Artificial Sugars...Yay or Nay

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  • x_JT_x
    x_JT_x Posts: 364
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    My nutritionist is dead set against artificial sweeteners with a vengeance...

    I didn't ask why, but the RD I saw the other day was quite happy when I responded 'No' to using artificial sweeteners.
  • RixxyRikaa
    RixxyRikaa Posts: 71 Member
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    I'm taking a nutrition course right now as a culinary major, and I could cite the whole chapter on artificial sweeteners.
    They're okay, just like everything else, IN MODERATION.

    And individuals with PKU should stay away from most.
    If you allow some to add up, for example xylitol, it can have a bad effect on your digestive tract and cause some diarrhea.

    Aspartame, the big one. The FDA admits aspartame has been in and out for review for YEARS, but every single time (out of more than 25 times) its been deemed safe to eat.

    Sucralose. AKA Splenda. It's the only one that is derived directly from sugar, with a little gene-switching. It's like the sugar GMO.

    I notice the taste sometimes, and I'm not a fan..I prefer real sugar just so I don't get that aftertaste. Also, I don't have a sweet tooth in the first place. Most artificial sweeteners are 200x sweeter than sugar! I can't handle that. So they're a nay for me.
  • FitMomTwo
    FitMomTwo Posts: 4
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    NO!
  • karenwill2
    karenwill2 Posts: 604 Member
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    I use splenda. Once a day at most. Aside from being overweight, I am extremely healthy. I am working on that right now.
  • amyplaysflute
    amyplaysflute Posts: 91 Member
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    I say nay. Not worth the risk.
  • lauriem1966
    lauriem1966 Posts: 134 Member
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    I am currently using splenda but once my bag is done, so am I. I think we're better off eating something real, so I'm going to switch back to using sugar in the raw (the brown packets) and using less. I don't like Stevia, it tastes like licorice to me, and I have tried those monkfruit drops too but I think that's just as bad as anything else.
  • FitGirl329
    FitGirl329 Posts: 103 Member
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    Truvia, PureVia AND Stevia in the Raw have added chemicals and are made in China. The original Stevia plant derived from South America and has been used BY PEOPLE for hundreds of years safely. It's best to use one of the brands of pure Stevia. I like Sweetleaf products but there are others.

    Splenda came to the market by being in only a handful of rat studies. So these decades are when people are finding out if they're sensitive to it or fine. After researching it because I thought a rash on my neck was caused by it, I realized a lot of bad stuff about it and others' experiences with it. It's been out several years now. And now people are realizing they're sensitive to it. Once I stopped it and aspartame, my rash went away and my cravings for sweets diminished. These artificial sweeteners do make us crave sweets more as our brains aren't getting the actual item we're craving. We keep eating/drinking this chemical that's not really a food to fill that void. Stevia doesn't cause this.

    I think if given the choice, I'd choose the three unpure brands of Stevia over the chemical laden other artificial sweeteners.
  • shraniken
    shraniken Posts: 37 Member
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    There are so many mixed opinions I've never been able to make up my mind rather or not they're good so I just avoid them. I do have to occasional diet soda, but for my daily drinking I only use sugar in tea and I've switched to using honey recently. It has more calories but I end up using less of it to sweeten my tea. Plus mmm honey. Rather than cut the sugar/honey, I think I'd rather just cut down on the amount of tea I drink. Which is something I should probably do >.>
  • bilberryjam
    bilberryjam Posts: 72 Member
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    Rather than cut the sugar/honey, I think I'd rather just cut down on the amount of tea I drink. Which is something I should probably do >.>

    What kind of tea do you drink? Good tea shouldn't need a sweetener. Do you take milk with it too?

    You could always switch to herbal or fruit teas.
  • shraniken
    shraniken Posts: 37 Member
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    What kind of tea do you drink? Good tea shouldn't need a sweetener. Do you take milk with it too?

    You could always switch to herbal or fruit teas.

    Earl gray and occasionally green tea. Cut milk from my tea when I started dieting though I still drink chai from time to time. I'll try from fruit teas to see how I like em' without sweetener. Generally though I think tea without sweetener is kind of an acquired taste, like drinking coffee black. I'd probably have to trim down what I add a little at a time to get used to drinking it straight.
  • ArroganceInStep
    ArroganceInStep Posts: 6,239 Member
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    Automobiles have been linked to the deaths of millions of people since their creation, but I do buy into the whole driving is dangerous nonsense and prefer to focus on avoiding the REAL dangers out there: artificial sweeteners. For that reason, instead of the man made death toxin, I use motor oil. A nice spoonful of Penzoil with your coffee will put hair on your chest (and keep you from catching cancer)!!!
  • bilberryjam
    bilberryjam Posts: 72 Member
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    Generally though I think tea without sweetener is kind of an acquired taste, like drinking coffee black.

    I think it's a taste worth acquiring :smile:

    Sugar just obscures that distinctive bergamot taste of earl grey.

    Discovering different types of tea really made me appreciate the subtle flavours. When I was plopping two sugars in it, I was just using it as an excuse to have something sweet. (I'd have a bit of chocolate with it too.)

    I don't know if you have Yogi teas where you live. (http://www.yogiproducts.com/)They do a really nice sweet chilli tea. They also do a chocolate chilli one.

    Tea is what I treat myself with these days instead of chocolate or pizza or whatever. And when I'm stressing out about something, I stop what I'm doing, go and put the kettle on and it gives me a ten minute breather.

    Basically, I like tea.

    ETA: Almond milk goes v well with chai, btw. Not as well as condensed milk :wink: but you can't have everything.
  • sillybeachgirl
    sillybeachgirl Posts: 15
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    Splenda makes your body act like you have had real sugar and will diminished your weight loss, get rid of it and try to use as little amount of real sugar. or try and switch to tea and forgo the the sweet all together,
  • melsinct
    melsinct Posts: 3,512 Member
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    A teaspoon of real sugar is only 15 calories, so in my ever so humble opinion, if you use so much added sugar in your diet that you need to find zero calorie alternatives, chances are you should look at the big picture: why is there so much added sugar in your diet and what can you do to reduce it.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    There is no evidence that it's bad for, though that doesn't mean there won't be in the future. But there is plenty of evidence that being overweight is bad for you, so if it keeps your calories in check, then I say yay.

    Though personally, I'd try not to use them excessively.
  • TiffLandis
    TiffLandis Posts: 3
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    Splenda is sucralose. There are studies that say your body is only able to remove about 97% of this, so after 5 days the other 3% is still there. If you're ingesting this everyday and the sucralose is building up... I can't imagine there is no consequence to this. Sugar which is sucrose, is fully recognized by the body.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
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    I say "Nay" and just use real sugar in moderation.
  • TinaS88
    TinaS88 Posts: 817 Member
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    Amazing feedback!! Thanks to everyone. I should have mentioned I am a sugar addict (who isn't..lol) I was drinking a 12-pack of Pepsi every 2 days along with 4 cups of coffee. All real sugar. I have stopped 90% of that and now drink diets (maybe one or two sodas a day) and a few cups of coffee now using the Splenda. I have come FAR from where I started with it, but I just don't want to do more damage than I am helping.
  • bilberryjam
    bilberryjam Posts: 72 Member
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    Amazing feedback!! Thanks to everyone. I should have mentioned I am a sugar addict (who isn't..lol) I was drinking a 12-pack of Pepsi every 2 days along with 4 cups of coffee. All real sugar. I have stopped 90% of that and now drink diets (maybe one or two sodas a day) and a few cups of coffee now using the Splenda. I have come FAR from where I started with it, but I just don't want to do more damage than I am helping.

    Well done on making such positive changes! I know it's not easy to do.

    Be careful of sabotaging yourself though with artificial sugars. It's a bit like giving methadone to heroin addicts - it doesn't address the underlying addiction; it's just cheaper to give people a glass of green goo than send them to rehab.

    Good luck!
  • runny111
    runny111 Posts: 58 Member
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    I gave up artificial sweetener (Splenda) in July. I was using it only in coffee (2 - 16ozs a day), and coke zero (aspartame).

    Started doing the Skinny Rules in conjunction with MFP (after two months of MFP alone - and successful months). Bob Harper is dead set against sweeteners. I figured I should give his plan the full effort. So bye bye splenda and coke zero. I missed it for three or four days. After that, I didn't.

    I did find after that, that I don't crave sweets any more. Nor do I keep wanting to eat or snack after the meal is finished.

    I think Bobbie boy was right. Glad I gave up that crutch.

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