第1411期:Are sweeteners safe and healthy

For many of us, the relationship we have with sugar is love at first taste, and that love usually lasts a lifetime. 对于我们中的许多人来说，我们与糖的关系是一见钟情，而这种爱通常会持续一生。
But what price do we have to pay for this truly addictive, sugary love? Rotten teeth? Heavier bodies? Raised blood sugar levels? Or even type 2 diabetes?但是，我们必须为这种真正令人上瘾的甜蜜爱情付出什么代价？烂牙？更重的身体？血糖水平升高？甚至是2型糖尿病？
Time to quit perhaps? Easier said than done. 也许是时候退出了？说起来容易做起来难。
What’s the alternative? Many would suggest using sweeteners as a substitute. But are sweeteners healthier than sugar?有什么选择？许多人会建议使用甜味剂作为替代品。但是甜味剂比糖更健康吗？
Sweeteners are usually low-calorie or calorie-free substances that have a similar taste to sugar. 甜味剂通常是低热量或无热量的物质，其味道与糖相似。
It is estimated that more than a quarter of British households buy artificial sweeteners to help cut their sugar intake.据估计，超过四分之一的英国家庭购买人造甜味剂来帮助减少糖摄入量。
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has approved some of the health claims food manufacturers have made about sweeteners such as xylitol, sorbitol and sucralose. 欧洲食品安全局 (EFSA) 已批准食品制造商对木糖醇、山梨糖醇和三氯蔗糖等甜味剂的一些健康声明。
These include preventing tooth decay and controlling blood sugar levels.这些包括防止蛀牙和控制血糖水平。
According to the National Health Service in the UK, sweeteners are safe to use and are especially helpful for those who are diabetic.根据英国国家卫生服务局的说法，甜味剂可以安全使用，对糖尿病患者特别有帮助。
 Sioned Quirke, a spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association says, “As a dietician, I support and promote the use of sweeteners in cooking and diet." 英国饮食协会发言人 Sioned Quirke 说：“作为一名营养师，我支持并提倡在烹饪和饮食中使用甜味剂。”
She also says that "There is no evidence to suggest that low-calorie sweeteners, such as saccharin, aspartame and sucralose, are harmful or bad for you.”她还说：“没有证据表明糖精、阿斯巴甜和三氯蔗糖等低热量甜味剂对您有害或有害。”
But many have concerns over the long-term effects caused by using sweeteners. 但许多人担心使用甜味剂会造成长期影响。 
Dr Robert Lustig, author of 'Fat Chance: The Bitter Truth About Sugar' would not endorse sweeteners as an alternative to sugar because, “We have a dearth of data”. 《脂肪机会：糖的苦涩真相》一书的作者 Robert Lustig 博士不会认可甜味剂作为糖的替代品，因为“我们缺乏数据”。
According to Dr Lustig, organisations like EFSA only require studies which test if something will poison a person in a short period of time, otherwise known as acute toxicity studies.根据 Lustig 博士的说法，像 EFSA 这样的组织只需要测试某些东西是否会在短时间内毒害人的研究，也就是所谓的急性毒性研究。 
But we still don’t know what the long-term effects are.但我们仍然不知道长期影响是什么。
Dietician Emma Carder says on the NHS Choices website, “While more research is needed, sweeteners continue to have a useful role in offering a sweet taste without adding extra calories.”营养师 Emma Carder 在 NHS Choices 网站上说：“虽然需要更多的研究，但甜味剂在提供甜味而不增加额外卡路里方面继续发挥着有用的作用。”

词汇表

sugary 甜的
rotten 非常糟糕的、不好的
blood sugar levels 血糖水平
type 2 diabetes 2型糖尿病
a substitute 替代物，代用品
low-calorie 低热量的，低卡路里的
calorie-free 无卡路里的
artificial sweeteners 人造甜味剂
cut one’s sugar intake 减少糖的摄入量
health claim 健康声明
xylitol 木糖醇
sorbitol 山梨糖醇
sucralose 三氯蔗糖
tooth decay 蛀牙
diabetic 糖尿病的，糖尿病患者
saccharin 糖精
aspartame 天门冬氨酰苯丙氨酸甲酯（一种甜味剂）
endorse 支持，赞同
dearth 缺乏，不足
acute toxicity 急性毒性