Looking for some real answers from a variety of sources

SideSteel

I use splenda but only on unsweetened cereal. I heard years ago that aspertame was bad for you because it put little holes in your brain, but I have not researched it. I know it is in most diet soda, so I avoid diet soda with aspertame in it.

Aspartame is composed of phenylalanine and aspartic acid. These are amino acids that are found in normal food items (look up the content of the above amino acids in chicken breast and bananas for example). Methanol is a digestive byproduct of aspartame and methanol is converted to formaldehyde in the liver. Formaldehyde is either used or converted into formic acid.

People with PKU cannot properly metabolize phenylalanine and should therefore avoid it.

Beyond that, I really wouldn't worry about aspartame consumption if it doesn't make you feel bad and you're not consuming stupid amounts of it.

Kelly_Runs_NC

Try Truvia...good stuff.

MochaMixAZ

EDIT: Also I must add as a side note, that the response I've received from some and the snarky attitude displayed along with judgements on me and quickness to have an attack approach when I've kindly asked for some genuine unbiased information and thoughts ...

Just ignore the haters and focus on the posts you find useful. Chalk it up to nothing personal and they need a snack. It's hard to tell online and in writing what their true intention is... sometimes things come out harshly. Please don't be dissuaded from asking for help... just pick 'n choose the responses you spend any time on. :-)

amnsetie

I like Fruisana. It is granular fruit sugar. use 1/3 as much as you would normal sugar.
no aftertaste.

wolfman sounds like he's on the money though, and I don't have the same medical issue so I can't comment on that bit.

lithiumkat

I have high triglycerides as well (along with high cholesterol) and is one of the reasons I completely changed my diet. Did you doctor really tell you absolutely no sugar? I would personally get a 2nd opinion on that. I'm definitely supposed to watch my overall carb intake as well as my saturated fats, but my doctor didn't tell me I had to completely cut anything out of my diet. Could it possibly be that you misunderstood or possibly just going a bit overboard?

I'm not trying to be snarky here...I actually went way overboard when I got that news from my doctor. Everything was suddenly no fat/low fat and I avoided anything sugary and seriously reduced my carb intake...I was scared I'd die if I even looked at a steak or something. What I ultimately found after a couple of weeks was that I felt like absolute crap...I didn't have any energy and was getting headaches and dizziness and my nerves were completely on edge. I went back to my doctor and brought along copies of my diary so he could take a look...he basically shook his head and told me I was on the right track but my headaches and dizziness could very well be attributable to not having enough fat in my diet and my lack of energy stemmed from getting very few carbs. We looked at my macros and adjusted those and he simply went over a few things that I should avoid in my day to day, but I didn't need to cut out entirely. He basically told me that the best possible thing I could do is eat at a deficit and lose some weight and start exercising along with having a reasonable macro balance.

This is what I've been doing and my numbers are on the decline and my blood pressure issues are coming under control as well. My macros are 40 carb/30 protein/30 healthy fats and it's working really well for me. I'm eating at a Lb per week deficit and I'm not miserable. I have my energy back and the headaches and dizziness are gone as well. I would suggest having another conversation with you doctor and/or getting a 2nd opinion. I would also suggest taking a look at your macros overall...not just sugars...but your overall carbs as you may need to just reduce these in general. Before I started all of this, my diet was about 80% carbs

I feel like maybe I'm not making myself clear, I'm not supposed to not have any sugar at all period like a diabetic exactly, but it should be very limited, like what I mentioned about the cereal, like if it has 10 grams or less that's fine. And just straight white sugar was not recommended, they did mention splenda to me, again this was about 10 years ago, I was still right out of high school, I could be mis-remembering some of the details, I won't say that's out of the question.

But I am trying to make it clear though that I don't care for the way regular sugar tastes in coffee, it is gross to me now as I've only used artificial sweeteners over 10 years. I would like to see conclusive research findings from a reputable site that splenda or aspartame are really bad for you to consume and so far no one has yet to provide this even though they've practically pointed fingers at the main alternative sugar brands and branded them as spawn of satan so to speak.

I just want something to put on my cereal and in my coffee that won't add calories and preferably keeps me away from the regular sugar because imo there is more bad things about regular sugar than there is about any of the alternatives. Though I'm sure I'll get ripped a new one for that statement as well. I am also looking for something easy to find (I live in a small town, something at walmart or county market would work) and inexpensive. I don't usually care for liquid sweeteners in coffee that I've tried. But I haven't tried them all, most are a little more expensive than I'd prefer.

Multiple reasons why I've stuck with aspartame or splenda. I don't care about eating all natural, You can go out and eat a poisonous berry and it's natural...but not necessarily good for you.

And as far as aspartame (what my family usually uses) check this out: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

megleo818

We use Splenda in my household, as my husband is a Type 2 Diabetic. No aspartame is allowed as I get terrible headaches (plus, it tastes like crap in my opinion). I've tried Stevia and I didn't like the bitter aftertaste, but I hear the liquid Stevia is better than the powder. I haven't tried Truvia - it isn't as readily available here in Canada as Splenda or Stevia is.

I really don't know if agave syrup will be better for you than honey as it's also on the 'no-no' list of sweet things my husband's diabetic nutritionist gave.

So we stick with Splenda as it's the most palatable for us. You'll just have to figure out what's best for you as every person is different here.

Interesting thread! I'm pretty sure Truvia is just a brand-name stevia product.

frog8381

I have high triglycerides as well (along with high cholesterol) and is one of the reasons I completely changed my diet. Did you doctor really tell you absolutely no sugar? I would personally get a 2nd opinion on that. I'm definitely supposed to watch my overall carb intake as well as my saturated fats, but my doctor didn't tell me I had to completely cut anything out of my diet. Could it possibly be that you misunderstood or possibly just going a bit overboard?

I'm not trying to be snarky here...I actually went way overboard when I got that news from my doctor. Everything was suddenly no fat/low fat and I avoided anything sugary and seriously reduced my carb intake...I was scared I'd die if I even looked at a steak or something. What I ultimately found after a couple of weeks was that I felt like absolute crap...I didn't have any energy and was getting headaches and dizziness and my nerves were completely on edge. I went back to my doctor and brought along copies of my diary so he could take a look...he basically shook his head and told me I was on the right track but my headaches and dizziness could very well be attributable to not having enough fat in my diet and my lack of energy stemmed from getting very few carbs. We looked at my macros and adjusted those and he simply went over a few things that I should avoid in my day to day, but I didn't need to cut out entirely. He basically told me that the best possible thing I could do is eat at a deficit and lose some weight and start exercising along with having a reasonable macro balance.

This is what I've been doing and my numbers are on the decline and my blood pressure issues are coming under control as well. My macros are 40 carb/30 protein/30 healthy fats and it's working really well for me. I'm eating at a Lb per week deficit and I'm not miserable. I have my energy back and the headaches and dizziness are gone as well. I would suggest having another conversation with you doctor and/or getting a 2nd opinion. I would also suggest taking a look at your macros overall...not just sugars...but your overall carbs as you may need to just reduce these in general. Before I started all of this, my diet was about 80% carbs

I feel like maybe I'm not making myself clear, I'm not supposed to not have any sugar at all period like a diabetic exactly, but it should be very limited, like what I mentioned about the cereal, like if it has 10 grams or less that's fine. And just straight white sugar was not recommended, they did mention splenda to me, again this was about 10 years ago, I was still right out of high school, I could be mis-remembering some of the details, I won't say that's out of the question.

But I am trying to make it clear though that I don't care for the way regular sugar tastes in coffee, it is gross to me now as I've only used artificial sweeteners over 10 years. I would like to see conclusive research findings from a reputable site that splenda or aspartame are really bad for you to consume and so far no one has yet to provide this even though they've practically pointed fingers at the main alternative sugar brands and branded them as spawn of satan so to speak.

I just want something to put on my cereal and in my coffee that won't add calories and preferably keeps me away from the regular sugar because imo there is more bad things about regular sugar than there is about any of the alternatives. Though I'm sure I'll get ripped a new one for that statement as well. I am also looking for something easy to find (I live in a small town, something at walmart or county market would work) and inexpensive. I don't usually care for liquid sweeteners in coffee that I've tried. But I haven't tried them all, most are a little more expensive than I'd prefer.

Multiple reasons why I've stuck with aspartame or splenda. I don't care about eating all natural, You can go out and eat a poisonous berry and it's natural...but not necessarily good for you.

And as far as aspartame (what my family usually uses) check this out: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

People have given you many options on what to use for sweeteners. I don't think it's you not being clear, but it seems you may not be reading the responses.

SideSteel

I would like to see conclusive research findings from a reputable site that splenda or aspartame are really bad for you to consume and so far no one has yet to provide this

You will not find such studies on aspartame. If you DO see any, I bet they will involve rats and they will involve doses that are not even remotely applicable to human consumption (edit: There is a recent epidemiological study that observes a correlation but there's several issues with it aside from it being a correlative study). In some cases they may involve a large injected dose that is then not applicable because aspartame doesn't enter your bloodstream as aspartame, it is first broken down into it's constituent amino acids.

And before anyone takes my posts wrong, I'm not some sort of aspartame advocate. If people have a food philosophy that tells them to avoid certain foods then go for it. I'm just against bullsh*t alarmism and there's a whole ton of it surrounding aspartame.

If you're avoiding aspartame you may as well avoid chicken and citrus fruits when you look at the digestive products.

Lyssa62

i use splenda on my oatmeal and for baking...also buy drinks sweetened with it. My sister is a cancer survivor and her doctor told her it was ok to use splenda. They gave her a 5 year if you make it 5 years you'll be doing good......that was 11 years ago.

all things in moderation is what I do.

d4ley1

tuna is really good too!

jaireed

I know that Splenda is the only sweetner that the FDA has approved to eat when you're pregnant or nursing and it is okay for children. I am none of the above, but this is why I choose it over the others.

amnsetie

Concrete girl offered links
perhaps you can pm her for them.

sunnyside1213

Whatever you use, do not use aspartame. It is toxic. Splenda is not so good either. If you don't like stevia, try sacchrine. It is better than the first two.

d4ley1

the good thing about tuna is its completely natural

IronPlayground

Whatever you use, do not use aspartame. It is toxic. Splenda is not so good either. If you don't like stevia, try sacchrine. It is better than the first two.

Please provide links to studies that support your claim.

bgelliott

I personally use Splenda (2 packets per day in my coffee) and I don't care that it's not natural, I care that it's calorie free!

meshashesha2012

if you arent allowed to have sweets maybe it's best to just retrain your taste buds instead of looking for alternatives?

also i want to point out that's it not true to say that all diabetics can't have sugar. there's more than 1 type of diabetes...

MochaMixAZ

if you arent allowed to have sweets maybe it's best to just retrain your taste buds instead of looking for alternatives?

also i want to point out that's it not true to say that all diabetics can't have sugar. there's more than 1 type of diabetes...

... and it's actually not accurate to say ANY diabetic can't have sugar...

rmhand

Use what works for you. Aspartame, Sucralose, and high amounts of Stevia give me an immediate headache. I stick to small amounts of the old school sugar, honey, and real maple syrup.

_Khaleesi_

So here's a question...

Are you looking for everyone to give their facts on sweeters other than sugar, or are you looking for everyone to tell you that you can and should use aspartame/ splenda/ fake sweet crap? Because a lot of people have made some really good suggestions and provided some really good arguments and you kind of keep blowing them off.

PikaKnight

I think you need to figure out a way to save up and work with a nutritionist because honestly, I don't think that anything anyone says is going to really help you because you have this attitude of I don't want to do this and I've already made up my mind not to change. You want suggestions as long as they don't have the possibility of changing what you are already doing......

This is a lose-lose situation. You say you can't afford organic, etc. That's fine. There are people that still manage to eat healthy on a budget and not on organic items. You say you don't want to sacrifice taste, etc and don't want to eat more veggies or fruits...but yet, you can increase your veggies and fruits while eating tasty meals. But of course, that suggestion goes against what you have said you "don't want."

You are upset about the rep of sweetners but refuse to give them up. Do your research then either make a personal decision to use sweetners or not. Honestly, I don't understand what answers you are looking for. Again...save up and work with a nutritionist/dietitian.

_Khaleesi_

if you arent allowed to have sweets maybe it's best to just retrain your taste buds instead of looking for alternatives?

also i want to point out that's it not true to say that all diabetics can't have sugar. there's more than 1 type of diabetes...

... and it's actually not accurate to say ANY diabetic can't have sugar...

Thank you. x 1000.
Sugar is NOT just the granulated white stuff you bake with/ put in coffee.

kimberliiw

I personally use Sweet n Low in my tea, just try to limit how much I use daily. I have no research, but one of the pathologists I work with is convinced that aspartame is tied in with the increase in neuroblastomas in recent years. But who the heck knows. If you like the sweetener you use then just go with it, I would just try to not overdo it.

What is your triglyceride level? As was pointed out by a previous poster there is sugar in the cereals you eat. Plus carbohydrates are as much a contributor as sugar. I'm not a carb hater, in fact I love them. Just pointing it out. I suggest going back to the doctor and finding out your current blood values and getting a concrete dietary plan.

Bahet

Try several products and use what you like. Ignore the "experts" who post that X will kill you and Y is rat poison. They remind me of that girl in the commercial who is going on a date with a "French model" and believes it because he said so on the internet. Ignorance abounds in the cyber world. There is a "study" about how dangerous water is. (dihydrogen monoxide) http://www.dhmo.org/facts.html <-- funny read. But I'd be willing to bet some of the people here have actually forwarded the dangers in a mass email.

bgelliott

So here's a question...

Are you looking for everyone to give their facts on sweeters other than sugar, or are you looking for everyone to tell you that you can and should use aspartame/ splenda/ fake sweet crap? Because a lot of people have made some really good suggestions and provided some really good arguments and you kind of keep blowing them off.

AMEN!

kimberliiw

And BTW here's a study on the cancerous effect of aspartame. But as was previously said you can find a study on the toxicity of almost anything.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392232/

Topher1978

So, if the aspartic acid doesn't bother you, why are you looking for something different? Your link shows that it is definitely a neurotoxin, but in such small amounts is negligent. And the other amino only affects people with a certain condition. If you do not have this condition, and are not phased by the neurotoxin factor, why look for something new? If it works for you, keep using it.

Topher1978

And BTW here's a study on the cancerous effect of aspartame. But as was previously said you can find a study on the toxicity of almost anything.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392232/

Thanks for the link!

Topher1978

I think you need to figure out a way to save up and work with a nutritionist because honestly, I don't think that anything anyone says is going to really help you because you have this attitude of I don't want to do this and I've already made up my mind not to change. You want suggestions as long as they don't have the possibility of changing what you are already doing......

This is a lose-lose situation. You say you can't afford organic, etc. That's fine. There are people that still manage to eat healthy on a budget and not on organic items. You say you don't want to sacrifice taste, etc and don't want to eat more veggies or fruits...but yet, you can increase your veggies and fruits while eating tasty meals. But of course, that suggestion goes against what you have said you "don't want."

You are upset about the rep of sweetners but refuse to give them up. Do your research then either make a personal decision to use sweetners or not. Honestly, I don't understand what answers you are looking for. Again...save up and work with a nutritionist/dietitian.

You're awesome!

amyann2

I do agree that some of the responses have been a little snarkier than necessary, but I will also admit I'm a little puzzled because your original post said "I like to indulge in tasty things". But tasty can mean so many things other than sweet. Whatever route you go on the sweetener issue, I really think you'd benefit by exploring other tastes. To me, the real pleasure in food these days comes from amazing savory taste combinations. When I was a kid, I had a wicked sweet tooth but nowadays I rarely want anything sweet other than fruit. This isn't because I "gave up" or even consciously cut down on sugar, but because as I explored new tastes and found ones I liked, they began to take over more of my eating.

Again, not saying you have to give it up... but if you very gradually cut down on sweetness in general, you may find your taste buds awakening to and appreciating other taste sensations that just happen to be healthier.