Artificial sweeteners?

ArroganceInStep

I'm going to avoid the battle between the two sides and just give my own personal experience with the stuff. I drank diet sodas and generally enjoyed all manner of artificial sweeteners for at least 10 years, but starting in 2012 I started having terrible reactions to it. First started with just regular gas -embarrassing, but manageable. Then it got worse and became extreme intestinal discomfort involving cramps that would last for days as well as headaches, and general misery. I now avoid anything with artificial sweeteners including stevia because its just not worth the pain.

I had similar issues with monogamy.

0somuchbetter0

Nay because they taste bad.

0somuchbetter0

I'm going to avoid the battle between the two sides and just give my own personal experience with the stuff. I drank diet sodas and generally enjoyed all manner of artificial sweeteners for at least 10 years, but starting in 2012 I started having terrible reactions to it. First started with just regular gas -embarrassing, but manageable. Then it got worse and became extreme intestinal discomfort involving cramps that would last for days as well as headaches, and general misery. I now avoid anything with artificial sweeteners including stevia because its just not worth the pain.

I had similar issues with monogamy.

LOL!

Achrya

I'm going to avoid the battle between the two sides and just give my own personal experience with the stuff. I drank diet sodas and generally enjoyed all manner of artificial sweeteners for at least 10 years, but starting in 2012 I started having terrible reactions to it. First started with just regular gas -embarrassing, but manageable. Then it got worse and became extreme intestinal discomfort involving cramps that would last for days as well as headaches, and general misery. I now avoid anything with artificial sweeteners including stevia because its just not worth the pain.

I had similar issues with monogamy.

Don't we all?

RhonndaJ

I use artificial sweeteners and have for years with no issues.

kgreenRDLDN

I'm going to avoid the battle between the two sides and just give my own personal experience with the stuff. I drank diet sodas and generally enjoyed all manner of artificial sweeteners for at least 10 years, but starting in 2012 I started having terrible reactions to it. First started with just regular gas -embarrassing, but manageable. Then it got worse and became extreme intestinal discomfort involving cramps that would last for days as well as headaches, and general misery. I now avoid anything with artificial sweeteners including stevia because its just not worth the pain.

That can happen as we age our bodies change. That's why as a kid you may have no food allergies then as an adult you start to notice reactions to certain foods. I myself cannot eat sugar free chocolate-it gives me a horrible migraine within an hour that nothing will touch.

If you are ever looking to avoid sugar, you may want to try just the Stevia plant. Its leaves are what Truvia is made out of and they taste just like sugar, but totally natural.

kgreenRDLDN

I'm a type 1 diabetic so I use sweeteners in my coffee and I drink Diet soda. I'm also a Dietitian. Most of the research that had come out in the past about linking sweeteners to cancer are not viable for the general population. The amount of the straight chemicals from the sweeteners into itty bitty mice/rats are pretty close to unobtainable in a normal persons diet.

The type of sweetener is a person preference. For more natural option look at Truvia (green) or even buying a Stevia plant, Splenda (yellow) which is just the flip of the glucose molecule so it does not get digested. I prefer Equal (blue) myself. then you also have sweet n low (pink)

This is some information on Aspartame that is commonly mistaken.

1)Reports of the ingestion of aspartame in patients who later have suffered MS or systemic Lupus is not scientifically sustainable evidence that aspartame is responsible for the occurrence of the disease. Both of these disorders are subject to spontaneous remissions and exacerbations so it’s entirely possible that when a patient stopped using aspartame they might have also coincidentally have had remission of their symptoms.
2) The claim that aspartame ingestions results in the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formate are factual. In the Intestinal tract aspartame is hydrolyzed to one of its component materials, methanol, as well as the 2 amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid. This methanol is taken up by the cells of the body and metabolized first to formaldehyde the to formate. They key information missing is that the levels of ingestion are very modest. In fact, there are other foodstuffs that we ingest that supply as much and sometimes more methanol—citrus fruits & juices, tomatoes, or tomato juice. There are even higher quantities of methanol ingested when ethanol (alcohol) is consumed.
3) The claim that phenylalanine and aspartic acid have neurotoxin effects is true in certain individuals in high enough doses. The only sub-population of individuals potentially susceptible to adverse effects from phenylalanine is homozygous phenylketonuric and in this case food itself with much higher levels of phenylalanine from the protein in our diets contributes much higher toxicity for these unfortunate individuals. The USFDA requires that the aspartame product be labeled specially for phenylketonuric patients so that they will be aware of the presence in the product. As for Aspartic Acid-the amount ingested from aspartame are many fold less than those levels responsible for causing adverse effects on the brain of animals or man.
4) There have been numerous studies done on both animals and humans for the link of aspartame and seizures. In studies done with those adults & children with pre-existing seizures, there was no evidence of contributing to the frequency of occurrence or severity of seizures.
5) There was no evidence among the comprehensive studies that aspartame-mediated effects on the experimental animals at doses many times higher than those to which the human population is exposed.
6) The claim that aspartame can increase the incidence of brain tumors in the human population has been thoroughly refuted by both government and academic scientists.

Damn, I wouldn't want to be your client. A dietitian that endorses "food like products" that are treated with chlorine instead of real food. I am shocked.

I'm sorry but I believe the more we introduce these products, the sicker people get. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that.

You can ask any Dietitian and they will neither recommend it or tell you do not eat it. it is a personal choice, however if you actually do your research you will see that the more processed foods and as the years have gone on overweight and obesity rates have climbed, thus causing more disease processes to show up in people. There is no direct correlation between an artificial sweetener and cancer, or neurologic disorders. Most of the studies that said it was linked were either animal studies that used an amount versus size that in a human would be almost unobtainable unless you drink 1-2 24 packs of diet soda a day for 5-10 years. The other studies did not look at predisposition for these conditions, like seizure or cancer so they cannot be reliable.

kgreenRDLDN

I'm a type 1 diabetic so I use sweeteners in my coffee and I drink Diet soda. I'm also a Dietitian. Most of the research that had come out in the past about linking sweeteners to cancer are not viable for the general population. The amount of the straight chemicals from the sweeteners into itty bitty mice/rats are pretty close to unobtainable in a normal persons diet.

The type of sweetener is a person preference. For more natural option look at Truvia (green) or even buying a Stevia plant, Splenda (yellow) which is just the flip of the glucose molecule so it does not get digested. I prefer Equal (blue) myself. then you also have sweet n low (pink)

This is some information on Aspartame that is commonly mistaken.

1)Reports of the ingestion of aspartame in patients who later have suffered MS or systemic Lupus is not scientifically sustainable evidence that aspartame is responsible for the occurrence of the disease. Both of these disorders are subject to spontaneous remissions and exacerbations so it’s entirely possible that when a patient stopped using aspartame they might have also coincidentally have had remission of their symptoms.
2) The claim that aspartame ingestions results in the production of methanol, formaldehyde and formate are factual. In the Intestinal tract aspartame is hydrolyzed to one of its component materials, methanol, as well as the 2 amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid. This methanol is taken up by the cells of the body and metabolized first to formaldehyde the to formate. They key information missing is that the levels of ingestion are very modest. In fact, there are other foodstuffs that we ingest that supply as much and sometimes more methanol—citrus fruits & juices, tomatoes, or tomato juice. There are even higher quantities of methanol ingested when ethanol (alcohol) is consumed.
3) The claim that phenylalanine and aspartic acid have neurotoxin effects is true in certain individuals in high enough doses. The only sub-population of individuals potentially susceptible to adverse effects from phenylalanine is homozygous phenylketonuric and in this case food itself with much higher levels of phenylalanine from the protein in our diets contributes much higher toxicity for these unfortunate individuals. The USFDA requires that the aspartame product be labeled specially for phenylketonuric patients so that they will be aware of the presence in the product. As for Aspartic Acid-the amount ingested from aspartame are many fold less than those levels responsible for causing adverse effects on the brain of animals or man.
4) There have been numerous studies done on both animals and humans for the link of aspartame and seizures. In studies done with those adults & children with pre-existing seizures, there was no evidence of contributing to the frequency of occurrence or severity of seizures.
5) There was no evidence among the comprehensive studies that aspartame-mediated effects on the experimental animals at doses many times higher than those to which the human population is exposed.
6) The claim that aspartame can increase the incidence of brain tumors in the human population has been thoroughly refuted by both government and academic scientists.

Damn, I wouldn't want to be your client. A dietitian that endorses "food like products" that are treated with chlorine instead of real food. I am shocked.

I'm sorry but I believe the more we introduce these products, the sicker people get. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that.

I would be her client in a heartbeat. She's smart enough to understand that correlation does not imply causation, knows how to read actual studies (not just one doctor's anecdotal data), and isn't swayed by alarmism.

Thank you very much. I try to stay informed on things that both pertain to my profession as well as my personal heath being a type 1 diabetic.

willdob3

I can't say I ever had a noticeable negative side effect from any AS.

I eliminated aspartame based on studies and questionable safety. I used Splenda for a long time then eliminated it for similar reasons. I was gradually moving toward more natural nutrition. I have used pure stevia powder extract as my sweetener for a long time.

None of the changes made any difference that I could tell. No increased weight loss, no bad things like migraines that disappeared when I eliminated AS. I feel better about putting more natural foods in my body. That is important to me.

becky10rp

My personal experience: aspartame use leads to debilitating migraines in me. Half a can of aspartame sweetened diet soda is all it takes. Therefore, I do not use aspartame. I have not had reactions to small amounts of sucralose or saccharine. The powdered form of stevia also seems to be okay.

Other than aspartame, I choose not to use the others because I don't like the taste. I'd rather drink my coffee and tea unsweetened. I eat my yogurt plain with a little fruit. I don't typically drink soda. If I choose to indulge, I prefer to eat the same stuff my great-grandmother would have eaten.

this - I get KILLER migraines if I eat any artificial sweeteners - so it's just not worth it............I don't drink soda, put a tiny amount of real sugar in my morning coffee - just can't deal with ANYTHING that brings about a migraine!

fleetzz

Correlation does not equal causation !

My husband made me stop eating or drinking stuff with aspartame and sucralose. He saw one of his clients that happens to be a doctor and they were just chit chatting. The topic of artificial sweeteners came up and I guess the doctor told him that a majority of his patients that have cancer or major health issues drink diet soda. It seems to be super common theme. He cant say that is what has caused the problems but it is something that when he asks, almost all of them do.
It makes you wonder.
My husband came home and threw out my crystal light (I hardly ever drink soda) LOL! He told me that he wants me around for a long time and its not worth it to save a few calories.

Just a side note. Sucralose is treated with chlorine...Yup, that's what your eating and probably why it tastes so bad...

misskelli22

Nay! Aspartame, sucralose and any other artificial sweetener is one of the few things I will not consume at all and don't let my kids either. It's considered an excitotoxin and I've read about it here and there but cannot cite anything specific. The fact that it is not a real food is enough for me. Even Truvia doesn't sound so natural.

I do like the Stevia drops to sweeten things.

ceebeez1975

I use Stevia, artifical sweetners are full of crap...

Keena7656

I'm a type 1 diabetic also (on an insulin pump). I don't use artificial sweeteners just because I'm not a fan of "sweet drinks" (soft drinks, sweet teas, lemonade, etc.). Growing up diabetic, those are just things that were off limits, and when I did try them, I just never really liked them. I do like my coffee a tad sweet though, and just used plain sugar until I started using Agave Nectar. It's amazing & my entire family uses it now for everything we would normally add sugar to. (cereal, tea, coffee, smoothies, & I even bake with it.) It's all natural, very good for you too.

kgreenRDLDN

I use Stevia, artifical sweetners are full of crap...

Unless you are using the stevia plant, the drops and other stevia products fall under artificial sweeteners. The only way to use completely all natural sweeteners is to buy a stevia plant, buy the plant they use for agave-which is just a type of honey and can cause high blood sugars too depending on the person-or have your own sugar cane. Ever regular sugar is processed.

shaydon80

My personal experience: aspartame use leads to debilitating migraines in me. Half a can of aspartame sweetened diet soda is all it takes. Therefore, I do not use aspartame. I have not had reactions to small amounts of sucralose or saccharine. The powdered form of stevia also seems to be okay.

Other than aspartame, I choose not to use the others because I don't like the taste. I'd rather drink my coffee and tea unsweetened. I eat my yogurt plain with a little fruit. I don't typically drink soda. If I choose to indulge, I prefer to eat the same stuff my great-grandmother would have eaten.

A couple of sips of anything with aspartame or Splenda and I'm toast. I get terrible migraines from it and refuse to use it.

Aleta7

I use Nectresse, Made from Monk Fruit. Don't know how natural it is, but no calories...:flowerforyou:

Happymelz

I can't used sucralose, aspartame, or any of the artificial sweeteners because they give me very bad leg cramps.
Diet Dr. Pepper makes me angry...idk why. lol.

But, anything with Truvia seems to be fine.

Blue Sky Zero calorie sodas are amazing!

Ang108

this - I get KILLER migraines if I eat any artificial sweeteners - so it's just not worth it............I don't drink soda, put a tiny amount of real sugar in my morning coffee - just can't deal with ANYTHING that brings about a migraine!

I believe that this is the only valid reason for a person to eat ( or not ) many food items. If it does you harm ( migraines, digestive problems etc ), stay away from it and if not eat it if you like it.
I don't believe that sugar or artificial sweeteners do a lot of harm if eaten in moderation, but personally don't eat them, because I dislike the taste of anything sweet ever since I had chemotherapy and radiation. It screwed with something in my taste perception. I also think strawberries and some other fruit smell like garbage, so I avoid them. But because of that I would never tell anyone that they are bad.

87monkey

eeew poison, at least it tastes like poison to me. Aha. I use cane sugar and honey to sweeten things.

EdwardNortonFan43

Here is an article I found about splenda. I stopped eating it after reading this.
http://www.rense.com/general65/splend.htm

http://www.rense.com/general65/splend.htm