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Artificial Sweeteners
SpicyWater
Posts: 99 Member
in Debate Club
In your calorie-counting journey do you use artificial sweeteners? If so, what kind? I've heard so much talk over the years about aspartame causing cancer (my husband's aunt died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the doctor told her it was caused by drinking multiple litres of diet Coke a day) and I've heard chatter recently about all artificial sweeteners being bad for you but I'm not really sure why. I usually just use dark brown sugar, maple syrup and honey and exercise portion control, but I'll buy pre-prepared drinks and food made with stevia, erythritol and xylitol.
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I have consumed diet soda on occasion most of my life, and still do. I've seen nothing to suggest that it is harmful in moderation (there's a great thread on the topic with scientific explanation that perhaps someone will log).
Otherwise, I never used table sugar in anything (other than making cookies or a pie) and so have no reason to use any artificial sweeteners. When baking some kind of dessert I still will use sugar, whatever the recipe calls for (although I don't bake that much). I make some savory dishes that use honey.
Brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, and white sugar are all equivalents, pretty much. I also think artificial sweeteners are fine, I just don't happen to eat many things that have them (but for the diet soda).6 -
Check out this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary
Basically, correlation isn't causation and, with apologies to the doctor, it's generally pretty hard to point to one element and say, "Aha! That's why you got sick!" Even if there's a possible link (and I don't believe there is), there are so many other factors in play (diet, genetics, exposure to various chemicals, age, etc) that chalking it up unequivocally to diet Coke sounds a bit off-base to me.
I use whatever artificial sweetener is on hand in my tea, drink a lot of diet cola, and use what the recipe asks for in cooking and baking.15 -
In your calorie-counting journey do you use artificial sweeteners? If so, what kind? I've heard so much talk over the years about aspartame causing cancer (my husband's aunt died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the doctor told her it was caused by drinking multiple litres of diet Coke a day) and I've heard chatter recently about all artificial sweeteners being bad for you but I'm not really sure why. I usually just use dark brown sugar, maple syrup and honey and exercise portion control, but I'll buy pre-prepared drinks and food made with stevia, erythritol and xylitol.
Back when I started my weight loss phase I switched from regular Coke to diet Coke. This cut out a significant amount of calories since I was drinking on average 3-20oz bottles a day.
I'm now several years into maintaining a larger weight loss and I continue to drink 3-4 cans of diet soda a day. I also drink 1-2 cups of coffee a day and add 1 pkt of splenda in each cup, and I also add 1 pkt of splenda to my daily green smoothie.
All of my health markers are excellent and my doctor is not concerned about my artificial sweetener usage, so I see no reason to cut it out-it saves me a lot of calories and is part of my weight management plan.
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I use artificial sweeteners and traded diet soda for soda, but that's about the extent of my substitution. I prefer the taste of brown sugar, honey, and molasses.
There is no such link between aspartame and cancer. The degree of incidence is equivalent to nearly every other edible product.
This illusion is created in the increase of detection and the rise of artificial sweeteners, but this is correlative only. There are two things influencing this "increase" (it's not increasing) in cancer - increased longevity and detection.12 -
I'd be curious to know how the doctor drew that conclusion, given that I don't think there is any good evidence of a link. In fact, a rather large study was done on this very topic: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/230972675
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I've been drinking artificially sweetened beverages since they first came on the market. I've had a weight problem since I was a pre-teen, and it's always just been one way for me to save calories.
I still drink diet soda. Some days I drink a lot, some days I drink hardly any. Most of my sweetener usage is a few drops of liquid sucralose in my morning oatmeal and the herbal tea I drink throughout the day.1 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »Check out this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary
Basically, correlation isn't causation and, with apologies to the doctor, it's generally pretty hard to point to one element and say, "Aha! That's why you got sick!" Even if there's a possible link (and I don't believe there is), there are so many other factors in play (diet, genetics, exposure to various chemicals, age, etc) that chalking it up unequivocally to diet Coke sounds a bit off-base to me.
I use whatever artificial sweetener is on hand in my tea, drink a lot of diet cola, and use what the recipe asks for in cooking and baking.
Thank you! I have a general BS in Molecular Biology but never learned about artificial sweeteners in my biochemistry studies. That article was reassuring and really interesting as well!5 -
estherdragonbat wrote: »Check out this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary
Basically, correlation isn't causation and, with apologies to the doctor, it's generally pretty hard to point to one element and say, "Aha! That's why you got sick!" Even if there's a possible link (and I don't believe there is), there are so many other factors in play (diet, genetics, exposure to various chemicals, age, etc) that chalking it up unequivocally to diet Coke sounds a bit off-base to me.
I use whatever artificial sweetener is on hand in my tea, drink a lot of diet cola, and use what the recipe asks for in cooking and baking.
Thank you! I have a general BS in Molecular Biology but never learned about artificial sweeteners in my biochemistry studies. That article was reassuring and really interesting as well!
That is seriously one of the best threads on MFP
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I find it strange that people blame the newer artificial sweeteners for everrything, especially cancer with no evidence. I have an anti vaxxer friend who can't even pronounce aspartame, telling me it's evils while her daughter gave my daughter whooping cough, and who I can't be around because I have an auto immune condition. Peopel like to believe that because it is a chemical that it is bad, but I have seen these same people baking themselves in the sun because they think sunscreen causes cancer, when it is proven that it is UV causing cancer, and having a joint or a cigarette when it is proven that these cause cancer.15
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I prefer the taste(lessness) of a product called Canderel. I have a good quality cappucino / espresso 3 or 4 times a week and only then do I use Canderel. Otherwise I don't have sweet or sweetened food - I prefer the salty varieties (meat, salads, fish etc.) any day. So I see a good cup of coffee with that sweetener as a "treat". There are many reports out there how unhealthy some sweeteners are but I haven't found any other healthier options which to my taste enhance the coffee and do not give me any other funny flavours.0
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A quick Google shows me that Canderel is just aspartame and ace-k. Same thing that's in diet soda.6
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Thank you GottaBurn - as with so much else: how unhealthy is it? I see it as a bit of a treat vs. unhealthy stuff and since I never have white / brown sugar added to my meals / drinks, I tell myself that Canderel isn't "too bad"...3
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Check out this thread: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary
Basically, correlation isn't causation and, with apologies to the doctor, it's generally pretty hard to point to one element and say, "Aha! That's why you got sick!" Even if there's a possible link (and I don't believe there is), there are so many other factors in play (diet, genetics, exposure to various chemicals, age, etc) that chalking it up unequivocally to diet Coke sounds a bit off-base to me.
I use whatever artificial sweetener is on hand in my tea, drink a lot of diet cola, and use what the recipe asks for in cooking and baking.
Thank you! I have a general BS in Molecular Biology but never learned about artificial sweeteners in my biochemistry studies. That article was reassuring and really interesting as well!
Hi there. I wrote that post and still am around the forums. I "use" artificial sweeteners whether I'm dieting or not because i like to sweeten my drinks but dont really want to be adding a lot of calories to my day through liquids that aren't very satiating.
You mentioned your studies so I'll bring up that my Ph.D is in molecular cellular biology and I currently work as a research scientist (not in work related to foods). I was skeptical about the claims that sweeteners cause cancer given what I know about cancer so I looked into it and personally I found nothing substantive to support that being the case.
I am sorry for the death of a family member from cancer...that is never easy. Honestly though I think that was a pretty unprofessional thing for their doctor to say...there is no way they had any evidence of cause for a hodgkin's lymphoma and choosing to say that was not a good thing to do.22 -
In your calorie-counting journey do you use artificial sweeteners? If so, what kind? I've heard so much talk over the years about aspartame causing cancer (my husband's aunt died from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and the doctor told her it was caused by drinking multiple litres of diet Coke a day) and I've heard chatter recently about all artificial sweeteners being bad for you but I'm not really sure why. I usually just use dark brown sugar, maple syrup and honey and exercise portion control, but I'll buy pre-prepared drinks and food made with stevia, erythritol and xylitol.
I try to avoid artificial sweeteners because they taste bad to me and trigger migraines for me.
I do not think they cause cancer or are dangerous if you choose to consume them. I suppose if you cosumed very large quanties daily you might see a negative health impact but that is kind of true with most things.3 -
All my MD friends call BS on the artificial sweeteners causing cancer, but my GI does caution they can cause digestive issues (gas, bloating, diarrhea) in some people, so if those are an issue, try cutting down and see if there’s any improvement.
I had painful flares of gallbladder pain (no stones, low functioning, but still working) and my GI suggested cutting the amount of artificial sweeteners I was consuming (maybe 2-3 12oz servings of Diet Snapple/other drinks at the time). I cut that out and I’ve been pain free for two years. No other diet or exercise changes.3 -
A lot of the fuss around artificial sweeteners is scare mongering. I don't really use any added sweeteners of any kind because I don't sweeten my coffee, tea or cereal and I don't drink much soft drinks (maybe once or twice a week at the cinema or with a meal out). When I do drink soft drinks I will always choose the diet option because why would I waste my calories on drinks when they can be very low calorie and taste pretty much the same?2
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I also use artificial sweeteners and haven’t ever had an issue losing while using it. I do try limit my sweets including artificial low le no calories because I find it makes me crave sweets more.0
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I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.7
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KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
It would be helpful to note for proper context that you have an unhealthy digestive tract.6 -
KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.20 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them1 -
Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.13
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Eden_Goldie wrote: »I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them,
Is this a thing specific to you?
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If your body doesn't know how to process something, it excretes it.13
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Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Your body doesn't have to "know" anything. Our natural processes don't require any thoughts or preferences.10 -
I only have issues with Aspartame. Everytime I consume it I get very sick. I consume other sweeteners without issue. Sadly, aspartame is used a lot. In the UK, it's even worse as it's in non-diet beverages, which makes it harder for me as I need to be extra careful what treat I have when visiting there.
Although, to be totally honest, I've pretty much given up on artificial sweeteners. Most have a nasty aftertaste. If I want something sweet I have the real deal, just less, or plan for an extra treat. Not totally, but mostly.0 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.12 -
Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Most artificial sweetners are fully metabolized by your body. Things that are not metabolized are inert and will go right through you never actually entering your system. The only artificial sweetener I can think of that avoids metabolism is sucralose. Aspartame is fully metabolized.7 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
In my family we had to go through the FODMAP protocol and working with two doctors we were never told to cut out all artificial sweetners, there's was one or two on the list if I remember correctly, but we were still able to drink diet Coke etc.2 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
Sorry, I have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about.
I'm not using an alternate account! And nowhere did I say I have switched to Stevia. Neither did I say that sweeteners play havoc with my gut?
I think you are confusing me with someone else. I was answering your comment in which you questioned whether it is "all sweeteners" I was advised to avoid those which, as a general rule, end in ol.
I have no argument with you! And yes, sorry, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, apologies for the inaccuracy0
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