cure for?” VPX does everything possible to keep the sugar content in our products to a minimum, or if possible, ZERO! There is no reason for your supplements to contain 40, 50, or 60 grams of sugar like some of the other products on the market!
