Are You still using Sweeteners?
By ShepherdSpy
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
Omagh, Northern Ireland
January 13, 2012 7:14pm CST
A radio discussion on food and health mentioned how Sweeteners in food and drinks fool your tastebuds (and your digestive system) into thinking sugar's coming in,making it respond accordingly... the only thing is,it triggers insulin production too,so that instead of being ready to process sugar and not getting any,the insulin then causes your blood sugar to drop,making you crave sugar all over again,whereupon you feel the need to eat or drink again,likely countering the purpose of sweeteners as a weight loss aid..in fact,this is more likely to continue a cycle of weight gain leading to obesity...What do You think of this reasoning? Do You use sweeteners or low cal foods? Do these Diet products work for You?
3 people like this
8 responses
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
14 Jan 12
hi shepardspy forgive me but this crap about sweeteners being horrible and evil and killers is just so much hooey.snopes it if you do not believe me. I am a diabetic and the only way I can enjoy a soft drink or a bowl of ice cream is if its sweetened with non caloric splenda. most all diabetics use these and they make our
lives much more pleasant too.For all the garbage against them there is also proof its just lay peoples idea of making money off of spouting nonsense about sugar free sweeteners.even the tests they spout off about show it would take sugar free sweeteners in the
amount of the size of an elephant to do any harm at all to a human being. and nobody with common
sense is going to drink say one thousand cans of diet soda in any one day.
sense is going to drink say one thousand cans of diet soda in any one day.2 people like this
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
14 Jan 12
Thanks for responding,Hatley-Always good to hear from someone who'd use them on a regular basis who'd know what it's like living with them!
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
14 Jan 12
I can understand your position Hately, how would you have anything sweetened if it weren't for artificial sweeteners. But I also have a question, with you not getting the calories from your sweetener (as Dr. Oz says is the problem with using these sweeteners to lose weight), do you find yourself eating more/drinking more than you normally would? Or do you add calories in other ways?
I used Splenda once to sweeten my coffee, and although it tasted just like my normal coffee I could tell something was missing...this was before the Dr. Oz episode I saw. Yeah there is nothing wrong with actually using the sweeteners, but trying to cut back on sugar by using these sweeteners to lose weight doesn't work, and after the coffee thing I can see why for myself.
@ShepherdSpy (8544)
• Omagh, Northern Ireland
14 Jan 12
I did check out Snopes for results on sweeteners...They didn't list anything for adverse results on Humans,but they regard it as true that dogs blood sugar levels can crash as a result of them eating "xylitol" containing products (the example given was a dog that ate sugar free gum...)
@lifes97 (884)
• United Arab Emirates
14 Jan 12
i like sweeteners like sugar and eveyrhing else, who can drink tea or even eat chocolate if there is no sugar in them, its a must, why to deprive your self from a nice taste, if its because arificail then a small amount is not harmful and not proven to be hurt
2 people like this
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
14 Jan 12
Although the sweeteners don't hurt themselves, they make it difficult to just have a "small amount" As Dr. Oz stated, these artificial sweeteners don't have any calories in them like sugar does. The body makes you crave more sweets, trying to get the calories it expected the first time. So you end up eating more making you big anyway.
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
14 Jan 12
I, sometime ago, gave up the use of Artificial Sweeteners..and that was the END of my on-going headaches--excrutiating headaches! It was a process of elimination...removing this and that from my diet..but it was with the cessation of ingesting Artificial Sweeteners...that I had success! Some people have very strong reaction to the chemicals they are comprised of. I now use only Coconut Sugar...unrefined!
1 person likes this
@beamer88 (4259)
• Philippines
14 Jan 12
I guess it's possible since artificial things, including sweeteners, were made to act as replacement for the real stuff, and so in a sense, it's like fooling our bodies into thinking that they are real. Problem is the side effects it may cause like what you mentioned about sweeteners. Well, actually I'm still taking the normal brown sugar. I find sweeteners too sweet for my taste :)
2 people like this
@alquizar (480)
• Philippines
24 Jan 12
I really do love eating sweets and that is my weakness but I am afraid that I might acquire a disease because of that lifestyle.I had a family history of diabetes and I am afraid that I might acquire that kind of disease.I am a health conscious person that is why I decided as early as now that I should minimize my sweet and salt intake so that I will not regret later on.
@josephngsiewfatt (204)
• Malaysia
25 Jan 12
Dear Shepherspy
You have posted a very deep discussion topic. I can add this to make it more interesting. Firstly sugar by itself is not bad. It helps to make food more attractive. Secondly, artificial sugar is never good. It give a lot of bad side effects. We have in Malaysia a natural, low caloric sugar known as XYZ brand. It is available only in my country. Thirdly do not blame sugar as the cause of obesity. If you exercise well and eat well, then sugar will be used up by the body well. For the moment, this is my take. You are welcome to prove me right or wrong. OK? Thanks. Love: Bro Joe. GBU
@drknlvly6781 (6246)
• United States
14 Jan 12
I heard something slightly different on the Dr. Oz show here in the states. He said that these sweeteners are several times as sweet as sugar, but they don't have any of the calories that actual sugar does. Since the body misses the calories, it causes you to crave more sweets, making you eat more than you originally intended.
I've never used these sweeteners; I've always thought they were horrible, and I've never had a weight problem either, so I never got into the fad. I'm glad I didn't because as it turns out, it was healthier to be eating sugar anyway!!!!
@Lannielui (83)
• United States
21 Jan 12
I do not use sweetners and I limit my intake of white sugar as well. I also do not consume anything that says 'DIE't on it. These products are not healthy and cause more problems than they are worth.
