Crystal Light Tricks Your Body?

Hi All!

This is my very first question on the forums: My dad says that you should only drink a VERY watered down crystal light drink if you are going to use that product. He says becuase the sugary taste/sugar content can "trick" your body into thinking it is a sugary juice instead of a flavored beverage.

Anyone heard this before? I drink lots of water, but also like to drink crystal light to help me chug down my water intake. Opinions?

Thanks!!

Beth

Replies

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  • crazydv
    crazydv Posts: 160 Member
    Beth

    i wish i knew the answer. I drink water all day but do drink some crystal light with my meals instead of soda

    I Just LOVE your Profile picture!!

    Cris
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member
    I water down 2 liters of Crystal Light to 3.

    If you find yourself hungrier/eating more because you are drinking it, avoid it. I haven't had that issue.
    Certain artificial sweeteners supposedly may increase craving.
  • LilSomethin
    LilSomethin Posts: 545 Member
    I've never heard that before. I'm not a water fan so I have to have flavored water. I use crystal light and have never had a problem. As long as u are getting your 8 glasses in and not noticing any other issues then I say use it.
  • yustick
    yustick Posts: 238 Member
    This is a theory that pertains to the use of sugar substitutes, not just Crstal Light. I chose to believe it is true, but I think you could find studies before and against the theory.

    The theory implies that using sugar substitutes may result in more difficulty controlling sugar cravings due to the sugar crash that you would experience.

    I went from Coke to water with an occasional diet soda or diet energy drink. I figured it was going to be difficult to change, so I might as well go straight to water. The longer you do it, the more it's what your body expects you to do.

    Do you think drinking Crystal Light helps you drink water and satisfy a sugar craving or are you finding that an hour or two after drinking Chrstal Light you have stronger sugar cravings?

    To me the other big benefit of primarily drinking water is water is that it keeps my palate clean and I really enjoy the taste of fruits and vegetables more.

    Hope this helps.
  • Jess5825
    Jess5825 Posts: 228
    I've never heard of that. I do drink a lot of Wyler's light (similar to crystal light), and since I started drinking it, I've diluted it more and more. I started with the individual packets, 1 in 16.9 oz of water, than that got to sweet and switched to 1 in 20 oz, then went to 24 oz, now I am up to one packet in 32 oz of water. I also use the big packets and put one in a gallon of water. I went to my moms house and she puts 2 in a gallon of water and I was like holy cow that's sweet! I couldn't even drink it.
  • mhotch
    mhotch Posts: 901 Member
    This is a theory that pertains to the use of sugar substitutes, not just Crstal Light. I chose to believe it is true, but I think you could find studies before and against the theory.

    The theory implies that using sugar substitutes may result in more difficulty controlling sugar cravings due to the sugar crash that you would experience.

    I went from Coke to water with an occasional diet soda or diet energy drink. I figured it was going to be difficult to change, so I might as well go straight to water. The longer you do it, the more it's what your body expects you to do.

    Do you think drinking Crystal Light helps you drink water and satisfy a sugar craving or are you finding that an hour or two after drinking Chrstal Light you have stronger sugar cravings?

    To me the other big benefit of primarily drinking water is water is that it keeps my palate clean and I really enjoy the taste of fruits and vegetables more.

    Hope this helps.

    I have heard of the same studies.
  • JenAiMarres
    JenAiMarres Posts: 743 Member
    too much tricks my body into a stomach ache!! LOL

    I only drink it VERY watered down as well.
  • Sl1ghtly
    Sl1ghtly Posts: 855 Member
    Hi All!

    This is my very first question on the forums: My dad says that you should only drink a VERY watered down crystal light drink if you are going to use that product. He says becuase the sugary taste/sugar content can "trick" your body into thinking it is a sugary juice instead of a flavored beverage.

    Anyone heard this before? I drink lots of water, but also like to drink crystal light to help me chug down my water intake. Opinions?

    Thanks!!

    Beth

    Assuming it did, why would that be a problem?
  • Assuming it did, why would that be a problem?



    Good question. I'm really not sure why it would be a problem. Guess in my fuzzy logic, it's like sugary drinks make your body think you are going over your calorie allotment? (You can tell I'm not a scientific person!)
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    I tried some Wylers pink lemonade (o calorie),one packet to two gallons of water. I've never been fan of sweets or sodas, I usually drink water. What I found is that 16 ounces of Wylers made me feel really bloated. I don't get that feeling with water. I won't be drinking the Wylers again.
  • Toddrific
    Toddrific Posts: 1,114 Member

    So, like I originally said, if you find yourself wanting to eat more, probably not a good idea.
    If you don't, it's fine.
  • castlerobber
    castlerobber Posts: 528 Member
    Assuming it did, why would that be a problem?



    Good question. I'm really not sure why it would be a problem. Guess in my fuzzy logic, it's like sugary drinks make your body think you are going over your calorie allotment? (You can tell I'm not a scientific person!)

    One theory is that the pancreas responds to the sweet taste by releasing insulin, just like it would if you drank something with sugar in it. This drops the blood sugar, possibly lower than it should, and makes you want to eat more. I don't think there's a definitive answer yet, they're still investigating.

    I skimmed the abstract of the NIH study that another poster mentioned. The "eat-more" effect didn't occur if the artificial sweetener was given in a capsule where the subject couldn't taste the sweetness, so apparently the chemical itself doesn't cause the insulin response (or whatever's going on).
  • fiberartist219
    fiberartist219 Posts: 1,865 Member
    I am not giving up artificial sweeteners anytime soon, but I do believe they should be used in moderation. I don't consider a diet coke or a crystal light a substitute for water. For some reason, water is better for my digestion than flavored beverages. I drink the flavored stuff as more of an entertaining treat than a way to keep me hydrated.