TMI Artificial Sweetners do 'things' to me

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jaycee76
jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi

I am currently doing a low carb diet. I am eating healthy meals with a lower carb content because I have suffered binges and cravings that halted my weight loss.
I have started eating cereals granola and flax from that are low net carbs. They have artificial sweetners in, as do some boiled sweets that I got from the same place.

The thing is, I only have to have a small amount and as little as 1 boiled sweet, and I fill with really bad gas! I did read that the sweetners can cause this and even diahorrea.

But will this go away in time?

Have you any similar experiences?

I know that there are individuals on MFP that are not advocates of low carb, but I do not need any lectures on the subject.

Many Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I hope I have not offended anyone with my post (just be glad you are not around when the gas starts - you would be offended then!)

Jaycee x

Replies

  • randa_behnam
    randa_behnam Posts: 488 Member
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    why dont you cut it out for a few weeks to see if your stomach settles. you clearly have an intollerance to an ingrediant in the product which you can easily get tested for. iv recently been told im intollerent to all yeast products and you can imagine this is in almost all foods but cutting it out for nearly a month now has worked wonders for me.
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
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    I never thought about it being an intolerance. I just figured it would be because I am new to it. Thanks for the advice x
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
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    Hi

    I am currently doing a low carb diet. I am eating healthy meals with a lower carb content because I have suffered binges and cravings that halted my weight loss.
    I have started eating cereals granola and flax from that are low net carbs. They have artificial sweetners in, as do some boiled sweets that I got from the same place.

    The thing is, I only have to have a small amount and as little as 1 boiled sweet, and I fill with really bad gas! I did read that the sweetners can cause this and even diahorrea.

    But will this go away in time?

    Have you any similar experiences?

    I know that there are individuals on MFP that are not advocates of low carb, but I do not need any lectures on the subject.

    Many Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I hope I have not offended anyone with my post (just be glad you are not around when the gas starts - you would be offended then!)

    Jaycee x

    Most sugar alcohols will do that - if you see something like 'sorbitol' or anything that ends in '-itol', it's probably a sugar alcohol that's going to wreak havoc on your digestive system. If you react to it, it's a reaction that likely will NOT get better with time.
  • sculptandtone
    sculptandtone Posts: 300 Member
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    I stopped using Splenda and my chronic digestive issues immediately improved by at least 50%.
    And it seems to be getting better by the day. I'm not sure if the entire problem, but unbeknownst to me it was REALLY irritating things.
  • jaycee76
    jaycee76 Posts: 325 Member
    Options
    Hi

    I am currently doing a low carb diet. I am eating healthy meals with a lower carb content because I have suffered binges and cravings that halted my weight loss.
    I have started eating cereals granola and flax from that are low net carbs. They have artificial sweetners in, as do some boiled sweets that I got from the same place.

    The thing is, I only have to have a small amount and as little as 1 boiled sweet, and I fill with really bad gas! I did read that the sweetners can cause this and even diahorrea.

    But will this go away in time?

    Have you any similar experiences?

    I know that there are individuals on MFP that are not advocates of low carb, but I do not need any lectures on the subject.

    Many Thanks in advance for any advice you can give. I hope I have not offended anyone with my post (just be glad you are not around when the gas starts - you would be offended then!)

    Jaycee x

    Most sugar alcohols will do that - if you see something like 'sorbitol' or anything that ends in '-itol', it's probably a sugar alcohol that's going to wreak havoc on your digestive system. If you react to it, it's a reaction that likely will NOT get better with time.

    Thank you so much! I think you have just help me solve my trigger for ibs!
    I have had the dr telling me I have ibs for years and yet I was never convinced. After looking into what you said, I checked out my foods and what has happened and when and you were 100% right! Its definately the ones ending itol that seem to be causing my problems

    Thanks again

    Jaycee x
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
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    When I did Atkins about 5 years ago I learned the hard way that some of those sweeteners can wreak havoc on my system. I had 3 small sugar free Reese's peanut butter cups (so it's not like I went over board) one night and had to stay home from work the next day because I was basically stuck in the bathroom.

    Flax can also cause gas so the combination of the two isn't going to be pretty...

    As far as the side effects going away in time - possible but doubtful. You're better off having a "cheat" meal now and then and getting your sweets from a more natural source. If I remember correctly, they actually encourage that "cheat" once per week to sort of restart things and keep your body guessing.
  • msallymae
    msallymae Posts: 112 Member
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    if u read the package of alot of those sweetners in high dosage do have a laxative effect. also - cereals high in fiber will always cause you gas... like kashi go lean for example. higher fiber = higher gas.

    i do not think that will ever go away, just buy Beano or Gas-X. my father and stepmom have been on low carb dieters for over 5 yrs now. and now they eat high fiber stuff since they lost enough weight and are just maintaining their weight and toning their bodies. Fiber one bars, etc.

    its all normal it happens to all of us. THE BEST advice i can offer is buying Beano or Gas-x because they eat them everyday for long long periods of time and the high fiber that normally cancels it out is what causes the gas.
  • Diana061
    Diana061 Posts: 118 Member
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    I also have " issues" with artificial sweeters... I have cut out as much as I can... in my coffee I put a tiny bit of raw sugar... a few extra calories from that I'm not as concerned about as the stress from artificail sweetner
  • Jconner30
    Jconner30 Posts: 311
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    If you are exercising, I would recommend you dont do low carbs - do the RIGHT carbs. I stay away from anything wheat - even whole wheat. I use brown rice instead of white rice. You can google the carbs that keep you in the fat burning mode.

    I have known a few people who did the Atkins thing. Yes they lost weight, and yes they gained it all back and then some.
  • Blackthorne99
    Blackthorne99 Posts: 250 Member
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    Thank you so much! I think you have just help me solve my trigger for ibs!
    I have had the dr telling me I have ibs for years and yet I was never convinced. After looking into what you said, I checked out my foods and what has happened and when and you were 100% right! Its definately the ones ending itol that seem to be causing my problems

    Thanks again

    Jaycee x

    So glad I could help! It doesn't affect everyone (or at least not as strongly) so it's sometimes hard to track down because other people don't necessarily have the same reaction.

    It's amazing what you can learn out here on the internet (especially stuff you'd expect to hear from your doctors). My PCP just laughs when I walk in and ask about something strange and she's like "oh lord, what has she been googling now." (but in a kind way).

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