Sugar and sugar substitutes

bopper

I am hearing more and more regarding the use of sugar substitutes being bad for you and if you are trying to lose weight you should avoid splenda, and the like and just use the real deal. They say sugar substitutes raises your blood sugar and insulin levels and causes you to hold on to weight and also bloat you...then I hear Splenda is a safe alternative to use in baking and the like..which is it?

hippietofugirl

I use splenda in my oatmeal, coffee and sometimes muffins. I've heard all the crap about it being horrible for you and I would imagine that eating boxes of it daily would probably not be great for your body. But I think its the same as anything else....fine in moderation. I have noticed that the more I use it, the more I have to use to make things sweet.

NikoM5

Threads on this this subject typically degenerate into fecal slinging so here's the basics. No good research thus far has shown aspartame to be bad for you, same with Splenda. Those who would say otherwise cannot back up their claims with anything except anecdotal evidence. Some people have specific sensitivities to certain sugar substitutes and should therefore avoid them. Unfortunately these instances are often what spurs people to think that these substances are flat out bad for you. They forget however, that other people are sensitive to natural things like nuts, berries, shellfish, etc, and can actually die from them.

So to recap... science says "Go ahead, there's no good evidence to suggest these substances aren't safe, unless you have a specific sensitivity to them. I've noticed that those who fear artificial sweeteners also tend have an equally unfounded fear of microwaves.

fungaaron9880

I personally use agave. its a natural sugar. loweset or one of the lower on the glycemic index. and really sweet.

only thing is it has a distinctive taste that may alter the taste of some foods a bit