Thoughts on Truvia and aspartame?

melsinct

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.

Yes, we as humans have evolved to love sweet. However, I didn't grow up in an American family. Trust me, Americans are WAY more into sugared food (I don't mean desserts/sweets), particularly stuff that comes in a package, than many other countries. That's what I meant by that comment. When you can see it from the outside looking in, it's striking.

rml_16

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.

Yes, we as humans have evolved to love sweet. However, I didn't grow up in an American family. Trust me, Americans are WAY more into sugared food (I don't mean desserts/sweets), particularly stuff that comes in a package, than many other countries. That's what I meant by that comment. When you can see it from the outside looking in, it's striking.

Are you going to answer my last post?

randomtai

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 habits

I use sweeteners, I don't crave sweet things. Honey and brown sugar are sweeteners. :ohwell:

melsinct

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:

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.

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.)

Load it up with sugar if that's your preference. I mostly have seen added veg when sweetness is needed in tomato sauce in Italy (grated carrot, browned onion, that sort of thing). However, I don't need the Del Monte company determining for me that diced tomatoes need corn syrup added to it to sweeten it up. THAT is my point, I am not arguing your great great grandfathers sauce preferences.

kuolo

Aspartame is not great if you are susceptible to certain MH problems or seizures as it can affect the balance of various neurotransmitters.

rml_16

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:

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.

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.)

Load it up with sugar if that's your preference. I mostly have seen added veg when sweetness is needed in tomato sauce in Italy (grated carrot, browned onion, that sort of thing). However, I don't need the Del Monte company determining for me that diced tomatoes need corn syrup added to it to sweeten it up. THAT is my point, I am not arguing your great great grandfathers sauce preferences.

"Most packaged foods that should have no business containing added sugars are ridiculously sweet, such as tomato sauce."

You said tomato sauce "has no business containing added sugars."

That isn't true.

Regardless, you CAN find major jarred and canned tomato sauces that don't have added sugar if that is your prefence. It's not like the option isn't there (and in American grocery stores -- even the evil Walmart).

howekaren

Americans are WAY more into sugared food (I don't mean desserts/sweets), particularly stuff that comes in a package, than many other countries. That's what I meant by that comment. When you can see it from the outside looking in, it's striking.

You seem to have missed my point: we have more access (outrageously so in North America), the brain encourages us (specifically the hypothalamus), and it's a vicious cycle. Very similar (brain-wise) to drug addiction. We have it. It's amazing. We want more. We get more, and can't seem to stop. Business recognize it, and develop even more tempting items. We have those, etc. It is literally not just a will power issue. And it is not so simple as just saying "avoid it". Again, some people are terribly susceptible to to this, while others could care less.

While businesses should shoulder the blame in that they develop these things, they are doing what do. No more, no less. People should shoulder the blame for making use of these pre-packaged, easy options, but sometimes something has to give in the course of the day and unfortunately perceived convenience wins out. I say perceived because I find it just as easy to make pasta sauce as buy a jar, but that's me.

Your original statement was that businesses "trained people" to like sweet and that's what I disputed. If they are "way more into" it, it's not because of "business", it's a whole variety of things. Again, if someone wants to try to avoid some of it by using a sweetener, it's blatantly rude of you to accuse them of being lazy and not committed.

mathjulz

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 can't stand the taste of HCFS. So when I want soda, I go for the diet soda with aspartame (sucralose also tastes just nasty to me; when I drink/eat something with HCFS or sucralose, that's all I can taste :sick: ). I rarely drink more than 1-2 cans a day anyway, and often go days between.

Last summer I tried soda sweetened with cane sugar (throwback Pepsi). I had 2 cans, 24 oz, along with my meal, which was pretty well balanced. The symptoms I experienced are most like reactive hypoglycemia, but I've never had that reaction with eating sweets, like candy, chocolate, etc, or anything else. I would have thought the meal would also have slowed the absorption of the sugars. Doesn't have much to do with anything, except as an interesting anecdotal response to those who say it's better to go with real sugar sodas. For me, it's not.

melsinct

if someone wants to try to avoid some of it by using a sweetener, it's blatantly rude of you to accuse them of being lazy and not committed.

Well now you are just putting words in my mouth as I certainly didn't call anyone lazy or non-committed and would never intentionally be rude to someone. That's cool that we see it differently: we are both coming from two different places that have made us form different opinions, and I am OK with that. That's why I come here, it is always good to see things from a different perspective, especially when it comes to nutrition where there are more gray areas than answers. So for that I thank you. *tips hat*

Platform_Heels

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.

So no one should put sugar in tomato sauce because you don't like the taste?

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.

Put words in my mouth much? Where did I say YOU shouldn't put sugar in your sauce?

No really. Please point it out for me. . .

rml_16

Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?

Because IMO tomato sauce with added sugar tastes gross

So you didn't write that? :flowerforyou:

Platform_Heels

Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?

Because IMO tomato sauce with added sugar tastes gross

So you didn't write that? :flowerforyou:

I did. And it's MY OPINION (IMO=IN MY OPINION). I didn't say no one should put sugar in their sauce. I don't care if you put sugar in your sauce. My OPINION is that it tastes gross and therefore not only do I not put sugar in my sauce but I don't buy sauce with added sugar.

howekaren

Perhaps I misunderstood: "As a nation we have a serious sugar problem and not much desire to change." I took that to mean you felt people were lazy and not committed enough to change their eating habits.

If that is not what you meant, melsinc, then I apologize.

Platform_Heels

little do people know there is even aspartame in everyone's daily bread. Go figure.

Not mine.

If I buy pre-made bread it's made at a bakery or I read the ingredients as I won't buy bread with HFCS OR aspartame. But since I don't eat bread that often when I do I usually make it myself.

buzybev

Personally, I do not like the taste/aftertaste of aspartame. Too chemical and gritty for my liking.

jofjltncb6

Boy, is that link full of awful. :noway:

naturalnews.com was your first clue of that outcome.

yarwell

How is erythritol unnatural? Isn't that sugar alcohol?

It is *a* sugar alcohol for sure. Synthesised in bulk by the likes of Cargill I would imagine.

JessG11

Aspartame, when I would consume it a lot, caused me to have migraines. Now, did I test this in a controlled environment?? No, but, all I know is when I drastically reduced my intake of it the migraines where no where near as frequent. Just my personal experience.

yarwell

Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?

A good reason for it to contain sugar would be so it keeps better / longer at ambient temperature without being pumped full of preservatives.

rml_16

Why should tomato sauce not contain sugar?

Because IMO tomato sauce with added sugar tastes gross

So you didn't write that? :flowerforyou:

I did. And it's MY OPINION (IMO=IN MY OPINION). I didn't say no one should put sugar in their sauce. I don't care if you put sugar in your sauce. My OPINION is that it tastes gross and therefore not only do I not put sugar in my sauce but I don't buy sauce with added sugar.

It seems, then, that you responded to a question I didn't ask.