Water Flavor Enhancers- Yay or Nay?

DaniDoll57

I've stopped drinking soda except for maybe one or two a month. I drink mostly water and tea. But once in awhile I want something sweeter so I'll use Dasani or Crystal Light flavor enhancers; those liquid ones you squeeze in.

Will this have an adverse effect against me losing weight or, since I don't do it every day, will it not really be a big deal?

RochelleLUnangst

When I lost my first 70lbs I drank Crystal Light mix packets every day. They tasted great so I drank a ton of them which filled me up a lot. The Hawaiian Punch ones are good too, and the Arnold Palmer one is one of my favorites and doesn't have artificial sweetener in it if you're trying to avoid that.

DaniDoll57

RochelleLReid wrote: »

When I lost my first 70lbs I drank Crystal Light mix packets every day. They tasted great so I drank a ton of them which filled me up a lot. The Hawaiian Punch ones are good too, and the Arnold Palmer one is one of my favorites and doesn't have artificial sweetener in it if you're trying to avoid that.

Okay that does make me feel a bit better about it I've been reading a lot of stuff online about since it has all these artificial ingredients it was so super bad but I'm thinking hey, it's not soda or sugary juices so it can't be all bad right?

tofuligan

They're a much better alternative to drinking soda, but for your overall health they're not the best in the long run. Artificial sweeteners don't satiate your sweet tooth and still keep your sugar cravings high in general, so they contribute to your desire to reach for other sugary foods and drinks. They also usually contain a lot of artificial stuff-- aspartame, artificial colors, etc-- which aren't that great for you either. I admit to reaching for a diet Dr. Pepper every once in a while when what I'd really like is a donut, but it's not the best choice. I'd strongly recommend going on a tiny sugar-fast (even just a week) to help reset your palate. It works wonders!

Christine_72

I add unsweetened cranberry juice to my water when i feel like a change. It's only around 14 calories for 250ml.

Wynterbourne

I've lost 125 lbs using water enhancers and drinking diet soda daily. It won't hinder your weight loss and is absolutely fine to drink.

It also hasn't "contributed to my desire to reach for other sugary foods and drinks" in any way shape or form.

broseidonkingofbrocean

tofuligan wrote: »

They're a much better alternative to drinking soda, but for your overall health they're not the best in the long run. Artificial sweeteners don't satiate your sweet tooth and still keep your sugar cravings high in general

There was a recent study that debunked that and said the exact opposite(study done on humans btw). When I find it I'll post it.

Already posted this in another thread but... Here is a video on artificial sweeteners by Dr. Layne Norton going over the "negatives" of them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dod6bUZYz4w

NeuronsNeuronsNeurons

verdict is out. some recent studies show that the three leading artificial sweeteners on the market can promote the culture of certain types of gut bacteria that in turn raise fasting glucose levels oddly enough. when given a potent round of antibiotics these mice lost the effect with the death of these bacteria and when fecal transplants were performed with a control group (artificial sweetener gut bacteria transferred) those mice also exhibited the deleterious effect on their blood sugar levels. All 3 major artificial sweeteners were tested and have the same effect on promoting this gut bacteria in both mice and humans. What these studies are showing are that certain forms of intestinal bacteria can metabolize these artificial sweeteners and in response can outperform otherwise normal gut cultures when they become part of a daily diet. The metabolism of these artificial sweeteners then has the effect of raising blood sugar levels and promoting insulin insensitivity by unknown mechanism as a baseline and creating a Type II diabetes type model! I drink one to two diet sodas a day and put splenda in my coffee and fortunately don't have any issues with my blood sugar levels that I have noticed. I occasionally check my blood sugar as I'm curious to see how various meals and activities impact it. I also eat small amounts of normal sugar in a given day. For example 1tbs in my crepes this morning.

My hunch is that like everything, in moderation all things are OK!

On a side note a group of researchers in Japan discovered the emergence of a new bacterium that was capable of breaking down plastic! So this stuff may not be in our landfills for as long as we once thought. In biology, if there's a niche to exploit...it gets exploited!

AnvilHead

tofuligan wrote: »

They're a much better alternative to drinking soda, but for your overall health they're not the best in the long run.

Actually, other than the carbonation, they're not much different than drinking soda at all. That is to say, in moderation there's absolutely nothing wrong with them being a part of one's diet.

tofuligan wrote: »

Artificial sweeteners don't satiate your sweet tooth and still keep your sugar cravings high in general, so they contribute to your desire to reach for other sugary foods and drinks.

That may be the case for some, but they have no such effect on many people. Just as some people find carbs more satiating than protein or vice versa.

tofuligan wrote: »

They also usually contain a lot of artificial stuff-- aspartame, artificial colors, etc-- which aren't that great for you either...

Aspartame is one of the most researched substances in the nutritional world and has been proven over and over again to be completely safe. It's not even technically a sweetener, it's composed of two amino acids (proteins) - aspartic acid and phenylalanine, both of which are found in much larger quantities in many of the "natural" foods we eat.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

paperpudding

DaniDoll57 wrote: »

I've stopped drinking soda except for maybe one or two a month. I drink mostly water and tea. But once in awhile I want something sweeter so I'll use Dasani or Crystal Light flavor enhancers; those liquid ones you squeeze in.

Will this have an adverse effect against me losing weight or, since I don't do it every day, will it not really be a big deal?

Does the amount of calories in them push your calorie allowance over its limit??

I am not familiar with these products but I assume they have very few calories - so it seems quite unlikely that they would do that.
In which case, No, it will not have an adverse affect on your weight loss.

Same, of course, can be said for any product - if the amount of calories in the broccoli, chocolate,bread,soda *insert any other food/drink item* does not push you over your calorie allowance, it will not adversely affect your weight loss

Of course, this is easier to do with some items than others - I doubt anyone eats so much broccoli that they go over their allowance whereas chocolate, in my experience, is incredibly easy to do so with.

But same principle applies.

MeanderingMammal

DaniDoll57 wrote: »

Will this have an adverse effect against me losing weight or, since I don't do it every day, will it not really be a big deal?

At 5 calories per 250ml glass, unlikely to be a big contributor.

bioklutz

I like them and have used them for several years - daily. I like to go pretty light on the flavor/sweetness so really prefer the squeeze bottles vs the powder mixes. Plus the little bottles easy to take with and hardly take up any room.

As long as you don't have a sensitivity to the ingredients it is fine. Consider the source of articles you read online and how you run a search for articles. If you type are artificial sweeteners bad in google of course you are going to get a lot of articles about how horrible they are for you. Type in benefits of artificial sweeteners and you will find a lot of positive articles. Look for articles that are unbiased and consider the source.

zyxst

ETA: Mixed up tabs, lol.

Water enhancers taste like unsweetened Kool-Aid to me. I'll pass.

rhtexasgal

The Stur and Skinny Girl brands of water enhancers are pretty good. I cannot have "artificial" sweeteners like splenda, sweet n low and nutrasweet but I can have stevia and monk fruit. Both brands use monk fruit as the sweetener if I recall.

I am one of "those" people who are very sensitive to artificial sweeteners. They just taste really, really bad to me and if a food if flavorful enough to mask just enough of the sweetener taste and I consume it, I can guarantee gut pain like you would not believe. This happened over the holidays and I thought my ulcerative colitis was going into flare. I say to each his own but I (personally) believe that they are not good for you in the long run.

sammyliftsandeats

I like the Mio brand of water enhancers.

sarahlifts

I use them all the time. Its up to you.

vingogly

The True Lemon brand has a variety of flavors; some are sweetened with stevia, others are not sweetened at all.

http://www.truelemon.com

Another option is to make your own naturally flavored water with fruits and herbs:

http://www.theyummylife.com/Flavored_Water

If you search on Amazon for "fruit infused water" there are a number of recipe books there.

Eash84

Good job giving up pop! I like the country time pink lemonade powder to add to my water. I also like adding lemon wedges to my water.
I don't see nothing wrong with using flavor enhancers for a bit!

Christine_72

rhtexasgal wrote: »

The Stur and Skinny Girl brands of water enhancers are pretty good. I cannot have "artificial" sweeteners like splenda, sweet n low and nutrasweet but I can have stevia and monk fruit. Both brands use monk fruit as the sweetener if I recall.

I am one of "those" people who are very sensitive to artificial sweeteners. They just taste really, really bad to me and if a food if flavorful enough to mask just enough of the sweetener taste and I consume it, I can guarantee gut pain like you would not believe. This happened over the holidays and I thought my ulcerative colitis was going into flare. I say to each his own but I (personally) believe that they are not good for you in the long run.

@rhtexasgal your post made me think of this article.

https://chriskresser.com/how-artificial-sweeteners-wreak-havoc-on-your-gut/?utm_source=ChrisKresser.com&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7d56abf8a-ee9c9ca3ac-95902905&utm_content&utm_campaign=ee9c9ca3ac-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_11_09&mc_cid=ee9c9ca3ac&mc_eid=56daae840f

Jules_farmgirl

I use these in the Mio brand quite often when water just doesn't sound like something I would like. I also have a soda stream at home and carbonate my water and add lemon juice to it as a way to fill the craving for carbonation. Artificial sweeteners have gotten a bad rep, but in general, as long as its in moderation, there is no harm in using this as a tool to help curb your hunger/cravings and reach your goal!

SideSteel

I'm not personally concerned with artificial sweetener use in moderation given the safety limits are astoundingly high.

Just pay attention to appetite and if you experience greater hunger or cravings while using them vs while not using them (whether this is real or perceived) then you can always use this as part of your decision.

CooCooPuff

I drink them and soda and manage to lose

amusedmonkey

Yes, if juice is what I want but don't want to spend the calories. If I'm thirsty, water is the only thing that does it for me. I use kool aid and add a sweetener in the summer. 1 gram of kool aid and 3 packets of sweetener for my large cup. No health issues or effect on my weight loss in my case.

stevencloser

NeuronsNeuronsNeurons wrote: »

verdict is out. some recent studies show that the three leading artificial sweeteners on the market can promote the culture of certain types of gut bacteria that in turn raise fasting glucose levels oddly enough. when given a potent round of antibiotics these mice lost the effect with the death of these bacteria and when fecal transplants were performed with a control group (artificial sweetener gut bacteria transferred) those mice also exhibited the deleterious effect on their blood sugar levels. All 3 major artificial sweeteners were tested and have the same effect on promoting this gut bacteria in both mice and humans. What these studies are showing are that certain forms of intestinal bacteria can metabolize these artificial sweeteners and in response can outperform otherwise normal gut cultures when they become part of a daily diet. The metabolism of these artificial sweeteners then has the effect of raising blood sugar levels and promoting insulin insensitivity by unknown mechanism as a baseline and creating a Type II diabetes type model! I drink one to two diet sodas a day and put splenda in my coffee and fortunately don't have any issues with my blood sugar levels that I have noticed. I occasionally check my blood sugar as I'm curious to see how various meals and activities impact it. I also eat small amounts of normal sugar in a given day. For example 1tbs in my crepes this morning.

My hunch is that like everything, in moderation all things are OK!

On a side note a group of researchers in Japan discovered the emergence of a new bacterium that was capable of breaking down plastic! So this stuff may not be in our landfills for as long as we once thought. In biology, if there's a niche to exploit...it gets exploited!

I'd like to know how that would work, seeing how aspartame gets broken down pretty much as soon as it hits your digestive system.