Aspartame Vs Sugar

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  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I like Truvia the best because it tastes just like sugar.
  • DesireeLovesOrganic
    DesireeLovesOrganic Posts: 456 Member
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    You couldn't pay me to eat fake sugar but I don't think regular sugar is great either. I like to get my sweet fix from fruit. Occasionally I will use manuka honey or grade b real maple syrup in recipes and just account for the calories.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    Nutrasweet, who makes Equal, which uses Aspartame, recently bribed the FDA to not declare their newest sweetener, Neotame AT ALL. Neotame is even more dangerous than Aspartame, and there's no way to tell if it's even in the food you're eating.

    I suspect he's just very avid about the dangers of these sweeteners. I've read some pretty nasty horror stores about people's personal experiences. To me, these are chemicals not developed from real natural plants so they tend to be dangerous.

    http://preventdisease.com/news/12/031212_Neotame-13000-Times-Sweeter-Than-Sugar-And-Even-More-Toxic-Than-Aspartame.shtml

    It may also be because this was the last product developed by Monsanto. I read horror stories about their corn crops putting poor farmers out of business and killing cattle in India. They have done some pretty bad stuff so I would wonder about the safety of ANY product they developed considering their history.

    http://www.viewingspace.com/genetics_culture/pages_genetics_culture/gc_w03/terminator_abc/terminator_seed.htm

    http://www.mindbodyhealth.com/GMO-HealthDisaster.htm

    http://earthjustice.org/gmo

    http://www.timos.com/timos/green/NoGMO/irtArticle.cfm?itemID=242

    http://www.design4disaster.org/2011/04/04/organic-farmers-sue-monsanto-over-genetically-manipulated-seed/

    This is just the tip of the iceburg. I could go on and it gets worse and worse.
    Anecdotes aren't evidence. As a teacher, you should know this.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    Neotame info:

    http://farmwars.info/?p=4897

    Companies lobbying to hide which foods are genetically modified from the public:

    http://io9.com/5935109/companies-that-paid-over-1-million-to-stop-gmo-labels-on-foods?fb_action_ids=386442571411002&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582

    Tangent- to play devil's advocate and depress everyone, here's who owns the companies who make your organic food:

    http://farmwars.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/OrganicIndustryStructure.jpg#
    This isn't the same as the "bribing" of government you alleged. A proposition being opposed isn't bribing. Kinda figured you were exaggerating.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • eidnahenri
    eidnahenri Posts: 16
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    All I know is Aspartame (and any other artificual sweetners) gives me bad headaches and/or migraines.

    -Kimberly
    3foldchord

    This is my experience as well.
  • htdotnet
    htdotnet Posts: 4
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    My advise\stance on this is; If there are so many reports supporting both sides, is it even worth the risk? Especially when there are so many healthy, natural alternatives? Also, don't think for a second that the FDA are angels, and will protect us. If you do, then you're nieve.

    For the rest of you reading this thread, don't get caught up in the hype. If you absolutely want to consume these products, then it's your perogative to do so, as it's only you that it may\may not effect. It's not me, or my family. If you want to truly understand, and make the right decision, then don't listen to us. Do your own research;

    Pick up some books on Biochemistry, Molecular and cell Biology, and maybe peruse through a chemistry book to become familiar with a few basics. Learn about Enzymes, Proteins, and cells. Learn about molecular structures. Then you'll understand the science peice of it. Then read the reports\claims from both sides, and make your own decision. If you don't have time to study, then take a chance. Those opposed may be all wrong, or we may be right.

    For all others who love to debate, go ahead. In the end, the decision is ours as we control what goes in our body and what risks we take. And for the others who want "proof" I don't think any exist (For either side) that you'll believe unless it supports your strong opinions. (Which goes back to believe what you will, and make your own decision).

    I will give you some hard to find documents, which many of you probably haven't seen.

    Findings performed by a university;

    http://www.drclaudiaanrig.com/research/Sweeteners/formaldehyde_from_aspartame.pdf

    And a response from those findings to the HHCH;

    http://www.mpwhi.com/hhc-malemany.pdf

    In the end, do you own research and make your own conclusions.
  • beckajw
    beckajw Posts: 1,738 Member
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    I don't put alot of sugar, maybe one to two packets


    Yikes, not sure I'd classify 2-3 packets as "not alot".

    There's the judgmental attitude I was waiting for.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    My advise\stance on this is; If there are so many reports supporting both sides, is it even worth the risk? Especially when there are so many healthy, natural alternatives? Also, don't think for a second that the FDA are angels, and will protect us. If you do, then you're nieve.

    For the rest of you reading this thread, don't get caught up in the hype. If you absolutely want to consume these products, then it's your perogative to do so, as it's only you that it may\may not effect. It's not me, or my family. If you want to truly understand, and make the right decision, then don't listen to us. Do your own research;

    Pick up some books on Biochemistry, Molecular and cell Biology, and maybe peruse through a chemistry book to become familiar with a few basics. Learn about Enzymes, Proteins, and cells. Learn about molecular structures. Then you'll understand the science peice of it. Then read the reports\claims from both sides, and make your own decision. If you don't have time to study, then take a chance. Those opposed may be all wrong, or we may be right.

    For all others who love to debate, go ahead. In the end, the decision is ours as we control what goes in our body and what risks we take. And for the others who want "proof" I don't think any exist (For either side) that you'll believe unless it supports your strong opinions. (Which goes back to believe what you will, and make your own decision).

    I will give you some hard to find documents, which many of you probably haven't seen.

    Findings performed by a university;

    http://www.drclaudiaanrig.com/research/Sweeteners/formaldehyde_from_aspartame.pdf

    And a response from those findings to the HHCH;

    http://www.mpwhi.com/hhc-malemany.pdf

    In the end, do you own research and make your own conclusions.
    Research done on rats don't always correlate what happens in humans. Even in the conclusion, the statement is made that long term tests have to to be done as do human trials. But I do appreciate the study.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • wlkumpf
    wlkumpf Posts: 241 Member
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    I had to try to cut out aspartame because it agrivates my restless leg syndrome. I do like stevia and I like agave necter.

    Not sure what is in it, I now use the flavored coffee syrups in the sugar free version. Like 4.50 a big bottle at sams club. I don't use much so I wasn't too worried about which sweetener it is because it is pretty concentrated. I also add in a splash of unsweetened silk almond milk. 30 calories in a full cup so mayb 5 in my coffee :)

    coffeemate french vanilla creamer was my last item I gave up. Too much hydrogenated oil in it for me to tolerate any longer without guilt issues.
  • htdotnet
    htdotnet Posts: 4
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    @wikumpf - Try this;

    Almond Milk - 1 cup soaked almonds (For 2 hours, then rinse well). 4 cups filtered water. Blend well, then run through a strainer.

    for creamer, use a 1:2 ratio of almonds to water.

    Agave Nectar is a sweet syrup from the Agave plant. (Where tequila comes from). Use the clear variety over the brown ones.
    Date Sugar - Is dehydrayed dates, blended into a powder. Sweet, nutrient dense, and easily digested. Very healthy.
    Coconut Palm - Is harvested by cutting the flower of the coconut tree, and gathering the sap. Another healthy alternative to sweetner. All three can be found in whole food stores.
  • 3foldchord
    3foldchord Posts: 2,918 Member
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    They said "one or two"...NOT 2-3.......
    I don't put alot of sugar, maybe one to two packets


    Yikes, not sure I'd classify 2-3 packets as "not alot".

    There's the judgmental attitude I was waiting for.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    My point is that you'll have a hard time finding any major scientific studies because their goal is to prove it's safe - not to prove it's not. The only evidence out there involves what's happening to people (personal experiences) or media reports of battles between corporations and poor people who live in areas who are trying to deal with the disasters left behind. It's hard for a poor guy who makes $200 dollars a month to stop a giant corporation. There's a reason why some Latin American's are ticked at our big business companies. We have a bad habit of leaving industrial disasters behind us. They're just too poor to do anything about it. This stuff doesn't come out in our news.

    Now, if I had the time, I would have to go to a university library system to access better documents. But, you don't have to be so snide about it. I do know that I prefer natural and whole foods and to me a chemical is not a whole food or nutritious. I'd prefer to not poison/modify my system. It's your choice to do so if you think it's safe. Tons of people take that route, but I don't plan on taking that risk with my life especially if there are natural alternatives. Why risk accumulating a chemical in my system that isn't natural? Why should I chance this when I've read blogs after blogs of people who detail horrible reactions that occurred over time - migraines, muscle pains...more. It's scary. How can you guarantee that 30 years from now this stuff won't do anything to me? You can't. I'd rather not risk it.

    Our government is really messed up and doesn't look out for us. Here's a great example of how willing they are to allow things to slide. Look up "Chloramine". It's the newest additive to making water safe: a combination of Ammonia and Chlorine. If you own fish tanks, you'd better buy yourself a giant trashcan to pretreat your water before you put your fish in it. It's VERY toxic and there are no studies whatsoever yet they decided to put this into our water instead of Chlorine. Chlorinated water can be left out over a few days and it disappears. Chloramine does not dissipate. In fact, many of the giant fish stores have invested thousands to remove this chemical because their fish will die if the water isn't treated first. I met a local home owner who apparently has so much Chloramine (due to how close he was to the plant that sends out the water to the city) that his fish kept dying and he couldn't do an outdoor pond! He was ticked. He was complaining to the owner of a local LPS who pretty much now sells water by the gallon because he invested in a massive filtration system to keep his fish stock safe. Granted, the common guy can't afford the 10,000 dollar filtration system - this guy had to give up on his pond because the cost was impossible to manage. This chemical can get into our rivers and it takes a chemical to break the stuff down. How's that for safety?

    You want another example of why we can't trust our government? Why is it that we don't have access to some of the best sunscreens in the world? Why do we still allow companies to sell pesticides over seas that are banned here? Why do we allow the use of BHT/BHA in foods when overseas they've proven those preservatives trigger migraines and it's even banned in multiple countries. Obviously, they need to make a profit so it's allowed here. It's in almost ALL cereals in the grocery aisle except for organic stores. These are the types of safety questions that make me ponder whether the safety studies are being done correctly. I suspect not.
  • monicalosesweight
    monicalosesweight Posts: 1,173 Member
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    Remind me to never be near a truck that overturns that contains Neotame. Apparently, it's highly combustible. They only recommend cleanup by vacuum in the case of a disaster spill. Bizarre. It does make you want to take a whole bottle and drop a match from a distance into it just to see what happens. I've probably use barbecue gloves and really, really long tongs.

    http://www.neotame.com/pdf/Neotame_MSDS.pdf
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    Remind me to never be near a truck that overturns that contains Neotame. Apparently, it's highly combustible. They only recommend cleanup by vacuum in the case of a disaster spill. Bizarre. It does make you want to take a whole bottle and drop a match from a distance into it just to see what happens. I've probably use barbecue gloves and really, really long tongs.

    http://www.neotame.com/pdf/Neotame_MSDS.pdf
    This a list of combustible dusts by OSHA.

    CombustibleDust
    Does your company or firm
    process any of these products or
    materials in powdered form?
    If your company or firmprocesses any of these products or
    materials, there is potential for a “Combustible Dust” explosion.

    Agricultural Products
    Egg white
    Milk, powdered
    Milk, nonfat, dry
    Soy flour
    Starch, corn
    Starch, rice
    Starch, wheat
    Sugar
    Sugar, milk
    Sugar, beet
    Tapioca
    Whey
    Wood flour
    Agricultural Dusts
    Alfalfa
    Apple
    Beet root
    Carrageen
    Carrot
    Cocoa bean dust
    Cocoa powder
    Coconut shell dust
    Coffee dust
    Corn meal
    Cornstarch
    Cotton
    Cottonseed
    Garlic powder
    Gluten
    Grass dust
    Green coffee
    Hops (malted)
    Lemon peel dust
    Lemon pulp
    Linseed
    Locust bean gum
    Malt
    Oat flour
    Oat grain dust
    Olive pellets
    Onion powder
    Parsley (dehydrated)
    Peach
    Peanut meal and skins
    Peat
    Potato
    Potato flour
    Potato starch
    Raw yucca seed dust
    Rice dust
    Rice flour
    Rice starch
    Rye flour
    Semolina
    Soybean dust
    Spice dust
    Spice powder
    Sugar (10x)
    Sunflower
    Sunflower seed dust
    Tea
    Tobacco blend
    Tomato
    Walnut dust
    Wheat flour
    Wheat grain dust
    Wheat starch
    Xanthan gum

    www.osha.gov/Publications/combustibledustposter.pdf

    Sensationalism sells.:laugh:
    So would you do the same with these dusts too? Or are you just anti chemical?


    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,622 Member
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    My point is that you'll have a hard time finding any major scientific studies because their goal is to prove it's safe - not to prove it's not. The only evidence out there involves what's happening to people (personal experiences) or media reports of battles between corporations and poor people who live in areas who are trying to deal with the disasters left behind. It's hard for a poor guy who makes $200 dollars a month to stop a giant corporation. There's a reason why some Latin American's are ticked at our big business companies. We have a bad habit of leaving industrial disasters behind us. They're just too poor to do anything about it. This stuff doesn't come out in our news.
    There are lots of studies done by Journals of Medicine. The AMA and the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism are 2 good ones.
    Now, if I had the time, I would have to go to a university library system to access better documents. But, you don't have to be so snide about it. I do know that I prefer natural and whole foods and to me a chemical is not a whole food or nutritious. I'd prefer to not poison/modify my system. It's your choice to do so if you think it's safe. Tons of people take that route, but I don't plan on taking that risk with my life especially if there are natural alternatives. Why risk accumulating a chemical in my system that isn't natural? Why should I chance this when I've read blogs after blogs of people who detail horrible reactions that occurred over time - migraines, muscle pains...more. It's scary. How can you guarantee that 30 years from now this stuff won't do anything to me? You can't. I'd rather not risk it.
    How can you guarantee that you won't die in a car crash? Would that stop you from driving? Wouldn't abstaining from driving ensure that risk of a driving accident would be nil? Unless you're growing your own food, raising your own meat, and fully overseeing personally, the chances of any natural food devoid of ALL chemicals is nil. Arsenic (which is in apples) is natural. I'll bet dollars to donuts that if you took the same amount of arsenic vs aspartame, you'd survive the aspartame.
    This is not to say that SOME people don't have reactions to aspartame. But the general population doesn't have some of the reactions they have according to peer reviewed study.
    Our government is really messed up and doesn't look out for us. Here's a great example of how willing they are to allow things to slide. Look up "Chloramine". It's the newest additive to making water safe: a combination of Ammonia and Chlorine. If you own fish tanks, you'd better buy yourself a giant trashcan to pretreat your water before you put your fish in it. It's VERY toxic and there are no studies whatsoever yet they decided to put this into our water instead of Chlorine. Chlorinated water can be left out over a few days and it disappears. Chloramine does not dissipate. In fact, many of the giant fish stores have invested thousands to remove this chemical because their fish will die if the water isn't treated first. I met a local home owner who apparently has so much Chloramine (due to how close he was to the plant that sends out the water to the city) that his fish kept dying and he couldn't do an outdoor pond! He was ticked. He was complaining to the owner of a local LPS who pretty much now sells water by the gallon because he invested in a massive filtration system to keep his fish stock safe. Granted, the common guy can't afford the 10,000 dollar filtration system - this guy had to give up on his pond because the cost was impossible to manage. This chemical can get into our rivers and it takes a chemical to break the stuff down. How's that for safety?
    Here is where I agree with you. There definitely needs to be more peer reviewed study on chloramine.
    You want another example of why we can't trust our government? Why is it that we don't have access to some of the best sunscreens in the world? Why do we still allow companies to sell pesticides over seas that are banned here? Why do we allow the use of BHT/BHA in foods when overseas they've proven those preservatives trigger migraines and it's even banned in multiple countries. Obviously, they need to make a profit so it's allowed here. It's in almost ALL cereals in the grocery aisle except for organic stores. These are the types of safety questions that make me ponder whether the safety studies are being done correctly. I suspect not.
    People don't trust government because there's no transparency. Yes money has a lot to do with it (as well as any other country), but at least here the "little man" can have the opportunity to oppose where in other countries they may get locked up or even lose their life.
    I'm all for questioning if a chemical seems to have an impact on LARGE population. But I do have to defend a chemical that's been studied and peer reviewed and deemed fairly safe against alarmism from a few (normally naturalist's or clean eaters) who use anecdotal articles as proof that it's poison.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • mccbabe1
    mccbabe1 Posts: 737 Member
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    go natural.. use stevia... a natural sweetner.. from a plant.. NO CALORIES.. no chemicals, no plastic or weird crap!
  • mccbabe1
    mccbabe1 Posts: 737 Member
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    I had to try to cut out aspartame because it agrivates my restless leg syndrome. I do like stevia and I like agave necter.

    Not sure what is in it, I now use the flavored coffee syrups in the sugar free version. Like 4.50 a big bottle at sams club. I don't use much so I wasn't too worried about which sweetener it is because it is pretty concentrated. I also add in a splash of unsweetened silk almond milk. 30 calories in a full cup so mayb 5 in my coffee :)

    coffeemate french vanilla creamer was my last item I gave up. Too much hydrogenated oil in it for me to tolerate any longer without guilt issues.

    yay a stevia user.. ^^^^ this.. why use crap when u have natural available? i always use stevia..
  • ovenbird
    ovenbird Posts: 9 Member
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    I was a long time user of aspartame and splenda, then stevia. I now am a user of cane sugar, agave syrup, honey, etc. Here is why:

    I had read for a long time about brain effects of aspartame. Last summer I was with a nephew at Mayo Clinic. He had leukemia and with side effects of treatment was having a very hard time getting any food down. One thing he liked was vanilla frozen yogurt. The vanilla frozen yogurt available had aspartame in it. He would be having a good day, eat the yogurt, and do a 180 on us. Scared the living daylights out of me. He died Aug 18, 2011.

    I read that splenda and aspartame can mess with your hunger signals. Your body tastes sweet and gets ready to digest calories. Calories do not come, so your body sends hunger signals so you send calories. If this is true, then stevia might work the same way. Stevia has been used for centuries, but no one over does it like and American, I am afraid that it will prove harmful in the amounts we consume.

    I use about 10 grains of sugar in the raw when I want something sweetened. That's about 5 calories. In coffee I use a little organic milk which has lactose, a sugar, in it, and have learned to live with that amount of sweetness in my coffee.

    I have also read that coffee itself is an appetite stimulant, and should be used very moderately by dieters.
  • Hyzaarc
    Hyzaarc Posts: 67 Member
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    SPLENDA IS ONLY TWO MOLECULES OFF OF DEATH AND ASPARTAME CAUSES BRAIN HOLES IN LAB RATS.

    ONLY EVER EAT ORGANIC XYLISPENVIATOL OR YOU WILL DISSOLVE INTO A GOOEY PILE OF NECROTIC DENDRITES.

    I KNOW THIS BECAUSE MY COUSIN DATED A SCIENTIST'S DOCTOR AND SHE READ IT ON THE INTERNET ONCE.

    I highly doubt that it'll turn me into a pile of ectoplasm. And not every thing is true on the internet, nor do doctors or scientists know everything.

    Other than that, I use both splenda and equal and they work fine for me since my household is 100% sugar free. The only time I really have them is in diet soda and some baked goods.
  • Levedi
    Levedi Posts: 290 Member
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    My doctor told me that a little real sugar is better than artificial sweeteners. She told me that when you eat/drink artificial sweeteners your taste buds get the sweet sensation and send signals to your brain which makes your body expect the sugar and the energy spike that comes with it. When your body doesn't get that, it in turn causes you to crave more sweets...

    Not entirely sure of the validity of this but I cut way back on artificial sweeteners and my craving for sweets has gone down drastically.


    My doctor told me the same thing. Since I also get migraines, I'm trying as an experiment to cut all artificial sweeteners from my diet for a month and see if it makes a difference. So far it's been 20 days and I think it is helping - my cravings for sugary things have been significantly less intense lately, even though I'm pretty stressed right now. (Stress is a major craving trigger for me.) It's not a scientific study, but the changes are enough that I think I'll keep going this way for another month and see how it goes. If it helps, it's worth it.

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