confused sweetners or sugar?

kerrie06mrg

Hi, All was just wondering if you could help me out or give me a bit of advice Ive always had 2 x sugars in my tea/coffee however after joining my fitness pal a couple of weeks ago and relising my intake of sugar I decided to change to 2x sweetners instead as I drink around 5-6 cups a day. My friend told me that there really bad for me and id be better just sticking to normal sugar ive just looked on the internet and there are very mixed reports into this so now im just confused HELP!

DragonflyF15

Artificial sweeteners may be zero calories, however they aren't a very healthy option, often leaving you craving for sweets more, not to mention carcinogens. They are not natural for our bodies and have icky chemicals. Sugar in all forms is ok as a once in awhile treat, but not to be consumed daily. It not only adds calories with no nutritional value, but can mess up insulin levels. If I had to pick between the two, I would go with sugar/honey.

Your best bet is going with stevia or agave. I will admit that it took me 2 months of drinking my coffee with stevia to get used to the different flavor without cringing. Now I don't notice it and even occasionally drink stevia sodas. It adds zero calories and along with agave (which can be used for high temperature cooking btw) is natural and has a low glycemic index, which makes it safe sweetener for diabetics and has a minimal impact on insulin. Watching what affects your insulin isn't just for diabetics, but for weight loss as it affects food metabolism.

Mnata

Yeah, there is a lot of conflicting information on artificial sweeteners, and even if they do believe the sweeteners cause an effect they're not sure why (which might make a difference, such as if it's a psychological effect). If you're OK with artificial sweeteners, go ahead and use them. If you'd rather stay towards the "natural" side of things, try cutting down on the amount of sugar in your drinks (although at 5/6 cups a day, that's still a lot). Another option is to try stevia and other natural products that taste sweet on the tongue but don't turn into calories. And as always, try drinking more water! (One cup coffee/tea, one cup water, another coffee tea, etc.)

SammyPacks

I use truvia for the simple fact is I need to stay under my sugar more, and truvia is a natural sweetner (there's hardly any ingrediants except soy)... so far it has been working for me and it's really sweet so it often doesn't leave me wanting more sweets...

lizard053

Most artificial sweeteners are based on sugar and modified with toxic chemicals. I know for a fact that Splenda is sucrose modified with chlorine. Wonder why we find out they cause cancer with extended exposure?

Go the all natural route if you can. Stevia is a great option. Find one that's just extract or even better, ground leaves. Zero digestible carbs, and a little fiber to boot! Other healthy sweetening options include agave nectar, local raw honey, natural cane sugar (like sugar in the raw).

chevy88grl

There is a ton of information out there about artificial sweeteners. For me, I seem to react badly to most of them (headaches, stomachaches, etc) so I try and limit how much of them I consume (I avoid aspartame completely as it makes me deathly ill!). I figure while sugar isn't great for me, at least my body knows what it is and knows how to react to it. I'd much rather just give my body something it knows how to handle. This is just MY own opinion and my own choice for my own body.

DonnaRe2012

Stevia (Truvia) is what I use.

issyfit

Stevia (Truvia) is what I use.

This.

Fit_Canuck

I'm on board with Stevia and in my tea I usually prefer Agave Nectar.

BaconMD

I'll take higher calories over artificial chemicals that are potentially harmful (research the history of aspartame, for an example of how this crap gets FDA approval). Find a better, natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index.

I use xylitol (crystallized sugar alcohol taken from birch trees), but I've also enjoyed local honey on occasion, as well as coconut palm sugar. I've tried a few forms of stevia, and it tastes about the same as an artificial sweetener, so, not very good. But it's got no calories at all, if that's your concern.

sv1983

artificial sugars and even diet soda are very bad for u... it adds unneeded sodium and chemicals to ur diet. it would be better to find a natural sweetener..

rbbrrmqn

This is the best article I have found about all this. (In case you don't see it, click the next in upper right corner of photo.)


http://www.rodale.com/best-sweeteners?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-802804-_-02112012-_-body

pauljsolie

Do a search for SLIMTEVIA. It is stevia but they process it differently and supposedly there is NO aftertaste because of this. Gonna give it a try.

PeaceCorpsKat

I am not comfortable with artificial sweeteners, including Stevia. My sister has a doctorate in chemistry and she is certain they are the same as sugar, but logic tells me that isn’t right. They taste weird, they give me digestive upset, and they aren’t naturally what a human being should be eating.

As for coffee, I find when you make good coffee, good beans, don’t burn them, brew it correctly, you don’t need sugar or milk… bad coffee though needs a full sugar plantation.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

Mnata

Most artificial sweeteners are based on sugar and modified with toxic chemicals. I know for a fact that Splenda is sucrose modified with chlorine. Wonder why we find out they cause cancer with extended exposure?

Sodium is a metal that literally explodes in water. Chlorine is a deadly gas. However, when you combine ions of each, you get salt, which is essential for life. And those old cancer studies were done by feeding rats/mice their own body weight of artificial sweeteners every day for months or years. Hardly something most people get even close to.

I have no problem with people wanting to choose natural over artificial options, I'm that way too. However, touting out crap scare-tactics like this annoy me.

pauljsolie

I am not comfortable with artificial sweeteners, including Stevia. My sister has a doctorate in chemistry and she is certain they are the same as sugar, but logic tells me that isn’t right. They taste weird, they give me digestive upset, and they aren’t naturally what a human being should be eating.

As for coffee, I find when you make good coffee, good beans, don’t burn them, brew it correctly, you don’t need sugar or milk… bad coffee though needs a full sugar plantation.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

LOL, I think that is the reason why I don't drink coffee, I've had good tasting coffee probably twice in my life.
The leaves from the stevia plant actually taste better than the processed stuff, so I partially agree with you. After some time away from sugar and sweeteners, it is amazing to me how foods naturally taste.

Dexy_

I love my artificial sweeteners, they NEVER leave me wanting more sweets. Each to their own, but I say try them (if you haven't already) and if you like them go for it!

BaconMD

I am not comfortable with artificial sweeteners, including Stevia. My sister has a doctorate in chemistry and she is certain they are the same as sugar, but logic tells me that isn’t right. They taste weird, they give me digestive upset, and they aren’t naturally what a human being should be eating.

Stevia is a plant. The leaf is the sweet part... It's not artificial. Maybe some of the versions on the market are processed to hell and back, but you can get it very natural...

PeaceCorpsKat

I am not comfortable with artificial sweeteners, including Stevia. My sister has a doctorate in chemistry and she is certain they are the same as sugar, but logic tells me that isn’t right. They taste weird, they give me digestive upset, and they aren’t naturally what a human being should be eating.

As for coffee, I find when you make good coffee, good beans, don’t burn them, brew it correctly, you don’t need sugar or milk… bad coffee though needs a full sugar plantation.


Created by MyFitnessPal.com - Free Calorie Counter

LOL, I think that is the reason why I don't drink coffee, I've had good tasting coffee probably twice in my life.
The leaves from the stevia plant actually taste better than the processed stuff, so I partially agree with you. After some time away from sugar and sweeteners, it is amazing to me how foods naturally taste.

That's really, REALLY sad. I love good coffee, and it isn't too hard to find. I go with organics and I find that darker roasts (when done right) are often lovely. I have been brewing my coffee in turkish style lately, and i adore it. I grind it myself, and I find that is a bit difficult to get perfect, but when you do it is amazing

Railr0aderTony

.

[/quote]I have no problem with people wanting to choose natural over artificial options, I'm that way too. However, touting out crap scare-tactics like this annoy me.[/quote]



AMEN

LilacDreamer

I'm on board with Stevia and in my tea I usually prefer Agave Nectar.

"the refined fructose in agave nectar is much more concentrated than the fructose in HFCS. For comparison, the high fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55 percent refined fructose. (A natural agave product does exist in Mexico, a molasses type of syrup from concentrated plant nectar, but availability is limited and it is expensive to produce.)
According to Bianchi, agave “nectar” and HFCS “are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process dependent on genetically modified enzymes". The manufacturing process also calls for caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches. The result is a high level of highly refined fructose in the remaining syrup, along with some remaining inulin."

"Since the FDA makes no effort to enforce food-labeling laws, consumers cannot be certain that what they are eating is what the label says it is. New sweeteners like agave syrup were introduced into the market to make a profit, not to make consumers healthy. Clever marketing has led many consumers to believe that the high level of fructose in agave syrup makes it a safe and a natural sweetener. Agave syrup labels do not conform to FDA labeling requirements, thus deepening the illusion of an unprocessed product. As we have demonstrated here, if a sweetener contains manufactured fructose, it is neither safe nor natural, especially at levels up to 70 percent.
Agave syrup is a manmade sweetener which has been through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the starch and fiber into the unbound, manmade chemical fructose. While high fructose AGAVE syrup won’t spike your blood glucose levels, the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity."

Agave is crap. but keep buying into what the manufacturers want you to believe. a little RESEARCH never hurt anyone.

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought
lots of sites like this.

BodyRockerVT

I suggest watching this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUo2XW0z218

I prefer regular real granulated sugar.

kaetra

Artificial sweeteners don't seem all that healthy, but I don't think personally they are horrible for you in moderation. No one's died from using them yet that I know of (which isn't saying much).

I wish I could stand the taste of artificial sweeteners. They ruin the taste of my food. I don't put anything in my mouth that I don't love. One exception for me is sugar-free pudding. I think the sugars in milk offset the artifical sweetener taste or something because that's just about the only thing I can eat and enjoy with artificial sweetener in it.

C2 wasn't bad tasting either - it was half calorie Coke with both real and artificial sweeteners, but they don't make it anymore. Mixing half diet and regular at the fountain is similar I guess.

kaetra

I'll take higher calories over artificial chemicals that are potentially harmful (research the history of aspartame, for an example of how this crap gets FDA approval). Find a better, natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index.

I use xylitol (crystallized sugar alcohol taken from birch trees), but I've also enjoyed local honey on occasion, as well as coconut palm sugar. I've tried a few forms of stevia, and it tastes about the same as an artificial sweetener, so, not very good. But it's got no calories at all, if that's your concern.

Isn't Xylitol supposed to be good for your teeth too? That's what they put in the anti-cavity gum right? I didn't know you could buy Xylitol. Where do you get it?

Fit_Canuck

I'm on board with Stevia and in my tea I usually prefer Agave Nectar.

"the refined fructose in agave nectar is much more concentrated than the fructose in HFCS. For comparison, the high fructose corn syrup used in sodas is 55 percent refined fructose. (A natural agave product does exist in Mexico, a molasses type of syrup from concentrated plant nectar, but availability is limited and it is expensive to produce.)
According to Bianchi, agave “nectar” and HFCS “are indeed made the same way, using a highly chemical process dependent on genetically modified enzymes". The manufacturing process also calls for caustic acids, clarifiers, filtration chemicals and so forth in the conversion of agave starches. The result is a high level of highly refined fructose in the remaining syrup, along with some remaining inulin."

"Since the FDA makes no effort to enforce food-labeling laws, consumers cannot be certain that what they are eating is what the label says it is. New sweeteners like agave syrup were introduced into the market to make a profit, not to make consumers healthy. Clever marketing has led many consumers to believe that the high level of fructose in agave syrup makes it a safe and a natural sweetener. Agave syrup labels do not conform to FDA labeling requirements, thus deepening the illusion of an unprocessed product. As we have demonstrated here, if a sweetener contains manufactured fructose, it is neither safe nor natural, especially at levels up to 70 percent.
Agave syrup is a manmade sweetener which has been through a complicated chemical refining process of enzymatic digestion, which converts the starch and fiber into the unbound, manmade chemical fructose. While high fructose AGAVE syrup won’t spike your blood glucose levels, the fructose in it may cause mineral depletion, liver inflammation, hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance leading to diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and obesity."

Agave is crap. but keep buying into what the manufacturers want you to believe. a little RESEARCH never hurt anyone.

http://www.westonaprice.org/modern-foods/agave-nectar-worse-than-we-thought
lots of sites like this.

Wow you really shot out of a cannon on this one. Not sure why you think I've " Bought into what the manufacturers want me to believe" and thanks for telling me what I'm eating is crap and putting the word " RESEARCH " in caps to really prove your point. It's not what you say that's important, it's how you say it.

That being said, I will overlook the way you presented your point and I'll have a closer look at my Agave Nectar which I simply bought because it was next to the tea I purchased on the same day, not because of a corporate conspiracy.

kerrie06mrg

Thanks everyone i think ill stop with the sweetners and try stevia and see how I go id rather consume more calories than be putting some of the stuff that they put in sweetners the ones I was taking contained aspertame & apparently this is a really bad ingredient! Reckon I need to just cut down on all the cups of tea/coffee than wouldn't be too bad

PeaceCorpsKat

I am not saying anyone’s wrong, because I am not a scientist, and I honestly don’t know. But I used to live with this tribe in the amazon, and there were these tubers that were the staple of the diet. And they had arsenic in them. We used to grate them and squeeze them to get rid of the poison. I am not telling people that Stevia is poisonous, because I really don’t know what it is from. But the fact it comes from a plant does not automatically make it safe!

I know what sugar is, I know people have been eating it from thousands of years, and I accept that eating a lot of it isn’t good for you. But I don’t know about Stevia, and frankly, I don’t trust it, and I don’t trust the manufactures that are marketing it. All they tell you is that “It’s from a plant, therefore it’s safe.” And as I just pointed out, that isn’t a good enough argument.

LabRat529

Asking on this forum is only gonna confuse you more People have strong opinions on this issue. And frankly, you can find science to back up either position. There's research that shows artificial sweeteners increase appetite. There's research that shows they decrease appetite. There's research that shows they have no effect on appetite. Likewise for just about anything... research that shows they're linked to cancer, research that shows there is no link... and on and on.

There are also plenty of 'expert' anti-sugar crusaders out there too.

So really... just make a choice and go for it. Odds are, you won't notice an effect on your weight loss no matter what you do.

I choose to consume artificial sweeteners AND sugar. I do not eat Stevia. It's expensive and seems as 'artifical' as aspartame. It's still a chemical (or I think a bunch of chemicals)... just chemicals extracted from a plant. I don't eat Agava Nectar because it is also expensive. If I was going to go all-natural (and I'm not), I'd go honey. I love a good honey.

And... for what it's worth... I've dug through the scientific literature on this issue pretty exhaustively. I personally think artificial sweeteners are perfectly safe so long as you're not injecting them directly into the brain.

BaconMD

I'll take higher calories over artificial chemicals that are potentially harmful (research the history of aspartame, for an example of how this crap gets FDA approval). Find a better, natural sweetener that is lower on the glycemic index.

I use xylitol (crystallized sugar alcohol taken from birch trees), but I've also enjoyed local honey on occasion, as well as coconut palm sugar. I've tried a few forms of stevia, and it tastes about the same as an artificial sweetener, so, not very good. But it's got no calories at all, if that's your concern.

Isn't Xylitol supposed to be good for your teeth too? That's what they put in the anti-cavity gum right? I didn't know you could buy Xylitol. Where do you get it?

yep, there are many positive effects from it. Check out the wikipedia page about it for more Info. I used to get mine locally from overpriced health food stores, but now I order it online from Xylitol Canada.

firesoforion

One thing I've done is to actually stop having my coffee with sugar but continue having it with milk or half and half. I don't like it without the milk, but with the milk, I don't mind it without the sweetener.