thoughts on artificial sweetners?

I drink mainly water (a lot of it), but I do love my morning coffee!! I use 1 packet of splenda per cup and I only have 1 cup per day, maybe 2. Is this a detrimental amount of splenda?? I would have to use 2-3 tsp of regular sugar to get the sweetness I prefer, which is why I reach for the splenda. I know artificial sweetners have a bad rep, but what about in moderation??

Replies

sweetfluffy

I use Truvia sweetner in yoghert it tastes like sugar excatly !! but it doesnt work for me with hot drinks , so I use one teaspoon of sugar that wouldnt be much calories to aviod artificial sweetners :-)

sw0301

I can't imagine that anything that would give me a headache would be good for anyone! I'd much rather make sure I have the calorie room for real sugar or honey over substituting with any of that crap.

NicoleTaulman

With my having osteoarthritis and my daughter having IBS, I have stopped ALL artificial sweeteners in our home. I do not buy any "diet" foods anymore, because we are more concerned with health than diet. I, too, NEED my coffee in the morning, green tea in the evening, and some kind of sugar added to my oatmeal and bran cereal. I switched to Liquid Stevia. It is all natural and only takes a bit to get used to the different taste.

OliveBruises

Not sure which would work for coffee (as it's up to your preference) but in general, here are some clean/natural sweeteners:

Honey
Maple Syrup
Agave
Sucanant
Rapadura
Maple Sugar Flakes
Stevia (real Stevia like the kind by Sweet Leaf... not Truvia)
Maple Sugar
Brown Rice Syrup
Molasses
Coconut Palm Sugar
Banana Powder
Date Sugar

My personal rule of thumb is to avoid "white" sweeteners as they are usually refined or made with foreign chemicals. The body cannot properly break down foreign chemicals. When this occurs free radicals are created in the body and free radicals have been linked to cancer. As far as refined sugar, I’m not going to explain the entire scientific refining process, but instead I’ll just list out some of the terms used to describe what happens in the factory to go from plant to table: clarified with lime, treated by a phosphatation process, spun in a centrifuge, bleached by sulphur dioxide, treated in a carbonatation process to produce a whiter product. If you prefer still using things like this in moderation, that is your preference. If not, there are many great alternatives in the list I've provided above.

TwelveSticks

Personally, I've cut back a massive amount on the amount of artificial sweeteners I consume (from nigh on 2 litres of Pepsi Max a day to 500ml once in a while). I'm pretty sure it wasn't good for me, but I'm equally happy that what I consume now is unlikely to be causing me problems.

The 'science' behind it causing weight gain (in rats) because it fools you into being hungry when you're not and thus makes you eat more is surely irrelevant for MFPers anyway, since we're all keeping track of all our calories aren't we?

ILiftHeavyAcrylics

I haven't seen any evidence that has convinced me to give up the small amount of Splenda I use. I put it in my coffee every morning. I've never noticed any changes in hunger or sugar cravings, which is one of the common reasons people give not to use them. I personally hate the taste of stevia. Splenda is the only artificial sweetener that tastes good to me.

MeganGable

it depends if you value health more than weight loss, or vice versa.

If it's just 2 tsps, I'd personally go with honey or sugar

^what he said

weinbagel

have you tried stevia? i use "NuNaturals liquid vanilla stevia" and i think it's better for you. i used to be a splenda addict (10+ packets in one cup of coffee) and then i realized it had such bad effects on me! i would get sooo bloated. stevia is just as tasty!

I drink mainly water (a lot of it), but I do love my morning coffee!! I use 1 packet of splenda per cup and I only have 1 cup per day, maybe 2. Is this a detrimental amount of splenda?? I would have to use 2-3 tsp of regular sugar to get the sweetness I prefer, which is why I reach for the splenda. I know artificial sweetners have a bad rep, but what about in moderation??

carrieous

i used to use splenda before i gave up sugars and sweeteners last year (not without a few setbacks, i do have real sugar sometimes). I dont think its bad per se but now that i dont put it in my coffee, i think i have lost my taste for sweetness altogether (unless i have PMS- hence the setbacks:)

TheBaileyHunter

Super unhealthy for you. Lots of bad long-term side effects. Stevia is natural and just as effective without the calories.

Stay away from the fake sugars as much as you can. Your body will thank you in the long run.

HotAsWarpedTour

I think it's a really unhealthy choice for yourself and the environment. Vegans aren't allowed to have any artificial sweeteners because they are tested on animals in labs. I think using unrefined, raw sugar will always be the best option.

shygur

You should try Stevia it is a plant base product so it's all natural. Many people made the switch to it. I've been using it for more than two months and i like it. I don't drink coffee but use it in my natural yogourt.

\
I have no study to back this up but it seems to me that sugar is also made from sugar cane, once they process Stevia it is not much different than sugar. Not saying not to use it but saying it is natural after it has been processed seems ludicrous to me.

krislyn84

It's fine in moderation. Unless one has an adverse reaction to them, then a small amount a day isn't going to "poison" you. You have a higher chance dying in a car accident than being poisoned from artificial sweetners.

This.
I prefer honey, but that is only because artificial sweeteners of any kind give me headaches. Also, there is no such thing as a "natural" artificial sweetener. Artificial makes it not natural.

Hlm103010

I steer clear of artificial sweeteners, I do have a sensitivity to them though I will get a horrible migraine if I have to much of it.

ninerbuff

I can't imagine that anything that would give me a headache would be good for anyone! I'd much rather make sure I have the calorie room for real sugar or honey over substituting with any of that crap.

Hahaha! So men are out of the question then?

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Just2Bhappy

Gives me killer headaches. sugar, honey or nothing.

MirandaDeCrane

Poison!

This.

Susan_fessler

This question will always have 2 sides people are either fine with artificial sweeteners or they think they are the devil. I use Splenda in many things people will tell you bleached white sugar is bad for you also. I am sure I eat many other things that are just as bad for me. I can make an argument and find a study to say "insert food here" is bad for you. If you want splenda in your coffee put splenda in your coffee.

ninerbuff

Super unhealthy for you. Lots of bad long-term side effects. Stevia is natural and just as effective without the calories.

Stay away from the fake sugars as much as you can. Your body will thank you in the long run.

Where's the evidence? Not an article, blog, opinion or dogma from "natural" sites, but actual peer reviewed scientific evidence backing the claim?
Lol, and unless you're squeezing stevia from the plant in your drink or food, then the marketed ones are processed (meaning manufactured from the plant) too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

vypeters

I think it's a really unhealthy choice for yourself and the environment. Vegans aren't allowed to have any artificial sweeteners because they are tested on animals in labs. I think using unrefined, raw sugar will always be the best option.

Had to chuckle at how this is put..."Vegans aren't allowed." Are there vegan police? Will they arrest you? Spank you? Shame you?

How about 'most vegans don't CHOOSE to have any artificial sweetners because..."?

jenniferrusso7393

I have had no adverseeffects since I have been using splenda-- I have 2 teaspoons once a day, every day in my coffee. And I have no extra cravings, or weight gain, or headaches, or cancer... If it works for you, go for it!!!

ninerbuff

Lots of people spout of opinion or information from "what they heard". The problem with misinformation is that unknowledgeble people on the subject end up believing it and spreading it too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Crochetluvr

Artificial sweeteners have unfair rep. They are blamed by overweight people for their weight gain or lack of weight loss. The fact is, people need to be accountable for what they put into their mouth in terms of overall nutrition, not whether they've taken a packet of sweetener. If you want to put some in your tea or coffee or oats, then there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing so. You won't get sick, you won't get cancer and you certainly won't get fat.

That said, I would not recommend diet sodas in place of plain water. But if you want to drink one, then go for it. Just don't go consuming 20+ cans a day.

:drinker:

krislyn84

Lots of people spout of opinion or information from "what they heard". The problem with misinformation is that unknowledgeble people on the subject end up believing it and spreading it too.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

:drinker:

BrendaLee

. You won't get sick, you won't get cancer...

Really, you can offer that assurance when the National Cancer Institute only goes so far as to say "There is no clear evidence that the artificial sweeteners available commercially in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans"? Seems a bit irresponsible and presumptuous to give anyone a guarantee.
__

As far as weight goes, I think there's enough objective data (from us here on MFP, specifically) that artificial sweeteners probably don't inhibit weight loss.

FahadNaseem

For what I have read and research so far, I think they are okay in moderation. I myself use 3 tablets of canderel per day.

hottamolly00

You should try Stevia it is a plant base product so it's all natural. Many people made the switch to it. I've been using it for more than two months and i like it. I don't drink coffee but use it in my natural yogourt.

Everything comes from nature. Where else would it have come from? I'm not saying we should eat "everything" just because it came from nature, but seriously, enough with the "all natural" mumbo jumbo. The ebola virus is all natural...doesn't mean we should eat it. All you "all natural" junkies, get over yourself!

haroon_awan

. You won't get sick, you won't get cancer...

Really, you can offer that assurance when the National Cancer Institute only goes so far as to say "There is no clear evidence that the artificial sweeteners available commercially in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans"? Seems a bit irresponsible and presumptuous to give anyone a guarantee.
__

As far as weight goes, I think there's enough objective data (from us here on MFP, specifically) that artificial sweeteners probably don't inhibit weight loss.

I said "if you want to put some" I didn't say add a lot. I also added a caveat to say do not drink excessive amounts of diet soda.

Aspartame Not Linked to Cancer
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1797853/

- Saccharin
...there is no clear evidence that saccharin causes cancer in humans, saccharin was delisted in 2000 from the U.S. National Toxicology Program’s Report on Carcinogens...
- Aspartame
...Subsequently, NCI examined human data from the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study of over half a million retirees. Increasing consumption of aspartame-containing beverages was not associated with the development of lymphoma, leukemia, or brain cancer (2).
- Acesulfame potassium, Sucralose, and Neotame
...Before approving these sweeteners, the FDA reviewed more than 100 safety studies that were conducted on each sweetener, including studies to assess cancer risk. The results of these studies showed no evidence that these sweeteners cause cancer or pose any other threat to human health.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

Does aspartame cause cancer?
...But studies in people can sometimes be hard to interpret, because there may be other factors affecting the results that are hard to account for.
http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/athome/aspartame

skinnydreams19

I wish they made Walden Farms with stevia - I love their syrups and dips and peanut spreads, but it's so bad for me because of the sucralose!

greentart

If they spank, I might have to become a vegan. ;D

I think it's a really unhealthy choice for yourself and the environment. Vegans aren't allowed to have any artificial sweeteners because they are tested on animals in labs. I think using unrefined, raw sugar will always be the best option.

Had to chuckle at how this is put..."Vegans aren't allowed." Are there vegan police? Will they arrest you? Spank you? Shame you?

How about 'most vegans don't CHOOSE to have any artificial sweetners because..."?