The "other" truth about artificial sweeteners.

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SiltyPigeon
SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I've been hearing a lot about how diet foods and artificial sugars stimulate further craving for sweets. I don't doubt it. I don't know about the rest of you, though, but I crave sweets anyways. Doesn't matter if I have real sugar, fake sugar, or no sugar; I crave sweet things once in a while. That doesn't mean I am going to go hold up a Ben & Jerry's or eat an entire pound cake with butter cream frosting. I'm still counting my calories. I'm not binging. I'm not gaining all the weight I've lost back just because I indulged in half a 100 calorie pack. I have self control.

Artificial Sweeteners aren't natural. Neither are aspirin, penicillin, or birth control. Vaccinations have saved millions of lives. Is cheese considered natural? It doesn't occur "naturally" in nature without human hands, does it? I really like cheese. You know what IS natural? Tobacco, marijuana, caffeine, hemlock, arsenic, e coli, mushrooms, and those little red tree frogs they make poison darts from, lol. I hear you shouldn't lick those.

Maybe I can't pronounce the ingredients, but cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol are difficult to pronounce. Those are two of the five forms of Vitamin D. Thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folic acid or folate (B9), and cobalamin (B12) are all difficult to pronounce, also. Iodine is added to salt to prevent goiters. Does anyone else have trouble saying rhinoceros? It never sounds quite right. I might try a rhinoceros burger if I had the chance.

My snack might have more than three ingredients. So does beef stew. I wonder how many ingredients your tap water has?

Just because I eat a snack with man made, artificial ingredients doesn't mean I won't lose weight or that I'll become sick. Too much aspartame probably makes you sick. Did you know that too much water, apples, or oxygen can kill you? Everything in moderation, people. That's what calorie counting is all about, right? Learning self control... even when your diet pepsi makes you crave cake.
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Replies

  • NikkisNewStart
    NikkisNewStart Posts: 1,100 Member
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    Best. Post. EVER.
  • Aticus
    Aticus Posts: 3
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    Well said.
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    Aspartame makes my TMJ flare up. I know because when I cut it out of my system, I was pain free within 2 days (this having been in pain for 2 years 24/7 and almost having surgery).

    Do what you want, it doesn't mean artificial sweeteners are good for everyone, or that they are healthy at all.

    Natural doesn't always equal healthy. Poop is natural, but I won't be eating it. Marijuana has many medicinal properties. I don't smoke, but my dad did when he was dying from cancer and he said it really helped with the pain (more than morphine).

    Like I said, do what you what, no one will judge. At least I won't. No shame, no guilt. Do what you want and own it.
  • kimark1
    kimark1 Posts: 84 Member
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    I enjoyed this as well. Thanks for sharing. I won't feel guilty now about ingesting my artficial sweetners and processed foods.
  • Kjandcuttysmom
    Kjandcuttysmom Posts: 146 Member
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    Awesome post!
    shine
  • xxjessikatxx
    xxjessikatxx Posts: 90
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    nice!!!! So true.And i remeber a study on a fake sweetner you would of had to drink 400 cups a day for it to affect you lol there are more thing put into out meats and tap water like you said..
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    I enjoyed this as well. Thanks for sharing. I won't feel guilty now about ingesting my artficial sweetners and processed foods.

    You shouldn't have felt guilty to begin with. It's your body, your choices.

    I didn't feel guilty about the ice cream sundaes I had--- 3 days in a row LOL :smile:
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
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    Very well put!
  • Tamstar1985
    Tamstar1985 Posts: 334 Member
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    yay! i am glad you said this! it's so true... <3
  • lizzil0
    lizzil0 Posts: 181 Member
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    Yay! Thanks, you made me feel better about my choices.
  • MayMaydoesntrun
    MayMaydoesntrun Posts: 805 Member
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    I love this post!
  • ande2994
    ande2994 Posts: 136
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    Actually, penicillin is derived from mold, so it's not that different from all of the "natural" nasties you listed. If this is just a rant, no harm done, but if you're actually trying to be informative, I'm not sure I can trust it.

    Traditional economic theory states that humans are rational beings who analyze each factor of a decision, weigh all alternatives, and select the item that maximizes value to the user. Modern humans are overwhelmed with WAY too much information to do this on a regular basis, so we develop mental shortcuts to get us through the day.

    But MyFitnessPal causes us all to rethink those mental shortcuts we've created about food. Suddenly we're all turning cans backward on the shelves at the grocery store to see what's really in there. And we try to analyze each factor -- calories, total fat, saturated fat, sodium, sugar... not to mention ease of preparation, taste and cost.

    So, we have to make tradeoffs. Are we willing to eat some unnatural ingredients in order to save a few calories? Are we willing to pay more for the low-sodium or high-fiber version? It's exhausting! And no matter which tradeoff we make, there's always someone who makes the opposite tradeoff and is willing to tell us why their choice was right.

    So I can understand your frustration. In the end, maybe it really is all about moderation and what YOU feel is right for YOUR body.
  • AlexzKT
    AlexzKT Posts: 131 Member
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    I enjoyed this (: It's true, too. I'm sick of people telling me about how awful my diet sodas are and that it's because they're full of chemicals that they choose to drink regular sodas.

    All in moderation, indeed.
  • GameOn2011
    GameOn2011 Posts: 73 Member
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    I still try to avoid the chemicals...But I am a realist and know it is inevitable. But I would take the 30 calories for sugar over chemicals in my already chemical filled coffee/diet...it is one chose I can make consciously, unlike 1/2 of what I get if I eat out or buy processed foods..ugg! OOHH, the little victories we all feel so good about, this is mine.
  • Angela4Health
    Angela4Health Posts: 1,319 Member
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    Just because you can eat something and still lose weight does not make it good for you. To each their own, you can put whatever you want in your body, but I wouldn't "encourage" people to eat things that are no good for them just because you do. That's just me though.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
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    I think I'm in love....
  • hjollyrn
    hjollyrn Posts: 208 Member
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    THANK YOU! I love you!! ;)
  • SiltyPigeon
    SiltyPigeon Posts: 920 Member
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    Just because you can eat something and still lose weight does not make it good for you. To each their own, you can put whatever you want in your body, but I wouldn't "encourage" people to eat things that are no good for them just because you do. That's just me though.

    I guess I am still waiting for the part where someone explains to me WHY they are no good for me or HOW THEY KNOW they are no good for me. Because they are man made? Because you can't pronounce the name? Because someone made fifty lab rats eat 10 times their body weight of it day after day after day until one of them became sick? Or because one or two people had a bad reaction to it (strawberries anyone)? You told me they are "no good" but didn't state why or how you know. Ya know what I mean?
  • hgellings
    hgellings Posts: 295 Member
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    Nicely said Chica! :)
  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
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    Just because you can eat something and still lose weight does not make it good for you. To each their own, you can put whatever you want in your body, but I wouldn't "encourage" people to eat things that are no good for them just because you do. That's just me though.

    I guess I am still waiting for the part where someone explains to me WHY they are no good for me or HOW THEY KNOW they are no good for me. Because they are man made? Because you can't pronounce the name? Because someone made fifty lab rats eat 10 times their body weight of it day after day after day until one of them became sick? Or because one or two people had a bad reaction to it (strawberries anyone)? You told me they are "no good" but didn't state why or how you know. Ya know what I mean?

    Well. I can only say from own experience that artificial sweeteners (especially aspartame) give me HORRENDOUS headaches. Like to the point where I can't function. I avoid them because I don't want to have a headache and I tend to only get them when I consume them (same with high fructose corn syrup - everytime I eat it I feel like crap...).

    We all make decisions about what we put into our bodies. I, for one, would rather put plain ole sugar into my system than something artificial -- not just because I don't really know how it is made or that it is a chemical.. simply because my body doesn't react well to it and THAT is what is important to me.

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