Artificial Sweeteners?

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Replies

  • KosmosKitten
    KosmosKitten Posts: 10,476 Member
    Oh my, definitely helped! I switched from regular sodas to diet so that I could have normal coffee creamers from time to time (don't drink coffee every day) or a sweet treat (chocolate or a homemade cookie/muffin) from time to time.

    I thought I wouldn't be able to stomach the taste of sucralose and aspartame, but honestly? It's not so bad and has allowed me to eat more food to meet my goals. :)
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    Truvia is the absolute best tasting but it's pretty expensive. I use way too much of it lol

    I find it really bitter. I prefer sucralose.
  • AgidGirl
    AgidGirl Posts: 138 Member
    I really like Stevia in my coffee and tea! I used to use Splenda but I decided I prefer Stevia (tastes less chemically to me).
  • RAinWA
    RAinWA Posts: 1,980 Member
    edited April 2017
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »

    Do you really think companies like Coca-Cola give a damn about you... No they don't, diet soda is just a scam to take more of your money as cheaply as they can...

    Just like every other business on the planet? That's kind of why they do business you know - to make a profit.
  • samuelgina91
    samuelgina91 Posts: 158 Member
    Just depends on amount for me. I like the occasional artificially or even naturally sweetened item but in excess (>2 items a day) especially with the no sugar added jello, candies, and cookies, and even Slimfast I can get either a lot of digestive issues and/or really bad headaches.
  • dfwesq
    dfwesq Posts: 592 Member
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »

    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...
    There's a ton of wacky health advice out there, and it's hard to say what the motive for that is. Paranoia, maybe?
    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...
    The increase in the use of sugar and corn sweetener has also risen dramatically. And both of those are used far more often than other sweeteners. If I were looking for a culprit for weight gain, I'd look there first.
  • mph323
    mph323 Posts: 3,563 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    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!)

    I keep 12 packs in my fridge - come on over some time :)

    I put splenda in my coffee and tea, which I drink pretty much all day long. I'd probably have 400 calories worth of sugar daily otherwise.
  • nicolepburgess91
    nicolepburgess91 Posts: 82 Member
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »
    To the original poster...

    Learn to live without the sweeteners, you don't need them. They're just a crutch, soda and refined sugars are terrible for you whether artificial or not...

    Do you really think companies like Coca-Cola give a damn about you... No they don't, diet soda is just a scam to take more of your money as cheaply as they can...

    Honestly, I've been scrolling past the entire debate. But this post caught my eye. So I went back and read a few of your posts. It's occurred to me that you have assumed since the beginning that my question of artificial sweeteners was due to the desire for sodas.
    I don't drink sodas. The carbonation makes me feel bloated and I'm not sure if it makes me retain water or what - but diet soda or otherwise, my weight goes up. I have cut sodas out entirely and I'm lucky enough to not miss it at all.
    Like another poster, I crave hot beverages. They help me to feel fuller for longer. I just can't handle them without some sweetening. So, because I do miss hot drinks I've purchased Truvia and so far I'm enjoying it.
    Most of your bullet points you've made have been based on the assumption I was referring to soda. No. Diet sodas are not "good" for you. But, like anything else, in moderation they can be okay. Soda and tea/coffee are two completely different topics.
  • comeonnow142857
    comeonnow142857 Posts: 310 Member
    dfwesq wrote: »
    The increase in the use of sugar and corn sweetener has also risen dramatically. And both of those are used far more often than other sweeteners. If I were looking for a culprit for weight gain, I'd look there first.

    Rather than stuff with no energy in them, or the decline of pirates? Are you mad?
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.

    Natvia is erythritol... Coles and woolies have it.
  • JaxxieKat
    JaxxieKat Posts: 427 Member
    nicolepburgess91 wrote: »
    Have artificial sweeteners helped you, or hurt you?

    Helped. I use Stevia in my morning coffee. Shaved about 80 calories off my daily calories that I would rather put toward a snack, like some hummus and veggies. I also enjoy the occasional Diet Pepsi.

  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    livingleanlivingclean wrote: »
    Christine_72 wrote: »
    I can't find truvia or ethyrol anywhere here, so I've settled on xylitol. It does have calories, but not as much as sugar, and it also has health benefits. My dentist made me aware of it.

    Natvia is erythritol... Coles and woolies have it.

    Well bugger me! Thankyou for letting me know :smile:

  • eggdev
    eggdev Posts: 28 Member
    edited April 2017
    Try a little bit of each one and find the best one for you. I like aspartame in Coke Zero - not a bad alternative to real Coke. In hot drinks I don't like any of them - they all have a weird after taste. I learned to enjoy coffee black. If you can't do that, just adjust your calories to account for the sugar. A teaspoon of sugar only has 16 calories - not that much, even if you put 2 or 3.
    I found out Xylitol gives me a headache.
  • briohne128
    briohne128 Posts: 176 Member
    Sweeteners aren't really a issue for me because I don't drink fizzy or have hot drinks on a daily basis. When I do have tea, I do have one sweetener and when I have fizzy, I always go for Coke Zero and I've had no issues! My co worker says they are bad for you but I feel great (no health problems or headaches). Sweeteners to me taste the same as sugar in hot drinks just without the calories so sweeteners are the way forward! :smile:
  • Coyla
    Coyla Posts: 444 Member
    I've been told artificial sweeteners are gonna kill me for years now. I've never experienced any adverse effects, however, no bloating, weight gain, or cravings for sweets. I prefer good old fashioned Sweet n Low. I use it in moderation, though, just in case. I can't handle full sugar soda. It's way too rich. So I have 1 or 2 diet sodas a week, and maybe a tea here and there. Type II Diabetes will kill me way before those artificial sweeteners will.
  • Ming1951
    Ming1951 Posts: 433 Member
    nicolepburgess91 wrote: »
    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?

    I use stevia in y coffee or tea, 1 packet. I've been using it for a long time even before I actually was counting the calories. I did cut out my french vanilla cream as that actually added aloof cal/carbs for me overall. Now I can say after 7 months I don't want it or even like it anymore.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    sheermomentum wrote: »
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    Truvia is the absolute best tasting but it's pretty expensive. I use way too much of it lol

    If you have an Aldi available, they also sell a generic version of this for a lot less.

    Ignoring all the mumbo-jumbo claims above; this is the best information I have read so far. Off to Aldi I go.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    nicolepburgess91 wrote: »
    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?

    Helped me reduce calories, but I prefer Stevia.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »
    Artificial sweeteners have always made me feel bloated and crappy...

    Avoid them at all cost, there terrible for you...

    They might be terrible for you, but they are not terrible in general. ;)
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    filbo132 wrote: »
    You'll be fine with artificial sweeteners as long as your whole diet consists of drinking just stuff with artificial sweeteners.

    I don't understand this statement.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    JstTheWayIam wrote: »
    To the original poster...

    Learn to live without the sweeteners, you don't need them. They're just a crutch, soda and refined sugars are terrible for you whether artificial or not...

    Do you really think companies like Coca-Cola give a damn about you... No they don't, diet soda is just a scam to take more of your money as cheaply as they can...

    The is good old-fashioned fear mongering, and certainly not a fact.

    Anybody who sells a product wants your money, and CC is no different.
  • PrincessMel72
    PrincessMel72 Posts: 1,094 Member
    I personally can't stand artificial sweeteners in my coffee so I find a way to fit the sugar into my daily calorie count. I do like Stevia in things like my oatmeal and tea though. For some reason, coffee just doesn't taste right to me without regular sugar
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    edited April 2017
    MalkinMagic71 wrote: »
    My coke zero has aspartame in it.. I drink at least 2 cans of that stuff a day, sometimes more. I've lost 200+lbs.. and all of my health markers are great. It helped me by still allowing me to get the taste of a coke, without the calories that I would get if I drank a regular coke. You can pry my coke zero/cherry coke zero from my cold dead hands.

    I've been drinking artificially sweetened beverages since they were first introduced. My grandfather was a diabetic and he stocked his refrigerator with Tab and Fresca (sweetened with saccharin) back in the 60's.

    Aspartame was a revelation in good taste compared to that, but I loved the bubbles in soda and enjoyed the Tab and Fresca back then.

    I like them all, though Stevia has a bit of an aftertaste and I don't like the cooling affect that erythritol and xylitol seem to have in the mouth.

    I really think the debate about artificial sweeteners is all just silly fear mongering, and will continue to use them.

    Am I the picture of health? Not entirely. I suffer with several autoimmune illnesses. Funny thing, that.

    So did my great-grandmother. She had the very same ones I have.

    A diet soda never passed her lips.
  • cbelc2
    cbelc2 Posts: 762 Member
    Revisit the plain coffee. Hot and freshly brewed, it's actually wonderful. At Starbucks get a black Americana. It's a latte made with water instead of milk.
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