Thoughts on Truvia and aspartame?
Replies
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No, it really doesn't.stay away from aspartame, it causes tumors in the liver and gives headaches. Don't know enough about truvia
Yeah, aspartame or stevia are the only two I will use. I love them when I need to save calories.0 -
Yes, manufactured in a lab. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are also both natural, so why is aspartame not considered natural?I'm waiting patiently for someone to explain the process technology of getting the chemical that we think is sweet out of the green leaves beloved of the PR people. Armed with that info I could form an opinion. Or is the "unprocessed raw form" a pile of leaves ?
Truvia uses erythritol as a carrier for the stevia extract, this can't be called "natural" on advertising in the UK.
How is erythritol unnatural? Isn't that sugar alcohol?0 -
my best friend is type 2 diabetic and her dietitian told her that stevia is the only sweetner that does not effect blood sugar at all. it is the only one that they endorse....if that helps. all the others raise glucose levels (not as much as sugar ) but they do raise it.
There are also studies to suggest that long-term use can actually be beneficial to people with glucose/insulin problems.0 -
Yes, manufactured in a lab. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are also both natural, so why is aspartame not considered natural?I'm waiting patiently for someone to explain the process technology of getting the chemical that we think is sweet out of the green leaves beloved of the PR people. Armed with that info I could form an opinion. Or is the "unprocessed raw form" a pile of leaves ?
Truvia uses erythritol as a carrier for the stevia extract, this can't be called "natural" on advertising in the UK.
How is erythritol unnatural? Isn't that sugar alcohol?
Does being in a lab make it unnatural? If I brew tea in a lab, would it be lab tea? :laugh:
I think we get too worked up over "natural" anyway. If you didn't pluck it from the earth yourself...0 -
little do people know there is even aspartame in everyone's daily bread. Go figure.
Yuck, not my bread.
Barring medical issues, my opinion is if you eat SO MUCH sweetened stuff where you need a zero calorie sweetener to help you meet your calorie goal, then the problem isn't the sweetener. The problem is your eating too much crap with boatloads of sugar. Of course, most people don't want to hear that and would rather search high and low for some miracle sweetener that allows them to get their sugar fix without paying the caloric penalty.
What would you say to the individual who is drinking a couple of diet sodas per day because it helps him or her kick their regular soda habit, resulting in a reduction in energy intake?
Again, just my opinion but I don't think drinking diet soda is any better than drinking regular soda. Sure, less calories but it is still garbage. Americans are well trained by food companies to love everything sweet. Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce, salad dressings, etc. As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change. Of course, this is just my lone opinion so feel free to consume all of the aspartame and stevia you want.
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The sources used to support the article seem dubious.......0
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Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?0 -
Aspartame:
* #1 source of side effect complaints in the US
* FDA approval was the "most contested" in US history
* Breaks down into methanol in your body
* Independent studies found it caused brain cancer in lab animals
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/aspartame-and-health_b_2783732.html0 -
I've stayed away from sugar for years, not because I've demonized it or I want to save calories, but because diabetes runs rampant in my family. I've already lost many family members due to complications from it and I don't want to raise my chances of developing it (even though most of them are diagnosed as children so I'm probably past the point of worrying) I've switched through the various artificial and sugar free sweeteners and finally settled on organic stevia. It wasn't because of all the negative research associated with aspartame, it's just that a lot of the other sweeteners often gave me headaches or other unpleasant side effects.0
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Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
HA, it depends where you are from. In the UK and some other countries, tomato sauce is what American's call "ketchup" which always contains sugar. In the US, tomato sauce is pureed tomato you may put on pasta or use in lasagna. Language barriers :bigsmile:0 -
Yes, manufactured in a lab. Aspartic acid and phenylalanine are also both natural, so why is aspartame not considered natural?I'm waiting patiently for someone to explain the process technology of getting the chemical that we think is sweet out of the green leaves beloved of the PR people. Armed with that info I could form an opinion. Or is the "unprocessed raw form" a pile of leaves ?
Truvia uses erythritol as a carrier for the stevia extract, this can't be called "natural" on advertising in the UK.
How is erythritol unnatural? Isn't that sugar alcohol?
.
Ok, I actually found another answer. Aspartame is synthesized, creating a new substance. Erythritol is extracted from plants starches, which is just grabbing something that's already there.
ha! I feel smarticle!0 -
little do people know there is even aspartame in everyone's daily bread. Go figure.
Yuck, not my bread.
Barring medical issues, my opinion is if you eat SO MUCH sweetened stuff where you need a zero calorie sweetener to help you meet your calorie goal, then the problem isn't the sweetener. The problem is your eating too much crap with boatloads of sugar. Of course, most people don't want to hear that and would rather search high and low for some miracle sweetener that allows them to get their sugar fix without paying the caloric penalty.
"Of course, most people don't want to hear that and would rather search high and low for some miracle sweetener that allows them to get their sugar fix without paying the caloric penalty"
Word (Clap, clap, clap)......Not my bread either.0 -
Truvia and stevia have a nasty, bitter aftertaste that makes me gag. Give me aspartame or sucralose (Splenda) any day. Straight up sugar is out of the question for me anyway, but I probably would use aspartame or sucralose anyway to decrease calories.
The only studies conducted on artificial sweeteners show no definitive evidence of a health risk. Until then, pass the Splenda (or aspartame)!
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners0 -
my best friend is type 2 diabetic and her dietitian told her that stevia is the only sweetner that does not effect blood sugar at all. it is the only one that they endorse....if that helps. all the others raise glucose levels (not as much as sugar ) but they do raise it.
Not true! Stevia in some people LOWERS blood sugar (definitely not "does not effect")!! If you have low blood sugar to start with, stevia can tank it. I am one of the "unlucky" ones who cannot use even a little stevia... my normal 70 for blood sugar drops to 40-50 and I start getting tunnel vision and seriously dizzy.0 -
I am in the US. I also come from a family whose origins are northern Italy and my great-grandfather was a chef whose sauce recipe was used in nearly every Italian restaurant in the greater Buffalo area for decades and was renowned.Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
HA, it depends where you are from. In the UK and some other countries, tomato sauce is what American's call "ketchup" which always contains sugar. In the US, tomato sauce is pureed tomato you may put on pasta or use in lasagna. Language barriers :bigsmile:
We make a sweet sauce. It always had sugar in it even back in the "good old days" when people made everything from scratch.
So, again, why should tomato sauce not have sugar?
(For the record, there are many jarred sauces available that do not contain added sugar.)0 -
little do people know there is even aspartame in everyone's daily bread. Go figure.
Yuck, not my bread.
Barring medical issues, my opinion is if you eat SO MUCH sweetened stuff where you need a zero calorie sweetener to help you meet your calorie goal, then the problem isn't the sweetener. The problem is your eating too much crap with boatloads of sugar. Of course, most people don't want to hear that and would rather search high and low for some miracle sweetener that allows them to get their sugar fix without paying the caloric penalty.
What would you say to the individual who is drinking a couple of diet sodas per day because it helps him or her kick their regular soda habit, resulting in a reduction in energy intake?
Again, just my opinion but I don't think drinking diet soda is any better than drinking regular soda. Sure, less calories but it is still garbage. Americans are well trained by food companies to love everything sweet. Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce, salad dressings, etc. As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change. Of course, this is just my lone opinion so feel free to consume all of the aspartame and stevia you want.
Diet sody pop tastes like doody. If I HAVE to indulge, I will have a Coke (love Coke
) with sugar. Not a six pack, not a two liter, just one can and not often. That's it. And I used to order Dominos with the Two liter soda and drink it all. I changed my mind and my habit. Simple. I don't have to be a slave to my self-made idea of what I can't control. I have free will and I use it, dang it! 0 -
For you maybe. Like some here, I remain unconvinced that aspartame causes any issues for the general population (except for PKU as Sidesteel mentioned). It's probably the most studied additive by independent sources and the science doesn't show evidence for a lot of the claims made by "naturalist's" and anti aspartame proponents. Just don't drink a case of diet soda a day.stay away from aspartame, it causes tumors in the liver and gives headaches. Don't know enough about truvia
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
They must not have included pain medication in this.Aspartame:
* #1 source of side effect complaints in the US
Good. Lots of contestment brings on more studies. Studies don't show evidence of a lot of the alarmism naturalist's are claiming.* FDA approval was the "most contested" in US history
So does citrus fruit.* Breaks down into methanol in your body
Which would be consuming the equivalent of a truckload of aspartame per day for a human. Duh.* Independent studies found it caused brain cancer in lab animals
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
Yes it really does. Can't attest to the tumors, but It gives me migraines every time I touch it!
No, it really doesn't.stay away from aspartame, it causes tumors in the liver and gives headaches. Don't know enough about truvia0 -
Americans are well trained by food companies to love everything sweet. Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce, salad dressings, etc. As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change. Of course, this is just my lone opinion so feel free to consume all of the aspartame and stevia you want.
No one is "trained by food companies" to love "sweet". It is an evolutionary response to seeking nutrition. Sweet and fat are the caloric dense foods that early humans sought out to ensure they wouldn't starve to death. There are numerous studies that show that the brain actively encourages you by disengaging the satiety signals when there is highly sweet/highly fat food being ingested. In fact, it prefers a combination of the two over all other tastes. And in fact, some people are more susceptible to this phenomenon than others.
We are living in an obesogenic environment: highly accessible and palatable fat, sweet food is everywhere. Weight loss is hard. Very hard. And to criticize someone who chooses to enjoy a sweet treat in the form of diet soda is a little rude. I've given up a lot on my path to healthier eating, and diet soda is a vice I choose to enjoy. I also use splenda in my protein bars so that they are sweet, but can still fit into my daily calories. That doesn't make me weak or stupid or lacking in desire to change. It means I am using all the tools available to achieve my goal.
I need to make this a life long plan of eating. The thought of never having anything sweet just to avoid gaining weight is pretty depressing. Oh, and by the way, I have lost 90lbs though watching what I eat, gradually adding in more veg and lean protein and avoiding eating out, and increasing my exercise from merely walking to 5 hours of cross-fit type training and 4 hours of volleyball every week. So don't tell me I have no desire to change simply because I don't eat the way you think I should. Aspartame has been proven safe and continues to be studied. And if I want sugar, I'll eat it if I can fit it into my calories. There is nothing inherently wrong with it either.0 -
little do people know there is even aspartame in everyone's daily bread. Go figure.
Yuck, not my bread.
Barring medical issues, my opinion is if you eat SO MUCH sweetened stuff where you need a zero calorie sweetener to help you meet your calorie goal, then the problem isn't the sweetener. The problem is your eating too much crap with boatloads of sugar. Of course, most people don't want to hear that and would rather search high and low for some miracle sweetener that allows them to get their sugar fix without paying the caloric penalty.
What would you say to the individual who is drinking a couple of diet sodas per day because it helps him or her kick their regular soda habit, resulting in a reduction in energy intake?
Again, just my opinion but I don't think drinking diet soda is any better than drinking regular soda. Sure, less calories but it is still garbage. Americans are well trained by food companies to love everything sweet. Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce, salad dressings, etc. As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change. Of course, this is just my lone opinion so feel free to consume all of the aspartame and stevia you want.
I appreciate your reply, but would you be willing to directly answer my original question? I literally mean it as its written. What would you say to the person I'm referring to? Would you tell them to stop drinking diet soda under the conditions I've listed?
If so, why?0 -
Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
Since being on MFP, one thing I've learned is a bit of sugar plus a bit of acid (lemon, vinegar, etc) equals FLAVOR! Yum! I used to eat everything out of a box from the freezer...well not everything, but I rarely cooked from scratch. Tomatoes are slightly acidic, so a slight amount of sugar makes the sauce delicious!0 -
Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
Since being on MFP, one thing I've learned is a bit of sugar plus a bit of acid (lemon, vinegar, etc) equals FLAVOR! Yum! I used to eat everything out of a box from the freezer...well not everything, but I rarely cooked from scratch. Tomatoes are slightly acidic, so a slight amount of sugar makes the sauce delicious!
Yes, yes it does. :-)
My daughter has watched me make it all her life, so when she was living with roommates last year she decided to make them a nice Italian dinner. She put sugar in the sauce, but apparently never quite grasped the subtlety of adding a little, tasting and then adding a little more until the flavor was right and just dumped a bunch of sugar in.
Apparently, it was inedible. lol0 -
Safe and safe.
Humans aren't going to be able to ingest enough of the stuff to cause really anything to happen. More alarmism.0 -
Americans are well trained by food companies to love everything sweet. Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce, salad dressings, etc. As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change. Of course, this is just my lone opinion so feel free to consume all of the aspartame and stevia you want.
No one is "trained by food companies" to love "sweet". It is an evolutionary response to seeking nutrition. Sweet and fat are the caloric dense foods that early humans sought out to ensure they wouldn't starve to death. There are numerous studies that show that the brain actively encourages you by disengaging the satiety signals when there is highly sweet/highly fat food being ingested. In fact, it prefers a combination of the two over all other tastes. And in fact, some people are more susceptible to this phenomenon than others.
We are living in an obesogenic environment: highly accessible and palatable fat, sweet food is everywhere. Weight loss is hard. Very hard. And to criticize someone who chooses to enjoy a sweet treat in the form of diet soda is a little rude. I've given up a lot on my path to healthier eating, and diet soda is a vice I choose to enjoy. I also use splenda in my protein bars so that they are sweet, but can still fit into my daily calories. That doesn't make me weak or stupid or lacking in desire to change. It means I am using all the tools available to achieve my goal.
I need to make this a life long plan of eating. The thought of never having anything sweet just to avoid gaining weight is pretty depressing. Oh, and by the way, I have lost 90lbs though watching what I eat, gradually adding in more veg and lean protein and avoiding eating out, and increasing my exercise from merely walking to 5 hours of cross-fit type training and 4 hours of volleyball every week. So don't tell me I have no desire to change simply because I don't eat the way you think I should. Aspartame has been proven safe and continues to be studied. And if I want sugar, I'll eat it if I can fit it into my calories. There is nothing inherently wrong with it either.
Excellent answer.
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Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
Because IMO tomato sauce with added sugar tastes gross. I have never added sugar to my sauce when I make it. I always read the labels and if there's added sugar I think twice about buying it. That goes with pretty much anything unless the amount per serving is negligible. If there's HFCS or aspartame or any fake sugars added I steer clear of it as well.
I really don't give hoot that it's been inconclusively proven as to whether or not aspartame and fake sugars are bad for you and/or cause cancer at this point in time. Just because the FDA deems something safe doesn't mean it is.0 -
sweeteners are bad because they abituate the body to crave sweet things, i say dump every sweet thing and you will lose the habit, and if you have to eat some honey or brown sugar, switch from soft drinks to sparkling water and you will never go back it's all a matter of habits0
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So no one should put sugar in tomato sauce because you don't like the taste?Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce
Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?
Because IMO tomato sauce with added sugar tastes gross. I have never added sugar to my sauce when I make it. I always read the labels and if there's added sugar I think twice about buying it. That goes with pretty much anything unless the amount per serving is negligible. If there's HFCS or aspartame or any fake sugars added I steer clear of it as well.
I really don't give hoot that it's been inconclusively proven as to whether or not aspartame and fake sugars are bad for you and/or cause cancer at this point in time. Just because the FDA deems something safe doesn't mean it is.
In that case, everyone must immediately cease eating fish and seafood because it tastes awful to me.
Also, green beans and peas (unless they are fresh from the garden), beets, mushrooms, ham, bacon, any nuts except for almonds and peanuts (I know, not really a nut), tangerines, peaches and watermelon.
I'll think on it and get back to you all on the rest of the list of foods whose tastes I don't like so you all know what you are no longer allowed to eat.0 -
For you maybe. Like some here, I remain unconvinced that aspartame causes any issues for the general population (except for PKU as Sidesteel mentioned). It's probably the most studied additive by independent sources and the science doesn't show evidence for a lot of the claims made by "naturalist's" and anti aspartame proponents. Just don't drink a case of diet soda a day.stay away from aspartame, it causes tumors in the liver and gives headaches. Don't know enough about truvia
A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
I use aspartame EVERY SINGLE DAY and I have neither tumors nor headaches. My blood sugar is now controlled. I don't have phenylketonuria (PKU) so that is not a consideration for me. I drink two diet sodas a day, I eat sugar free pudding, sugar free ice cream and sugar free chocolate syrup, daily. This keeps me on track. I'm losing weight and exercising like a Tasmanian Devil. Remind me again, how is this negatively effecting my health?
And stevia/truvia still tastes like @ss to me.
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My thoughts are that they both taste nasty!! I opt for real sugar in limited portions. As far as what is healthy, not healthy....you're going to hear arguments for both sides. And the hardcore people will tell you to avoid artificial and real sugar...period. Meh..they might have a point but life is too short not to indulge in a treat every once in awhile.0
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