Saccharin :: essays research papers

Saccharin is one of the most disputed sugar substitutes in the join States today. Since 1977, it has been regarded as potentially carcinogenic (Saccharin, 1999). The sweetness of saccharin comp ard to sugarcane is utterly amazing. When metric up to sugarcane, saccharin is 550 times as sweet in its pure state. Also, it is estimated to wealthy person a sweetening power of 375 times that of sugar (Saccharin, 2000) This drug whitethorn be amazing, but some people say that it causes a grave disease, malignant neoplastic disease.In 1879, while developing new food preservatives a issue Johns Hopkins chemistry research assistant accidentally discovered that one of the constitutional compounds he was testing was intensely sweet. He named it saccharum, the Greek discussion for sugar. He further learned that it passed through the body unchanged and was therefrom a safe artificial sweetener for diabetics (Anderson, 1995). Similar sugar substitutes are used today.Saccharin, which is also known as ortho-sulpho benzimide, is a white limpid solid derived form coal tar. Them chemical formula is known as C6H4CONHSO2 (Saccharin, 1999). In 1977, saccharin was banned in Canada, but it has been kept on the food market in the join States (Saccharin, 2000). It may be legal in the United States, but warning labels are necessary on saccharin-containing foods (Saccharin, 2000). In 1997, a group of scientists urged the federal agency to keep the artificial on its contention of cancer-causing agents (CSPI, 1997). The National Toxicology Program, NTP, said that declaring saccharin sage would, result in greater pic to this probable carcinogen in tens of millions of people If saccharin is even a weak carcinogen, this unnecessary additive would pose an intolerable risk to the public, (CSPI, 1997). They felt that even if it is weak, it dumb is a carcinogen.Samuel Epstein, a professor of environmental medicine at Illinois medical examination Center in Chicago said, In light of t he many carnal and human studies clearly demonstrating that saccharin is a carcinogenic, it is astonishing that the NTP is even considering delisting saccharin, (CSPI, 1997). Many otherwise scientist distillery today believe and have proven that saccharin is a cancer causing agent (at high doses in lab animals), but still people use it day in and day out at restaurants and their homes. Still many people are trying to have it take from the list of carcinogens.Saccharin was also test on many laboratory animals, especially lab rats. They concluded that a high dietary dose of sodium saccharin causes urinary bladder tumors in rats (Bell, 1998).