Any thoughts on Splenda? All Ideas welcome

Insomniak2

I have been addicted to Soda for years, and I quit - mostly I am drinking water now a days, but every once in a while I like to drink something with some flavor so I make home-made diet lemonade.

Here is the recipe

1 Part lemon juice to 4 parts water + Splenda

So to make a 2 gallon jug:

2 Cups Real Lemon Juice
8 Cups of Water
1.5 Cups Splenda

How is this affecting my body? Any Suggestions? I tried to do research, but I didn't find any negatives to it - Does this spike my insulin levels and stop my ability to burn fat.

I am 185 lbs - 5'7 lean and muscular with a little belly fat I am currently trying to burn off. I don't drink it often, maybe 3-5 glasses a week.

Any ideas?

LAALee

How about trying the Crystal Light Lemonade drink mix? They come in handy little portion sizes that you can mix up in a single serving or you can buy the ones that make a whole pitcher. If you only drink it occasionally, I would think it would be ok.

StarryEyedGirl

Truvia! made with the the stevia plant- taste much better then stevia and all natural! its pricey but so worth it. google it

rachguer

My friends father had Melanoma and the first thing the oncologist told them was to cut out all artificial sweetners (including splenda). He said it was so bad for our health! I have not looked into the research about it, and had just started using Splenda since it has less calories than regular sugar, but I stopped using it right away! You should definitely ask/research some more if you continue to use splenda in your diet.

Lpfeifer419

I second the Truvia recommendation.

I get called crazy for this, but I honestly believe I have a slight allergy to artificial sweeteners. I get migraine headaches when I ingest artificial stuff.

I'm not into all the fake, processed stuff.

Sherry1979

I'm a believer in "anything in moderation". . .I use Truvia just because I think it has more of the taste & texture of real sugar but I limit myself to a pack on my oatmeal of the morning & a half a pack on my strawberries when I eat them as a snack. But as far as pros & cons, I know there is a lot of info on various websites if you Google it. Sorry I'm really not much help am I?? LOL

Abells

I use splenda all the time in my coffee. I still have no problem losing weight. You are always going to read the "research" done and saying that it's bad for you or it causes this and that. They did the same thing with coffee and then recently they came out with a study that I read saying coffee is good for you if you have a cup a day. I drink it black with a splenda in it sometimes some skim milk. If it's working for you and you don't feel different health wise then continue with it.

fiftyandfit

I'm another Truvia fan!

asia_peras

Use Truvia instead on Splenda. It has a much sweeter taste (I think) and its all natural 0 calories. Give it a try, and thanks for the lemonade recipe sounds delicious im going to give it a try.

punchdrunk738

here is an excerpt from the book "skinny *****". they mention splenda in the last paragraph. they also recommend using agave nectar and stevia as a natural, healthier alternative. i stopped drinking diet soda or anything claiming to be zero calories because of this. i hope this helps...




STOP EATING AND DRINKING PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN ASPARTAME!

When aspartame was put before the FDA for approval, it was denied eight times. g.d. Searle, founder of aspartame, tried to get FDA approval in 1973. clearly, he wasn't bothered by reports from neuroscientist Dr. John Olney and researcher Ann reynolds (hired by Searle himself) that aspartame was dangerous. Dr. Martha Freeman, a scientist from the FDA division of Metabolic and endocrine drug Products, declared, "The information submitted for review is inadequate to permit a scientific evaluation of clinical safety." Freeman recommended that until the safety of aspartame was proven, marketing the product should not be permitted. Alas, her recommendations were ignored. Somehow, in 1974, Searle got approval to use aspartame in dry foods. However, it wasn't smooth sailing from there. In 1975, the FDA put together a task force to review Searle's testing methods. Task force team leader Phillip Brodsky said he "had never seen anything as bas as Searle's testing" and called the tests results "manipulated." Before aspartame actually made it into dry foods, Olney and attorney and consumer advocate Jim Turner filed objections against the approval.

In 1977, the FDA asked the U.S. attorney's office to start grand jury proceedings against Searle for "knowingly misrepresenting findings and concealing material facts and making false statements in aspartame safety tests." shortly after, the U.S. attorney leading the investigation against Searle was offered a job by the law firm that was representing Searle. Later that same year, he resigned as U.S. attorney and withdrew from the case, delaying the grand jury's investigation. This caused the statute of limitations on the charges to run out, and the investigation was dropped. And he accepted the job with Searle's law firm. Stunning.

In 1980, a review by the Public Board of Inquiry set up by the FDA determined that aspartame should not be approved. The board said it had not been presented with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is safe for use as a food additive." In 1981, new FDA Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed. Despite the fact that three out of six scientists advised against approval, Hayes decided to overrule the scientific review panel and allow aspartame into limited dry goods. In 1983, he got it approved for beverages, even though the National Soft Drink Association urged the FDA to delay approval until further testing could be done. That same year, Hayes left the FDA amid charges of impropriety. The Internal Department of Health and Human services was investigating Hayes for accepting gratuities from FDA-regulated companies. He went to work as a consultant for Searle's public relations firm. Interesting. The FDA finally urged Congress to prosecute Searle for giving the government false or incomplete test results on aspartame. However, the two government attorneys assigned to the case decided not to prosecute. Later, they went to work for the law firm that represented Searle. Fascinating. Despite recognizing ninety-two different symptoms that result from ingesting aspartame, the FDA approved it for use, without restriction in 1996. Brilliant.

So many people have been sickened from this **** that there are aspartame victim support groups. Some of the ninety-two aspartame side effects listed by the FDA include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain lesions, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer's, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain.

Aspartame is a $1 billion industry. The National Justice League has filed a series of lawsuits against food companies using aspartame, claiming they are poisoning the public. In September 2004, a class action lawsuit was filed for $350 million against NutraSweet and the American Diabetics Association. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is named in the suit for using political muscle to get aspartame approved by the FDA.

Nutrasweet and Equil contain aspartame. When ingested, one of aspartames ingredients, methyl alcohol, converts into formaldehyde, a deadly neurotoxin. In addition to aspartame, Equal contains the amino acid phenylalanine. Phenylalanine occurs naturally in the brain. But high levels can increase the chance of seizures and lead to depression and schizophrenia. There is no lesser of the two evils. NutraSweet and Equal are both evil. Sweet and Low is no saint, either. It is an artificial sweetener that contains saccharin, a coal-tar compound. Stay away.

Because we're having so much fun, lets bash the **** out of Splenda, one of the newer sweeteners. Splenda is made by chlorinated sugar, changing its molecular structure. The finished product is called sucralose. The makers of this poison tout its lack of calories and claim it's safe for diabetics. The FDA calls sucralose 98 percent pure. The other 2 percent contains small amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic. Well gee, at least it doesn't have any calories. So what if it has a little arsenic? Sucralose has been found to cause diarrhea; organ, genetic, immune system, and reproductive damage; swelling of the liver and kidneys: and a decrease in fetal body weight. What a splendid product!

Cydnie197

I actually use the Sweetleaf Stevia (liquid, comes in tons of yummy flavors, and powder, no flavors) as opposed to the Truvia, but either is WAY better for you than Splenda. My dad is type 1 diabetic and I'm still trying to get him to make the switch. His problem is that since it is so new to the market (and technically not approved in the US as a sweetner) it isn't as easy to find recipies.

ImperfektAngel

most artificial sweetners give me gas :-/ the onyl one I have been somewhat ok with has been Sun Crystals, not sure if this one is considered artificial or not? I have it in my coffee every morning

Insomniak2

I may try truvia - but it doesn't come in very big packages - 2 cups would be one trip to the store. LOL

cdelbove

This is just my opinion based on things I have read.
I really think it would be better for you to just add real sugar and drink a little bit less of it. Artificial anything is just wrong for your body. You were able to quit soda so you can retrain your taste buds to like a drink that is less sweet.

sanura

I tried a liquid stevia extract and was really not impressed, and haven't seen Truvia, but a friend recommended a stevia product called krisda. I also get migraines from artificial sweeteners

donicagalek

I get called crazy for this, but I honestly believe I have a slight allergy to artificial sweeteners. I get migraine headaches when I ingest artificial stuff.

Not crazy at all! My sister is the same way and my father's legs used to turn blue whenever he had NutraSweet (used to - he passed in 2002).

funkyspunky871

Nothing wrong with splenda. Enjoy it. Everything these days causes cancer and whatnot. Live your life, and stop worrying. It's just splenda for God's sake.

Ashykins

I use Ideal Sweetner, it's made for diabetics. Taste better then Splenda and Truvia, it doesn't have that fake taste or aftertaste. 0 calories, 3 carbs. I usually just need 1 packet for 1 cup of coffee. It's GREAT!

jenbusick

The Atkins diet recommends Splenda, because it doesn't spike blood sugar/insulin like some of the artificial sweeteners. I think it tastes the least objectionable of the artificial sweeteners I have tried (I haven't tried Stevie or agave, just the more common saccharin and aspartame).

I am officially neutral on the subject of the health effects of artificial sweeteners, myself

Cydnie197

Stevia is from a real plant, it isn't manufacuted by some nerd in a lab coat somewhere. It is somewhere around 300 times sweeter than "sugar" so you can't use much of it at all. I put maybe 15 drops (of the lemon drop flavor) in a quart of water with 1/2 a lemon's worth of juice and it tastes like SWEET lemonade! Check it out on Wikipedia.

WarmDontBurn

I use splenda...I bought stevia but when I saw in big bold letters on the box to keep away from children I put it back in the cupboard and there it sits.

I am not a huge fan of water so I use the Nestea Iced Tea singles....5 calories and sweetened with surcalose.

StarryEyedGirl

I may try truvia - but it doesn't come in very big packages - 2 cups would be one trip to the store. LOL

you will not need as much as regular sugar, much sweeter! good luck!

StarryEyedGirl

I may try truvia - but it doesn't come in very big packages - 2 cups would be one trip to the store. LOL

you will not need as much as regular sugar, much sweeter! good luck!