Sweeteners Vs Sugar

plain sugar isnt all that bad for you. its actually low in calories. but there is this stuff called stevia...its supposedly calorie free but yet made of natural things

Artificial sweeteners have been proven to increase your hunger, and cravings for high calories foods, and can actually lead to you putting on weight. They have also been linked with various health problems (though not conclusively).

If you have sugar, you can usually see the effect, not some internal effect that you dont know what it's doing to you. I'd rather have the sugar!

I am a sugar freak. Can't stand Sweet and Low, hate Equal or any other of the Artificial sweetners. Discovered "Truvia" the other day (I believe it's just a brand name for Stevia), anyway..LOVE it! Had it on some fresh strawberries and it was Heaven! (thought I was eating sugar!) . No Calories, and it's all natural to boot!

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

Is there a link for this claim that sweetners make you crave high cal foods and hinder weight loss please? I'd be interested to read this, I too used to have 2 sugars in my tea (another Brit lol), then tried to cut altogether and it was yak! So then I went to one, and that was ok, but then tried sweetners.

Thanks

I'll see if I can find it for you. I have to rush to a meeting shortly but will try and remember to post later

EDIT: this was the newspaper report (one of them), but will try and link the actual study
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1210838/On-diet-Then-away-sweeteners-help-pile-pounds.html

"Researcher Soraya Shirazi-Beechey said: ‘If someone wants to lose weight, I don’t think artificial sweeteners are going to help.

‘My recommendation is to eat natural foods, but to eat less of them.’

The Liverpool University professor studied the processes in the small intestine by which the sugar or glucose from food is absorbed into the bloodstream.

She identified specific cells which detect sugar, releasing hormones essential for its passage through the lining of the gut and into the blood, where it is either burned off or is converted into fat.

Crucially, these cells release the hormones when confronted by artificial sweeteners. This primes the gut to absorb real sugar.

Prof Shirazi-Beechey said: ‘Artificial sweetenerscan also activate the glucose sensor and increase the capacity of the intestine to absorb more sugar.

‘You drink diet cola to stay slim but the reverse is true, because the artificial sweeteners can activate the sensor, so you are taking more glucose from your diet.’

Drugs which control the sugar sensor cells, leading to more or less entering the bloodstream, could help treat diseases such as diabetes and obesity."

Apparently all of us Fatty Diabetics who are loosing weight must be eating sugar. I was sure I was eating artificial sweeteners. I guess I was so wrong about my own nutrition. I must be gaining weight even though my little ticker says otherwise. Silly me.:laugh:

*waits for the Aspartame nazis to come and take me away....

But thanks for the link, I'll await the official study if you're able to find it lol we all know how the DM can twist things and half the time no one there even reads any official peer reviewed study - MMR bull**** scare anyone!?


x

lol I thought I recognised her name - she's was a scientist at my old teaching lab!


edit - here is a link to her papers

http://www.liv.ac.uk/efdg/publications.htm

I hate unsweetened tea! and will have half a level teapoon of sugar - negligable calories. I take meds for high BP and many artificial sweeteners raise blood pressure so I don't touch them, or other 'no added sugar' drinks which are full of artificial stuff...

I have read up on artificial sweeteners and there are many many studies out there. Personally I have been trying to cut them out of my diet since I dont feel they are good for us. But as the above poster said, all things in moderation. So maybe stick with your sugar if that is what you like, and it is only 1 cup a day. I havent been drinking as much tea since I cant find an equal substitute lol I have tried Stevia but it is definitely an acquired taste. Have you tried honey? Still sugar, but also other healthful benefits

Why not trying drinking it with no sugar? Ween yourself off of it slowly, just go down be a teaspoon every couple of days and get adjusted to the taste. I haven't used any sweetener in tea, hot or cold in years. I actually prefer it more now, and actually get more flavor from the tea. **That's coming from down South where we are known for our Sweet Tea**

Agreed! It's a matter of habit. Once you get used to it, you enjoy the flavor and need no more sugar.

Honey is more natural and yummy.
Try a few drops of lemon - not in the very hot tea, as that destroys the vitamin C.
Also, brown sugar is the unrefined version of sugar, afaik.

And honey goes on my toast not in my tea!!

Have you tried it in your yogurt? Yummy!

Apparently all of us Fatty Diabetics who are loosing weight must be eating sugar. I was sure I was eating artificial sweeteners. I guess I was so wrong about my own nutrition. I must be gaining weight even though my little ticker says otherwise. Silly me.:laugh:

*waits for the Aspartame nazis to come and take me away....

I LOVE this, thanks for the giggle!! :laugh:

I think it's fine to use sugar in moderation. I would rather use sugar than artificial sweeteners. JMO. In tea, I prefer honey. But here in the states, we get that beautiful amber-colored translucent honey. So nice. I know in Canada they have that thick, opaque, creamy honey. Perhaps that's what you have in the UK? I can't imagine putting that stuff in my tea, either. I've actually ordered some nice Scottish heather honey online. It's fab.

P.S. Local honey is good for allergies!