Artificial Sweeteners?

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  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I often wonder if the people who have been using artificial sweeteners every single day for umpteen years would even notice any side effects? How they feel is just their normal, what if going without them would make them feel a better normal??

    I began using them in college and didn't notice feeling worse despite consuming as much as 2 liters a day of diet soda (I had a job where it was free). I went on a "natural kick" in my mid-20s and didn't have any for 3-4 years. Didn't begin feeling better. I began using them again after that. Didn't notice feeling worse.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    They're pretty neutral for me. There isn't anything I eat or drink that I feel I NEED to have (for my sanity :wink:) where I use sweeteners.

    I do like that I can enjoy soda without a 200+ calorie hit and without concocting some diluted fruit juice/carbonated water combo for myself.
    I like that the protein bars use it - they're high enough in cals already and don't need more.
    I've tried baking with them and don't find the calorie savings worth the taste compromise.

    I certainly don't avoid them if they're in something I'd like to eat unless I know I hate the taste of the sweetener (stevia and derivatives) or I know they cause me intestinal problems (maltitol).

  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
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    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I often wonder if the people who have been using artificial sweeteners every single day for umpteen years would even notice any side effects? How they feel is just their normal, what if going without them would make them feel a better normal??

    I drank diet soda pretty much every day for years, lots of it and sugar-free Gatorade while riding in the summer. Then I moved to a place that had decent tasting tap water and drank pretty much just water. Now I only drink diet soda on weekends, other things that don't have sweetener in them during the week.

    Personally, I notice no difference other than the typical from being 20-30 years older. Honestly, I don't even notice much difference from that other than the grey hair and clearer skin.
  • midlomel1971
    midlomel1971 Posts: 1,283 Member
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    Have you tried to drink coffee without sweetener? I cut out sugar and artificial sweeteners from my coffee and it took my tastebuds a week or so to adjust, but now I don't even miss the sugar. I add a dash of skim milk or half and half now.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,981 Member
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    nicolepburgess91 wrote: »
    I like sugar in my coffee. I can barely stomach it plain. But it adds more calories than I'd like to see. I'm looking into artificial sweeteners and I'm finding very conflicting information about its benefits/harmful effects.
    I'm not looking for scientific data - but, rather personal experience stories.
    Have artificial sweeteners helped you, or hurt you?

    I haven't discovered an artificial sweetener I didn't find nasty.

    I put chocolate protein powder, which has some natural sugar and some added sugar, and cocoa powder, which also has some added sugar, in my coffee. I also add chia seeds and coconut oil and call it breakfast.

    f77451fa936c4384b60206d7d85bfaeb.png

    When I drank coffee plain I added 1 teaspoon of sugar. This is only 16 calories. If you need tons of sugar in your coffee try tapering down. I successfully did this with tea.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,981 Member
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    Sunna_W wrote: »
    I avoid artificial sweeteners because they taste horrible to me. Also, I generally don't use sugar in my coffee and I reduce the amount of sugar in the recipes I prepare that call for it without really noticing the overall effect in the recipe. That said, I do love strong dark coffee brewed in a Moka Pot, and was using a lot of half and half in it so that it didn’t hurt my stomach. But each ounce of half and half is 38 calories and I was using at least 4 ounces a day (maybe more). What I did to compensate was to a use a lesser amount but higher quality coffee beans that were darker and lower in acid. (Check out Leelanu Coffee Roasters in Michigan for lighter / sweeter roasts (like Yrgacheffe, from Ethiopia; or, coffee from Costa Rica or Guatemala) and maybe consider brewing your coffee differently (or use less beans) to get a milder flavor). Also, agave nectar is 21 calories, is lower on the glycemic index and tastes sweeter to me, so maybe try getting some of that and taper down from there.

    Ya, someone (here I think) said he reduced sugar in recipes by a third and I've been experimenting with that in baked goods and found I can indeed reduce sugar by 25-33%.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,981 Member
    edited April 2017
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    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.

    Natvia is erythritol... Coles and woolies have it.
    dfwesq wrote: »
    In the US, you can order it online from Amazon. Not sure about other countries though.

    I know iherb ships internationally. Is $7.59 a pound a good price for Erythritol?

    https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Real-Food-Erythritol-1-lb-454-g/579
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.

    Natvia is erythritol... Coles and woolies have it.
    dfwesq wrote: »
    In the US, you can order it online from Amazon. Not sure about other countries though.

    I know iherb ships internationally. Is $7.59 a pound a good price for Erythritol?

    https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Real-Food-Erythritol-1-lb-454-g/579

    That's pretty comparable to our price (not sure on shipping price). I just checked in my grocery store and it's $7.75 for 300g.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited April 2017
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.

    Natvia is erythritol... Coles and woolies have it.
    dfwesq wrote: »
    In the US, you can order it online from Amazon. Not sure about other countries though.

    I know iherb ships internationally. Is $7.59 a pound a good price for Erythritol?

    https://www.iherb.com/pr/Now-Foods-Real-Food-Erythritol-1-lb-454-g/579

    I ordered this one in the US. If you buy 2.5 pounds, it ends up being about $5.75 a pound. For me, that's about a six month supply (I don't use much).
    https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XA49BG?ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01&redirect=true&pldnSite=1&th=1

    Strangely enough, a 2.5-pound bag costs $1.62 less than a 1-pound bag.
  • Lefty1290
    Lefty1290 Posts: 551 Member
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    You will pry my diet soda and Sweet N Low from my cold, dead hands.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    AnvilHead wrote: »
    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24944060/
    CONCLUSIONS:

    The current meta-analysis provides a rigorous evaluation of the scientific evidence on LCSs and body weight and composition. Findings from observational studies showed no association between LCS intake and body weight or fat mass and a small positive association with BMI; however, data from RCTs, which provide the highest quality of evidence for examining the potentially causal effects of LCS intake, indicate that substituting LCS options for their regular-calorie versions results in a modest weight loss and may be a useful dietary tool to improve compliance with weight loss or weight maintenance plans.

    I'm curious about your thoughts on the Suez et al study I mentioned. The conclusion you posted ^ from Miller & Perez's 2014 literature search and analysis did not have the opportunity of reviewing the data from the 2015 Suez study.
  • CynthiasChoice
    CynthiasChoice Posts: 1,047 Member
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    Blush...just saw my glaring grammatical error.
  • starryphoenix
    starryphoenix Posts: 381 Member
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    mph323 wrote: »
    starryphoenix wrote: »
    My mom tells us stories of her treating people with Splenda / sucralose related illnesses. She was once one of those people too. The stuff makes all of us feel bad.

    Aspartame makes me feel sick, gives me headaches and gives me insomnia.

    Invalid. It doesn't make me feel bad at all, and if you take the time to read through this thread you'll find that it doesn't make others feel bad either. It makes YOU feel sick, this isn't true for "all of us".

    By all of us I meant my family.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,565 Member
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    starryphoenix wrote: »
    mph323 wrote: »
    starryphoenix wrote: »
    My mom tells us stories of her treating people with Splenda / sucralose related illnesses. She was once one of those people too. The stuff makes all of us feel bad.

    Aspartame makes me feel sick, gives me headaches and gives me insomnia.

    Invalid. It doesn't make me feel bad at all, and if you take the time to read through this thread you'll find that it doesn't make others feel bad either. It makes YOU feel sick, this isn't true for "all of us".

    By all of us I meant my family.


    Fair enough, that wasn't clear in your original post. I rescind my "invalid". :)
  • whatlunasaid
    whatlunasaid Posts: 173 Member
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    I have been using Lakanto monk fruit sweetener (Golden). It doesn't have the aftertaste of aspartame or stevia, IMO. I'm enjoying having sweet drinks again. But I just started using it and supposedly it has a lot of xylitol in it, so it is not pure monk fruit. Boyfriend only uses Equal. He says all others have an aftertaste.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    edited April 2017
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    whatlunasaid wrote: »
    I have been using Lakanto monk fruit sweetener (Golden). It doesn't have the aftertaste of aspartame or stevia, IMO. I'm enjoying having sweet drinks again. But I just started using it and supposedly it has a lot of xylitol in it, so it is not pure monk fruit...
    Monkfruit is another natural sweetener that's worth considering. The ones I've seen don't have any xylitol added though.

    ETA: I looked up Lakanto, and it seems to have erythritol rather than xylitol in it - probably why it can be labeled as having zero calories.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
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    Lefty1290 wrote: »
    You will pry my diet soda and Sweet N Low from my cold, dead hands.

    Maybe you should seek help :tongue:
  • whatlunasaid
    whatlunasaid Posts: 173 Member
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    dfwesq wrote: »
    whatlunasaid wrote: »
    I have been using Lakanto monk fruit sweetener (Golden). It doesn't have the aftertaste of aspartame or stevia, IMO. I'm enjoying having sweet drinks again. But I just started using it and supposedly it has a lot of xylitol in it, so it is not pure monk fruit...
    Monkfruit is another natural sweetener that's worth considering. The ones I've seen don't have any xylitol added though.

    ETA: I looked up Lakanto, and it seems to have erythritol rather than xylitol in it - probably why it can be labeled as having zero calories.

    Thanks for the correction! Regardless, Lakanto does taste good to me. When I run out I may try a more pure version though.
  • jonchew
    jonchew Posts: 239 Member
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    Sharing this video on my FB!! :D

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