Sweeteners Vs Sugar

Sallerina84

Hi guys

I'm trying to wean myself off sugar in tea at the moment. When I was younger I used to have 2 sugars in my tea, but for the past few years I've just had one. Now I'm trying half a teaspoon of sugar and it's not too bad, but as for cutting it out completely, I think I'd just stop drinking tea, as I find unsweetened tea pretty gross!

I only have 1-2 cups a day though.

But I was thinking of trying sweeteners instead. Are they a lot better for you than sugar? or is there not a lot in it?

Don't know whether to just stick to half a sugar, or try switching to sweeteners.

Sugar is the only thing I go over on my food diary everyday....so I'm trying to cut down. I think I also need to get rid of the coco pops for breakfast! They're terrible sugar wise and I love them

xraychick77

plain sugar isnt all that bad for you. its actually low in calories. but there is this stuff called stevia...its supposedly calorie free but yet made of natural things

shadow3829

Why not trying drinking it with no sugar? Ween yourself off of it slowly, just go down be a teaspoon every couple of days and get adjusted to the taste. I haven't used any sweetener in tea, hot or cold in years. I actually prefer it more now, and actually get more flavor from the tea. **That's coming from down South where we are known for our Sweet Tea**

Kirsty_UK

Artificial sweeteners have been proven to increase your hunger, and cravings for high calories foods, and can actually lead to you putting on weight. They have also been linked with various health problems (though not conclusively).

If you have sugar, you can usually see the effect, not some internal effect that you dont know what it's doing to you. I'd rather have the sugar!

rfcollins33

I see you're English, so I assume you are drinking hot tea pretty often? Try a teaspoon (or more if you'd like) of honey. It hass natural sugars in it, and very yummy. I do use sweet n' low, but mfp'ers would say I'm the devil for that. lol.... Stevia is a great suggestion from @xray. I keep hearing about it, need to get myself some.

oh and by the way, I'm not trying to coax you into killing yourself, but I drink diet coke and use sweet n' low and I have lost 40 lbs, so I'm not sure about the correctness that it makes you gain weight, but that's what people keep putting out there.

Hootsmamma

I am a sugar freak. Can't stand Sweet and Low, hate Equal or any other of the Artificial sweetners. Discovered "Truvia" the other day (I believe it's just a brand name for Stevia), anyway..LOVE it! Had it on some fresh strawberries and it was Heaven! (thought I was eating sugar!) . No Calories, and it's all natural to boot!

Sallerina84

Artificial sweeteners have been proven to increase your hunger, and cravings for high calories foods, and can actually lead to you putting on weight. They have also been linked with various health problems (though not conclusively).

If you have sugar, you can usually see the effect, not some internal effect that you dont know what it's doing to you. I'd rather have the sugar!

wow really! I never knew that!

Ok, maybe one cup of tea in the morning with half a teaspoon of sugar isn't so bad then...because I hate it with no sugar!!

I think I need to think of an alternative to the cereals I like for breakfast....I have a sweet tooth

Sallerina84

I see you're English, so I assume you are drinking hot tea pretty often? Try a teaspoon (or more if you'd like) of honey. It's natural sugars in it, and very yummy. I do use sweet n' low, but mfp'ers would say I'm the devil for that. lol.... Stevia is a great suggestion from @xray. I keep hearing about it, need to get myself some.

yep I am...yeh hot tea, but I don't drink it often, usually just one in the morning, and possibly one in the evening...max of two a day though (mainly to avoid the sugar overload!!!)

I'll have to have a look for Stevia....sounds like the perfect solution at zero calories!!!! :-D

suzycreamcheese

ive gone back to real sugar. Just couldnt really get used to the taste of any of the sweetners, and i found they make food cravings worse for me

phinners

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

Sallerina84

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

haha us Brits and our tea!!!

Yeh no sugar in tea is gross, I just found myself not drinking it at all, and I enjoy a cuppa in the morning!!!!!!!!!

Kirsty_UK

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

I'll see if I can find it for you. I have to rush to a meeting shortly but will try and remember to post later

EDIT: this was the newspaper report (one of them), but will try and link the actual study
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210838/On-diet-Then-away-sweeteners-help-pile-pounds.html

"Researcher Soraya Shirazi-Beechey said: ‘If someone wants to lose weight, I don’t think artificial sweeteners are going to help.

‘My recommendation is to eat natural foods, but to eat less of them.’

The Liverpool University professor studied the processes in the small intestine by which the sugar or glucose from food is absorbed into the bloodstream.

She identified specific cells which detect sugar, releasing hormones essential for its passage through the lining of the gut and into the blood, where it is either burned off or is converted into fat.

Crucially, these cells release the hormones when confronted by artificial sweeteners. This primes the gut to absorb real sugar.

Prof Shirazi-Beechey said: ‘Artificial sweetenerscan also activate the glucose sensor and increase the capacity of the intestine to absorb more sugar.

‘You drink diet cola to stay slim but the reverse is true, because the artificial sweeteners can activate the sensor, so you are taking more glucose from your diet.’

Drugs which control the sugar sensor cells, leading to more or less entering the bloodstream, could help treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity."

sallybetzingleboo

I went looking for Stevia after hearing about it on MFP, but it's not legal in the UK. There were some bad reports about it (in the 80's) but it might just be that no one applied to get it licensed here.

I'm trying to get myself off of sweetex as I think they might be like diet soda drinks and make it harder to lose weight as your body is expecting sugar and releases acids but then it doesn't get any. I might try honey.

Noctuary

Apparently all of us Fatty Diabetics who are loosing weight must be eating sugar. I was sure I was eating artificial sweeteners. I guess I was so wrong about my own nutrition. I must be gaining weight even though my little ticker says otherwise. Silly me.:laugh:

*waits for the Aspartame nazis to come and take me away....

markomark

I use granulated Splenda which is 2 cals per tea spoon and I find it is just like sugar. Never noticed any cravings either and it is made from sugar. You can even bake with it or sprinkle it on cereals!

Having said that, I use it because I drink a lot of coffee so my sugar intake would be horrific. Is 2 spoons of sugar a day really such a problem? I wouldn't worry too much about it in your drinks unless you start to drink a lot more.

As a slight aside, the sugar count on here could be a little controversial. Yes, sugars are carbs, but I find my sugar goes over every day just from fruit. But personally, I don't worry too much about eating too much fruit, as long as the overall carb target isn't repeatedly passed I don't see a problem. Same with dairy, fructose in fruit and lactose in milk are both sugars but you can't cut everything out.

Anyway, good luck!

Mark (UK too!)

phinners

But thanks for the link, I'll await the official study if you're able to find it lol we all know how the DM can twist things and half the time no one there even reads any official peer reviewed study - MMR bull**** scare anyone!?


x

lol I thought I recognised her name - she's was a scientist at my old teaching lab!


edit - here is a link to her papers

http://www.liv.ac.uk/efdg/publications.htm

Melinda1987

I'm diabetic and so have consumed more than my fair share of sweeteners in the last 12 years, but I've stopped that recently. I've read up on all the various sweeteners and decided that all the various chemicals are more dangerous to me than just plain ol' sugar. All things in moderation...

david081

I hate unsweetened tea! and will have half a level teapoon of sugar - negligable calories. I take meds for high BP and many artificial sweeteners raise blood pressure so I don't touch them, or other 'no added sugar' drinks which are full of artificial stuff...

Briannah

Stevia is a natural sweetner which has virtually no calories, It is very sweet though and made from a plant product..
You only use half the amount of what you would normally use the sugar for because it is so sweet..
double the benefit because you use less to start with and nothing artificial..

Bri

bettyboop573

I have read up on artificial sweeteners and there are many many studies out there. Personally I have been trying to cut them out of my diet since I dont feel they are good for us. But as the above poster said, all things in moderation. So maybe stick with your sugar if that is what you like, and it is only 1 cup a day. I havent been drinking as much tea since I cant find an equal substitute lol I have tried Stevia but it is definitely an acquired taste. Have you tried honey? Still sugar, but also other healthful benefits

phinners

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

haha us Brits and our tea!!!

Yeh no sugar in tea is gross, I just found myself not drinking it at all, and I enjoy a cuppa in the morning!!!!!!!!!

oh yes absolutely - made from loose leaves though!!


And honey goes on my toast not in my tea!!

dewdrop

Why not trying drinking it with no sugar? Ween yourself off of it slowly, just go down be a teaspoon every couple of days and get adjusted to the taste. I haven't used any sweetener in tea, hot or cold in years. I actually prefer it more now, and actually get more flavor from the tea. **That's coming from down South where we are known for our Sweet Tea**

Agreed! It's a matter of habit. Once you get used to it, you enjoy the flavor and need no more sugar.

Honey is more natural and yummy.
Try a few drops of lemon - not in the very hot tea, as that destroys the vitamin C.
Also, brown sugar is the unrefined version of sugar, afaik.

Sallerina84

haha us Brits and our tea!!!

Yeh no sugar in tea is gross, I just found myself not drinking it at all, and I enjoy a cuppa in the morning!!!!!!!!!

oh yes absolutely - made from loose leaves though!!


And honey goes on my toast not in my tea!!
[/quote]

haha I agree!!!

dewdrop

And honey goes on my toast not in my tea!!

Have you tried it in your yogurt? Yummy!

Noctuary

I'm diabetic and so have consumed more than my fair share of sweeteners in the last 12 years, but I've stopped that recently. I've read up on all the various sweeteners and decided that all the various chemicals are more dangerous to me than just plain ol' sugar. All things in moderation...

That takes a good amount of determination to quit sweeteners. Can I ask how your blood sugar levels are with the 17 grams of sugar in the honey you eat? That would send me sky rocketing! But if you are managing it, I'd like to know your secret!

rfcollins33

Apparently all of us Fatty Diabetics who are loosing weight must be eating sugar. I was sure I was eating artificial sweeteners. I guess I was so wrong about my own nutrition. I must be gaining weight even though my little ticker says otherwise. Silly me.:laugh:

*waits for the Aspartame nazis to come and take me away....

I LOVE this, thanks for the giggle!! :laugh:

rfcollins33

And honey goes on my toast not in my tea!!

Have you tried it in your yogurt? Yummy!

YES, it is so good in greek yogurt. It's not just for toast, try it and maybe you'd like it in your TEA lol

MyNameIsNotBob

I think it's fine to use sugar in moderation. I would rather use sugar than artificial sweeteners. JMO. In tea, I prefer honey. But here in the states, we get that beautiful amber-colored translucent honey. So nice. I know in Canada they have that thick, opaque, creamy honey. Perhaps that's what you have in the UK? I can't imagine putting that stuff in my tea, either. I've actually ordered some nice Scottish heather honey online. It's fab.

P.S. Local honey is good for allergies!

cupajoe

Well, I'm more of an Earl Grey with a splash of milk person and don't care for sweetener in my tea...but my kids are crazy for tea! My 4yr old asks me to make him a cup of tea every afternoon...And I'm from IOWA-lol. They like sweetener in their tea so I usually opt for honey for them. I've used sugar and splenda...but they prefer the honey as well.

And the "opaque, creamy honey" that was mentioned-or spun honey...My 14yr old LOVES THAT STUFF! He always gets upset when I buy the local "amber colored" stuff-lol. But my husband uses a lot of honey and says that you should not have to spread your honey on your toast like you do the spun stuff-you should be able to DRIZZLE;).

Sallerina84

I think it's fine to use sugar in moderation. I would rather use sugar than artificial sweeteners. JMO. In tea, I prefer honey. But here in the states, we get that beautiful amber-colored translucent honey. So nice. I know in Canada they have that thick, opaque, creamy honey. Perhaps that's what you have in the UK? I can't imagine putting that stuff in my tea, either. I've actually ordered some nice Scottish heather honey online. It's fab.

P.S. Local honey is good for allergies!

I might try it sometime....but I think it's really just an American thing!! In the UK we just tend to have milk and sugar in it! lol.

I think there's just some things that haven't crossed the pond....like syrup and pancakes on the same plate as bacon and eggs??!!?? MADNESS! Can't mix sweet with savoury, it's just wrong! haha.

But I do love all the peanut butter stuff out in the States! Last time I went I had peanut butter Ben and Jerry's........OMG HEAVEN!!!

MyNameIsNotBob

I think there's just some things that haven't crossed the pond....like syrup and pancakes on the same plate as bacon and eggs??!!?? MADNESS! Can't mix sweet with savoury, it's just wrong! haha.

LOL, Clearly you've never experienced the euphoria that is bacon or sausage dipped in maple syrup. (I'm with you on the syrup / eggs, though... blech.)