Questions about sweeteners & sugar substitutes

PJPixie wrote:

I'm 100% percent insulin dependent diabetic (I've been on insulin since I was 17 years old, that's 21 years.....do the math). I don't use real sugar at all (In my drinks) only diet coke and coffee with equal. These two things have NEVER raised my blood sugar. I have no choice but to use artificial sweeteners. From all these so-called studies done, I should have 3 eyes by now and an arm growing out of my head.

I didn't know that Pix! 3 eyes and an arm growing from your head! funny stuff!!!!

roar wrote:

timely topic.
a new study on artificial sweeteners has been all over the news recently...
it's controversial amongst the health community, but you can decide for yourself: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/11/health/webmd/main3817821.shtml

long story, short:
they found that rats who were given artificial sweeteners overate and gained more weight than those given real sugar.

why?
over time, the artificial sweeteners disrupted their bodies natural ability to accurately assess caloric intake. the rats overate to compensate and gained weight accordingly.

i, myself, use Splenda.
but my hippe friends are convincing me to use stevia. i may.

Haha I already mentioned stevia.. does that make me a hippie? .. I do sort of have some hippie ish leanings

I tried to convince my mum to switch to it. I even bought her some but she wouldn't listen to me and all the negative side effects of aspartame.. c'est la vie.

PJaddicted wrote:

Don't worry....it will catch up with you in your 40s....it happens to the best of us.

oxc

All my sisters tell me that...lol

artificial sweeteners are bad for your memory. And more, I'm sure. Avoid anything that's labeled "light" or "diet."

prism wrote:

don't you think that if there was any truth to that or about any of the numerous "urban myths" about artifical sweeteners that nutrisionist would let their patients know this?

there's all kinds of myths and lies floating around the internet about the so-called "evils" of artifical sweetners on a peoples health, put out by companies that produce cane sugar and companies that make high-fructose corn syrup as well. it's really no different then the ones put out by the meat industries claiming how soy and soy products are "evil" to a person's health

Yes, I would think so. I don't go to a nutritionist, so I have no idea what they tell their patients. I do know, though, that since I gave up artificial sweeteners, my memory is clearer. I was a bit of a space-case there for a few years and that's not so anymore.
Also, I feel I need to mention that I didn't give up artificial sweeteners because I thought they were bad for me, but rather that I started working someplace that has no artificial sweeteners. It is a restaurant that only offers real sugar, no equal, splenda or nutra-sweet. They are "purists" as far as they are concerned. They focus on food and health.

prism wrote:

seems that they can't be too concerned with health if they offer only sugar when you consider all those additional carbs and calories in it, not to mention alot of people that can't even have sugar. kinda makes you wonder if they're really being "purists" or they're merely being cheapskates?

LOL. No, not cheapskates.
For those that can't have sugar, they can go without. I love when people ask me for a diet coke and I get to explain to them that, no, we don't have diet coke or any traditional sodas, for that matter.
It is the most successful restaurant in town. It is mostly organic and local. It is also the most expensive.
True, I work with a bunch of hippies, and no, I'm not one. But since I started working there, I have given up the microwave and artificial sweeteners.

I've heard Aspartame is also no good for MS. A friend of mine has that and has been warned to stay away from it.

I still drink it though. We're all gonna die anyway.