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From: pamelam@orca.UUCP (Pamela Morton)
Newsgroups: net.kids,net.med
Subject: Re: The Perils of Nutrasweet
Message-ID: <1619@orca.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 16-Jul-85 11:09:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: orca.1619
Posted: Tue Jul 16 11:09:16 1985
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> > Unfortunately, the laws are such that Sugar, which is a more damaging
> > substance, is not regulated in any significant way as far as adulterating
> > food with it is concerned.
> 
> Is there any proof to this allegation?  As far as I have heard
> the only harm eating sugar has is an increase in dental caries.
> 
> What else does sugar do to give it such a bad reputation.
> 
> Dave Claus
> AT&T/Indy

I tend to agree with Dave Claus -- despite the effects that sugar may have
on SOME people, dental caries are the most significant long-term health
risk attributable to eating sugar.

This month's Atlantic has an excellent article on the potentially harmful
effects of sugar and nutrasweet.  The article points out that PKU syndrome
occurs only when there are two defective genes.  Some 4 million Americans
have one PKU gene, and they are considered "carriers".  Pregnant women who
are PKU carriers are more likely to be carrying a baby with full-blown PKU
syndrome, and putting that baby at greater risk when they drink Nutrasweet.
And the big problem is that most carriers have never been
screened -- they don't know who they are.

As I recall when my children were born (2 years ago, and 6 months ago),
they were screened for PKU syndrome at birth, then again at the one-week
checkup.  In Oregon, the state actually does the test, and I think that the
test is required by law.  Our pediatrician just put a blood 
smear on a card that was mailed to the state department of
health.