Do artificial sweeteners stop you losing weight?

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Replies

  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    If they did, I would never have lost a pound. I go through a couple cans of diet soda a day.
  • ChaoticMum
    ChaoticMum Posts: 115 Member
    No scientific experience or links to prove it. Just personal experience. My husband drank diet soda along with water. Averaged 3 cans a day. He stopped the pop - went through three days of hellacious headaches (while replacing that pop with water) and mood swings and then over the next month proceeded to drop 15lb of weight - and 4" off his belly alone. That was the ONLY change he made. It spurred him into getting healthier and he has since made dietary changes to increase the weight loss. So - in his case, yes - artificial sweeteners affected his weight. He never would have known it if he didn't do an 'experiment'.
  • seths_wife
    seths_wife Posts: 76 Member
    I've never had a problem, and I probably consume more than I should. :smile:
  • leeroxboro
    leeroxboro Posts: 142 Member
    Some ppl used it to get rid of cravings and it has worked for them. Some have tried it and get terrible side effects so no bueno for them. Some will bash it because it is a synthetic substance and harms you/kills you but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those who bash it. Some support it as the end all be all to weight loss but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those ppl either.

    Conclusion: Try it. If you have side effects stop.If it helps you to lose weight, go for it. Find what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer here.

    This :smile:
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    No scientific experience or links to prove it. Just personal experience. My husband drank diet soda along with water. Averaged 3 cans a day. He stopped the pop - went through three days of hellacious headaches (while replacing that pop with water) and mood swings and then over the next month proceeded to drop 15lb of weight - and 4" off his belly alone. That was the ONLY change he made. It spurred him into getting healthier and he has since made dietary changes to increase the weight loss. So - in his case, yes - artificial sweeteners affected his weight. He never would have known it if he didn't do an 'experiment'.

    There's no way that's true. The instant someone decides to take action and do something for their health, such as give up diet soda, that impetus affects many many decisions that person makes throughout the day.

    It may have been the only conscious, intentional change he made but there's no way it's the "only" change he made. Especially if he lost 15 pounds in a single month.
  • jdad1
    jdad1 Posts: 1,899 Member
    Some ppl used it to get rid of cravings and it has worked for them. Some have tried it and get terrible side effects so no bueno for them. Some will bash it because it is a synthetic substance and harms you/kills you but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those who bash it. Some support it as the end all be all to weight loss but there is not enough sufficient proof to support those ppl either.

    Conclusion: Try it. If you have side effects stop.If it helps you to lose weight, go for it. Find what works for you. There is no right or wrong answer here.

    This :smile:

    I third this post
  • Dort68
    Dort68 Posts: 36 Member
    Hey,

    I was wondering if any one can shed some light on this? I have read some good and some bad things about artificial sweeteners? What is the truth?

    Thanks

    No they do not.

    They have zero calories and have zero insulin response.

    Impossible for them to do anything :o))

    This is true for Splenda, etc. However, sugar alcohols DO impact blood sugars. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol. These 3 are used as sugar substitutes.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
    This is true for Splenda, etc. However, sugar alcohols DO impact blood sugars. Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol. These 3 are used as sugar substitutes.

    Sugar alcohols are somewhat different to the sweetners named and have a calorie base to them (between 1 and 2.4 calories IIRC). You are correct with sugar alcohols, but not the ones inferred by this topic.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Just no.
  • FrnkLft
    FrnkLft Posts: 1,821 Member
    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/artificial-sweetners-unhealthy-eco.htm

    Here's one article from a source I generally trust. Easy read.
  • rabies
    rabies Posts: 62
    http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/food-nutrition/facts/artificial-sweetners-unhealthy-eco.htm

    Here's one article from a source I generally trust. Easy read.

    Apart from the obvious (natural sweeteners has serious side effects too, but we're used to them) that article has it about right. Just doesn't answer the original question ;)
  • squiggyflop
    squiggyflop Posts: 148 Member
    Im a heavy splenda user and my weight is coming off just fine. I tried stevia but im in the small percentage who has a bad reaction to it. I got pretty sick. I tried the powder, and even the leaf itself and I always react the same way.

    Anyway there are some people who think that they make you crave sweets more, but I have not experienced it myself. I prefer sweet beverages, but I dislike most candies, cakes, frostings, etc... so I guess my natural dislike could be clouding the results.
  • ggxx100
    ggxx100 Posts: 520 Member
    Okay, clearly no one is going to agree on this.

    I mean, the Harvard Study is convincing, but you can't take the negative reaction of a bunch of rats and wave them around as fact for humans. For every person that has a problem losing weight while consuming artificial sweeteners, there's another who can down diet coke like there's no tomorrow and shimmy off the pounds.

    That being said, for some reason diet products and splenda made me hungry. As in..I just-swam-for-two hours hungry. Maybe knowing the fact that they're unnatural/and or don't have calories tricked my mind and body into being utterly dissatisfied..but fact of the matter is, it still seemed to affect my eating and in turn, my weight loss negatively.
  • kevinrbarger
    kevinrbarger Posts: 87 Member
    The Harvard study with rats is inconclusive in regards to humans. Our digestive system is pretty different than a rodent's.

    There has been nothing conclusive about artificial sweeteners at all in regards to weight loss. Personally, I think they're fine for most people. They do have side effects for some, though. For instance, I know that if I have too much aspartame it could trigger a migraine and/or a panic attack. Other artificial sweeteners do not do this to me.

    But, yeah, go ahead with your artificially sweetened self! I highly, highly doubt that it's going to do much if any damage to your weight loss at all. The only thing, really, that could stop you from losing weight is a high caloric intake.

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