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Artificial Sweeteners
Replies
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Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them1 -
Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.13
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Eden_Goldie wrote: »I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them,
Is this a thing specific to you?
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If your body doesn't know how to process something, it excretes it.13
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Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Your body doesn't have to "know" anything. Our natural processes don't require any thoughts or preferences.10 -
I only have issues with Aspartame. Everytime I consume it I get very sick. I consume other sweeteners without issue. Sadly, aspartame is used a lot. In the UK, it's even worse as it's in non-diet beverages, which makes it harder for me as I need to be extra careful what treat I have when visiting there.
Although, to be totally honest, I've pretty much given up on artificial sweeteners. Most have a nasty aftertaste. If I want something sweet I have the real deal, just less, or plan for an extra treat. Not totally, but mostly.0 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.12 -
Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Most artificial sweetners are fully metabolized by your body. Things that are not metabolized are inert and will go right through you never actually entering your system. The only artificial sweetener I can think of that avoids metabolism is sucralose. Aspartame is fully metabolized.7 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
In my family we had to go through the FODMAP protocol and working with two doctors we were never told to cut out all artificial sweetners, there's was one or two on the list if I remember correctly, but we were still able to drink diet Coke etc.2 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
Sorry, I have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about.
I'm not using an alternate account! And nowhere did I say I have switched to Stevia. Neither did I say that sweeteners play havoc with my gut?
I think you are confusing me with someone else. I was answering your comment in which you questioned whether it is "all sweeteners" I was advised to avoid those which, as a general rule, end in ol.
I have no argument with you! And yes, sorry, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, apologies for the inaccuracy0 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
In my family we had to go through the FODMAP protocol and working with two doctors we were never told to cut out all artificial sweetners, there's was one or two on the list if I remember correctly, but we were still able to drink diet Coke etc.
I wasn't told that, either, I think it was only a few specific ones0 -
Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Just an FYI - if you have a dog be careful with xylitol. It’s amazingly poisonous for dogs... it really doesn’t take much and if you don’t catch it almost immediately there is nothing a vet can really do. We almost lost one last year and I’ve banned it from our house.8 -
jseams1234 wrote: »Eden_Goldie wrote: »Sometimes that artificial sweetener is what it takes to stop you going on a full-on sugar binge, and although neither are great for your body, I do think the odd "sugar free" item is a necessity. I do try to stay away from them as my body has no idea how to process them, and I am sure in most cases it would just prefer the sugar as it at least knows how to digest it...but once I have sugar I can't stop. In most cases I use xylitol, a natural sweetener which is amazing for your oral health and tastes identical to sugar when in hot drinks or baking.
Just an FYI - if you have a dog be careful with xylitol. It’s amazingly poisonous for dogs... it really doesn’t take much and if you don’t catch it almost immediately there is nothing a vet can really do. We almost lost one last year and I’ve banned it from our house.
Did not know this, so googled.
First site
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/xylitol-toxicity-in-dogs
So thank you for pointing this out.4 -
I discovered long ago that most artificial sweeteners just do not agree with me (I wouldn't want to be in an elevator trapped with me - LOL)! In my weight loss and maintenance journey, I just make allowances for sugars. I mostly use monk fruit but also coconut sugar in hot coffee and teas. I also use SugaVida (palmyra jaggery) which has a lot of vitamins and minerals as well in my coffee as it has a lovely back flavor of burnt sugar and caramel ... yum! As for sodas, I quit them all several years ago.
Artificial sweeteners affect everyone differently but I don't believe they are necessarily cancer causing. Make the choice that best suits your health and lifestyle. I think they taste like crap while others love it ... I could never get accustomed to the taste and it made my gut percolate so I abstained - no harm, no foul to anyone else!0 -
comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
Sorry, I have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about.
I'm not using an alternate account! And nowhere did I say I have switched to Stevia. Neither did I say that sweeteners play havoc with my gut?
I think you are confusing me with someone else. I was answering your comment in which you questioned whether it is "all sweeteners" I was advised to avoid those which, as a general rule, end in ol.
I have no argument with you! And yes, sorry, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, apologies for the inaccuracy
I'm confusing you with someone else because I felt like you answered my post to someone else as if I was talking to you directly so it was a bit confusing...I assumed incorrectly that you were the person I had responded to. Apologies for the misunderstanding sounds like we don't have a disagreement.3 -
rhtexasgal wrote: »I discovered long ago that most artificial sweeteners just do not agree with me (I wouldn't want to be in an elevator trapped with me - LOL)! In my weight loss and maintenance journey, I just make allowances for sugars. I mostly use monk fruit but also coconut sugar in hot coffee and teas. I also use SugaVida (palmyra jaggery) which has a lot of vitamins and minerals as well in my coffee as it has a lovely back flavor of burnt sugar and caramel ... yum! As for sodas, I quit them all several years ago.
Artificial sweeteners affect everyone differently but I don't believe they are necessarily cancer causing. Make the choice that best suits your health and lifestyle. I think they taste like crap while others love it ... I could never get accustomed to the taste and it made my gut percolate so I abstained - no harm, no foul to anyone else!
I don't necessarily doubt you had affects however I'll admit I am very skeptical when people just lump all artificial sweeteners together in one bucket as if they are all the same....they most definately are not. It would be very weird for any artificial sweetner to cause you symptoms given that the different artificial sweeteners out there are all very different from each other with their only unifying characteristic being sweetness. I find it hard to believe that sweetness itself would cause gastrointestinal distress especially if other sweet things like sugars do not.5 -
So I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year. My urologist told me to avoid artificial sweeteners as they are linked to bladder cancer. He said I can use stevia but avoid anything else.
(For the record, it’s believed that my bladder cancer was caused by endometriosis on my bladder causing my bladder to have chronic inflammation leading to cell changes that caused cancer).5 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »comptonelizabeth wrote: »Aaron_K123 wrote: »KrazyKrissyy wrote: »I used to until I got horrible stomach pains, gas, cramps, bloat, etc. Now I either consume pure stevia or regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on my intestines.
All artificial sweeteners? Just asking because the only thing that the artificial sweeteners currently on the market have in common is that they are sweet. Hard to picture the mechanism by which all of them would have the same effect despite their chemical disparity.
I suffer from ibd and was referred to a dietician who put me on the fodmap diet. *Some * sweeteners are high fodmap, meaning they cause gastrointestinal symptoms in some individuals. As a rule of thumb I was advised to avoid those ending in OL (eg sorbitol) It doesn't necessarily apply to all sweeteners and most people are OK with them
Since you are answering my post to KrazyKrissy like it is you I assume this is an alternate account for you.
All molecules containing alcohol -OH groups end in -ol, that includes a ton of things not related to artificial sweeteners. Plus the most common artificial sweeeteners, aspartame and sucralose, do not end in -ol. Sorbitol isn't an artificial sweetner it is a sugar alcohol that is naturally occurring. So it is a bit misleading to suggest that you were told to avoid artificial sweeteners because they wreaked havoc on your gut especially if you have gastrointestinal issues anyways.
Ironically you said you switched to Stevia which is the only commonly used substitute sweetener I am aware of baring sugar-alcohols like sorbitol or erythritol that does end in -ol....its active ingredient of Stevia is steviol. So if you were told to avoid things that end in -ol why would you choose the one sweetener that ends in -ol? Packaging probably says something like "Stevia Leaf Extract" but it is steviol....it would be like saying "Cane extract" instead of glucose.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steviol
If the issue is with the -ol somehow you'd be better off with sucralose or aspartame.
Sorry, I have absolutely NO idea what you are talking about.
I'm not using an alternate account! And nowhere did I say I have switched to Stevia. Neither did I say that sweeteners play havoc with my gut?
I think you are confusing me with someone else. I was answering your comment in which you questioned whether it is "all sweeteners" I was advised to avoid those which, as a general rule, end in ol.
I have no argument with you! And yes, sorry, sorbitol is a sugar alcohol, apologies for the inaccuracy
I'm confusing you with someone else because I felt like you answered my post to someone else as if I was talking to you directly so it was a bit confusing...I assumed incorrectly that you were the person I had responded to. Apologies for the misunderstanding sounds like we don't have a disagreement.
No worries, my apologies too. It does get confusing on threads like this where a number of people are addressing different issues!0 -
CharlieICURN wrote: »So I am 33 years old and was diagnosed with bladder cancer last year. My urologist told me to avoid artificial sweeteners as they are linked to bladder cancer. He said I can use stevia but avoid anything else.
(For the record, it’s believed that my bladder cancer was caused by endometriosis on my bladder causing my bladder to have chronic inflammation leading to cell changes that caused cancer).
Interesting. My uro-oncologist wanted me to watch out for carbonated drinks and caffeine in general while I recovered from the surgery to remove my lesions, but never mentioned any such link. Not something the Mayo Clinic considers a factor either: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bladder-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20356104.5 -
It has been my experience, after cutting out 3 to 4 bottles of diet pepsi a day, that after a week or so I noticed that I dont crave sweets as much as before.0
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