• Originally published February 23, 2010 at midnight, updated February 23, 2010 at 5:10 p.m.

Q: I am noticing more articles about the dangers of drinking out of Styrofoam? What makes it so dangerous? It scares me a bit, since I asked my grandmother if she ever drank out of Styrofoam, and she said all she ever drank was water out of a glass. Can you help clear the air?

A: First, let me explain, that what we refer to as Styrofoam, should really be referred to as a polystyrene. Styrofoam is a trademark material made by the Dow Chemical Company, and they do not make cups, plates, egg trays or other types of food packaging.

Now, to your question; each time you drink or eat out of a polystyrene container, the basic chemical component, styrene, has the potential to leach into your food or beverage and then into you. The migration of styrene from a polystyrene cup into the food or beverage it contains has been observed to be as high a 0.025 percent for a single use.

Styrene migration has been shown to be partially-dependent on the fat content of the food in the polystyrene cup or container. In other words, the higher the fat content, the more styrene will be pulled out of the styrene container.

Styrene also appears to migrate more quickly when a beverage poured into a styrene container is hot. Studies suggest that styrene mimics estrogen in the body and can possibly disrupt normal hormone functions.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer lists styrene as a possible human carcinogen. My recommendation is to use as much glass, lead-free ceramic, stainless steel (not aluminum) and paper to consume food and beverage products out of.

Q: As a diabetic, I am very leery of using any artificial sweetener. Is there anything on the market that is safe and natural and has a low glycemic index? My friends have told me about xylitol. I would like a bit more information before I try it.

A: The Food and Drug Administration confirmed in 1986 that xylitol is a safe sweetener.

Xylitol is not actually a sugar, but a sugar alcohol and was discovered by German and French chemists in the late 19th century.

During World War II, there was a shortage of sugar and researchers were forced to look at alternative sweeteners. It was during this period when Finnish researchers re-discovered xylitol, the low calorie sugar alcohol that came from birch tree bark (you do not want that made from corn).

It has since been used for decades around the world as a sweetener for diabetics because of its insulin dependent nature (it metabolizes in the body without using insulin).

What makes xylitol safe is that it is considered a five carbon sugar, which means it is antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria. All other forms of sugar are six carbon sugars, which feeds dangerous bacteria and fungi. While sugar is acid forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing. An interesting fact is that xylitol is produced naturally in our bodies, in fact, we make up to fifteen grams daily during normal metabolism.

While research indicates that xylitol can sicken or even be fatal to dogs, do not let that worry you since chocolate, raisins, grapes, nuts, tomatoes and onions may also be problematic to your pooch.

Call today to sign up for the monthly nutrition class, March 8, at 7 p.m., 361-580-1400.

Phylis B. Canion is a doctor of naturopathic medicine and is a certified nutritional consultant, e-mail her at doc.phyl@yahoo.com. This column is for nutritional information only and is not intended to treat, diagnose or cure.

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