Someone please help me understand why aspartame or Splenda is somehow bad for me?

dudebro200
dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
For almost 16 years, I have been drinking diet soda (prefer water however), and putting Splenda in my oatmeal, my coffee and anything that uses sugar in cooking.

I get a lot frowns from my whole-foods elitists friends who proceed to dump many grams of sugar into their lattes and teas.

If I drink regular Coke or coffee with sugar syrup, it tastes super sweet to me and I almost can't handle it.

How can someone judge me when they are consuming 200 units of empty calories and I consume 0? I am in better shape and look younger, but I am the unhealthy one because I consume aspartame?
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Replies

  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    Because fearmongering. http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary

    Very helpful. Thank you
  • ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken Posts: 1,530 Member
    edited March 2017
    Artificial sweeteners taste horrid to me. I have yet to come across one that didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Sucralose is the worst, the flavor sticks around for hours. Some people do have reactions to artificial sweeteners. For Some It triggers migraines and others have digestive issues. Which is another reason (aside from the foul taste) that I don't want to eat artificial sweeteners, they give me terrible cramps along with diarrhea. My kids also have the same issue with the stuff. If you enjoy the taste and it has not caused you any digestive drama then go ahead and eat it. But sugar isn't necessarily bad for your "Whole-food elitist " friends unless they are eating massive quantities of the stuff. Even vitamins can be harmful in excess.
  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    edited March 2017
    There is a table in my Nutrition book with the "Acceptable Daily Intakes" for some artificial sweeteners. The equivalent of "18 to 19" diet colas per day is the aspartame "limit".

    ("Limit" is in quotes because it doesn't mean higher is dangerous, just that up to that amount is accepted as safe. I'm not sure they'd get many volunteers able and willing to drink 24 cans of diet soda a day to study higher levels!)
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
    FreyasRebirth wrote: »
    There is a table in my Nutrition book with the "Acceptable Daily Intakes" for some artificial sweeteners. The equivalent of "18 to 19" diet colas per day is the aspartame "limit".

    ("Limit" is in quotes because it doesn't mean higher is dangerous, just that up to that amount is accepted as safe. I'm not sure they'd get many volunteers able and willing to drink 24 cans of diet soda a day to study higher levels!)

    I read some information that suggested 1000 diet sodas is still within a safe range in terms of aspartame consumption.
  • melaniedscott
    melaniedscott Posts: 1,478 Member
    dudebro200 wrote: »
    ...I get a lot frowns from my whole-foods elitist friends...

    You answèred your own question.

    Some people have problems with aspartame. It gave my sister terrible migraines and stomach aches and generally made her feel horrible. If that happens, don't eat it. Some people have trouble with Splenda (me)...causes severe kidney pain and other issues....but if it doesn't bother you and you aren't bothered by drinking sweet chlorine, by all means, have some. (This is NOT meant as sarcasm)...

    Some research (I don't have access to it at the moment or even remember where I read it) has suggested artificial sweeteners may reduce healthy flora in the gut. If that doesn't concern you, feel free. It could be incorrect...they said saccarine caused cancer in mice but we learned a decade ago that the amount necessay to acheive the same results would equate to eating a train box car full every day.

    It is a personal choice. If you're happy with it, you shouldn't worry about what others say. If they don't have anything better to do with their time than judge people who aren't just like them, they must have pretty sad lives.
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Because anyone who doesn't eat clean is evil. Just kidding....but sometimes it does seem thats the mentality....

    Anyways, eat your splenda if you want. Lifes to short to worry about people who stick their noses where they don't belong.

    I feel like using Splenda is the "clean" alternative
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    FreyasRebirth wrote: »
    There is a table in my Nutrition book with the "Acceptable Daily Intakes" for some artificial sweeteners. The equivalent of "18 to 19" diet colas per day is the aspartame "limit".

    ("Limit" is in quotes because it doesn't mean higher is dangerous, just that up to that amount is accepted as safe. I'm not sure they'd get many volunteers able and willing to drink 24 cans of diet soda a day to study higher levels!)

    They don't really have a bunch of people in a lab drinking 19 sodas to find out if it hurts them. Most of this stuff is tested on animals to find the level at which things start to look questionable, and then the amounts are extrapolated out to humans.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    Unless you have had a reaction to them, they are fine.

    My grandma put aspartame in her coffee every day as long as I can remember. She died a week short of her 94th birthday.
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    Artificial sweeteners taste horrid to me. I have yet to come across one that didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Sucralose is the worst, the flavor sticks around for hours. Some people do have reactions to artificial sweeteners. For Some It triggers migraines and others have digestive issues. Which is another reason (aside from the foul taste) that I don't want to eat artificial sweeteners, they give me terrible cramps along with diarrhea. My kids also have the same issue with the stuff. If you enjoy the taste and it has not caused you any digestive drama then go ahead and eat it. But sugar isn't necessarily bad for your "Whole-food elitist " friends unless they are eating massive quantities of the stuff. Even vitamins can be harmful in excess.

    I think it tastes just fine, but I am sensitive to substances that other people can tolerate just fine, so I definitely understand that.

    However, people tell me "how can you eat that stuff?", while providing absolutely no reason why I shouldn't other than "Google it". That's what upsets me. Someone's Migraines and digestive issues could be a valid reason to me.
  • dudebro200
    dudebro200 Posts: 97 Member
    melaniedscott wrote: »
    dudebro200 wrote: »
    ...I get a lot frowns from my whole-foods elitist friends...

    You answèred your own question.

    Some people have problems with aspartame. It gave my sister terrible migraines and stomach aches and generally made her feel horrible. If that happens, don't eat it. Some people have trouble with Splenda (me)...causes severe kidney pain and other issues....but if it doesn't bother you and you aren't bothered by drinking sweet chlorine, by all means, have some. (This is NOT meant as sarcasm)...

    Some research (I don't have access to it at the moment or even remember where I read it) has suggested artificial sweeteners may reduce healthy flora in the gut. If that doesn't concern you, feel free. It could be incorrect...they said saccarine caused cancer in mice but we learned a decade ago that the amount necessay to acheive the same results would equate to eating a train box car full every day.

    It is a personal choice. If you're happy with it, you shouldn't worry about what others say. If they don't have anything better to do with their time than judge people who aren't just like them, they must have pretty sad lives.

    I have consumed salty chlorine since I was born. I havent had any issues with that.

  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    dudebro200 wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Because anyone who doesn't eat clean is evil. Just kidding....but sometimes it does seem thats the mentality....

    Anyways, eat your splenda if you want. Lifes to short to worry about people who stick their noses where they don't belong.

    I feel like using Splenda is the "clean" alternative

    Thats kinda what I though too, but I dont really follow the clean eating crowd enough to be that up to date on the rules. What I have seen though it seems like they vary greatly, and sounds like this particular crowd is anti splenda?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    They probably think they're "better" because they consume natural sugar V your artificial sugar. Personally i just use real sugar, everything in moderation, right? I've also recently started using xylitol every now and then, that is the extent of my AS usage thus far.

    I have never had aspartame, and probably never will.
  • Windrunner666
    Windrunner666 Posts: 91 Member
    dudebro200 wrote: »
    ThatUserNameIsAllReadyTaken wrote: »
    Artificial sweeteners taste horrid to me. I have yet to come across one that didn't leave a bad taste in my mouth. Sucralose is the worst, the flavor sticks around for hours. Some people do have reactions to artificial sweeteners. For Some It triggers migraines and others have digestive issues. Which is another reason (aside from the foul taste) that I don't want to eat artificial sweeteners, they give me terrible cramps along with diarrhea. My kids also have the same issue with the stuff. If you enjoy the taste and it has not caused you any digestive drama then go ahead and eat it. But sugar isn't necessarily bad for your "Whole-food elitist " friends unless they are eating massive quantities of the stuff. Even vitamins can be harmful in excess.

    I think it tastes just fine, but I am sensitive to substances that other people can tolerate just fine, so I definitely understand that.

    However, people tell me "how can you eat that stuff?", while providing absolutely no reason why I shouldn't other than "Google it". That's what upsets me. Someone's Migraines and digestive issues could be a valid reason to me.

    I never had issue with drinking the stuff but I hate the taste of it as well. Just plain don't like it. My only source of pure sugar in my diet is 3in 1 coffee from the coffee machine and that's just once per day. I've tried going for 2 in 1 coffee with splenda added, tastes weird to me, so I dumped that stuff.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.

    I dont really know what it is about aspartame that makes me avoid it.. I have no scientific explanation, it's just a gut feel.
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    I love Splenda and don't have any issues with it or notice any aftertaste.
  • 4legsRbetterthan2
    4legsRbetterthan2 Posts: 19,590 MFP Moderator
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.

    I dont really know what it is about aspartame that makes me avoid it.. I have no scientific explanation, it's just a gut feel.

    I can get that, and I think you should do what you feel comefortable with. I didnt mean that directed at you, I actually hadn't seen your first comment till you replied to this, but they did go hand in hand a little too well, so just wanted to make sure you didnt think I was was making a jab at your specifically.
  • brittyn3
    brittyn3 Posts: 481 Member
    Sometimes aspartame gives me headaches, sometimes it doesn't. Drink what you like, eat what you like. My clean eating friends scoff that my diet includes processed food. Because *gasp* [insert chemicals! etc] - they would never eat such things!

    It's annoying that people feel like they can comment on what you consume. I hate when people are commenting on what I'm eating aside from that smells/looks good. I feel like the age old adage "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" should apply to the way we look and things we consume. If you want to get a little deeper - sugar free gum, pretty much every person chews it at some point in their life. Guess what sweetens it? Artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. The horror!

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.

    I dont really know what it is about aspartame that makes me avoid it.. I have no scientific explanation, it's just a gut feel.

    I can get that, and I think you should do what you feel comefortable with. I didnt mean that directed at you, I actually hadn't seen your first comment till you replied to this, but they did go hand in hand a little too well, so just wanted to make sure you didnt think I was was making a jab at your specifically.

    No not at all, all good :smile: You're question made perfect sense.

  • walkingforward
    walkingforward Posts: 174 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.

    I dont really know what it is about aspartame that makes me avoid it.. I have no scientific explanation, it's just a gut feel.

    I'm avoiding for the above reason (gut feel). Just because things are unknown about something does not mean it is ok or not ok. From Wikipedia article "mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health, although it is now known that exposure to mercury vapor leads to serious adverse health effects". Who knows what we will know about aspartame, or anything else in 10 years or 100 years.
  • kq1981
    kq1981 Posts: 1,098 Member
    edited March 2017
    Years and years ago there were studies done on artificial sweeteners and increase risk of CA. I don't think there was ever an outcome proving this. Maybe that's why there is a stigma of "unhealthiness" towards them.

    So many theories. I say stick to what works for you and brush off what anyone else has to say about it.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited March 2017
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.
    It's because of physiological differences between dogs and humans. Xylitol isn't toxic to humans, and there might even be a few health benefits (dental health, fewer ear infections). Though too much can cause, um, bathroom and gas issues. Some other common foods are the same way, like chocoolate (fine for humans, toxic to dogs and cats).

  • sunfastrose
    sunfastrose Posts: 543 Member
    walkingforward wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »
    dfwesq wrote: »
    If you care about natural vs. artificial, there are natural sweeteners too, including stevia (Truvia), monkfruit, xylitol, and erythritol. But Splenda or any other approved sweetener is fine in moderation too. I use different sweeteners depending on what I'm sweetening - some seem to work better for particular foods than others. I agree with the "fearmongering" post, btw. Just adding this because sometimes people think every non-sugar sweetener is artificial.

    Fwiw, things aren't necessarily safe because they're natural, or dangerous because they're artificial.

    Actually, this kinda made me think, apologies this is a bit left field, but still a little related. Everyones issue with aspertame seems to be centered around the fact that high quantities gave rodents brain tumors. No one ever seems concerned about human consumption of xylitol which is highly toxic to dogs. Not that I think they should necessarily, but if you are going to worry about one why not the other.

    I dont really know what it is about aspartame that makes me avoid it.. I have no scientific explanation, it's just a gut feel.

    I'm avoiding for the above reason (gut feel). Just because things are unknown about something does not mean it is ok or not ok. From Wikipedia article "mercury use was thought to prolong life, heal fractures, and maintain generally good health, although it is now known that exposure to mercury vapor leads to serious adverse health effects". Who knows what we will know about aspartame, or anything else in 10 years or 100 years.

    Not a valid comparison. Aspartame has gone through decades of scientific study; mercury had not been before it was used.
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