Artificial Sweeteners?

nicolepburgess91
nicolepburgess91 Posts: 82 Member
edited November 17 in Health and Weight Loss
I like sugar in my coffee. I can barely stomach it plain. But it adds more calories than I'd like to see. I'm looking into artificial sweeteners and I'm finding very conflicting information about its benefits/harmful effects.
I'm not looking for scientific data - but, rather personal experience stories.
Have artificial sweeteners helped you, or hurt you?
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Replies

  • Tacklewasher
    Tacklewasher Posts: 7,122 Member
    I know you said you don't want scientific data, but this thread has both and explains why you don't need to worry about aspartame from a health point of view. Just be warned it's 44 pages long.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1

    Personally, I don't drink a lot of diet drinks as I don't like the aftertaste I get. I've long ago learned to drink coffee black, no sweetener, so that's not been an issue for me for 30+ years. But I'll have a Coke Zero as mix with Crown, Diet tonic with Gin and my protein powder uses Stevia (which, once I got used to doesn't have an aftertaste for me).
    I drink more sparkling water than anything. I have a Sodastream machine for that.
  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Love them! I used to take my coffee with cream and sugar x 2 but now I've weaned myself to milk and Splenda. I rarely drink pop unless I'm out but if I do I would definitely rather a Coke Zero or a Fresca with whatever they use as a sweetener.
  • goodasgoldilox165
    goodasgoldilox165 Posts: 333 Member
    I think that artificial sweetners make me hungry... and they don't tast good. I've learned to love coffee and tea without sweetness - though used to like them with two or three spoons of sugar. It took a while but was worth it.
  • comeonnow142857
    comeonnow142857 Posts: 310 Member
    edited April 2017
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »
    Artificial sweeteners have always made me feel bloated and crappy...

    Can I ask you a question (one that even excludes most potential variables)? In what foods/drinks did you take them?



  • inertiastrength
    inertiastrength Posts: 2,343 Member
    Come to think of it broccoli and onions do that to me too!
  • KateTii
    KateTii Posts: 886 Member
    I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners, but only because for the majority of them, I can tell they aren't real sugar and taste different to me. Instead, I slowly dropped the amount of sugar I was adding to my tea/coffee and now it doesn't hurt at all to add my 1 sugar sachet into my black tea/coffee.

    You won't know how you feel about artificial sweeteners until you try them.

    For example, I don't like diet coke but pepsi max is great, both 0 calories with artificial sweeteners. I don't like the taste of one, love the taste of the other.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    KateTii wrote: »
    I'm not a fan of artificial sweeteners, but only because for the majority of them, I can tell they aren't real sugar and taste different to me. Instead, I slowly dropped the amount of sugar I was adding to my tea/coffee and now it doesn't hurt at all to add my 1 sugar sachet into my black tea/coffee.

    You won't know how you feel about artificial sweeteners until you try them.

    For example, I don't like diet coke but pepsi max is great, both 0 calories with artificial sweeteners. I don't like the taste of one, love the taste of the other.

    You can keep the Pepsi max... Blech! I'll have the diet coke. (but I'll leave the coke zero for someone else... Urgh!)
  • Seffell
    Seffell Posts: 2,244 Member
    Helped me a lot. I use them excessively as I drink a lot of warm drinks of all types and drink lots of diet carbonated drinks too.
  • glassofroses
    glassofroses Posts: 653 Member
    fascha wrote: »
    Come to think of it broccoli and onions do that to me too!

    They're foods that ferment in the gut/bowel and can cause irritation and therefore bloating. I was very sad to give up broccoli but my IBS thanked me for it.

    I use Canderel for my tea and drink caramel lattes from the Tassimo so they're already sweet enough. Diet Coke and diet Dr Pepper gives me tummy problems but I do okay with Diet Pepsi so I think it's just a case of what works for you.
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
    edited April 2017
    https://youtu.be/uA7Rr0HXvMY

    From Michael Greger nutritionfacts.org
  • JstTheWayIam
    JstTheWayIam Posts: 6,357 Member
    edited April 2017


    There is obviously a profit motive in convincing you all that there are no harmful effects associated with artificial sweeteners

    However, I fail to see what motive those who speak out against companies that manufacture these products could possibly have...

    Obesity, cancer, heart disease, depression, diabetes, have all been on the rise for decades now. All of your diet cupcakes and zero calories sodas have done nothing to help the matter

    In fact you could probably graph the rise in these conditions against the rise in sweeteners and find a direct correlation between the two...

    Or you can just think about it a little and ask yourself when did you first start to see light cupcakes and diet sodas on the market and ask yourself, gee when did the health of America really start to decline...
  • Unknown
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  • FreyasRebirth
    FreyasRebirth Posts: 514 Member
    My brother used to get a bad rash every time he ate chocolate, that doesn't mean chocolate is "terrible for you".

    If they make you feel bad, avoid them. Otherwise, it isn't a worry.
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