Are Ants More Attracted To Stevia

In this experiment, we tested three different environments, soil, sand, and a leafy mixture to see which one a pill bug would prefer the most. Originally, we believed that the pill bug would find the leafy substance to be most favorable. Five pill bugs and then a single pill bug was placed in the center so that it could select one of the substrates. The data collected at the end of the experiment opposed our original hypothesis as we discovered that the most favored environment was the soil. This finding could correlate with the dark color of the soil closely matching the color of the pill bug or the moisture in the soil.

The use of artificial sweeteners in beverages and food has been on a steady rise since 1969, the year it was authorized in the United States of America. The popularity of artificial sweeteners has been on a rise because of the benefit that it is a zero calorie sweetener .Even though artificial sweeteners have some great benefits many scientists believe that it causes adverse effects such as cancer, weight gain and depression. I strongly believe that consumers are not aware of the side effects of artificial sweeteners hence the increase in consumption since 1969.

A simple comparison of the percentage of glucose and fructose reveals its striking similarities to table sugar.

In this experiment, adult small hive beetles were placed into plastic containers; each container had a petri dish of a pollen substitute was

Sucrose is a disaccharide of glucose and fructose but it is not an essential nutrient. Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver and is in a slightly higher ratio in high fructose corn syrup than in the white form of sugar. When sucrose is ingested

This product was the first artificial sweetener to be publicly sold and through its distribution there became monstrous effects on the old customs of sweetening. Before Sweet N’ Low was invented, people primarily used sugar and molasses as sweeteners, but other ingredients such as honey, maple syrup, and brown rice syrup were still in high use. These substitutes for sugar were great for its time but Sweet N’ Low was able to satisfy the modern era through its many advantages that these products did not have. Sugar cane was difficult due to the agricultural restrictions, since it required a warm, rainy climate to be able to grow (The Pros and Cons of Biofuels). Maple syrup and honey were inefficient since they could only be retrieved during certain times of the year and then once retrieved it took a lengthy period of preparation before it could be sold (Foreman, Diana). With the advantages Sweet N’ Low had, companies, stores, and businesses quickly began to get involved with the idea of artificial

First and foremost, the initial hypothesis of this experiment is that stevia, a plant-based and water-soluble sweetener, will inhibit the activity of the studied enzyme, α-amylase and that sucralose (i.e Splenda), an artificially produced sweetener, will have the opposite effect. Both stevia and sucralose designed for diabetics are expected to inhibit the activity of α-amylase more than sucrose. With this in mind, the results obtained from the experiment showed that stevia does indeed inhibit the activity of α-amylase most effectively compared to sucrose and sucralose. This can be explained by the small range of % inhibition values, ranging from 10-20 % inhibition. This can be observed in Figure 1 where one can notice that the standard error bars are

Making artificial sweeteners is a delicate process. Sucralose doesn’t have many ingredients, but it’s a process to make it. In fact, the only ingredient is table sugar or sucrose (“Everything You Need”). The table sugar was first modified by scientists in a lab. When

But the history of the spread of sugar could have only happened to this extent because of its unparalleled appeal to humans. The sweet taste is undeniably connected to the finer things in life, celebrations like engagements and weddings in many cultures are not complete with out some sweet treat. It is engrained in our world. So why are humans so inclined to like this sweet taste. One reason that is given by That Sugar Film is that our love for sucrose comes from our primate heritage.The human tongue can detect four basic flavors — salt, sour, bitter and sweet, but humans are naturally drawn to sweet because we evolved from primates that ate fruit in the trees.

After reading the article "Sweeteners: Facts and Fallacies" the alternative sweetener I have chosen is stevia. Upon the completion of reading facts on stevia, I refute the toxicology safety of consumer use on this alternative sweetener. According to the article "The Sweet Facts on Stevia" it was only sold as a dietary supplement in the 1980's after being linked to cancer and reproductive problems in animals. In 2008, stevia manufacturers petitioned the FDA until Reb A, the plants sweetest sugar molecule, was deemed "generally recognized as safe" or GRAS. "According to CSPI, the FDA did not perform the amount of testing usually required for GRAS status, and further testing on Reb A is needed (Palmer, 2013). With the number of different

Sucrose, whose chemical formula is C12H22O11, is found in many fruits and vegetables, and most notably in table sugar. It is impossible to consume too much sucrose when eating fruits or vegetables, but consuming an unreasonable amount of table sugar can be detrimental to one’s health.

Sucrose, commonly referred to as ‘sugar’, is a carbohydrate molecule consisting of 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms and 11 oxygen atoms, C12H22O11 (Cole et al, 2015). Sucrose is a complex disaccharide molecule comprised of two simpler monosaccharide sugars: glucose and fructose. The World Sugar Research Organisation (2012) states that sugar is vital in the daily intake of food, as it provides the energy to carry out cellular processes once it is broken down and absorbed by the small intestine and transported around the body through the blood stream. The World Health Organisation (2015) suggests the average adult meeting the recommended 8700kJ daily intake

Addictive and enticing, sweetness does not just come from sugar (BE#2). Artificial sweeteners add to the sugary taste of many foods and go by many names – saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose ¬– but they are all formulated by chemical engineers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes artificial sweeteners as “probably safe,” and this statement has proven to be quite true (Nestle). For several years, aspartame and saccharin have been linked to weight gain and cancer in consumers and lab animals (Nestle). Because artificial sweeteners are used in many food products (most commonly diet sodas), people consume them quite often (BE#3). Also, humans tend to believe that if there are no calories and if there is no sugar, they should drink diet soda instead of regular soda. This trend leads to even greater intakes of sweet chemicals such as aspartame in people’s diets. Aspartame is a controversial and common ingredient in the American diet. “Aspartame, when reacted in the body, changes to methanol and then formic acid (a toxic substance)” (Nestle). According to the American Cancer Association, because aspartame contains phenylalanine, those who consume the substance regularly run the risk of having a build up of phenylalanine, which could constrict the flow of nutrients to the brain. Many people, though, do not show signs or symptoms of health complications consistent with aspartame (Amer. Cancer Assn.). Aspartame has the potential to be quite harmful, but because nobody has

	Another important idea proposed by Mintz is that sweetness is naturally desired by humans. He supports this by reporting on the work of researchers studying infants in the United States and how they are drawn to sweetness without having prior experience with it. He also states on page 15 that Alaskan Eskimos "consume sucrose despite the discomforts associated with the offending items."

. (Geuns, 2003 ) . more than 100 steviol glycosides compound have been identified in stevia , best known from which Stevioside and Rebaudioside A. Both stevioside and rebaudioside are commercially most imperative due to its zero glycemic index and sweetening index of its herbal extract is as that as of aspartame (Cardello et al. 1999) i.e. 200-300 times sweeter than that of sucrose. Some Other steviol glycosides present in lower concentration are: steviolbioside,