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Senior Care: Driving for Seniors

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Senior Driving CarCan a person be too old to drive?

The answer to this question is not clear-cut and not one that should be applied across the board to all seniors. Nonetheless, with the current growth in our aging population we need to seriously review current and future policies on driving as they apply to seniors. As a community and society, we need to better understand the challenges / barriers and step in to mitigate. Policy review and changes is not something that affects seniors… it will affect our selves in the coming years. This is a delicate balance as we attempt to protect society from senior drivers we also need to ensure that we protect their rights and inevitably, our own rights as a senior citizen. Statistically speaking: Next to young male drivers, people aged 70 or older have highest accident rate

The New Retirement: In a recent, CBC News presented a series on life for people 60 years and older. Canadians Seniors are living longer than ever before, a fact that is radically changing the meaning of retirement. Many people see it as a time of reinvention, a time to try new things. CBC News is published stories on seniors who are doing remarkable things in the so-called twilight years. In one instance, a police officer pulled over a driver for driving too slow and impeding traffic. The officer glanced at the driver’s license and saw her age — 94 — and explained he wasn’t going to give her a ticket. But a couple of weeks later, she said she received a letter notifying her that her license was suspended for medical reasons.

“Never thought of not having a car, never crossed my mind,” explained Ellison. “When you can’t go out and get in your car and go where you want to go, it’s like having your arm cut off.”

According to the latest figures from Statistics Canada, three-quarters of Canadians aged 65 and older have a driver’s license. But research also shows that the older a person is, the greater risk they are on the road. StatsCan reports that other than young male drivers, people aged 70 or older have the highest accident rate. Furthermore, seniors are much more likely to be killed in collisions.

The loss of a driver’s license can affect quality of life: 

Those statistics don’t change the fact that once a person loses their license, it greatly affects their lifestyle and overall mental health. “It’s been demonstrated and said many times, that receiving the news that you will be losing your driver’s license has the same weight as being diagnosed with cancer,” said Sylvain Gagnon, a researcher for the Canadian Driving Research Initiative for Vehicular Safety in the Elderly (CANDRIVE). He explained the news of losing your license, can often be followed by depression and a significant loss in quality of life. Figures show that access to a car affects a person’s social habits. StatsCan found that seniors who primarily travelled via their car were the most likely to have partaken in a social activity in the past week, at 73 per cent. The StatsCan research shows that seniors who depend on others to get around are more likely to be reluctant when asking to attend leisure activities (rather than essential activities, like doctor’s appointments). Since losing her license, Ellison must now rely on her daughters and friends for transportation to her personal and social errands.

Life without wheels:

The loss of a license may be even more detrimental for seniors living outside urban areas. According to StatsCan, people aged 65-74 are slightly more likely to live outside urban areas. Of those seniors, a large number reportedly do not use transit because of a lack of service in their area, which may only further immobilize them.

According to Ellison, if you are out in the country and don’t drive, “you just might as well be dead”. — Peggy Ellison, Ontario Senior .

Ellison was 21 when she first got her license. She went on to two driving-related jobs, including parking cars at a garage and driving a bus for 20 years. She said that in the seven decades that she had a license, she was never in an accident. “I haven’t changed because I got old, at least I don’t think I have,” said Ellison. It is estimated that people make eight to 12 navigating decisions for every kilometre they drive. According to the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, even small changes as a result of aging can affect your driving. In Ontario, a person’s driver’s license can be suspended if a doctor or optometrist feels a person has a condition that may impair their ability to drive. Doctors are bound by law to report this condition to the Ministry of Transportation, which then reviews the information and acts accordingly. A doctor may take into account a number of factors when assessing a senior’s ability to drive, including vision, mobility and cognitive abilities. “You will never be able to tell in a doctor’s office whether someone is safe to drive,” said Gagnon, who is also a psychology professor at the University of Ottawa. Gagnon explained driving is a complex task, and there is no one single indicator of a driver’s competence. A doctor can only hope to narrow down the grey area of who is safe to drive. CANDRIVE is currently trying to come up with an instrument that could be used by doctors to assess older drivers.

Renewal process for seniors:

In the meantime, some provinces require that drivers be retested once they reach a certain age. For instance, in Ontario at the age of 80, drivers must renew their license and continue to do so every two years. They complete a vision test, a written test and sit in on a group education session. They may also be required to take a road test. In provinces such as Alberta, a driver needs to take a medical exam at the age 75, and again at 80 and every two years after that. Doctors are not required by law to report seniors who they believe are unfit to drive. However, the province has other safety measures in place. For instance, when drivers renew their license they have an obligation to disclose whether they have a medical condition that would affect their ability to drive. In Alberta, anyone can request that someone’s driving privileges be reviewed if they suspect that person is becoming a danger on the road. Trent Bancarz, a spokesperson for Alberta Transportation, said the majority of the requests probably come from family members. “If you do have someone in your family that either due to age or due to a medical condition is maybe not a safe person to be out there, it’s really hard to either confront them or to take their driving privileges away,” said Bancarz. But he said there should be no age bias involved with the decision to take away someone’s license. “Some people are better able to drive a vehicle at 82 then some other people at 45,” Bancarz said.

Seniors forced to change lifestyle:

Gagnon warned the recommendation to take away someone’s license should not be made lightly, because of the dramatic impact it can have on a person’s life. How a senior reacts to the news that he or she can no longer drive may depend on a number of factors, including a senior’s autonomy, how far away they are from their services and what the alternate transportation methods are.

The day after Peggy Ellison sold her Buick to a young man in town, she took out the Yellow Pages with the intention of buying a golf cart, a four-wheeled vehicle that doesn’t require a license. Her new ride was delivered to her home the next day. “There’s nothing like having a car,” Ellison says, “but it makes me feel a little bit of independence again since I got my cart. I love to have wheels.

This year, more than 3.5 million drivers over 65 will strike out on Canadian roads – the highest number in history. That fact is fuelling a simmering debate over whether Canada’s provinces ought to have tougher licensing criteria for elderly drivers. Most provinces require drivers aged 80 and up to renew their license and take a written test every two years. None have mandatory in-car driver tests. However, on a per-kilometre basis, seniors are the most collision-prone operators on the road. They are also subject to some of the highest insurance rates, on par with the rates levied on newly licensed young males. The problem with those statistics, experts argue, is that they belie much of the grey that muddies the senior driving issue. “The mere fact that you are old doesn’t mean you have a problem,” said Dr. Jamie Dow, the medical adviser on road safety for the Société de l’assurance automobile du Quebec, a crown corporation responsible for licensing drivers and vehicles. “The fact that you are older does make you more susceptible to having a problem.” Public health data supports this.

In 2010, two thirds of Canadians over the age of 65 were using multiple medications and nearly nine out of 10 suffered from a chronic condition; a quarter of adults in the 65 to 79 age group suffered four or more chronic conditions. In the over 80 year old group, the number jumped to more than a third, according to data from the Public Health Agency of Canada. “There is clearly a strong association between age and illness,” said Bonnie Dobbs, and Edmonton-based gerontologist who helms the Medically At-Risk Drivers’ Centre at the University of Alberta, a research centred devoted to studying the impact of medical conditions on driving. “Age is not the primary determiner of fitness to drive. [But] as we get older, we’re more likely to have one or more of the illnesses that can impact our ability to drive.” Nellemarie Hyde, an occupational therapist and program co-ordinator for Saint Elizabeth Driver Assessment and Training service in Ontario, regularly evaluates senior drivers with medical illnesses. The most common are diabetes, which can impact both vision and sensory function – think ability to gauge force on gas or brake pedals – Parkinson’s Disease with its hallmark physical tremors, stroke victims and people living with dementia and other mild cognitive impairments. “Mild memory deficits don’t necessarily affect driving directly,” she said, adding that she focuses more on a driver’s ability to concentrate, focus and multi-task. She also tests for strength, range of motion, co-ordination, sensation and visual perception. “We want the client to be able to continue driving safely,” she said, adding: “The challenge is when a medical condition starts to change how they drive.” Picking up on that condition is where policy makers struggle.

In most provinces, doctors are legally mandated to inform licensing bodies when they suspect a patient is no longer competent to drive. However, most doctors are “totally unprepared to do it,” said Dow. “Most physicians have no training in evaluating drivers or the effects of medical conditions on driving,” he said, adding the subject is rarely touched on by medical schools. The result is that some provinces are deluged with declarations from physicians. In other cases, physicians barely report at all. Several efforts are under way to provide physicians with tools to easily and efficiently identify medically at-risk drivers without risking discrimination by age. Through the SAAQ in Quebec, Dow runs free seminars for doctors on which exam observations ought to trigger red, road-related flags. Last year, Quebec recorded 16,000 physician declarations, compared with just 1,800 in 2003. In Ontario, Shawn Marshall, an Ottawa-based rehab medicine specialist, is near the end of a five-year, multi-province study called CanDrive, which follows 1,000 drivers over the age of 65 and aims to produce an even more accurate tool. “You want to have a screening tool that is valid, reliable and has high accuracy. You don’t want to identify people falsely,” he said, noting it strains provincial systems and unfairly restricts individuals who belong on the road. “The average 65-year-old is a healthy person,” he said. “Driving is important. To maintain your independence in many places throughout Canada, you need to be able to drive.”

How Does Age Affect Driving?

More and more older drivers are on the roads these days. It’s important to know that getting older doesn’t automatically turn people into bad drivers. Many of us continue to be good, safe drivers as we age. But there are changes that can affect driving skills as we age.

Changes to our Bodies: Over time your joints may get stiff and your muscles weaken. It can be harder to move your head to look back, quickly turn the steering wheel, or safely hit the brakes. Your eyesight and hearing may change, too. As you get older, you need more light to see things. Also, glare from the sun, oncoming headlights, or other street-lights may trouble you more than before. The area you can see around you (called peripheral vision) may become narrower. The vision problems from eye diseases such as cataracts, macular degeneration, or glaucoma can also affect your driving ability. You may also find that your reflexes are getting slower. Or, your attention span may shorten. Maybe it’s harder for you to do two things at once. These are all normal changes, but they can affect your driving skills. Some older people have conditions like Alzheimer’s disease (AD) that change their thinking and behavior. People with AD may forget familiar routes or even how to drive safely. They become more likely to make driving mistakes, and they have more “close calls” than other drivers. However, people in the early stages of AD may be able to keep driving for a while. Caregivers should watch their driving over time. As the disease worsens, it will affect driving ability. Doctors can help you decide whether it’s safe for the person with AD to keep driving.

Other Health Changes: While health problems can affect driving at any age, some occur more often as we get older. For example, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, and diabetes may make it harder to drive. People who are depressed may become distracted while driving. The effects of a stroke or even lack of sleep can also cause driving problems. Devices such as an automatic defibrillator or pacemaker might cause an irregular heartbeat or dizziness, which can make driving dangerous.

 Smart Driving Tips

Planning before you leave:

  • Plan to drive on streets you know.
  • Limit your trips to places that are easy to get to and close to home.
  • Take routes that let you avoid risky spots like ramps and left turns.
  • Add extra time for travel if driving conditions are bad.
  • Don’t drive when you are stressed or tired.

 While you are driving:

  • Always wear your seat belt.
  • Stay off the cell phone.
  • Avoid distractions such as listening to the radio or having conversations.
  • Leave a big space, at least two car lengths, between your car and the one in front of you. If you are driving at higher speeds or if the weather is bad, leave even more space between you and the next car.
  • Make sure there is enough space behind you. (Hint: if someone follows you too closely, slow down so that the person will pass you.)
  • Use your rear window defroster to keep the back window clear at all times.
  • Keep your headlights on at all times.

Car safety:

  • Drive a car with features that make driving easier, such as power steering, power brakes, automatic transmission, and large mirrors.
  • Drive a car with air bags.
  • Check your windshield wiper blades often and replace them when needed.
  • Keep your headlights clean and aligned.
  • Think about getting hand controls for the accelerator and brakes if you have leg problems.

Driving skills: Take a driving refresher class every few years. (Hint: Some car insurance companies lower your bill when you pass this type of class. Check with AARP, AAA, or local private driving schools to find a class near you.)  

Medicine Side Effects: Some medicines can make it harder for you to drive safely. These medicines include sleep aids, anti-depression drugs, antihistamines for allergies and colds, strong pain-killers, and diabetes medications. If you take one or more of these or other medicines, talk to your doctor about how they might affect your driving.

Am I a safe driver? Maybe you already know of some driving situations that are hard for you–nights, highways, rush hours, or bad weather. If so, try to change your driving habits to avoid them. Other hints? Older drivers are most at risk when yielding the right of way, turning (especially making left turns), changing lanes, passing, and using expressway ramps. Pay special attention at those times.

Is It Time to Give Up Driving? We all age differently. For this reason, there is no way to say what age should be the upper limit for driving. So, how do you know if you should stop driving?

To help you decide, ask:

  • Do other drivers often honk at me?
  • Have I had some accidents, even “fender benders”?
  • Do I get lost, even on roads I know?
  • Do cars or people walking seem to appear out of nowhere?
  • Have family, friends, or my doctor said they are worried about my driving?

Am I driving less these days because I am not as sure about my driving as I used to be? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you should think seriously about whether or not you are still a safe driver. If you answered no to all these questions, don’t forget to have your eyes and ears checked regularly. Talk to your doctor about any changes to your health that could affect your ability to drive safely.

How Will I Get Around? You can stay active and do the things you like to do, even if you decide to give up driving. There may be more options for getting around than you think. Some areas offer low-cost bus or taxi service for older people. Some also have carpools or other transportation on request. Religious and civic groups sometimes have volunteers who take seniors where they want to go. Your local Agency on Aging has information about transportation services in your area.

If you still have a vehicle consider a companion service that will keep you company as needed and provide you with a driving service, to and from where you need to go.  In Our Care – Home Care Services can do that, its effective, inexpensive, convenient and safe.

Water – More than an Element

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Water3Water

It’s common knowledge that you can go with out food much longer than you can without water. Fact: The human body needs air, food and water to survive. However, two out of the three requires our actions to attain it. Air intake is more like an internal instinct activated at birth and expires upon death. We can barely go 3 minutes (max) without slipping into an unconscious state.

Food: A human can go for more than three weeks (3) without food (Mahatma Gandhi survived 21 days of complete starvation). The body is an efficient machine that harvest fat and muscle store in the body and organs to sustain it.

Water: A lack of fluid intake causes problems with kidney function within just a few days, particularly if a person is active (not bed ridden). One week is a generous estimate. Three to four days would be more typical. After which time vital organs systemically shut down due to dehydration.

Do you need more water in the summer than you do in the winter months? Our bodies are constantly losing water, which is why drinking a glass of H20 once a day is not enough to keep the body replenished. We lose water when we sweat, go to the bathroom — even when we exhale. Under extreme conditions an adult can lose 1 to 1.5 liters of sweat per hour. So it really depends on your personal physical activity, heat exposure and rate of perspiration.

human_body_composition-_better_coloursWhy should I drink water?

Drinking water helps maintain the balance of body fluids. Your body is composed of about 60% water. Water aides in digestion, absorption, creation of saliva, transportation of nutrients, and maintain optimal body temperature.

Water helps energize muscles. Cells that don’t maintain their balance of fluids and electrolytes shrivel, which can result in muscle fatigue.

Water can help control calories. For years, dieters have been drinking copious amounts of water as a weight loss strategy. While water doesn’t have any magical effect on weight loss, substituting it for high calorie beverages can certainly help. Doing so will also give you that fuller feeling causing you to eat less.

Water helps keep skin looking good. Your skin contains plenty of water, and functions as a protective barrier to prevent excess fluid loss. However, do NOT expect over hydration to erase all signs of aging… but lack of hydration will certainly magnify the affects of aging.

Other reasons:

  • Cools you down, especially in hotter weather
  • Lubricates your tissues and joints
  • Dissolves soluble compounds
  • Helps flush toxins from your system

There are free phone applications on smartphones that monitor your water drinking habits:

  • Hydro drink water
  • Water your body
  • Drink water
  • Hydro Coach

Water6Tips to help you drink more water

If you think you need to be drinking more, here are some tips to increase your fluid intake and reap the benefits of water:

  • Have a beverage with every snack and meal
  • Choose beverages you enjoy; You’re likely to drink more fluids if you like the way they taste (try lemon in your water) as a substitute to high sugary drinks.
  • Keep a bottle of water, at you desk, or in your bag
  • Choose beverages that meet your individual needs. If you’re watching calories, go for non-caloric beverages

Drinking water is not the only way to hydrate. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Their high water content will add to your hydration. About 20% of our fluid intake comes from foods.

Veggies with high water content Fruits with high water content
Cucumber Watermelon
Lettuce Grapefruits
Zucchini Oranges
Tomatoes Strawberries
Radishes Cantaloupes
Celery Peaches
Eggplant Raspberries
Cauliflower Blueberries
Broccoli Cranberries 

How much is enough?

Many of us have probably heard the 8 by 8 rule stating that we should drink eight, eight ounces glasses of water daily. However, there are no studies that strongly support this theory.

The amount of water one should consume is individualized. For the most part, a healthy person should note that thirst is the first indication that our bodies need more water. Try to stay hydrated enough so that you do not feel thirsty often.

Water5

 

Water Facts:

  • An easy way to gauge how well hydrated we are, is to simply look at our urine. It should be fairly clear… if it is dark yellow, you may need to drink more water.
  • If you constantly feel hungry, try drinking more water between meals. What you believe to be hunger, may actually be your body way of saying you need more hydration.

Some factors that may require you to drink more water than the average person are:

  • Medications for heart, stomach ulcers or depression – can alter your thirst mechanism
  • Diabetes
  • The elderly can sometimes have a poorly regulated thirst mechanism
  • People who have problems with kidney stones or chronic urinary tract infections
  • Athletes, children playing outdoors or anyone working outside during a hot summer day may require more

 

Please contact us today, to discuss any challenges you may be facing and how our services can help you remain independent, protected, safe, and in you home / community.

You got questions, we have answers: (905) 785-2341 or email us at 

 

 

Sweeteners – Natural and Artificial

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This is a sensitive topic – Sweeteners (Natural and Artificial)
Natural Sugars2

Lets start with the primary question.

Is it possible to eat sweets when you have diabetes?
The answer is “yes.” But when you’re trying to satisfy your sweet tooth, it can be hard to know what to reach for at the grocery store (sugar-free this or low-calorie that). So, use this primer to help you choose wisely.

The Sweet Facts

When you’re comparing sweeteners, keep these things in mind:

  • Sugars are naturally occurring carbohydrates. These include brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioners’ sugar, fructose, honey, and molasses. They have calories and raise your blood glucose levels (the level of sugar in your blood).
  • Reduced-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols. You might know these by names like isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. You’ll often find them in sugar-free candy and gum. They have about half the calories of sugars and can raise your blood sugar levels, although not as much as other carbohydrates.
  • Artificial sweeteners are considered “free foods.” They were designed in a lab, have no calories, and do not raise your blood sugar levels.

Types of Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial low-calorie sweeteners include:

  • Saccharin (Sweet’N Low, Sugar Twin). You can use it in both hot and cold foods. Avoid this sweetener if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
  • Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). You can use it in both cold and warm foods. It may lose some sweetness at high temperatures. People who have a condition called phenylketonuria should avoid this sweetener.
  • Acesulfame potassium or ace-K (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, Sunett). You can use it in both cold and hot foods, including in baking and cooking.
  • Sucralose (Splenda). You can use it in hot and cold foods, including in baking and cooking. Processed foods often contain it.
  • Advantame can be used in baked goods, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages, chewing gum, candies, frostings, frozen desserts, gelatins and puddings, jams and jellies, processed fruits and fruit juices, toppings and syrups.

Read Between the Lines

Use this “cheat sheet” to identify which products are sweetened the way you want them.

  • No sugar or sugar-free. The product does not contain sugar at all, though it may contain sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners.
  • No added sugar. During processing, no extra sugar was added. However, the original source might have contained sugar, such as fructose in fruit juice. Additional sweeteners such as sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners also might have been added.
  • Dietetic. The product may have reduced calories, but this word can mean a lot of things.

When in Doubt, Read the Nutrition Label

To know for sure what kind of sweetener a food product contains, check the Nutrition Facts label. In the Carbohydrate section, you can see how many carbohydrates the product has, and how much of these carbohydrates are in the form of sugar or sugar alcohol.

For even more nutrition information, read the Ingredients list. It should show any added sweeteners, whether they are sugars, sugar alcohols, or artificial.

By understanding more about artificial sweeteners and diabetes, you will be able to make better food choices as you balance sweetness with good blood sugar control.

What are artificial sweeteners? Comparison

Artificial sweeteners can be used instead of sugar to sweeten foods and drinks. You can add them to drinks like coffee or iced tea, and they are found in many foods sold in grocery stores. These sweeteners, also called sugar substitutes, are made from chemicals and natural substances.

Sugar substitutes have very few calories compared to sugar. Some have no calories. Many people use sugar substitutes as a way to limit how much sugar they eat, whether it’s to lose weight, control blood sugar, or avoid getting cavities in their teeth.

If your goal is to lose weight, keep in mind that even though a food is sugar-free, it can still have carbohydrates, fats, and calories. It’s a good idea to read the nutrition label to check for calories and carbohydrate. Sugar alcohols are also used to sweeten diet foods and drinks. These plant-based products include mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. If you eat too much of them, sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea, bloating, and weight gain.

Are sugar substitutes safe?

Yes. The FDA regulates the use of artificial sweeteners. At one time, saccharin was thought to increase the risk of bladder cancer in test animals. Studies reviewed by the FDA have found no clear evidence of a link between saccharin and cancer in humans.

People who have phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid foods and drinks that have aspartame, which contains phenylalanine.

Do artificial sweeteners raise blood sugar?

No. Artificial sweeteners provide no energy, so they won’t affect your blood sugar. If you have diabetes, these substitutes are safe to use. But that’s not true of sugar alcohols. They don’t cause sudden spikes in blood sugar, but the carbohydrate in them can affect your blood sugar.

If you have diabetes, read food labels carefully to find out the amount of carbohydrate in each serving of food containing sugar alcohol. It’s also a good idea to test your blood sugar after you eat foods with sugar alcohols or artificial sweeteners to find out how they affect your blood sugar.

How do sugar substitutes compare?

Sweetener name Can be used for cooking and baking
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) No, because it breaks down during cooking
Saccharin (Sweet’N Low) Yes
Sucralose (Splenda) Yes
Acesulfame K (Sunett) Yes
Stevia (Truvia, PureVia, SweetLeaf) Yes

Diet foods and drinks are promoted to help you lose weight but compelling evidence shows that artificial sweeteners like aspartame cause weight gain rather than weight loss. That’s right, aspartame―which was once hailed as a wonder chemical because it tastes like sugar without the calories―actually makes you fatter, and adversely affects your blood glucose levels and insulin sensitivity.

So far so good – right? – Well, there are controversies & for the sake of information, read on. Studies Repeatedly Find Aspartame Causes Weight Gain

Artificial sweetenersThe fact that aspartame is NOT a dieter’s best friend has been known by scientists for some time. The problem is this news has not received the necessary traction in the media. For example, a study from 19861, which included nearly 80,000 women, found that those who used artificial sweeteners were significantly more likely than non-users to gain weight over time, regardless of initial weight. According to the authors, the results “were not explicable by differences in food consumption patterns,” and concluded that:“ The data do not support the hypothesis that long-term artificial sweetener use either helps weight loss or prevents weight gain.”

Another more recent study with the telling title of Gain Weight by “Going Diet?” Artificial Sweeteners and the Neurobiology of Sugar Cravings, published in 2010, found that epidemiologic data suggest artificially sweetened foods and beverages do not reduce weight.

Quite the contrary: “Several large scale prospective cohort studies found positive correlation between artificial sweetener use and weight gain. The San Antonio Heart Study examined 3,682 adults over a seven- to eight-year period in the 1980s.  When matched for initial body mass index (BMI), gender, ethnicity, and diet, drinkers of artificially sweetened beverages consistently had higher BMIs at the follow-up, with dose dependence on the amount of consumption… Saccharin use was also associated with eight-year weight gain in 31,940 women from the Nurses’ Health Study conducted in the 1970s. 

Similar observations have been reported in children. A two-year prospective study involving 166 school children found that increased diet soda consumption was associated with higher BMI Z-scores at follow-up, indicating weight gain. The Growing Up Today Study, involving 11,654 children aged 9 to 14, also reported positive association between diet soda and weight gain for boys. For each daily serving of diet beverage, BMI increased by 0.16 kg/m2… A cross-sectional study looking at 3,111 children and youth found diet soda drinkers had significantly elevated BMI.” 

Study Finds Aspartame Worsens Insulin Sensitivity

A recent study published in PLoS One found that chronic lifetime exposure to aspartame, commencing in utero, produces changes in blood glucose parameters and adversely impacts spatial learning and memory in mice. The study, which was published, was a blow against claims that aspartame is an ideal sugar substitute for diabetics.

The researchers used a dosage of aspartame that approximates the ADI for aspartame in the US (approx. 50 mg/kg body weight), and not only was aspartame found to decrease insulin sensitivity compared to controls, it also wrought havoc on brain function.As mentioned on countless occasions, optimizing your insulin sensitivity is key for optimal health, as insulin resistance is a hallmark of virtually every chronic disease you can think of, but especially type 2 diabetes.

Now, contrary to popular belief, aspartame is being revealed as a substance that actually decreases or worsens insulin sensitivity, which is the complete opposite of what you want—especially if you’re already pre-diabetic or diabetic!

According to the authors:“At 17 weeks of age, male aspartame-fed mice exhibited weight gain, elevated fasting glucose levels and decreased insulin sensitivity compared to controls. Females were less affected, but had significantly raised fasting glucose levels.During spatial learning trials in the MWM (acquisition training), the escape latencies of male aspartame-fed mice were consistently higher than controls, indicative of learning impairment… Interestingly, the extent of visceral fat deposition correlated positively with non-spatial search strategies such as floating and thigmotaxis, and negatively with time spent in the target quadrant and swimming across the location of the escape platform. 

These data suggest that lifetime exposure to aspartame, commencing in utero, may affect spatial cognition and glucose homeostasis in C57BL/6J mice, particularly in males.”

Male mice fed aspartame experienced significantly higher weight gain compared to the control group, whereas female weight gain was unaffected by the aspartame diet compared to controls. However, deposits of visceral fat—those dangerous fat deposits around internal organs, which are associated with an increased risk of heart disease in humans—increased in aspartame-fed mice of both sexes. Aspartame-fed mice of both sexes also had elevated fasting blood glucose levels compared to non-consumers of aspartame, although the male mice experienced higher elevations than the females.According to the authors: 

Surprise: Aspartame raises insulin levels as much as sugar

Another study published in 2007 in the journal Diabetes Care found similar results. Here, the researchers investigated the effect of different macronutrient compositions on plasma glucose and insulin levels during an acute bout of exercise in men with type 2 diabetes. They compared the subjects in five different conditions:

  • high–glycemic index sucrose meal (455 kcal)
  • low–glycemic index fructose meal (455 kcal)
  • aspartame meal (358 kcal)
  • high-fat/low-carbohydrate meal (455 kcal)
  • fasting

They hypothesized that using fructose or aspartame would have a lower impact on insulin release and glucose response than a sucrose-sweetened meal. However, experts on sugar and fructose like Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Robert Lustig will immediately recognize this as a fatally flawed hypothesis. And indeed, that is what they discovered as well. 

According to the authors:“Contrary to all expectation, the aspartame breakfast induced a similar rise in glucose and insulin levels at baseline than the sucrose meal, even if the aspartame meal had the same taste, and was 22 percent lower in calories and 10 percent lower in carbohydrates, with an inferior glycemic index.… Considering the lack of evidence on the aspartame utilization in patients with type 2 diabetes, we consider that these clinical observations, in an exercise setting, raise important concerns regarding the safety of aspartame as suggested by international guidelines.” 

European Food Safety Authority to Re-Evaluate Aspartame

In related news, the European Commission (EC) has asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to speed up the full re-evaluation of aspartame (approved in Europe under the designation E951). Previously planned to be re-evaluated by 2020, the EC is now asking for the review of aspartame to be initiated this year. 

According to a notice by EFSA:“In the course of its scientific deliberations, the Panel found that there were too little data available on 5-benzyl-3, 6-dioxo-2-piperazine acetic acid (DKP) and other potential degradation products that can be formed from aspartame in food and beverages when stored under certain conditions. EFSA is therefore launching an additional call for data on DKP and other degradation products of aspartame.” 

Aspartame’s three components are phenylalanine (50 percent), aspartic acid (40 percent), and methanol (10 percent). When aspartame is exposed to heat or prolonged storage, it breaks down into metabolites. One of these breakdown products is Diketopiperazine (DKP), a toxic metabolite that is not usually found in our diet. The effects of these different metabolites are unknown. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the EFSA re-evaluation will find out about these metabolites, but regardless, it stands to reason that anything not normally found in actual food is probably not suitable to eat if you’re interested in maintaining optimal health… After all, the human body is designed to run on nutrients, not foreign chemicals. 

Retraining Your Taste Buds is Necessary if You Want Good Health

The idea that you can have your sweets without paying the price of excess weight and related health problems is a persistent one, but it’s not one we’re likely to solve anytime soon. Still, beverage manufacturers like PepsiCo and Coca-Cola are hard at work searching for the magic ingredient that will quench your thirst for sugary sweetness without the extra calories. 

As reported by SeattlePi.com, increasing awareness of the harmful effects of both high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners has soda makers searching high and low for new naturally occurring sweeteners. Some extracts currently under consideration include stevia, monk fruit, and miracle fruit. 

Whether or not any of them will actually be able to let you have your soda without suffering negative consequences remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain, and that is that artificial sweeteners have completely failed in this regard. The evidence showing that artificial sweeteners actually worsen the conditions it’s supposed to ameliorate—primarily obesity and diabetes—is quite overwhelming, and since its approval aspartame has been linked to all sorts of health problems.

The following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame:

  • Brain tumors
  • Multiple Sclerosis
  • Epilepsy
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
  • Parkinson’s Disease
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Lymphoma
  • Diabetes

Aspartame and MSG Implicated in Worsening Fibromyalgia and Irritable Bowel Symptoms

Another recent study published in the journal Clinical and Experimental Rheumatologyreveals a potential link between aspartame and conditions such as fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

Both monosodium glutamate (MSG) and aspartate—one of the main ingredients in aspartame—are considered “excitotoxic,” meaning they can excite brain neurons to the point of death.According to the authors:“Fifty-seven fibromyalgia patients who also had irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were placed on a 4-week diet that excluded dietary additive excitotoxins including MSG and aspartame. Thirty-seven people completed the diet and 84 percent of those reported that >30% of their symptoms resolved, thus making them eligible to proceed to challenges.

Subjects who improved on the diet were then randomised to a 2-week double-blind placebo-controlled crossover challenge with MSG or placebo for 3 consecutive days each week.… The MSG challenge, as compared to placebo, resulted in a significant return of symptoms; a worsening of fibromyalgia severity… decreased quality of life in regards to IBS symptoms… and a non-significant trend toward worsening fibromyalgia pain based on visual analogue scale.  

These findings suggest that dietary glutamate may be contributing to fibromyalgia symptoms in some patients. Future research on the role of dietary excitotoxins in fibromyalgia is warranted.” 

Are Your Health Problems Related to Artificial Sweeteners?

Many people belatedly realize they’ve been suffering reactions to one artificial sweetener or another. If you suspect an artificial sweetener might be to blame for a symptom you’re having, a good way to help you weed out the culprit is to do an elimination challenge. It’s easy to do, but you must read the ingredient labels for everything you put in your mouth to make sure you’re avoiding ALL artificial sweeteners. To determine if you’re having a reaction to artificial sweeteners, take the following steps:

  • Eliminate all artificial sweeteners from your diet for two weeks.
  • After two weeks of being artificial sweetener-free, reintroduce your artificial sweetener of choice in a significant quantity (about three servings daily). Avoid other artificial sweeteners during this period.
  • Do this for one to three days and notice how you feel, especially as compared to when you were consuming no artificial sweeteners.
  • If you don’t notice a difference in how you feel after re-introducing your primary artificial sweetener for a few days, it’s a safe bet you’re able to tolerate it acutely, meaning your body doesn’t have an immediate, adverse response. However, this doesn’t mean your health won’t be damaged in the long run.
  • If you’ve been consuming more than one type of artificial sweetener, you can repeat steps 2 through 4 with the next one on your list.

Lets make it abundantly clear that even though you may not show immediate signs of any noticeable reaction after consuming artificial sweeteners, please don’t make the mistake of telling yourself “they must be OK for me”. Experts strongly urge you to avoid them at all costs. They are toxic to all humans and will not help you in any way, shape, or form.

Are there ANY Safe and Healthy Alternatives to Sugar? 

The best strategy is to lower your use of sugar and eat right for your nutritional type and use the right fuel for your genetics and biochemistry making sure you have enough high quality fats. Once your body has the proper fuel, your sweet cravings will radically diminish and you will be satisfied without them.  If you still have cravings it is a strong suggestion you need to further refine your attempt to identify the right fuel for your body. If you need a sweetener you could use stevia or Lo Han, both of which are safe natural sweeteners.

Remember, if you struggle with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes or extra weight, then you have insulin sensitivity issues and would benefit from avoiding ALL sweeteners. As for sodas and other high sugary content or artificially sweetened… wean yourself off of them and go with water instead. 

Could artificial sweetener CAUSE diabetes?

Splenda modifies the way the body handles sugar’, increasing insulin production by 20%

  • Study found sugar substitute sucralose had an effect on blood sugar levels
  • Also discovered that insulin production increased by 20% when consumed
  • Scientists aren’t sure what implications are, but said that regularly elevated insulin levels could eventually cause insulin resistance and even diabetes

Splenda is made of sucralose, which has been found to affect blood glucose and insulin levels. Scientists found that consuming the sugar alternative made of sucralose caused a person’s sugar levels to peak at a higher level and in turn increase the amount of insulin a person produced. Researchers also said that while they did not fully understand the implications of the findings, they might suggest that Splenda could raise the risk of diabetes. This is because regularly elevated insulin levels can lead to insulin resistance, which is a known path to type 2 diabetes.

“Our results indicate that this artificial sweetener is not inert – it does have an effect,” said Yanina Pepino, research assistant professor of medicine at the Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, who led the study. “And we need to do more studies to determine whether this observation means long-term use could be harmful.”Sucralose is made from sugar, but once processed its chemical make up is very different. Gram for gram it is 600 times sweeter than table sugar. 

The scientists analysed the effects of Splenda in 17 severely obese people who did not have diabetes and did not use artificial sweeteners regularly. Participants had an average body mass index of just over 42. A person is considered obese when their BMI reaches 30. 

Scientists gave subjects either water or dissolved sucralose to drink before they consumed glucose (sugar). They wanted to understand whether the combination of sucralose and glucose would affect insulin and blood sugar levels. Every participant was tested twice. Those who drank water followed by glucose in one visit drank sucralose followed by glucose in the next. In this way, each person served as his or her own control group.“We wanted to study [overweight people] because these sweeteners frequently are recommended to them as a way to make their diets healthier by limiting calorie intake,” Pepino said.They found that when study participants drank sucralose, their blood sugar peaked at a higher level than when they drank only water before consuming glucose. Insulin levels also rose about 20 percent higher.

So despite no extra sugar being consumed, the artificial sweetener was related to an enhanced blood insulin and glucose response. Professor Yanina explained that they do not fully understand the implications that these rises could have.She said: “The elevated insulin response could be a good thing because it shows the person is able to make enough insulin to deal with spiking glucose levels. But it also might be bad because when people routinely secrete more insulin, they can become resistant to its effects, a path that leads to type 2 diabetes.” 

It has been thought that artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, don’t have an effect on metabolism.

They are used in such small quantities that they don’t increase calorie intake. Rather, the sweeteners react with receptors on the tongue to give people the sensation of tasting something sweet without the calories associated with natural sweeteners, such as table sugar.

But recent findings in animal studies suggest that some sweeteners may be doing more than just making foods and drinks taste sweeter. One finding indicates that the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas can detect sweet foods and drinks with receptors that are virtually identical to those in the mouth.That causes an increased release of hormones, such as insulin. Some animal studies also have found that when receptors in the gut, are activated by artificial sweeteners, the absorption of glucose also increases. But in real life, people rarely consume a sweetener by itself. They use it in their coffee or on breakfast cereal or when they want to sweeten some other food they are eating or drinking. 

Just how sucralose influences glucose and insulin levels in people who are obese is still somewhat of a mystery. “Although we found that sucralose affects the glucose and insulin response to glucose ingestion, we don’t know the mechanism responsible,” said Pepino. “We have shown that sucralose is having an effect. In obese people without diabetes we have shown sucralose is more than just something sweet that you put into your mouth with no other consequences. Further studies are needed to learn more about the mechanism through which sucralose may influence glucose and insulin levels, as well as whether those changes are harmful.” The study was published in the journal Diabetes Care. 

In a statement, Splenda said: “Numerous clinical studies in people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes and non-diabetic people have shown that Splenda Brand Sweetener (sucralose) does not affect blood glucose levels, insulin, or HbA1c.’FDA and other important safety and regulatory agencies from around the world have concluded that sucralose does not adversely affect glucose control, including in people with diabetes. 

It has become increasingly harder for the general population to make sound decisions when there is so much contradiction around what is optimal for human consumption. 

As far as sweetening agents go Natural versus Artificial, there are as many questions as there are answers. Studies and debates are as controversial as the products themselves depending on who’s conducting them, funding the studies, how the data is perceived / interpreted and reported. 

One thing is for certain, a healthy life style, proper diet and exercise will certainly allow you to partake in everything you enjoy… in moderation. Just know the basic facts on your intakes and how it could be adversely affecting you. 

My objective is simply provide you with information, to ensure you make the right choices in life, age well and promote positive well-being – Mentally, Physically and Emotionally. 

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