splenda- Sabatoge or not?

courtney_love2001

Artificial sweeteners are not stored in the liver. They are passed out of the body in urine or feces exactly because the body does not recognize them. Splenda is just chlorinated glucose--the body has no enzyme to cleave the chlorines off the sugar so it can be absorbed and used, so it simply passes. I have never experienced any bad side effects from using splenda or truvia (my fave!), but things affect everyone differently. I think it's pretty much a personal choice. I like it, but to each his own!

AmyNVegas

Well like one other poster I have had gastric bypass and had to cut sugar to a minimum and I replaced it with sweet n low and splenda(I am allergic to nutrasweet so no blue packets anyway) I was having a hard time with hypoglycemia even when I was subbing with splenda. I read up on acid alkaline and found Xylitol which is all natural and not recognized by insulin and I have had no problems with my hypoglycemia in the year I have been using it (except when I go overboard with real white sugar) I also have no acid reflux or other stomach issues that I think the sweetners were causing. I ran out of xylitol back in the spring when my ordered got shipped to my old address by mistake and I had to hunt it down and I used sweet n low and splenda for a week and I thought I would die after that week I felt so sick. I carry my xylitol everywhere I go now and if I don't have it I drink my iced tea unsweetened when out because it is better than getting sick again. I also use blue agave nectar or just raw sugar when I have no xylitol. They are lower glycemic without the harmful side effects.

Artificial sweetners are still recognized as something sweet by insulin so they cause an insulin output when ingested. So they still add to insulin resistence for diabetics and hypoglycemics.

AmyNVegas

Here is some info on Xylitol if you are interested. It is a pretty comprehensive site.

http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/xylitol_natural_sweetener.html

Wecandothis

Duke University posted a study about splenda and how bad it is for you...........

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html

Hi Lioness! Do you have a link to that actual Duke study? Because that entire long article mentions a study that is being headed up by a man that is against Splenda, and will be announced in the future. The article itself explains the results of 'earlier' studies done on saccarine - not the newer sweeteners. My grandma ate saccarine, there have been a lot of newer artificial sweetners since then! (I'll be 50 next year)

I'm a big fan of science, and scientific studies - if I can see the actual study. But I'm also a little skeptical when the research is being pushed forward by someone with their own agenda.

nobleps

I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

Demetria

Sorry if you don't agree. I will have to find my book source on this chemical transition. But it is a falsehood to look at all the "reduced fat" and think you are okay to eat it. It is the carbs that will be stored as fat. I'll try to find my source. :flowerforyou:

nobleps

I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

Demetria

You are so correct about too much of anything including fat and protein. I do have a sorce that tells about the chemical actions of refined sugars on our body. I will have to find it cause I believed it. Fruit sugar is better as long as it is in moderation. Thanks and I will do more research!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Amy_B

I've haven't used splenda for a long time. I use Truvia. Try it, it tastes like sugar. So far there's no bad report about it. I only use it in my coffee in the morning.

Same here! Truvia is cane sugar.

Nich0le

http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

that is all about splenda and how it will affect your liver and other parts of your body. It also mentions the way splenda was "discovered" which by itself should make you think twice about putting it into your body, not to mention it was "discovered" in 1979 and it has only been on the market for the last 11 years or so.


As far as truvia goes, it is a better alternative, atleast it comes from a REAL plant, the stevia plant. It is not cane sugar but rather a plant that looks very similar to a peppermint plant like a small shrub. It is also known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf. It has 300 times the sweetness of regular sugar, which is why you need so little to satisfy, however it can have a bitter or licorice aftertaste if consumed in high quanitity. The stevia plant is dried and a water extraction process, eventually with a little work crystals are formed and used for a sugar subsitute.

Stevia improves insulin sensitivity in rats and may even promote additional insulin producting helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well it may help reduce hypertension but there are no conclusive tests at this time.

In other words if you are going to pick one, why not go with the more natural choice. Stevia has been used in Japan for 40 years to take place of previous artificial sweetners linked to cancer. The more natural your food source the happier your body and mind will be. :drinker:

AmyNVegas

Noblefairy you are right to a point because the body converts any excess protein and other to glucose for storage in the fat cells using insulin as a storage helper.

Demetria

I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

Demetria

You are so correct about too much of anything including fat and protein. I do have a sorce that tells about the chemical actions of refined sugars on our body. I will have to find it cause I believed it. Fruit sugar is better as long as it is in moderation. Thanks and I will do more research!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

Exactly natural sugar like from fruit is better for you and again in moderation, I'm so glad to have been able to help, it so much of a learning process nowadays with trying to eat right ,exercise and live healthy.

We have to filter out all of the nonsense, misleading, misconstrued information to find the most accurate, up to date and non-biased information out there. And then we still have to figure out what exactly works for us individually to achieve our goals.

Demetria

Kristi82

I still use Splenda. I'm not worried about a little here and there.