thoughts/experience with artificial sweeteners?

ttx336
ttx336 Posts: 7 Member
in Food and Nutrition
In my experience and from what I see happening all around - somehow our bodies still convert those artificial sweeteners to sugar (or something), it seems that no one benefits from diet soda for example, I know I didn't.

I stopped consuming artificial sweeteners long ago because I noticed that it wrecks my blood sugar levels - I had a glucose tolerance test years ago that confirmed hypoglycemia so I am predisposed to trouble, but still...

Is it just me or does anyone else feel that artificial sweeteners, most notably diet drinks, as a means to cutting calories and thereby losing weight is a complete farce?
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Replies

  • jlynnm70
    jlynnm70 Posts: 460 Member
    I don't use them, don't like them, don't like the taste of them, and honestly - I would rather put actual sugar (which is a single ingredient) into my body than a bunch of chemicals to attempt to get the flavor.

    Just like anything - moderation.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    I've heard that statistically people who drink diet drinks tend to over-eat because they have a false sense of security that comes from drinking a zero-calorie drink.

    Personally, I like my diet drinks because of the taste and don't feel like they give me room for extra calories....they're just tasty. Since I've never been a regular soda drinker, I don't think of my diet drinks as being any sort of special weight loss trick.
  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
    I don't know anything sciency about them, but I know I don't like them.

    My parents like things sweeter then I do and so they use a lot of splenda. They claim it's as sweet as sugar, but I find it to be WAY sweeter. I made the mistake of putting half a splenda packet into 16 oz of coffee a while back and to me, it was undrinkable. I also find they leave a weird aftertaste.

    I'll have an occasional diet coke or sprite (probably once a week) which has aspartame. I prefer the taste of diet to regular soda.

    I'd rather teach my body to enjoy the flavors of things as they are. I've found that even a plain bowl of shredded wheat, milk and fruit to be delicious and just sweet enough, while others are reaching for the sugars.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member

    My parents like things sweeter then I do and so they use a lot of splenda. They claim it's as sweet as sugar, but I find it to be WAY sweeter. I made the mistake of putting half a splenda packet into 16 oz of coffee a while back and to me, it was undrinkable. I also find they leave a weird aftertaste.

    I totally agree! 1/2 a packet of stevia in my coffee makes it taste like candy.....which I am not a fan of first thing in the morning!

    I think when it comes to artificial sweeteners the real danger comes to the people who rely on them completely as a means of introducing sugar and sweetness to things that don't necessarily need it!
  • OMGSugarOHNOS
    OMGSugarOHNOS Posts: 204 Member
    I've heard that statistically people who drink diet drinks tend to over-eat because they have a false sense of security that comes from drinking a zero-calorie drink.

    Personally, I like my diet drinks because of the taste and don't feel like they give me room for extra calories....they're just tasty. Since I've never been a regular soda drinker, I don't think of my diet drinks as being any sort of special weight loss trick.

    How's drinking diet soda opposed to reg soda not giving you extra rooms for calories? If you drink a six pack of pepsi a day but then switch to diet pepsi you're saving 800 calories per day. Sounds like a lot of extra calories to me to spend on nutrient dense food or whatever else you would like to fill it with to meet your caloric needs (ie icecream)

    I drink diet soda cause I really don't mind the taste. (some people just can't stand it) Artificial sweetners have been scientifically tested for harm since they have been available to us (30+ years) and yup still no evidence of being unsafe for human consumption.
  • rsclause
    rsclause Posts: 3,103 Member
    I am lucky, I don't really crave sugar or sweets. The artificial stuff can't be good for you and I feel after it "tricks" your body who know where it ends up. I don't use sugar or sweetened drinks anymore after I switched from sweet iced tea to unsweetened. The only sweets I eat are fruits and don't even miss the other stuff.
  • weightliftingdiva
    weightliftingdiva Posts: 522 Member
    I've heard that statistically people who drink diet drinks tend to over-eat because they have a false sense of security that comes from drinking a zero-calorie drink.

    Personally, I like my diet drinks because of the taste and don't feel like they give me room for extra calories....they're just tasty. Since I've never been a regular soda drinker, I don't think of my diet drinks as being any sort of special weight loss trick.

    How's drinking diet soda opposed to reg soda not giving you extra rooms for calories? If you drink a six pack of pepsi a day but then switch to diet pepsi you're saving 800 calories per day. Sounds like a lot of extra calories to me to spend on nutrient dense food or whatever else you would like to fill it with to meet your caloric needs (ie icecream)

    I drink diet soda cause I really don't mind the taste. (some people just can't stand it) Artificial sweetners have been scientifically tested for harm since they have been available to us (30+ years) and yup still no evidence of being unsafe for human consumption.

    I think what they mean is that when you drink diet instead of regular, you know you are saving the calories, so you know you can eat more. Unfortunately we tend to eat much more then we saved by drinking diet, presumedly leading to weight gain.
  • Santasmincepie
    Santasmincepie Posts: 32
    I don't use them, don't like them, don't like the taste of them, and honestly - I would rather put actual sugar (which is a single ingredient) into my body than a bunch of chemicals to attempt to get the flavor.

    Just like anything - moderation.

    I couldn't agree with this more. The UK has a healthy living campaign going at the moment and one of the ideas they are promoting is, people who drink full sugar drinks should swap to sugar free drinks...needless to say, it's a contradiction in terms to me.

    Finding out they are sponsored or supported by Pepsi and Mars makes the whole thing rather sinister.
  • OMGSugarOHNOS
    OMGSugarOHNOS Posts: 204 Member
    I am lucky, I don't really crave sugar or sweets. The artificial stuff can't be good for you and I feel after it "tricks" your body who know where it ends up. I don't use sugar or sweetened drinks anymore after I switched from sweet iced tea to unsweetened. The only sweets I eat are fruits and don't even miss the other stuff.
    Why do you think "it can't be good for you"?

    How does artificial sweetner trick your body? Like you mean by tricking your taste buds?

    No sweets at all really? How about on your Birthday? or your wife's or your kids? Mothers or brothers?
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
    Artificial sweeteners don't bother me and I have no qualms about consuming them. And I drink diet soda every day and somehow manage to NOT gain weight.
  • missyjane824
    missyjane824 Posts: 1,199 Member
    I don't think it really affected me much. I quit a massive diet soda addiction several months before deciding to cut body fat. The reduction in weight started when I started counting calories.
  • Sarah4fitness
    Sarah4fitness Posts: 437 Member
    STEVIA.

    /thread.
  • SugaryLynx
    SugaryLynx Posts: 2,640 Member
    I drink a can or two of diet soda a day and put Equal in my coffee (because I drink several cups a day and that's a lot of added sugar if I don't and I'd rather spend my calories elsewhere). Haven't noticed any impact on my weight loss/gain. Calories have always been the deciding factor for meeeee. Obviously, if it bothers you...don't use it. My mother gets headaches from it but it doesn't affect me.
  • kwantlen2051
    kwantlen2051 Posts: 455 Member
    STEVIA.

    /thread.

    Yes, I take stevia and slenda (sucralose) when ever possible instead of regular sugar. Or natural sugars as in fruits. No sugar added peanut butter, jam, etc. I don't think of the extra calories I am saving, I'm just trying to cut back on refined sugar consumption. I try not to touch aspertame at all.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    In my experience and from what I see happening all around - somehow our bodies still convert those artificial sweeteners to sugar (or something), it seems that no one benefits from diet soda for example, I know I didn't.

    I stopped consuming artificial sweeteners long ago because I noticed that it wrecks my blood sugar levels - I had a glucose tolerance test years ago that confirmed hypoglycemia so I am predisposed to trouble, but still...

    Is it just me or does anyone else feel that artificial sweeteners, most notably diet drinks, as a means to cutting calories and thereby losing weight is a complete farce?

    I once had a drink sweetened with aspartame and I died. Now I only drink GMO and gluten free H2O
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    In my experience and from what I see happening all around - somehow our bodies still convert those artificial sweeteners to sugar (or something), it seems that no one benefits from diet soda for example, I know I didn't.

    I stopped consuming artificial sweeteners long ago because I noticed that it wrecks my blood sugar levels - I had a glucose tolerance test years ago that confirmed hypoglycemia so I am predisposed to trouble, but still...

    Is it just me or does anyone else feel that artificial sweeteners, most notably diet drinks, as a means to cutting calories and thereby losing weight is a complete farce?
    My experience..........been drinking at least one diet soda a day for over 25 years. No issues to report and no "toxins" in my system from it.
    I drink it to save calories and use those calories to eat food. Seems to work for me just fine.

    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
  • BusyRaeNOTBusty
    BusyRaeNOTBusty Posts: 7,166 Member
    I drink a can or two of diet soda a day and put Equal in my coffee (because I drink several cups a day and that's a lot of added sugar if I don't and I'd rather spend my calories elsewhere). Haven't noticed any impact on my weight loss/gain. Calories have always been the deciding factor for meeeee. Obviously, if it bothers you...don't use it. My mother gets headaches from it but it doesn't affect me.

    This. Except I prefer Splenda in my coffee. Also, with sugar the last few swallows of coffee are sweeter than the rest, not so with Splenda.
  • calbadger
    calbadger Posts: 283 Member
    Recent research has shown that our body cannot easily differentiate between artificial sweeteners and more natural ones. Therefore whenever it detects sweetness, it secretes insulin. This will be satisfied by natural sweeteners, though at the cost of extra calories. In the case of diet drinks with food, the food should generally satisfy the insulin rush. The problem occurs when you have diet drinks by themselves. In this case, you have extra insulin in your system, which will encourage you to overeat the next time you have food.

    I have been a long-time Diet Coke drinker. I recently gave it up completely and noticed a significant reduction in my appetite. I realize that the plural of anecdote is not data, but for me, my personal history is backed up by recent research.
  • notnikkisixx
    notnikkisixx Posts: 375 Member
    I've heard that statistically people who drink diet drinks tend to over-eat because they have a false sense of security that comes from drinking a zero-calorie drink.

    Personally, I like my diet drinks because of the taste and don't feel like they give me room for extra calories....they're just tasty. Since I've never been a regular soda drinker, I don't think of my diet drinks as being any sort of special weight loss trick.

    How's drinking diet soda opposed to reg soda not giving you extra rooms for calories? If you drink a six pack of pepsi a day but then switch to diet pepsi you're saving 800 calories per day. Sounds like a lot of extra calories to me to spend on nutrient dense food or whatever else you would like to fill it with to meet your caloric needs (ie icecream)

    I drink diet soda cause I really don't mind the taste. (some people just can't stand it) Artificial sweetners have been scientifically tested for harm since they have been available to us (30+ years) and yup still no evidence of being unsafe for human consumption.

    Drinking diet as opposed to regular definitely gives you extra room! But what I'm talking about are the people who drink diet, don't count calories, and consume extra because they're drinking diet and then end up going over.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,985 Member
    Recent research has shown that our body cannot easily differentiate between artificial sweeteners and more natural ones. Therefore whenever it detects sweetness, it secretes insulin. This will be satisfied by natural sweeteners, though at the cost of extra calories. In the case of diet drinks with food, the food should generally satisfy the insulin rush. The problem occurs when you have diet drinks by themselves. In this case, you have extra insulin in your system, which will encourage you to overeat the next time you have food.

    I have been a long-time Diet Coke drinker. I recently gave it up completely and noticed a significant reduction in my appetite. I realize that the plural of anecdote is not data, but for me, my personal history is backed up by recent research.
    Link the research please. Love to read it.

    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
  • averytds
    averytds Posts: 64 Member
    I hate every time they do a news story and I have to explain it to my DH again. It's not the artificial sweetener that's the problem, it's the "I was good saving all those calories by getting a diet soda, so it's okay if I get the super mega sized meal with a double dip sundae!" that's the problem. I switched DH's regular kool-aid to sugar-free months ago. He drinks a ton of the stuff and hasn't put on a single pound as a result. He's actually lost a little, though he doesn't know why.
  • hellsbells3272
    hellsbells3272 Posts: 128 Member
    If you really need to add sugar to tea or coffee I have a trick you can use to wean yourself off. If you take 2 spoons of sugar, start by having 1 3/4 spoons for a week. The following week 1 and 1/2 spoons. Then 1 and 1/4. Each week cut it down until you are on 1/4 spoon of sugar. You will be on that last 1/4 spoon for a while, maybe 3 or 4 weeks but then you will have to take the plunge and have none. Your taste buds won't notice a difference while you decrease and will end up picking up on the subtleties of flavours instead of heaps of sweet stuff.
  • gsgitu
    gsgitu Posts: 118 Member
    love me some artificial sweeteners. pass the splenda/sucralose/sweetnlow/aspartame please. i personally don't have any issues downing an insane amount of artificial sweeteners and still being able to eat at maintenance or a deficit. they have not affected me or my eating negatively. i have no science to prove or back up anything i just said.
  • calbadger
    calbadger Posts: 283 Member
    Here's one article. I believe that there are more readily available.

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261179.php
  • AlyRoseNYC
    AlyRoseNYC Posts: 1,075 Member
    I get a weird aftertaste in most foods and drinks that are flavored with artificial sweeteners. I just use sugar and eat the "regular" versions of food/drinks.
  • 24lol25
    24lol25 Posts: 49
    Personally, I don't like the taste of diet pop, therefore I don't drink it often. Any other artificial sugars I'be had that were already in food, are too small to notice any thing. I do know that my teacher was drinking diet soda for a long time. After a while, she felt a lot of fatigue and back pain. When she decided to quit, all the symptoms went away and she felt normal. It's probably best to avoid any type if soda in general. Too much regular sugar is already bad, but artificial sugar tricks the body into thinking it's real sugar and is no better than actual sugar.
  • SummerRain43
    SummerRain43 Posts: 358
    I use Stevia in the Raw for my coffee and tea.....and I only ever occasionally have Diet Pepsi.....but I do drink the diet version when I want pop because I don't want the calories.....I know aspartame isn't good for me but I rarely have it so I'm not too concerned.....
  • emmy3111
    emmy3111 Posts: 482 Member
    I used to HAVE to have a pepsi every day... or two... or more. Have gotten myself away from that and only drink, at most, a couple of pops a week. For the last year or so, most of those have been diet drinks. I don't notice any adverse affects, and I find it easier to avoid, and don't have as many cravings for, the diet pop.
  • TheRealMarsupial12
    TheRealMarsupial12 Posts: 36
    Stevia is gross, but monk fruit sweetener is pretty good. I use the Skinny Girl brand liquid monk fruit.
  • swissbrit
    swissbrit Posts: 201
    I use to drink diet coke and use candrel in my coffee/tea I had really bad migraine's at least once a month that did not go away and was diagnosed with fibromyalgie........... I read an article on the net about Aspatame and decided to live without and have not looked back!!!!!!! No migraine's and I nearly never have symptoms of fibromyalgie unless I do something really, really stupid like getting very very cold :-( Last week I bought Fishermans Friends without looking at the label as I was in a real hurry the day after a migraine from hell yep you guessed it contained Aspartame never touching them again and wrote and told them so.

    Everyone is different but if you read up on it you will avoid it like the plague.

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