Artificial sweeteners

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  • KAYTEDAWG22
    KAYTEDAWG22 Posts: 4 Member
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    they're all garbage. i'm hearing good things about stevia... but it tastes like ...well you be the judge. i hear it's not carcinogenic. all the artificial sweeteners we use in the US are banned pretty much world wide and listed as poisons.
  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,843 Member
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    They taste really fake to me.

    If I had a choice I would definitely take the calories of the sugar over nasty fake tasting stuff
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    all the artificial sweeteners we use in the US are banned pretty much world wide and listed as poisons.

    That is incorrect. Aspartame is used worldwide, because it is well tested and safe as a food additive. The same can't be said for stevia.
  • bio01979
    bio01979 Posts: 313
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    They taste really fake to me.

    If I had a choice I would definitely take the calories of the sugar over nasty fake tasting stuff

    that's why I like Xylitol so far, it tastes pretty much exactly like sugar

    I hate the taste of splenda and I don't love stevia either. Many times I will use real sugar but if I want to watch sugar I do like Xylitol :)
  • ldrosophila
    ldrosophila Posts: 7,512 Member
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    I cant use them anymore they give me a headache
  • Lalastarrrr
    Lalastarrrr Posts: 4
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    I used to have to have 2 sugars in my tea. Then I switched to artificial sweeteners and used them for a long time. I have a terrible sweet tooth and read somewhere that artificial sweeteners can cause cravings etc so decided to limit them as much as possible. I now only drink water or tea with a splash of skimmed milk. Cut out putting sweeteners in my tea and after a week I didn't even miss them.
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I have a stevia plant in my back yard and I've been popping off a leaf to put in my tea. it's wonderful and it doesn't get more natural then that.

    i have a stevia plant as well, i have used the leaves a few times. using the fresh stevia leaves can result in some bitterness, but you're right, it is it's most natural form....

    I also have liquid stevia drops made by nunaturals. i like it better than the powder & that brand has a very good taste. no bitterness. i stock up on it when i order from vitacost.com


    I recently bought some "Monk Fruit in the Raw" (aka: Luo Han Guo) packets, but i don't care for it as much. it tastes sweet if you put some on your tongue, but in my tea i can't taste it. it would probably take a few packets to sweeten like stevia does.

    edit: i just made an iced matcha drink, and i used 2 packets of the powdered monk fruit which seems to be equal to a couple drops of liquid stevia. So for everyday use it is not as cost effective or convenient, but i can squirrel a few packets away in my purse so it's nice to have some on hand :)
  • marvybells
    marvybells Posts: 1,984 Member
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    I use Xylitol instead of stevia because I prefer the taste (closer to sugar in my opinion and no aftertaste)

    It is a natural sugar alcohol and they extract it from birch trees or corn. It won't affect blood sugar levels (has a GI of like 7) and has 40% of the calories as sugar

    it is apparently good for dental health also lol

    It has been used in Europe for a long time in diabetic sweets :)

    xylitol can cause intestinal probs for some people. i have some & seem to be ok with it in smaller doses, but be forewarned people, it can make you run for the toilet.....

    also i think it kills gut flora, good & bad. i use it when i think something nasty is brewing to help clear things out & then take probiotics or eat a lot of yogurt or kefir to replace the good guys.
  • Cari_n_Jax
    Cari_n_Jax Posts: 7 Member
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    Honey can have additional benefits if they haven't been processed out as is the case with many foods here. Do you like cream in your coffee as well? If so, you might consider using sweetened condensed milk. It does contain sugar but not high fructose corn syrup (which I avoid as much as artificial sweeteners). The kind I use is fat-free and has 110 calories in 2 tablespoons. The non-fat version saves a few calories per serving vs the version with fat. I use 1 Tbsp. (half serving) which brings the calorie count for my morning coffee to approximately 60 calories in about 16 ounces of coffee. I drink one each day and I make sure there's room in my calorie budget for it because it's so good. If you like cream and sugar, this knocks out both with one item and it tastes wonderful. I drink it hot or iced. Of course, it's better if you are drinking good coffee to start. Compared to honey, the calorie count is about even - honey has 64 calories/Tbsp. :happy:
  • vet272
    vet272 Posts: 183
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    For me all artificial sweeteners are bad. My belly blows up like I am 10 month pregnant. lol. I only use Stevia as a sweetener. No effect on my belly and zero calories.

    This exactly^^^^^ i even keep packets in my purse in case i am out and need one. I even gave up the crystal lite packets due to the artificial sweeteners for the same reason...




    Do you use a certain brand? Powder or tablets? Will have to eBay order as search is saying uk banned it!

    You can buy stevia in Sainsburys and Holland and Barrett so don't know where you are looking! It's brand name is Truvia, just don't get the baking blend as that is 50% sugar.





    Truvia has stevia extract in it, but they are not the same thing at all. Stevia extract is directly from the stevia plant and has not been processed and added to like Truvia. Typically stevia extract comes in liquid form with a little dropper. One tsp of stevia extract is equal to one cup of sugar, but a bit over 1/3 cup truvia is equal to one cup sugar.
    I use truvia, but have just ordered stevia extract from Amazon and am waiting to get it in the mail. I live in the UK and wasn't able to find it at any stores (waitrose, wholefoods etc).
    Although I am sure unrefined sugars are better for you. I drink a lot of coffee and tea and just am not willing to use the extra calories on that (plus I'm always over sugar because I eat a lot of fruit).
    My advice would be to use liquid stevia extract if you are going to use artificial sweetener a lot. It's probably the best out of all of them for you.


    The above is from another member but couldn't quote from 2 separate replays. I'm a technophobe lol
  • bio01979
    bio01979 Posts: 313
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    I use Xylitol instead of stevia because I prefer the taste (closer to sugar in my opinion and no aftertaste)

    It is a natural sugar alcohol and they extract it from birch trees or corn. It won't affect blood sugar levels (has a GI of like 7) and has 40% of the calories as sugar

    it is apparently good for dental health also lol

    It has been used in Europe for a long time in diabetic sweets :)

    xylitol can cause intestinal probs for some people. i have some & seem to be ok with it in smaller doses, but be forewarned people, it can make you run for the toilet.....

    also i think it kills gut flora, good & bad. i use it when i think something nasty is brewing to help clear things out & then take probiotics or eat a lot of yogurt or kefir to replace the good guys.

    it is true for some xylitol can cause intestinal issues if you have too much in a day because it is an alcohol

    I haven't had an issue with it but I have a pretty strong stomach lol :) (like I have never had an issue with "digestion" problems even when travelling - and I lived in the philippines for a year lol)
  • bostonwolf
    bostonwolf Posts: 3,038 Member
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    My purely anecodotal evidence on a low carb (no grains and sugar) diet is this. I was making good progress when I was still drinking one or two diet cokes a day.

    When I cut out all artificial sweeteners my fat loss went into overdrive.
  • superfox12082
    superfox12082 Posts: 512 Member
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    Took me years to figure out why I always had an upset stomach and diarrhea. Turns out, once I stopped drinking crystal light and chewing gum, almost all the issues I had went away.
  • Charlottesometimes23
    Charlottesometimes23 Posts: 687 Member
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    I'm so confused :embarassed:

    If you're concerned about safety, there is plenty of credible information to read to help you make a decision.
    Here is a position statement from The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics http://www.eatright.org/About/Content.aspx?id=8363 that includes a downloadable article.

    Here's a nice article in Today's Dietitian. http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/072709p16.shtml

    I know a lot of people use Stevia (me too!) but it hasn't been well studied. The fact that it's 'natural' doesn't mean much. It just sounds better. :smile:

    If you're concerned about how artificial sweeteners might affect you, it's a matter of trial and error. Some (eg. sorbitol) can cause stomach/bowel problems. The body doesn't absorb it well and water enters the gut to compensate which can give you gas, pain and diarrhoea. I avoid aspartame because it seems to make my migraines more frequent.

    If you're concerned about energy, it would depend on how much sugar you would normally consume? A few teaspoons here and there won't add up to much.
  • fooninie
    fooninie Posts: 291 Member
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    There is always a huge debate on this topic.

    My line on it is simple: If it came from an actual plant, eat it. If it was made by some guy WORKING in a plant, don't eat it.

    THIS!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  • Biggipooh
    Biggipooh Posts: 350
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    Or smoke it, :laugh:
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
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    Isn't stevia artificial then?

    No it is natural
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    My line on it is simple: If it came from an actual plant, eat it. If it was made by some guy WORKING in a plant, don't eat it.
    So how does the "simple" line work when you process stevia leaf from a plant in a process plant to make stevia extract ?
  • xinit0
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
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    My line on it is simple: If it came from an actual plant, eat it. If it was made by some guy WORKING in a plant, don't eat it.
    So how does the "simple" line work when you process stevia leaf from a plant in a process plant to make stevia extract ?

    Ah yes, natural things good, processed things bad... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature
  • czecher
    czecher Posts: 21
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    My line on it is simple: If it came from an actual plant, eat it. If it was made by some guy WORKING in a plant, don't eat it.
    So how does the "simple" line work when you process stevia leaf from a plant in a process plant to make stevia extract ?

    I grow my own so the "processing" I do consists of picking it, drying it, using it is things.

    Of course, if I am out somewhere and they do not have stevia, I will use Sugar - It's my contribution towards my son-in-law who works for C & H.

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