Grand Magazine - July/August 2008 - (Page 26)

just so we know One mixed-up lemon By Michelle Briseno-Tucker A bright canister shows juicy lemons that promise to quench thirst for 5 calories. so, what’s the problem? The producT: Sugar-Free INgredIeNTS: crystal Light Lemonade Magnesium oxide: white-to-gray powder; prevents powdery ingredients from clumping. Poses little danger to health. …less than 2% of natural flavor: “natural flavors” may contain natural and/or synthetic ingredients. Consider proprietary “natural flavor” blends as mysteries that may include hidden allergens. real lemon-derived ingredient. All-natural products and made-fromscratch lemonade recipes offer grands safer options. used as a “tart” flavoring agent, antioxidant and preservative. Ideally processed from lemon juice, it’s also commercially produced by fermentation of crude beet- or corn sugars or by fermentation of glucose with the help of the mold Aspergillus niger. In FDA terms, citric acid is a “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) food additive. However, its material safety data sheet (MSDS) warns that, in large doses, citric acid may cause gastrointestinal disturbances, vomiting, diarrhea, and possibly calcium deficiency in the blood. Long-term use may erode tooth enamel. Because ingredient panels don’t identify its source, citric acid poses a concern for people with allergies to corn, beets, yeast or mold. citric Acid: white, odorless, crystalline powder Lemon juice solids: may be this lemonade’s only Acesulfame potassium: white, odorless, crystalline, calorie-free sweetener. This substance’s MSDS warns it may be a skin-, eye-, and respiratory irritant in the event of direct contact or inhalation. Repeated or prolonged exposure to the substance can produce target organ damage—may be toxic to kidneys, liver. Can cause gastrointestinal disturbances—such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, cramps, loss of appetite; can affect the blood (slight increase in hemoglobin concentration); and, among other health conditions, can aggravate sickle cell anemia. potassium and Sodium citrate: colorless, odorless crystals used as “buffers” to control pH levels. The FDA says GRAS. These acids have been used to reduce excess acidity in human urine, and potassium citrate has been noted to act as a gastric antacid. Other data suggest sodium citrate can change urinary excretion of other drugs, making them either less effective or more toxic. Aspartame (NutraSweet): white, odorless, crystalline powder compounded from two amino acids and a small amount of methanol. At 150-200 times sweeter than sugar, only trace amounts are used. Still, aspartame may alkalinize urine, making the urinary tract more vulnerable to infection. Studies performed on rodents in 2005 indicated that low doses of aspartame are linked to leukemia and tumors. Aspartame may cause food-intolerance sensitivity; more seriously—because aspartame contains fragments of protein—it can trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction in people with phenylketonuria (PKU). thetic dye (aka “tartrazine.”) The FDA says its “total color” must not be less than 87 percent—leaving an allowable 13 percent margin for contaminants, which may include lead, arsenic and mercury. Tartrazine’s MSDS experimental animal toxicology rap-sheet section identifies reproductive problems, mutagenic effects—not limited to musculoskeletal changes in teeth and supporting structures, paresthesias, developmental abnormalities of the blood and lymphatic systems, and reduced weight gain in newborns. Considered potentially harmful to unborn children. Health advocates believe synthetic food colorings are linked to learning disabilities and hyperactivity—the FDA disagrees. Artificial color, Yellow 5 Lake: bright orange, syn- 26 GRAND JULY AUGUST 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Grand Magazine - July/August 2008

Grand Magazine - July/August 2008 Contents Grand View: Love Is All That's Left Isn't It Grand?: Reassessing the Postponed Life Grand Central Just So We Know: One Mixed-Up Lemon Long-Distance Love: Cuttings Ask Grand: Stuck on Stuff Grand Gestures: "Thanks for the Ugly Gift" Tips on Teens: All That Doesn't Meet the Eye Live Long and Propser On the Cover: Peter Yarrow Presents of Mine Thicker Than Water? Reunions: White Water, White Knuckles The Grand Gourmet So We Are Not Alone Looking Grand: Suit-Able Grandbloggers: Why Watch TV When We Can Talk? Grand Bazaar Resources Grand Finale: What Boat

Grand Magazine - July/August 2008

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