thoughts/experience with artificial sweeteners?

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Replies

  • hopper602
    hopper602 Posts: 204 Member
    same here but my sweetener intake is limited to coffee and iced tea. I dont drink soda at all.
  • AbFabKat
    AbFabKat Posts: 16 Member
    I used to consume a lot of artificial sweeteners. I had very frequent headaches, frequent as in daily. I cut out the artificial sweeteners and the headaches stopped. Now fake stuff tastes like chemical soup so it's not tempting at all.
  • toxicat
    toxicat Posts: 79
    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 think cutting them out is important and gives you more control over the things you eat, the energy you gain, and the weight you lose. They contain no nutritional value and only harm us, including sugar itself. I only use honey and grade B maple syrup, as well as Coconut Sugar, but all very sparingly. Too many people argue how bad artificial sweeteners are, but there's nothing to be argued. Why even consume them at all? Keep it simple, don't have them at all. I rarely need to sweeten anything. Sometimes I will use a ripe banana, depending what I am preparing. I am so happy to say that I am used to drinking black coffee and herbal tea without adding anything!!
  • Keliandra
    Keliandra Posts: 170 Member
    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 just recently tried them while doing LCHF. Week 1, I stopped losing weight and my blood glucose rose about 12 points average. Week 2, I gained 1.4 pounts and my BG was up by an additional 14 points.

    I threw them all out. Either I eat sugar, or I do not eat sweets.
  • timmemin
    timmemin Posts: 72 Member
    All I can say is that I experienced terrible migraines when I consumed them. In the two years that I have limited their intake, maybe once a month, I have not had one migraine. The worst for me is aspartame so that means no "DIET" anything (Light Yoplait, Special K products, and diet soda are just a few that have it) for me but it is so worth it. Shockingly, I weigh less, feel fuller, and have not had a migraine since.:smile:
  • lisalsd1
    lisalsd1 Posts: 1,519 Member
    I cut HFC from foods that I buy. I just opted for foods that have sugar instead; ex. sauces. I lost 4 lbs in 4 weeks...and didn't change anything else. I mean, I know it isn't scientific...but in my experience, HFC is not the same as sugar.

    Also, I completely cut out all artificial sweeteners while I was pregnant with my first kid. So for 9 months, I didn't have a single diet drink, and I used to love Cherry Coke Zero. After I had my son, I bought a Cherry Coke Zero...took 1 sip and spit it out. It tasted corrosive...not sweet at all! I haven't had a diet drink in 6 years. Again not scientific, but diet drinks did screw up my taste buds.
  • Tanya949
    Tanya949 Posts: 604 Member
    Aspartame is my killer. I have been a diet Pepsi drinker for 20+ years. I just dropped to one can a day from 5-6. It gave me cravings for carbs and sweets big time. I had a ton of headaches, and when I tried to cut back they got even worse. Since cutting down to one diet drink a day (it's an addiction for me, maybe more mental than physical now), I have zero headaches, more energy, sleep better and don't crave/binge on carbs. It's nasty stuff, rarely or none is key.
  • serindipte
    serindipte Posts: 1,557 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.

    If this were the case, I would have died from insulin shock long, long ago. I used to drink upwards of 8 cans of Dt Dr Pepper a day and have never had an insulin reaction..hmm...

    Oh, I didn't gain any weight, either.

    Fast forward a bit and I actually did quit the sodas completely, diet or otherwise, for a year after having read all these scaremonger studies and had zero noticable health benefits. I started drinking them again, didn't gain weight from that, either...

    Know where I gained weight? Quitting smoking.. Now, THAT is a fattening endeavor! lol I quit cigarettes and gained 25 lbs in 2.5 months, wowzer.. so, now I'm working on losing that and the fat I was already carrying around... and I'm losing it all while drinking diet sodas.
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I've never had a problem with them, but I use them pretty moderately. I like a Coke Zero every couple of weeks and I put Splenda on the rare thing I need sugar in (bad, cheap coffee, mostly.) I've certainly never noticed the slightest detrimental effect from them and I think the doomsayers are being kind of silly, frankly.

    Sugar is bad in excess, too. So is fat and salt and a million other things that are not bad for you in appropriate quantities. You probably shouldn't drink eight Diet Cokes a day, but you also shouldn't have eight cups of orange juice, frankly.
  • OMGSugarOHNOS
    OMGSugarOHNOS Posts: 204 Member
    I cut HFC from foods that I buy. I just opted for foods that have sugar instead; ex. sauces. I lost 4 lbs in 4 weeks...and didn't change anything else. I mean, I know it isn't scientific...but in my experience, HFC is not the same as sugar.

    Also, I completely cut out all artificial sweeteners while I was pregnant with my first kid. So for 9 months, I didn't have a single diet drink, and I used to love Cherry Coke Zero. After I had my son, I bought a Cherry Coke Zero...took 1 sip and spit it out. It tasted corrosive...not sweet at all! I haven't had a diet drink in 6 years. Again not scientific, but diet drinks did screw up my taste buds.
    This person is on to something!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 Member
    Here's one article. I believe that there are more readily available.

    http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/261179.php
    Well good thing I don't use sucralose.:wink: Aspartame for me all the way!:laugh:

    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
  • Dewymorning
    Dewymorning Posts: 762 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.

    This is basically how I got myself to start drinking tea.

    I started with adding a tsp of sugar and then slowly reduced it until I got used to drinking unsweetened tea.
  • bsenka
    bsenka Posts: 33
    I have no issues when it comes to artificial sweeteners, other in terms of tolerance or how it effects my progress.
  • craftywitch_63
    craftywitch_63 Posts: 829 Member
    I don't like Stevia, it has a weird bitter aftertaste - but I loves my Splenda!!

    lpkmQ4n.jpg

    And I'm losing weight and my blood sugar is staying down, so if Splenda is "tricking" my taste buds - trick away!!!
  • ttx336
    ttx336 Posts: 7 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.

    Wow, thanks calbadger, I will do some research on the topic of our bodies ability to differentiate between artificial sweeteners and natural ones. If they cannot and if that produces the usual secretion of insulin, could be an answer to what I have seen. Insulin turns unused blood glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver and muscles but somehow, if there's too much it must convert it to fat.

    On a related note, caffeine messes up insulin regulation as well, so in combination, could be exacerbating the effect.
  • SideSteel
    SideSteel Posts: 11,068 Member
    In my experience and from what I see happening all around - somehow our bodies still convert those artificial sweeteners to sugar (or something),

    They don't. Aspartame for example, breaks down into phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol.
    it seems that no one benefits from diet soda for example, I know I didn't.

    I disagree. Satiety and personal preference are distinct benefits that may apply to some people for diet soda. If diet soda allows someone to remove excess calories from their diet then this is a benefit.

    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?

    Not at all. I think it's a preferential thing. For example if someone happens to get ill effects from diet soda then they shouldn't consume it.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    My thoughts and experience are that every one I have tried tastes like crap so I don't eat it.

    I don't eat that much added sugar, anyway, though.

    Honey in my tea and a little dark chocolate a peanut butter most of the time.
  • Slacker16
    Slacker16 Posts: 1,184 Member
    Artificial sweeteners are almost a necessity for me. I like sweet drinks but get zero satiety from liquids. If I used sugar instead of sweeteners, I'd have to either feel hungry 24/7 or balloon to 100 kilos...
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,024 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.

    Wow, thanks calbadger, I will do some research on the topic of our bodies ability to differentiate between artificial sweeteners and natural ones. If they cannot and if that produces the usual secretion of insulin, could be an answer to what I have seen. Insulin turns unused blood glucose into glycogen and stores it in the liver and muscles but somehow, if there's too much it must convert it to fat.

    On a related note, caffeine messes up insulin regulation as well, so in combination, could be exacerbating the effect.
    If you didn't know this, the same thing happens when you eat protein too. Protein is insulinogenic.

    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
  • Travelbug1955
    Travelbug1955 Posts: 61 Member
    I use Truvia sweetener with my iced tea. Don't like the taste of any of the artificial sweeteners. I like my tea to taste sweet and Truvia does it for me.
  • aylajane
    aylajane Posts: 979 Member
    I think like everything else, this is a YMMV thing. People react to different things differently, and moderation is always best with just about everything. My personal experience:

    1) Aspartame - no kidding, causes my knees to ache. I have confirmed it several times (was a Code red diet mtn dew 6-12 pack a day habit drinker). A doctor explained how that could work, though I dont remember the reasons now. i just know I can only have about 1 drink a day with aspartame or I end up being unable to walk much.

    2) Splenda - ok, I totally overdosed. Like 40 packets a day (9 packets per oatmeal bowl, 3-4 times a day, plus in salad dressing and water I was using). But I ended up with such odd autoimmune type symptoms, was diagnosed with fibromyalgia (which it turns out I did NOT have), and gained a lot of weight over the course of a year (due to inactivity from feeling so bad all the time). I cut it out entirely and over a year's worth of suffering symptoms disappeared. Now, years later, I can have again but I limit it to under 5 packets a day and not every day!!!

    3) Stevia - yeah, natural, I get it. I cant use it at ALL. It is great for diabetics because it not only doesnt spike your blood sugar, it can actually lower it. Mine is on the low end of normal all the time anyway (around 70, rarely over 90 with eating). If I drink 8 oz of something with stevia, it drops to 40-50, I get tunnel vision and nearly black out. So while it may be a better choice for most people, you cant blanket say it is for eveyone!

    4) Monk Fruit extract - my current go-to most of the time, though have learned my lesson and use as little as possible. I also mix it up with splenda and regular sugar rather than exclusively use it.

    Bottom line - *moderation*, and if you notice any changes in your body, try cutting out that one and see if improved. Not everyone will be able to have any kind they want, though I would guess the majority of people are fine with smaller (normal) amounts!
  • wannakimmy
    wannakimmy Posts: 488 Member
    I like splenda personally. It's the only one that doesn't leave a bad taste in my mouth.
  • jazzmaniac
    jazzmaniac Posts: 11
    Migraine in a package. Ugh
  • TheRealMarsupial12
    TheRealMarsupial12 Posts: 36
    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 just recently tried them while doing LCHF. Week 1, I stopped losing weight and my blood glucose rose about 12 points average. Week 2, I gained 1.4 pounts and my BG was up by an additional 14 points.

    I threw them all out. Either I eat sugar, or I do not eat sweets.

    Which ones were you using?

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