I quit artificial sweeteners!!!!
eimaj5575
Posts: 278 Member
Ok so I quit consuming artificial sweeteners 6 days ago. I had some pretty bad headaches but they seem to have passed now. Today I have felt different! I am eating my normal food but feeling so full and for so long today even being about to cut out normal snacks today. Is this from stopping artificial sweetners or just a fluke day?
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Replies
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Fluke day / placebo effect more than likely. Unless you have a sensitivity to sweeteners like stevia.13
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Depending on what the source of the artificial sweeteners was (sodas, I'm assuming), the likely cause of your headaches would be from reduced caffeine intake. The perceived fullness is a placebo effect, unless, as mentioned above, you have a medical issue or sensitivity to them.17
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I use Stevia without any side effects. Splenda gave me terrible headaches.0
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I clicked "Woo" and I didn't mean "woo-hoo".
Why did you quit them? Sugary drinks are bad for your teeth and no drinks is just sadness...19 -
gebeziseva wrote: »I clicked "Woo" and I didn't mean "woo-hoo".
Why did you quit them? Sugary drinks are bad for your teeth and no drinks is just sadness...
I know you didn't really mean that life is sad without diet soda, but that's how your words come across so I have to say that I don't find life without either kind of soda the least bit sad.
Studies have shown that for some people, artificial sweetener increases their appetite, so for these people, cutting that out can help them lose weight.14 -
Your Opinion, ksharma.... op... you do you..... though, I think the research does not back up what you are saying. We all have our own way of doing things.kshama2001 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »I clicked "Woo" and I didn't mean "woo-hoo".
Why did you quit them? Sugary drinks are bad for your teeth and no drinks is just sadness...
I know you didn't really mean that life is sad without diet soda, but that's how your words come across so I have to say that I don't find life without either kind of soda the least bit sad.
Studies have shown that for some people, artificial sweetener increases their appetite, so for these people, cutting that out can help them lose weight.7 -
Artificial sweeteners are really bad for you...gave me interstitial cystitis (bladder). I also have read it stimulates your appetite because your body is expecting sugar & not getting it. There is documentation that people don’t lose anymore weight. As a result I don’t even use Stevia except rarely. I didn’t see that you even mention diet soda, but if you do drink it, I like soda water with a squeeze of fresh lime and I make my own fresh ginger ale....small whiskey glass is only 27 calories! I’m not a big soda drinker but it’s a nice treat. Recipe: 3 cups of water, 1/3c sugar, 2” fresh ginger sliced in matchstick size. Boil for one hour till reduced in half. Place ice, heavy splash of ginger syrup and fill w/ soda water in glass. Add a squeeze of lime. Tastes a little different but you are getting all the healthy stuff from fresh ginger. Lasts about 2 weeks, 11-12 servings.47
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Artificial sweeteners are really bad for you...gave me interstitial cystitis (bladder). I also have read it stimulates your appetite because your body is expecting sugar & not getting it. There is documentation that people don’t lose anymore weight. As a result I don’t even use Stevia except rarely. I didn’t see that you even mention diet soda, but if you do drink it, I like soda water with a squeeze of fresh lime and I make my own fresh ginger ale....small whiskey glass is only 27 calories! I’m not a big soda drinker but it’s a nice treat. Recipe: 3 cups of water, 1/3c sugar, 2” fresh ginger sliced in matchstick size. Boil for one hour till reduced in half. Place ice, heavy splash of ginger syrup and fill w/ soda water in glass. Add a squeeze of lime. Tastes a little different but you are getting all the healthy stuff from fresh ginger. Lasts about 2 weeks, 11-12 servings.
There may be documentation (blogs, articles, etc) that people don't lose weight but there's not scientific studies showing causation. https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
I and many others have continued to enjoy diet sodas whilst losing weight. The reason they came up is because often people complain about headaches when quitting sodas and it's down to caffeine withdrawal.
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Artificial sweeteners are really bad for you...gave me interstitial cystitis (bladder). I also have read it stimulates your appetite because your body is expecting sugar & not getting it. There is documentation that people don’t lose anymore weight. As a result I don’t even use Stevia except rarely. I didn’t see that you even mention diet soda, but if you do drink it, I like soda water with a squeeze of fresh lime and I make my own fresh ginger ale....small whiskey glass is only 27 calories! I’m not a big soda drinker but it’s a nice treat. Recipe: 3 cups of water, 1/3c sugar, 2” fresh ginger sliced in matchstick size. Boil for one hour till reduced in half. Place ice, heavy splash of ginger syrup and fill w/ soda water in glass. Add a squeeze of lime. Tastes a little different but you are getting all the healthy stuff from fresh ginger. Lasts about 2 weeks, 11-12 servings.
Tell that to the 107lbs and counting that have come off relatively painlessly, while consuming diet pop on a daily basis.26 -
kshama2001 wrote: »gebeziseva wrote: »I clicked "Woo" and I didn't mean "woo-hoo".
Why did you quit them? Sugary drinks are bad for your teeth and no drinks is just sadness...
I know you didn't really mean that life is sad without diet soda, but that's how your words come across so I have to say that I don't find life without either kind of soda the least bit sad.
Studies have shown that for some people, artificial sweetener increases their appetite, so for these people, cutting that out can help them lose weight.
Yeah what makes anyone think bc I gave up artificial sweeteners that I went to sugary drinks? I’m drinking water and unsweet tea. Life’s not sad without soda. I gave them up bc I believe there were messing with my health. Plus I believe they do keep you hungry. I have not been hungry like normal which is probably why I have mistaken it for bing fuller longer. I’m actually just not hungry so I believe this is true. But only time will tell but either way I’m done with artificial sweeteners16 -
My life is sadder without soda. I'll say it. I've been drinking Dr. Pepper since I was 12. And Enjoying it. Quitting it for the rest of my life or only on special occasions takes away an enjoyable part of my life. Drinking diet lessens that sadness. It isn't the same, but people enjoy food. It brings them joy. For some people, soda brings them joy. That is okay. That is why there are diet sodas.18
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I gave them up a couple of years ago for the most part. I've found that I have a sensitivity to Aspartame and if consume it these days it gives me a headache and I feel quite bad for about a day or so. Eventually your palate changes and you don't miss the sweeteners. I never drank ice tea sweetened and these days coffee with half and half just tastes great to me. I've cut out a lot of sugar from my diet as well. That sweet taste is just so overwhelming I don't like it anymore aside from some fruit. Now a really great cup of coffee will bring more joy than any soda I've ever had...its amazing how one's tastes can change.1
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I started using stevia when I changed my diet and I've lost one pound a week for six months so it definitely doesn't interfere with weight loss and that was using MFP with a weekly goal of 0.5 lb loss. Not sure how that's happening as I almost always eat all of my calories and on rare occasion go over. Plus, if I exercise I eat those calories too. I also use Sweet n Low and Splenda on occasion. I am a sugaraholic, admittedly, and I knew if I was going to be able to stick with a more healthy diet I was going to have to do something to replace that. Maybe eventually I'll give it up. At least I'm not eating cookies and cake on a regular basis anymore.3
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ExistingFish wrote: »My life is sadder without soda. I'll say it. I've been drinking Dr. Pepper since I was 12. And Enjoying it. Quitting it for the rest of my life or only on special occasions takes away an enjoyable part of my life. Drinking diet lessens that sadness. It isn't the same, but people enjoy food. It brings them joy. For some people, soda brings them joy. That is okay. That is why there are diet sodas.
Drinking my daily can of Diet DP right now
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I guess I wasn’t really clear.....I see your point but a lot of the “scientific studies” are funded by the big food companies who don’t want you to know it’s bad for you....I wasn’t really trying to comment on the ability to lose weight, but that it may not help in the long run. However, I was trying to say how bad diet sodas are! Especially Diet Pepsi. Every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi or someone who drinks them everyday ( not the DM’s who may have to), they are the sickest....Dm, MS, bladder cancer, etc. ...& it’s the same diseases over & over.38
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I guess I wasn’t really clear.....I see your point but a lot of the “scientific studies” are funded by the big food companies who don’t want you to know it’s bad for you....I wasn’t really trying to comment on the ability to lose weight, but that it may not help in the long run. However, I was trying to say how bad diet sodas are! Especially Diet Pepsi. Every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi or someone who drinks them everyday ( not the DM’s who may have to), they are the sickest....Dm, MS, bladder cancer, etc. ...& it’s the same diseases over & over.
Why would Pepsi or Coke (big food companies) care if we buy regular or diet versions? Same $ for them.
Your last points, I won’t even bother. Others with more scientific knowledge I’m sure will weigh in.8 -
I think it's a positive change. I've tried to eat more naturally over the years and cut out Diet Coke completely and swapped Splenda for Stevia...however, I still eat plenty of artificial sweeteners and other fake stuff. I just need a little sweetness but don't usually feel like spending the calories on sugar or honey...2
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I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.22
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I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
What you're saying is pure fearmongering with no basis in science. Here's an analysis done by a molecular biologist who's not part of a "big food company": https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p124 -
I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
"Fake sweeteners" are all different chemical compounds, and most of them have been in the food supply for decades. If they were truly directly causing problems, there would be obvious statistical evidence showing that, and there's not. I would hope you are not suggesting that Diet Pepsi causes MS and cancer, as that would be incredibly irresponsible :huh:.
There are some anecdotes that sweeteners make some people hungry, but I and many others here have not experienced that, so if it happens, it isn't universal. Most studies show correlation (not causation) between sweeteners and obesity, which can be easily explained by something like folks who are already obese switching to diet soda as a half-hearted way to try and save calories.
And...
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1308408/why-aspartame-isnt-scary/p1
Anyway, to stay on topic... OP, I honestly don't think artificial sweeteners had anything to do with your issues, but if you now feel better and cutting them out works for you, I'm glad your doing well
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Ok so I quit consuming artificial sweeteners 6 days ago. I had some pretty bad headaches but they seem to have passed now. Today I have felt different! I am eating my normal food but feeling so full and for so long today even being about to cut out normal snacks today. Is this from stopping artificial sweetners or just a fluke day?
Maybe, maybe not. There has been some research done about artificial sweeteners and food reward pathways if you're interested in a read:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2892765/
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(16)30296-0?_returnURL=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1550413116302960?showall=true0 -
I guess I wasn’t really clear.....I see your point but a lot of the “scientific studies” are funded by the big food companies who don’t want you to know it’s bad for you....I wasn’t really trying to comment on the ability to lose weight, but that it may not help in the long run. However, I was trying to say how bad diet sodas are! Especially Diet Pepsi. Every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi or someone who drinks them everyday ( not the DM’s who may have to), they are the sickest....Dm, MS, bladder cancer, etc. ...& it’s the same diseases over & over.
I have a diet soda everyday sometimes twice a day and I have NONE of those issues. as for cancer anything can cause it,same with MS. MS is an immune system disorder. they dont even know what causes it but there are risk factors and diet soda isnt one of them https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/multiple-sclerosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20350269
internal cystitis- again no diet soda or artificial sweeteners noted https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/interstitial-cystitis/symptoms-causes/syc-203543578 -
Full disclosure: I do have (the mildest form of) bladder cancer. When he diagnosed me, my uro-oncologist only had one question for me: Are you a smoker? (I'm not).
I went in for a cystoscopy yesterday. While I was waiting, I was asked if I agreed to have my information shared with a research study looking at people with my condition over an extended period. I consented and a representative came up to me to ask a few questions. Again, did or do I smoke? Have I ever worked in an industry where I was exposed to certain strong chemicals (e.g. hairdressing, printing)?
At no time have diet drinks even been mentioned.
When I was recovering from surgery, I was told to reduce my caffeine intake while my bladder healed. Basically, "No more than one cup of coffee or tea, cut back on cola". Also no spicy food.
In other words, artificial sweeteners aren't even on the radar. And the American Cancer Society agrees: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/aspartame.html
Wrt your personal observation, I often see a lot of obese people working out, which leads me to conclude that exercise makes you fat. Correlation isn't causation.26 -
I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
you also cant say that diet pepsi caused that. what if you werent told that they drink diet pepsi yet had it? would you link one thing to another? like I said I drink diet drinks every day and have had NO issues the last several years since Ive drank them. anyone can get those types of cancers even those who do not drink diet sodas or ingest artificial sweeteners. many can be caused by other factors including being hereditary.
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estherdragonbat wrote: »Full disclosure: I do have (the mildest form of) bladder cancer. When he diagnosed me, my uro-oncologist only had one question for me: Are you a smoker? (I'm not).
I went in for a cystoscopy yesterday. While I was waiting, I was asked if I agreed to have my information shared with a research study looking at people with my condition over an extended period. I consented and a representative came up to me to ask a few questions. Again, did or do I smoke? Have I ever worked in an industry where I was exposed to certain strong chemicals (e.g. hairdressing, printing)?
At no time have diet drinks even been mentioned.
When I was recovering from surgery, I was told to reduce my caffeine intake while my bladder healed. Basically, "No more than one cup of coffee or tea, cut back on cola". Also no spicy food.
In other words, artificial sweeteners aren't even on the radar. And the American Cancer Society agrees: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-causes/aspartame.html
Wrt your personal observation, I often see a lot of obese people working out, which leads me to conclude that exercise makes you fat. Correlation isn't causation.
A friend/co-worker was diagnosed with bladder cancer. He's one of the healthiest people I've ever met. Eats no junk/treat food whatsoever (his standard joke is "I don't put that poison in my body!"), doesn't drink soda (diet or otherwise), doesn't use artificial sweeteners, eats lots of vegetables, runs every single day and strength trains several times a week, has a bodyfat percentage in the low teens and is built like a Greek god. During the holiday season when the office is full of cookies, cakes, candy, etc., he doesn't touch any of it - not even a taste. Yet it was him that got bladder cancer, not the rest of us who would go eat burgers, french fries and sodas at lunchtime while he was out running or at the gym.
Genetics has a lot more to do with cancer than any lifestyle choices, unless one chooses to do something ridiculous like sunbathing in a uranium bath.14 -
Genetics has a lot more to do with cancer than any lifestyle choices, unless one chooses to do something ridiculous like sunbathing in a uranium bath.
...while smoking1 -
I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
Correlation is not causation. Maybe you just see a lot of sick people in your job. And maybe a lot of people drink diet drinks. I don't really know what your job is.6 -
ExistingFish wrote: »I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
Correlation is not causation. Maybe you just see a lot of sick people in your job. And maybe a lot of people drink diet drinks. I don't really know what your job is.
Observing.2 -
I don’t think I was clear, I only meant weight loss may not be a reason to use them. What I was really trying to say is how bad fake sweeteners are for you. A lot of “scientific studies” are funded by big food companies. What you don’t hear as often are the health problems they cause. Not scientific, but a personal observation; is that every time I have a patient who insists on Diet Pepsi (excluding diabetics) or mentions they drink it every day are the always the sickest with multiple problems .....DM, MS, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, etc. and it’s the same diseases over & over.
repeating this doesn't make it any more true. why are you assuming it is the diet pepsi that caused their problems? probably lots of things they all do (i.e. drink water? watch television? own pets?) - as others said, correlation is not the same as causation.4
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