splenda- Sabatoge or not?

calabrdm
calabrdm Posts: 303 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
I just got done reading a book about the harm of artifical sweetner to our insulin levels. Has anyone cut is out of their diet? Did you see positive weight loss results?
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Replies

  • April0815
    April0815 Posts: 780 Member
    I don't use any artificial sweetners.
  • prohappy
    prohappy Posts: 30
    I've heard about this before, apparently it has adverse effects with arthritis as well. My grandmother is a health freak and had bad joint pains when she used it, she's stopped and feels a lot better.

    Just think, if it's not natural, it's not healthy.
  • Kanderson47
    Kanderson47 Posts: 110 Member
    Hey what was the name of that book you read??? Thanks!
  • calabrdm
    calabrdm Posts: 303 Member
    I read the Jillian Michael. Master your metabolism. Basically... it say only eat things that grow from the ground or from a mother. It is pretty informative.
  • Kendra7107
    Kendra7107 Posts: 122
    This is off topic a bit but I think one of the reasons I have been successful this time is I am eating more FRESH fruits and veggies. I am stopping at the grocery store and Farmer's Market a couple of times a week but it's worth it.

    Like many of you, I have tried different types of diets and cutting back, etc. I used to eat a lot of the packaged meals for lunch, can soups because they are low in calorie, etc. I was working hard but never losing anything. I think it was all the artificial stuff I was eating that hindered my progress. The only thing I am doing this time around is eating fresher.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    FYI, splenda was discovered when scientists were trying to find an eco friendly, child safe pest control spray. It has been linked to headaches, joint problems and increase in arthritic pain. You body does not recognize splenda or any other artificial sweetner as REAL and it gets stored in the liver, gall bladder etc. Your body also doesn't recognize it as sugar so you will continue to CRAVE sugary or starchy foods to get your insulin levels normal.

    The closer your food comes from the ORIGINAL source the better. There is nothing wrong with SUGAR, your body knows what to do with it and like all other real foods you need to eat it/ drink it in moderation. If you need more sugar than a daily allowance you are eating or drinking too many sugary foods to begin with and need to rethink your overall diet plan.
  • pattitricia85
    pattitricia85 Posts: 376
    i know this isn't true for everyone, and of course there are exceptions. But i noticed most of the people at my work that are overweight eat Lean Cuisine and Healthy choice frozen meals every day for lunch! I used to eat them all the time and i got so sick of them (and i NEVER lost weight when i ate them) I know a lot of people on here might eat them... they are conveniant and don't taste so bad.... not trying to offend anyone. But its just something i noticed at work
  • totallytasha
    totallytasha Posts: 134 Member
    I know my boyfriend doesn't touch aspertame. Makes him moodier than me :tongue:
  • Kanderson47
    Kanderson47 Posts: 110 Member
    Okay Im not using splenda anymore..........nothing in my coffee except creamer............:laugh:
  • paulamma1
    paulamma1 Posts: 544 Member
    I don't use any artificial sweetners.

    Ditto
  • Mlbnyy2
    Mlbnyy2 Posts: 16
    Okay Im not using splenda anymore..........nothing in my coffee except creamer............:laugh:

    I think I am with you on that I guess a half tablespoon of sugar if needed!!!!
  • mnichol
    mnichol Posts: 642
    I've haven't used splenda for a long time. I use Truvia. Try it, it tastes like sugar. So far there's no bad report about it. I only use it in my coffee in the morning.
  • JoyousMaximus
    JoyousMaximus Posts: 9,285 Member
    Other than the occasional diet coke (I don't like the taste of regular), I only have real sugar because if I don't want it enough to eat the full calories I don't want it that much. Besides, we are exposed to enough crap as it is why expose ourselves to extra willingly?
  • nancym
    nancym Posts: 49
    As a gastric bypass post-op I use Splenda in my day. I am familiar with over 23,000 post-ops at just one bariatric website where most every one uses Splenda daily. Some more than others.
    Unfortunately, it is common practice for one company to sponsor a "report" talking about how bad a certain product or all products are bad for us except theirs. This can create a hysteria for some. But most artificial sweeteners are safe to use in moderation. The only problem using too much might be explosive diarrhea...which is lesson enough for me.
    There is a protein powder company out there that essentially says the same thing. Use only our product or else...Yet doing bloodwork using my preference of high quality bariatric post-op protein powder proves I am doing
    things right. I will not suffer my health because I don't use theirs and theirs only.
    One of the important things about any lifestyle is to not overdo it with any one thing. Moderation and variety keeps us healthier than concentrating on just one thing. Even bariatric post-ops.
    Good luck
  • July24Lioness
    July24Lioness Posts: 2,399 Member
    As a gastric bypass post-op I use Splenda in my day. I am familiar with over 23,000 post-ops at just one bariatric website where most every one uses Splenda daily. Some more than others.
    Unfortunately, it is common practice for one company to sponsor a "report" talking about how bad a certain product or all products are bad for us except theirs. This can create a hysteria for some. But most artificial sweeteners are safe to use in moderation. The only problem using too much might be explosive diarrhea...which is lesson enough for me.
    There is a protein powder company out there that essentially says the same thing. Use only our product or else...Yet doing bloodwork using my preference of high quality bariatric post-op protein powder proves I am doing
    things right. I will not suffer my health because I don't use theirs and theirs only.
    One of the important things about any lifestyle is to not overdo it with any one thing. Moderation and variety keeps us healthier than concentrating on just one thing. Even bariatric post-ops.
    Good luck

    Duke University posted a study about splenda and how bad it is for you...........

    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    I think that it is a personal choice for everyone. You either believe it is a safe alternative or you don't.

    Personally, even stevia (truvia) has an unwanted after taste to me. I used to use a little stevia in my hot tea and now I go without any sweetner. Splenda gave me headaches, and as a severe seasonal allergy sufferer the last thing I needed was one more thing to trigger a headache or migraine.

    If you choose to use artificial sweetner you need to treat it like sugar and use it in moderation but I am still pro natural choices over scientifically created foods. Keep this in mind, the healthier a food claims to be the more unhealthy it becomes.

    Marketers get paid to tell us what we want to hear to drive us to purchase increasingly unhealthy products from our local grocers. Remember that too, next time you are purchasing over priced yogurt for it's "health" benefits........wasn't yogurt always healthy...sorry a bit off topic but you should get the point. :wink:
  • nobleps
    nobleps Posts: 95
    I have to say I use splenda a little. I like it with oatmeal in the morning. Compared to the addicting properties of sugar ...it ain't nothin! Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs. Especially as you get heavier or yoyo diet. Your body may just start storing it everytime you use , or especially over use it. I for one have to stay away from sugar...I don't want the taste to start the crave. :explode: I don't believe that a little bit of splenda is going to hurt you more than sugar.:flowerforyou:
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178
    I wish I could remember where I learned this but basically the study said that when you use artificial sweeteners, somehow your brain like wants more or real sugar. So you still end up going overboard somehow in the sugar department. Something to that effect.

    I think our bodies might have to work a little harder to digest/work the artificial stuff through our systems versus naturally occuring sugar.

    I think if you use artificial sweeteners in moderation you should be okay, it's probably the people who are taking in too much that are having the side effects.

    And again you have to see who is funding the study and look at how it is done, it could be the competition or a nonbiased form paying for it. Look at all of the sides and don't just take their word for it.

    I like Truvia, It is from the Stevia plant, so it is not artificial. I still need to research it more. I only use it with my green tea and only 1 packet for 1 cup. So I try not to overdo it and I am watching everything else I am eating for hidden added sugars.

    Natural sugar from fruits, veggies, dairy products I don't worry about. And taking in a lot of dietary fiber helps your body control the rate at which your body digests and or burns the sugar, I think.

    Just remember our bodies need some sugar to function, it is the first thing our bodies go to burn energy.

    I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

    Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

    Demetria
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178
    I read the Jillian Michael. Master your metabolism. Basically... it say only eat things that grow from the ground or from a mother. It is pretty informative.

    Just like with medical studies you have to find out where did she got that information from. Was it a reputable source, when was the study conducted and so on.

    Don't just take their word for it.

    Yes, the best things to eat are what God gave us in the first place but science has come a long way so there may be alternatives that would be good too.

    Demetria
  • Fieldsy
    Fieldsy Posts: 1,105 Member
    I used to be a splenda freak....love the stuff

    but just in case if it is really harmful, I cut it down a lot......still have it in my diet though

    use in moderation, like everything else
  • courtney_love2001
    courtney_love2001 Posts: 1,468 Member
    Artificial sweeteners are not stored in the liver. They are passed out of the body in urine or feces exactly because the body does not recognize them. Splenda is just chlorinated glucose--the body has no enzyme to cleave the chlorines off the sugar so it can be absorbed and used, so it simply passes. I have never experienced any bad side effects from using splenda or truvia (my fave!), but things affect everyone differently. I think it's pretty much a personal choice. I like it, but to each his own! :)
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
    Well like one other poster I have had gastric bypass and had to cut sugar to a minimum and I replaced it with sweet n low and splenda(I am allergic to nutrasweet so no blue packets anyway) I was having a hard time with hypoglycemia even when I was subbing with splenda. I read up on acid alkaline and found Xylitol which is all natural and not recognized by insulin and I have had no problems with my hypoglycemia in the year I have been using it (except when I go overboard with real white sugar) I also have no acid reflux or other stomach issues that I think the sweetners were causing. I ran out of xylitol back in the spring when my ordered got shipped to my old address by mistake and I had to hunt it down and I used sweet n low and splenda for a week and I thought I would die after that week I felt so sick. I carry my xylitol everywhere I go now and if I don't have it I drink my iced tea unsweetened when out because it is better than getting sick again. I also use blue agave nectar or just raw sugar when I have no xylitol. They are lower glycemic without the harmful side effects.

    Artificial sweetners are still recognized as something sweet by insulin so they cause an insulin output when ingested. So they still add to insulin resistence for diabetics and hypoglycemics.
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
    Here is some info on Xylitol if you are interested. It is a pretty comprehensive site.

    http://www.angelfire.com/az/sthurston/xylitol_natural_sweetener.html
  • Wecandothis
    Wecandothis Posts: 1,083 Member


    Duke University posted a study about splenda and how bad it is for you...........

    http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/09/splenda_study.html

    Hi Lioness! Do you have a link to that actual Duke study? Because that entire long article mentions a study that is being headed up by a man that is against Splenda, and will be announced in the future. The article itself explains the results of 'earlier' studies done on saccarine - not the newer sweeteners. My grandma ate saccarine, there have been a lot of newer artificial sweetners since then! (I'll be 50 next year) :)

    I'm a big fan of science, and scientific studies - if I can see the actual study. But I'm also a little skeptical when the research is being pushed forward by someone with their own agenda.
  • nobleps
    nobleps Posts: 95
    I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

    Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

    Demetria

    Sorry if you don't agree. I will have to find my book source on this chemical transition. But it is a falsehood to look at all the "reduced fat" and think you are okay to eat it. It is the carbs that will be stored as fat. I'll try to find my source. :D:flowerforyou:
  • nobleps
    nobleps Posts: 95


    I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

    Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

    Demetria

    You are so correct about too much of anything including fat and protein. I do have a sorce that tells about the chemical actions of refined sugars on our body. I will have to find it cause I believed it. Fruit sugar is better as long as it is in moderation. Thanks and I will do more research!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:
  • Amy_B
    Amy_B Posts: 2,317 Member
    I've haven't used splenda for a long time. I use Truvia. Try it, it tastes like sugar. So far there's no bad report about it. I only use it in my coffee in the morning.
    Same here! Truvia is cane sugar.
  • Nich0le
    Nich0le Posts: 2,906 Member
    http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

    that is all about splenda and how it will affect your liver and other parts of your body. It also mentions the way splenda was "discovered" which by itself should make you think twice about putting it into your body, not to mention it was "discovered" in 1979 and it has only been on the market for the last 11 years or so.


    As far as truvia goes, it is a better alternative, atleast it comes from a REAL plant, the stevia plant. It is not cane sugar but rather a plant that looks very similar to a peppermint plant like a small shrub. It is also known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf. It has 300 times the sweetness of regular sugar, which is why you need so little to satisfy, however it can have a bitter or licorice aftertaste if consumed in high quanitity. The stevia plant is dried and a water extraction process, eventually with a little work crystals are formed and used for a sugar subsitute.

    Stevia improves insulin sensitivity in rats and may even promote additional insulin producting helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome as well it may help reduce hypertension but there are no conclusive tests at this time.

    In other words if you are going to pick one, why not go with the more natural choice. Stevia has been used in Japan for 40 years to take place of previous artificial sweetners linked to cancer. The more natural your food source the happier your body and mind will be. :drinker:
  • AmyNVegas
    AmyNVegas Posts: 2,215 Member
    Noblefairy you are right to a point because the body converts any excess protein and other to glucose for storage in the fat cells using insulin as a storage helper.
  • Demetria
    Demetria Posts: 178


    I have to object to what noblefairy said "Sugar is what turns to fat on our bodies along with the simple carbs" I don't think that is totally accurate. Anything you eat more of than what your body uses/burns turns to stored fat i.e. protein, carbs, and of course fat. Sugar is a simple carb.

    Just wanted to clarify not to offend.

    Demetria

    You are so correct about too much of anything including fat and protein. I do have a sorce that tells about the chemical actions of refined sugars on our body. I will have to find it cause I believed it. Fruit sugar is better as long as it is in moderation. Thanks and I will do more research!:flowerforyou: :flowerforyou:

    Exactly natural sugar like from fruit is better for you and again in moderation, I'm so glad to have been able to help, it so much of a learning process nowadays with trying to eat right ,exercise and live healthy.

    We have to filter out all of the nonsense, misleading, misconstrued information to find the most accurate, up to date and non-biased information out there. And then we still have to figure out what exactly works for us individually to achieve our goals.

    Demetria
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