SPLENDA.... and other artificial sweeteners Im sure

MattySparky

Ok boys and girls... I finally found something here that backs up my dislike of synthetics... especially synthetic sweeteners. Even those that are advertised as "made from sugar" (splenda). I am constantly seeing people on here adding splenda (specifically) to their "healthy" foods and in my opinion this is counteractive to what we're doing here. Please take the time to read this article. Haters can hate, and disbelievers and be full of disbelief... but you cant deny the facts.


http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16815.cfm

MattySparky

Ok boys and girls... I finally found something here that backs up my dislike of synthetics... especially synthetic sweeteners. Even those that are advertised as "made from sugar" (splenda). I am constantly seeing people on here adding splenda (specifically) to their "healthy" foods and in my opinion this is counteractive to what we're doing here. Please take the time to read this article. Haters can hate, and disbelievers and be full of disbelief... but you cant deny the facts.


http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16815.cfm

Mangoaddict

I don't like any of them. Changing the chemical structure of sugar cannot be a healthy thing. They even taste funky. Stay away folks. Especially ASPARTAME.

AJCM

One teaspoon of REAL sugar (white, brown, turbinado, raw, etc) is around 16 calories!


I have it once a day, in a cup of delicious organic coffee, with real cream (I know - I was off dairy, but it's soooo good in coffee), and the whole delicious beverage is less than 50 calories.
:flowerforyou:

Dave198lbs

I am not going to argue with you BUT,,,what I have learned is that these studies are based on amounts that would kill a herd of pygmie ponies and NOT talking about the occasional packet in your coffee or oatmeal....I use splenda on occasion and it is a packet or two I can deal with..I would suggest people stay away but in my opinion the occasional use is better than table sugar and these studies should come clean about the huge levels it takes to get their results...you could probably eat too much brocoli if you tried

Kimono

I use themand I have asked my son's dietician about it and to let me know if every her feelings change about it. Also consulted a few other doctors about this,so far none have said keep away. But I do believe if I asked someone who was really into organic eating that they would say keep away from them. It is just a matter of opinion. I could find many many articles on the world wide web that say they are just fine, but really what is the point in posting them. I appreciate your view, but I have yet to be convinced by the medical profession that they are really a bad choice. Dave198 makes a good point also. Thanks, peace.

MattySparky

I am not going to argue with you BUT,,,what I have learned is that these studies are based on amounts that would kill a herd of pygmie ponies and NOT talking about the occasional packet in your coffee or oatmeal....I use splenda on occasion and it is a packet or two I can deal with..I would suggest people stay away but in my opinion the occasional use is better than table sugar and these studies should come clean about the huge levels it takes to get their results...you could probably eat too much brocoli if you tried

exactly... the article touches on this as well about small amounts not having long term effects for small doses, however I dont agree that a synthetic is better than natural sugar. How could it be? Our bodies are not made to break down synthetics like we do naturally occuring substances.

MattySparky

I use themand I have asked my son's dietician about it and to let me know if every her feelings change about it. Also consulted a few other doctors about this,so far none have said keep away. But I do believe if I asked someone who was really into organic eating that they would say keep away from them. It is just a matter of opinion. I could find many many articles on the world wide web that say they are just fine, but really what is the point in posting them. I appreciate your view, but I have yet to be convinced by the medical profession that they are really a bad choice. Dave198 makes a good point also. Thanks, peace.

hey to each is own Im not trying to change anyones opinion, I just found the article interesting enough to post it... that was my point. I figure there is enough whining and griping going on in this forum that a little educated discussion about synthetic sweeteners would be a nice change.

AJCM

There is anecdotal evidence that aspartame (in diet coke for example) causes joint problems in young people, and it just gets me thinking about my knee trouble and past love affair with Diet Coke....

They say Splenda causes dementia.....

Who knows... everything has a cost/benefit - if the Splenda keeps your diet on track, and improves your quality of life, imho, go for it.
:flowerforyou:

phed0017

Look up Sweet Misery on Youtube and watch the trailer and other portions. ALL artificial sweetners Are dangerous!!!! Especially the newer ones. You'd be better off eating Sweet N' Low than Nutra Sweet Or Splenda.....just awful creations. I've attended lectures at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN and heard the horrors of Splenda and Aspartame. I have a personal testimony....Just Don't Do It!!!

Fitness_Chick

Ok boys and girls... I finally found something here that backs up my dislike of synthetics... especially synthetic sweeteners. Even those that are advertised as "made from sugar" (splenda). I am constantly seeing people on here adding splenda (specifically) to their "healthy" foods and in my opinion this is counteractive to what we're doing here. Please take the time to read this article. Haters can hate, and disbelievers and be full of disbelief... but you cant deny the facts.


http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_16815.cfm

Thanks for taking time to post the article Matty:happy:

songbyrdsweet

Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH.

So...who here is eating a GRAM OF SPLENDA PER KG OF BODYWEIGHT?

I would have to eat 60 grams of Splenda every day for 3 months. That's about 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day for me at 130 lbs.

If they had only used the FDA recommended amount for the duration of the 24 week experiment, it would've been well-controlled. But, as is the case with many of these studies, they use unrealistically high amounts of these substances on non-human subjects. There are plenty of substances that are harmless to humans and harmful to rats, like onions and citrus fruits. The website goes on to extrapolate that it could interfere with AIDS medicine absorption, although the study does not state that correlation.

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to use any artificial sweetener in excess, but it's really not good to eat anything in excess, whether it's brocolli, chocolate, or Splenda.

phed0017

Okay you go ahead then.

songbyrdsweet

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

ivykivy

I know splenda is not recommended for diabetics. It would be nice to know how much splenda the average person uses. Between diet soft drinks yogurt and other diet foods people ingest on a daily basis I wonder does it add up to 1/4 cup?

Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH.

So...who here is eating a GRAM OF SPLENDA PER KG OF BODYWEIGHT?

I would have to eat 60 grams of Splenda every day for 3 months. That's about 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day for me at 130 lbs.

If they had only used the FDA recommended amount for the duration of the 24 week experiment, it would've been well-controlled. But, as is the case with many of these studies, they use unrealistically high amounts of these substances on non-human subjects. There are plenty of substances that are harmless to humans and harmful to rats, like onions and citrus fruits. The website goes on to extrapolate that it could interfere with AIDS medicine absorption, although the study does not state that correlation.

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to use any artificial sweetener in excess, but it's really not good to eat anything in excess, whether it's brocolli, chocolate, or Splenda.

songbyrdsweet

Which is why moderation is important. I don't use Splenda every day, and when I do use it, it's a tbsp. in my morning coffee. And this still doesn't solve the problem of non-human consumption. If we based all things on animal studies, aspirin, oranges, and chocolate would all be deadly.

I know splenda is not recommended for diabetics. It would be nice to know how much splenda the average person uses. Between diet soft drinks yogurt and other diet foods people ingest on a daily basis I wonder does it add up to 1/4 cup?

Splenda was administered by oral gavage at 100, 300, 500, or 1000 mg/kg to male Sprague-Dawley rats for 12-wk, during which fecal samples were collected weekly for bacterial analysis and measurement of fecal pH.

So...who here is eating a GRAM OF SPLENDA PER KG OF BODYWEIGHT?

I would have to eat 60 grams of Splenda every day for 3 months. That's about 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day for me at 130 lbs.

If they had only used the FDA recommended amount for the duration of the 24 week experiment, it would've been well-controlled. But, as is the case with many of these studies, they use unrealistically high amounts of these substances on non-human subjects. There are plenty of substances that are harmless to humans and harmful to rats, like onions and citrus fruits. The website goes on to extrapolate that it could interfere with AIDS medicine absorption, although the study does not state that correlation.

I'm not saying that it's acceptable to use any artificial sweetener in excess, but it's really not good to eat anything in excess, whether it's brocolli, chocolate, or Splenda.

AmyNVegas

I can only go on experience. Splenda gives me UTI's with as little as 2 packets a day. Or one diet Coke with Splenda. Nutrasweet gives me a massive migraine with as little as a breathmint. Sweet-N-Low causes my teeth to decay more and causes me to have acid reflux if ingested in the evening or later, and triggers sugar and snacking cravings. On the other hand sugar makes me fat and it causes me to have hypoglycemic episodes with very little. So I have changed to Xylitol or Stevia. Xylitol has healed my unhealthy teeth and gums, never makes me have a hypoglycemic episode, and I have been losing weight since I switched to it. It is not metabolized with insulin so is great for diabetics and hypoglycemics. It is a little pricey but I do not sweeten many things so it works for me. Stevia I would use more but I think it has a funny taste in my coffee which is the main thing I sweeten, but it is okay in tea.

Amy:bigsmile:

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

My favorite post for answers:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

MattySparky

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

there sure is... however you cannot dispute the fact that the human body is not made to break down or function properly on synthetics, plain and simple.

Kimono

I can only go on experience. Splenda gives me UTI's with as little as 2 packets a day. Or one diet Coke with Splenda. Nutrasweet gives me a massive migraine with as little as a breathmint. Sweet-N-Low causes my teeth to decay more and causes me to have acid reflux if ingested in the evening or later, and triggers sugar and snacking cravings. On the other hand sugar makes me fat and it causes me to have hypoglycemic episodes with very little. So I have changed to Xylitol or Stevia. Xylitol has healed my unhealthy teeth and gums, never makes me have a hypoglycemic episode, and I have been losing weight since I switched to it. It is not metabolized with insulin so is great for diabetics and hypoglycemics. It is a little pricey but I do not sweeten many things so it works for me. Stevia I would use more but I think it has a funny taste in my coffee which is the main thing I sweeten, but it is okay in tea.

Amy:bigsmile:

Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Food Diary

My favorite post for answers:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/23912-links-in-mfp-you-want-to-read-again-and-again

Xylitol is great, dentist love what it does for teeth.

kerrilucko

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

there sure is... however you cannot dispute the fact that the human body is not made to break down or function properly on synthetics, plain and simple.

That's true but we eat a LOT of synthetic things everyday (unless you'll eating clean, and I mean completely clean) produce and pesticides, meats and hormones, canned/frozen and prepackaged foods and preservatives. It's all got those synthetic substances in it. I personally don't use artificial sweeteners, but I do drink diet pop once a week. That tiny amount of sweetener really doesn't worry me in the least.

cbarrett121

I am in a program that is at the Cleveland Clinic, one of the country's best hospitals. The nutritionist has told our group that moderation is the key and that these sweetners are ok in small amounts. A better subsitiue is an all natural product called aguave nectar. We are learning how to use this as a replacement to sugar. It is sweeter than sugar and has one of the lowest glycemic indexes. It can be found in some grocery stores and health food stores.

meryl135

I am not a fan of artificial sweeteners and will choose regular sugar if I have to, though I am trying my best to cut down on white sugar overall. I took the following from an informational article about sugar and sweeteners. It highlights the fact that our brain responds to the taste of "sweet" on our tongue, regardless of what the source of sweetness is.

---

"Short-circuiting the insulin spike"

Basically, artificial sweeteners confuse your brain. The enzymes in your mouth begin a cascade that primes your cell receptors for an insulin surge, and when it doesn’t arrive your brain feels cheated. That’s why most diet sodas are loaded with caffeine — so you’ll still feel a jolt.

But even if your brain is distracted momentarily, soon enough it wants the energy boost you promised it — and you find yourself craving carbohydrates. In one study, people who used artificial sweeteners ate up to three times the amount of calories as the control group. But again, this is individual. It all comes down to the brain’s perception of calories, which can get thrown off whenever artificial ingredients are substituted for whole food.

---

(view the article in full here: http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss/splenda.aspx).


There is another side to the use of Aspartame (I know Splenda is a different molecule). Aspartame uses the amino acid, phenylalanine as a building block, a build-up of excess phenylalanine can disrupt your body's ability to make tyrosine (another amino acid). Tyrosine goes on to make dopamine and serotonin - your body's "feel-good" hormones. 2 hormones responsible for ensuring you sleep well, feel rested (ie: have more energy) and stay happy. SOOOO, you drink all this diet soda and eat all these diet, sugar-free snacks, staying on the lower end of your caloric intake, and over time you start to feel low on energy and unhappy. Not a good situation in the long run - especially if (like me!) you are an emotional eater.

songbyrdsweet

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

there sure is... however you cannot dispute the fact that the human body is not made to break down or function properly on synthetics, plain and simple.

The human body isn't made to break down cellulose either, but no one points a finger at spinach. I'm not sure what you mean by synthetic, but the body itself produces substances that we don't use, like ammonia and uric acid. In small amounts, they're excreted and the body functions normally. That's the case with most things--in small amounts, just fine. In large amounts, toxic. Do you go so far as to avoid painkillers or prescription medications?

MattySparky

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

there sure is... however you cannot dispute the fact that the human body is not made to break down or function properly on synthetics, plain and simple.

The human body isn't made to break down cellulose either, but no one points a finger at spinach. I'm not sure what you mean by synthetic, but the body itself produces substances that we don't use, like ammonia and uric acid. In small amounts, they're excreted and the body functions normally. That's the case with most things--in small amounts, just fine. In large amounts, toxic. Do you go so far as to avoid painkillers or prescription medications?

Hell yeah I totally avoid painkillers and medications, I dont put that garbage in my system... never have and never will. My body produces natural painkillers and prescription medications are a farce. The medical industry is bought and paid for in my opinion. Im lucky enough that I dont suffer from any chronic diseases however several of my family members do and I've seen the adverse side affects of many medications and I've seen a total turnaround when those same people visit a naturopath. In my opinion natural remedies are the way to go, there are so many things available to people that they just ignore and the FDA (in the states) makes it almost impossible for them to get out and benefit society. By synthetics Im talking about chemicals and man made things... maybe not the definition of synthetic.

MissResa

I've always wondered... People who don't use prescription meds-does that include antibiotics, too? What do you all take if you get a strep infection? UTI's? And as for pain meds... Have any of you ever needed surgery for anything? I'm just curious if there are things that can be taken "naturally" that would help out in any of these situations...

Kimono

MattySparky you are just on a different path than some of us. I admire you ability to eat so clean and not use any otc drugs, but just don't think I could do it. I thank the Lord for my Clairatin every day. And ibuprofin came in very handy from time to time while training for a marathon, and especially the day after the marathon. And I do agree that some drugs are way overused and perscribed, and I did do the whole natural childbirth, so I know pain. I would love to hear what natural remedy could clear up my sinuses so my head doesn't feel like it will explode every morning. And Asthma, is there anything for that, my son has it pretty bad.

Dave198lbs

Hell yeah I totally avoid painkillers and medications, I dont put that garbage in my system... never have and never will. My body produces natural painkillers and prescription medications are a farce.

that pretty much explains a lot about this obsession....chill out....prescription meds save thousands of lives every minute..some are oversubscribed and even some may be overkill, etc
I hope you continue to never need them but I bet a million if you ever do, you will take them and gladly

MattySparky

Hell yeah I totally avoid painkillers and medications, I dont put that garbage in my system... never have and never will. My body produces natural painkillers and prescription medications are a farce.

that pretty much explains a lot about this obsession....chill out....prescription meds save thousands of lives every minute..some are oversubscribed and even some may be overkill, etc
I hope you continue to never need them but I bet a million if you ever do, you will take them and gladly

Im not obsessing about anything Dave, this all started over an article I posted about artificial sweeteners, which trust me Ill think twice about next time. Im as chill as an icecube. It's really hard to tell someones tone in a post on a forum thread. I was very careful to use the words "in my opinion" several times to try and avoid any judgement. I also know that many people swear by medications, I just think that many of these people are never given a choice or never look further than their family doctors advice on what can be done to aid their cause. I dont know you and frankly you dont know me, so lets just keep this peaceful and avoid telling each other to chill out. I dont apreciate you calling this an obsession either, I've barely shed a calorie thinking about it. I can agree to dissagree, infact it really doesn't have to come down to a dissagreement or an argument at all, it's just what we accept as our individual needs... Im cool with that. Although Im still going to voice my opinion, that's what a public forum is all about.

yellow_pepper

Surely, you will admit that calling prescription meds "garbage" and a "farce" was a bit provocative?

kerrilucko

Surely, you will admit that calling prescription meds "garbage" and a "farce" was a bit provocative?

agreed. everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion but that's pretty harsh, especially when there is a large number of MFP users with serious illnesses that require medication of some kind.

songbyrdsweet

Okay you go ahead then.

I don't want to eat 1/4 of a cup of Splenda every day. I can't even think of that much stuff to put it in. My point is that you have to eat excessive amounts of it to emulate the methodology of the study. The problem with these studies is that most people aren't exposed to scientific journals so they all look credible. There's plenty of poorly done research out there.

there sure is... however you cannot dispute the fact that the human body is not made to break down or function properly on synthetics, plain and simple.

The human body isn't made to break down cellulose either, but no one points a finger at spinach. I'm not sure what you mean by synthetic, but the body itself produces substances that we don't use, like ammonia and uric acid. In small amounts, they're excreted and the body functions normally. That's the case with most things--in small amounts, just fine. In large amounts, toxic. Do you go so far as to avoid painkillers or prescription medications?

Hell yeah I totally avoid painkillers and medications, I dont put that garbage in my system... never have and never will. My body produces natural painkillers and prescription medications are a farce. The medical industry is bought and paid for in my opinion. Im lucky enough that I dont suffer from any chronic diseases however several of my family members do and I've seen the adverse side affects of many medications and I've seen a total turnaround when those same people visit a naturopath. In my opinion natural remedies are the way to go, there are so many things available to people that they just ignore and the FDA (in the states) makes it almost impossible for them to get out and benefit society. By synthetics Im talking about chemicals and man made things... maybe not the definition of synthetic.

Ah, so, anyone here with hypertension, diabetes, erectile dysfunction, a bacterial infection....can just stop their medication and they'll be fine because it's all sugar pills anyway? :huh: What's the natural remedy for diabetes? AIDS? Parkinson's? Medications are necessary when the body doesn't produce its own chemicals--insulin, norepinephrine, antibodies. They are by no means a farce or garbage. Weren't you vaccinated? Or are you okay with you or the children in your family coming down with polio or bringing smallpox back?