By Karen Kier
Pharmacist on behalf of the ONU HealthWise team
"How sweet it is" was a signature phrase of comedian and actor Jackie Gleason. Born in Brooklyn, John Herbert Gleason became a success in several well-known shows such as The Honeymooners and The Jackie Gleason Show. His biography written by James Bacon was published in 1986. Jackie Gleason starred in several movies later in his life including The Hustler with Paul Newman and Smokey and Bandit with Burt Reynolds.
The Gleason signature phrase was the inspiration for the song How Sweet It Is (To be Loved by You) sung by Marvin Gaye. This American soul singer recorded and released the song on his fifth studio album in 1965. The song peaked at number six on the Billboard charts. James Taylor released a version of this song on his 1975 album titled Gorilla. His easy listening version hit number one on the charts.
How sweet it is explains why artificial sweeteners are popular for reducing calories in many foods and beverages. Artificial sweeteners can be 200 to 20,000 times sweeter than regular table sugar (sucrose) with little to no added calories.