Fake Sugar...

[doctorfrau]

As far as eating things that come from dangerous chemicals -- it's important to keep things in perspective. The word "chemical" seems to have acquired some kind of evil/industrial connotation these days, when in fact the whole "natural" world is made up of chemicals.

Sodium, in its elemental form, is a soft metal that is highly flammable/explosive when exposed to oxygen. Yet, this "dangerous" chemical is an essential ion in our bodies' water balance and electrical signalling system. Chlorine is a poisonous gas, yet it too is an essential element in our cellular function. Both Sodium and Chloride are ingredients in our sports drinks. Zinc is a heavy metal that can be toxic in large doses, yet if we don't eat enough of it, our skin begins to breakdown, ulcerate, and slough off in a reaction called "Acrodermatitis enteropathica". Ethanol in beer and wine is a "poison" that must be de-toxified in the liver. Even Oxygen (which seems both important and innocuous), can in high concentrations cause BLINDNESS in pre-mature babies.

All I'm saying is, please be careful when classifying things as ALL evil or ALL good in this world. Moderation is a good thing. Trying to eat a more balanced diet is a good thing. Just try not to use such a broad brush when painting things as "chemical" or "natural".

I always like to say that Rattlesnake venom and Salmonella are "all natural" too .... but it doesn't mean they are good for you!

[kpc]

Ha! I had a friend who said weed is an herb and sugar is a drug.

I try to avoid both!

[spokes]

i'm a party pooper. my friends get annoyed when i do this...

when i looked at this original e-mail a second time, it semmed to have the hysterical 'the sky is falling!!' tone of forwarded, hoax e-mails. remember the one about micosoft paying you ten dollars each time you forward a 'test' e-mail? or about a dying child's last wish, that you can help make true? the plastic containers that leech into microwaved food? the $250 dollar neiman-marcus cookie? i checked about www.snopes.com, which is very good for investigating this kind of thing. i found this:

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartame.asp

it doesn't mean i like artificial sweeteners: personally i feel we are exposed to too many substances, the long-term, high exposure effects of which are unknown. but apparently, there are no known scientifically verifiable studies on artificial sweeteners to prove that this e-mail is true. so... grain of salt, either way.

[MightyMitre]

Originally posted by spokes
there are no known scientifically verifiable studies on artificial sweeteners to prove that this e-mail is true.

Here in the UK we were told it was safe to eat beef that had Mad Cow disease, next thing we know it had developed into a human form of the disease. There's a lot of suspicion over here about food, mainly because the powers that be told us things were safe to eat when they weren't. A lot of trust was lost - but I agree it doesn't help your cause if you get all hysterical about something because people just won't listen.

Phew getting a bit heavy here - think I 'll just pop out for some chocolate...

[sno4rent]

Originally posted by spokes
so... grain of salt, either way.

Would that be the "good salt" or the "bad salt"???

~ Wendi

[doctorfrau]

Thanks Spokes!

I knew I had heard that story somewhere before.

Reminds me of a "spoof" internet hoax a few years ago warning people about the "dangerous contaminant" called Dihydrogen Monoxide that was found in high levels in our drinking water.

(Dihydrogen Monoxide = H2O) hee hee
http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html

[grannydea]

Personally I follow the "if it sounds too good to be true" it probably isn't true thing. And mass e-mailing fit into that category. Snoops.com is a great place to check stuff out and get information. As someone said moderation is best. That is true with about everything in life.
Off subject, Hope everyone is into good weather and back outside. Its great out there.
Dea