A REAL danger with Mio

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BJPCraig
BJPCraig Posts: 417 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, by now you've seen the "Mio is made out of antifreeze" hysteria. I don't buy it, and I don't think anyone else should, either. But that doesn't mean that Mio is completely without problems.

My wife & I have been using it for a couple of weeks, and have noticed a side effect that's VERY detrimental to weight loss. Drinking this sweeter beverage, instead of the water that we'd been used to, seems to have kicked our sweet-tooth taste buds into high gear. We've been craving sweets like crazy, which we hadn't done before using Mio. I've also read that some studies have indicated that many artificial sweeteners (like those in Mio) have an almost addictive quality to them: The more of them you ingest, the more sweet stuff you want! I have a feeling that may be going on here, too.

So, when we are done with the current batch of Mio that we have in the cupboard, we are done with Mio. Instead, I'm making our own flavored water, as others have suggested. Right now in the fridge, I have a glass pitcher full of filtered water to which I've added slices of apple, cucumber, and lime. Maybe not as convenient, but I'm sure it's much healthier...
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Replies

  • jg627
    jg627 Posts: 1,221 Member
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    I've never even heard of it before. Usually if I have plain water or tea I just throw a slice of lemon or a splash of lemon juice in. I guess I'm just a sourpuss.
  • Soltari675
    Soltari675 Posts: 21 Member
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    I've used Mio for about a year now. In fact it is ALL I drink, is Mio flavored water. Maybe I am lucky but it doesn't phase me. If I get a sweet tooth, I find apples fix that.
  • emnk5308
    emnk5308 Posts: 736
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    I tried the generic version of the energy.. So I could have my caffeine with no calories.. =/ I don't like it.
  • celebrity328
    celebrity328 Posts: 377 Member
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    Ive noticed certain sweetners cause me to want to eat more sweets etc like you said. Im not sure if its the sweetner or me, I really crave sugar and had a real hard time kicking that problem.

    I really like that idea of using fruit/veggies to "add" to water Im going to have to try that one!
  • trinitrate
    trinitrate Posts: 219 Member
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    That is a common side effect for many people when eating artificial sweetners. It doenst happen to everyone, but it is one of the theories that suggests that drinking diet sodas (or MIO type add-ins) might actually cause weight gain due to it changing your cravings.

    If you're aware of it, and manage it I think they can still be OK, but if you're having issues controlling it, probably best to drop them.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
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    I drink 12-14 cups of water a day, almost exclusively with MIO for over a year, and I have noticed no increase in my "sweet tooth". If anything it's less. I really have zero craving for anything sweet, ever.
  • mommachef
    mommachef Posts: 52
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    Try using True Lemon instead. They also have lime, orange, and grapefruit. It's natural crystallized fruit--no artificial sweeteners.
  • LittleNicci
    LittleNicci Posts: 284 Member
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    Been using Mio (or the off brand) for about 6 months and Ive found that when I get a sweet tooth a piece of fruit or a smoothie satisfies me whereas before I had to have chocolate. Now chocolate is a luxury that I indulge in sparingly
  • Saffyra
    Saffyra Posts: 607 Member
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    Luckily, i have been using Mio for quite awhile and have not experienced this sort of thing at all.

    ETA: True Lime and True Lemon are also great tasting in water!
  • FooFatFighters
    FooFatFighters Posts: 37 Member
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    I've been adding Mio to my water to make it taste better, granted I probably use half the strength they recommend. I haven't had extra cravings for sweet stuff. I've been dropping at least 2 pounds a week. I'm doing keto and have been in ketosis no problem. But everyone is different and others may have a problem with any artificial sweeteners. For me, nope.
  • BR3ANDA
    BR3ANDA Posts: 622 Member
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    I havnt tried Mio, but I do drink Crystal Light, 2-4 liters a day. Since I have changed my diet, I really dont have any sweet cravings, but I do notice, that if I happen to indulge in some sweets that I do have craving for a few days following.

    I have a question for the OP, if you think the MIO is causing your cravings, then why are you going to wait until you use it up before you stop using it, why dont you just toss it out now? If you have unopened bottles, you can probably return them to the grocery store, any opened bottles, to me, wouldnt be worth drinking if you believe thats the cause.
  • moonowl23
    moonowl23 Posts: 43 Member
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    Tried Mio once and didn't like it (the black tea one)... I drink crystal light to go sticks and also Lipton iced green tea mix honey and lemon sticks (also to go)... otherwise I drink loads of herbal teas when I am sick.

    Edit: Of course I drink plain water, also from the UK you can get no added sugar squash which you add to water and I would drink one glass of that a day too...
  • TNFirefly
    TNFirefly Posts: 169 Member
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    I love mio, and I drink loads of water when I use it. I just ran out and added an entire tub of crystal light generic into the bottle and mixed it with water to the top and am using it tonight.

    If you have issues with incontinence, artificial sweeteners are not your friend. Neither is not drinking water. When I stop drinking water completely, mio or the crystal lights or other water flavors are a great way to get back to drinking water. Then I gradually reduce the flavor until I am back to drinking it straight or with a little real lemon juice. I know water drinking boosts the weight loss and the weight loss reduces the incontinence issues, as does drinking lots of water.

    I'm blathering....that's what you get at 1am! LOL. anyway, I love the taste, it causes problems but as a tool to get me drinking water instead of soda it can't be beat. I have the blueberry lemonade and it lasted me about 2-3 months.
  • FooFatFighters
    FooFatFighters Posts: 37 Member
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    On Reddit one person mentioned that if you use up the little bottle of Mio, rinse it out, put two of the tubs of Crystal Light into it (yes, those tubs that make a pitcher) and add water. Now all you have to do is squeeze a little bit of the mixture into a glass of water. Cheaper than buying Mio, though it does have a few more carbs than Mio due to the filler material to bulk up the powder. I tried it and it works. Oh, the other post beat me to it. Crystal Light also makes a version called 'Pure' which uses Truvia as the sweetener.
  • Josie_lifting_cats
    Josie_lifting_cats Posts: 949 Member
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    I won't even try Mio because of the artificial sweetners. And I'm usually not a food snob, but I'm just not interested.

    Target sells a strawberry dragonfruit mix under their brand name that is sweetened with Truvia - love it. I also am very into the Starbucks Refreshers line, although in general I prefer the Target stuff. Lower calorie, tastes awesome, and I don't seem to crave anything because of it. I just use it when I know I need to drink more water but am not motivated to do so.
  • thinnnnnnner
    thinnnnnnner Posts: 89
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    I wish more people would educate themselves about artificial sweeteners and just how bad they are for the human body...

    In my eyes it's an absolute crime that these products are even available for purchase.
  • Lozze
    Lozze Posts: 1,917 Member
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    I wish more people would educate themselves about artificial sweeteners and just how bad they are for the human body...

    In my eyes it's an absolute crime that these products are even available for purchase.

    Well the fact that there is no credible evidence of them being bad.
  • laus_8882
    laus_8882 Posts: 217 Member
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    I wish more people would educate themselves about artificial sweeteners and just how bad they are for the human body...

    In my eyes it's an absolute crime that these products are even available for purchase.

    By educate you mean read some biased blog posts and watch a few videos on Youtube, right? I wish people would stop harping on about the need for others to become educated in a particular subject when what they really mean is they want for their views to be seen as fact. While I've much regard for autodidacts, it's not possible to educate yourself to a standard sufficient to determine whether or not artificial sweeteners are in fact going to kill you and dance on your bones.

    That said, artificial sweeteners don't set off cravings for me but I don't particularly care for the taste. If you want something sweet, why not dilute juice in water at, say, a 10 to 1 ratio? Sure there are calories, but not that many, and you're not tasting artificial fruit/cola flavours for hours afterward. Or get creative and purée fresh fruit (berries, melon, pears, pineapple, etc), freeze in an ice cube tray and pop one or two into a tall large glass and fill with water. As the fruit cubes melt you get a hint of sweetness in your drink.
  • kyle4jem
    kyle4jem Posts: 1,400 Member
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    I'd never heard of MiO before and having googled it, I can see it's a "water enhancer" manufactured and distributed by Kraft.

    So essentially, it's no different from a cordial although it appears to come in unusual flavours and is sweetened by Sucralose.

    To the OP why is there a "REAL danger with Mio"? Just because it contains Sucralose? All the scaremongering that is done in the name of this, that or the other on MFP without any peer-reviewed evidence to back up any of these spurious and purely anecdotal claims is not very responsible.

    I'm sorry that you seem to have this reaction to using Mio insofar as you crave sweet things, but it's far from a universal reaction.
  • murphy612
    murphy612 Posts: 734 Member
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    Try using True Lemon instead. They also have lime, orange, and grapefruit. It's natural crystallized fruit--no artificial sweeteners.

    Grapefruit? I haven't seen that one, sounds good :)

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