Aspartame in diet sodas causes diabets and weight gain?!

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Replies

  • catnyxx
    catnyxx Posts: 35 Member
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    people are quoting articles form journals that are peer reviewed, not funded by biased companies...
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucralose is made from a sugar molecule (sucrose, IIRC) that has one of its Carbon atoms replaced by a chlorine atom. Aspartame is a bipeptide, made from two amino acids (remember, those are the building blocks of proteins).

    Of the two, aspartame has been around longer and so has been studied more extensively. There is no evidence that either is harmful in moderation. IMO, sucralose tastes awful, so I stick with aspartame.
    Carlos_421 wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    not all of the diet pepsi, some have aspartame and others dont. some have a combo.The silver label is aspartame free

    You're right. Cherry and regular diet Pepsi is aspartame free, it says it on the can. :) Thank you for clarifying!

    I thought that was short lived and that they're back to aspartame?

    Sadly, no, as far as I can tell. They have a "classic sweetener blend" of Diet Pepsi, which is aspartame, but the rest is still suckralose sucralose.

    And for my taste buds I prefer sucralose and aspartame tastes bitter. Aspartame also is a migraine trigger for me, so I stick with sucralose or sugar alcohols. But I have to be really careful with sugar alcohols.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    edited September 2017
    catnyxx wrote: »
    For anyone quoting medicle articles there's lots of paid studies by biased companies out there...

    I would say if you're not getting the results you want, cut out artificial sugars for 2 weeks and see if that helps. Every body is different :)

    every body is different, but there are no bodies that gain weight on a 0 calorie sweetener.

    As much as everyone wants to believe that bold, it's really not that true. Almost everything can be quantified into a statistical range that is fairly tight (i.e., metabolic rates). And yes, I do realize this is a bit pedantry. So sorry for that.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    There was a blurb on the radio this morning that they're doing a segment later today on aspartame and cancer/digestive issues and health concerns... I don't think the controversy surrounding aspartame is ever going to die down.
  • cmtigger
    cmtigger Posts: 1,450 Member
    There was a blurb on the radio this morning that they're doing a segment later today on aspartame and cancer/digestive issues and health concerns... I don't think the controversy surrounding aspartame is ever going to die down.

    It seems to live in the same realm as the HPV vaccine.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.

    I'd have to go back and check to be positive, but I'm pretty sure sucralose is different from the sugar alcohols. Will try to follow up later (when I don't have a kid waiting for math help, lol)
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.

    I'd have to go back and check to be positive, but I'm pretty sure sucralose is different from the sugar alcohols. Will try to follow up later (when I don't have a kid waiting for math help, lol)

    Sucralose is NOT a sugar alcohol.

    Sucralose is sucrose (sugar) that has been modified by adding a chlorine atom; which is supposed to make it unable to be digested by humans. I've heard that some people are able to absorb it anyway, but I haven't been able to verify that. I know I don't convert sucralose to glucose, despite that I absorb some sugar alcohols. I would know because I have type 1 diabetes and use a continuous glucose monitor. I would notice the effect on BG, if any.
  • mathjulz
    mathjulz Posts: 5,514 Member
    edited September 2017
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.


    I know wikipedia isn't the ideal source, but it does show diagrams of the sucralose molecule and has some interesting information on its "discovery" as a sweetener. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose. It is a saccharide (sugar) molecule with chlorine in 3 locations actually.
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.

    I'd have to go back and check to be positive, but I'm pretty sure sucralose is different from the sugar alcohols. Will try to follow up later (when I don't have a kid waiting for math help, lol)

    Sucralose is NOT a sugar alcohol.

    Sucralose is sucrose (sugar) that has been modified by adding a chlorine atom; which is supposed to make it unable to be digested by humans. I've heard that some people are able to absorb it anyway, but I haven't been able to verify that. I know I don't convert sucralose to glucose, despite that I absorb some sugar alcohols. I would know because I have type 1 diabetes and use a continuous glucose monitor. I would notice the effect on BG, if any.

    As mentioned above, it's not that sucralose is indigestible, it's that it is so sweet that the amount used of actual sweetener is very small (most of what is in your packet of Splenda is binding agents or fillers, not the sweetener itself). So what is used is insignificant in affecting BG or insulin response.
  • T1DCarnivoreRunner
    T1DCarnivoreRunner Posts: 11,502 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.


    I know wikipedia isn't the ideal source, but it does show diagrams of the sucralose molecule and has some interesting information on its "discovery" as a sweetener. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose. It is a saccharide (sugar) molecule with chlorine in 3 locations actually.
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.

    I'd have to go back and check to be positive, but I'm pretty sure sucralose is different from the sugar alcohols. Will try to follow up later (when I don't have a kid waiting for math help, lol)

    Sucralose is NOT a sugar alcohol.

    Sucralose is sucrose (sugar) that has been modified by adding a chlorine atom; which is supposed to make it unable to be digested by humans. I've heard that some people are able to absorb it anyway, but I haven't been able to verify that. I know I don't convert sucralose to glucose, despite that I absorb some sugar alcohols. I would know because I have type 1 diabetes and use a continuous glucose monitor. I would notice the effect on BG, if any.

    As mentioned above, it's not that sucralose is indigestible, it's that it is so sweet that the amount used of actual sweetener is very small (most of what is in your packet of Splenda is binding agents or fillers, not the sweetener itself). So what is used is insignificant in affecting BG or insulin response.

    I believe we agree - or maybe not, but let's clarify some things: There is a difference between something passing through vs. being absorbed first and then excreted unchanged vs. being absorbed and digesting, converting to glucose, or storing as fat.

    In the case of sucralose, most just passes through. A small amount (10%-15%) is temporarily absorbed by cells and then excreted unchanged. It doesn't get permanently absorbed, digested, converted to glucose, or stored.

    Unless you actually believe that sucralose becomes glucose, we are saying the same thing. The only difference is that you are adding in the trivial point that it doesn't all just go straight through us without stopping at Go and without collecting $200... a small amount goes through in a less direct route.
  • CyberTone
    CyberTone Posts: 7,337 Member
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.


    I know wikipedia isn't the ideal source, but it does show diagrams of the sucralose molecule and has some interesting information on its "discovery" as a sweetener. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sucralose. It is a saccharide (sugar) molecule with chlorine in 3 locations actually.
    mathjulz wrote: »
    mathjulz wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    tayusuki wrote: »
    catnyxx wrote: »
    Diet Pepsi uses Sucralose which is a derivative of sugar (pretty sure). But is aspartame free now. I treat myself to roughly 2 diet pops a week, depending. I just started though lol.

    Sucrose is the sugar. Sucralose doesn't affect blood sugar though.

    I know what sucrose is, sucralose is in sugar free foods. Sucralose is derived from sugar (Sucrose) is calorie free and does not affect blood sugar. Sucralose is also branded as Splenda.

    I'm going to pedantic for a moment.

    Sucralose is, technically still a sugar and has 4 calories per gram. But it is super sweet, so one only needs such a small amount that the calories are basically insignificant. As a bipeptide (protein), aspartame also has 4 calories per gram, but again is sweet enough that the calories are considered insignificant.

    I think sucralose is a sugar alcohol and non-digestible. It passes through.

    I'd have to go back and check to be positive, but I'm pretty sure sucralose is different from the sugar alcohols. Will try to follow up later (when I don't have a kid waiting for math help, lol)

    Sucralose is NOT a sugar alcohol.

    Sucralose is sucrose (sugar) that has been modified by adding a chlorine atom; which is supposed to make it unable to be digested by humans. I've heard that some people are able to absorb it anyway, but I haven't been able to verify that. I know I don't convert sucralose to glucose, despite that I absorb some sugar alcohols. I would know because I have type 1 diabetes and use a continuous glucose monitor. I would notice the effect on BG, if any.

    As mentioned above, it's not that sucralose is indigestible, it's that it is so sweet that the amount used of actual sweetener is very small (most of what is in your packet of Splenda is binding agents or fillers, not the sweetener itself). So what is used is insignificant in affecting BG or insulin response.

    I believe we agree - or maybe not, but let's clarify some things: There is a difference between something passing through vs. being absorbed first and then excreted unchanged vs. being absorbed and digesting, converting to glucose, or storing as fat.

    In the case of sucralose, most just passes through. A small amount (10%-15%) is temporarily absorbed by cells and then excreted unchanged. It doesn't get permanently absorbed, digested, converted to glucose, or stored.

    Unless you actually believe that sucralose becomes glucose, we are saying the same thing. The only difference is that you are adding in the trivial point that it doesn't all just go straight through us without stopping at Go and without collecting $200... a small amount goes through in a less direct route.

    The thing about using Splenda and its generic equivalent is the delivery method. If you use the liquid version (sucralose suspended in water) there is very little sucralose consume and minimal absorption. If you use the dry version (packets or spoonable), the binding agents are either maltodextrin or dextrose. Both maltodextrin and dextrose are carbohydrates and can be absorbed by the body. Normally the amount of binders consumed in the course of one meal should not be a significant amount that would cause an adverse response. I am not sure about diet soda, but I would guess that manufacturers use only the liquid version of sucralose, so there is minimal absorption.