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I apologize in advance if this has been discussed recently, I'm a newbie -- and couldn't find it anywhere.

How bad are artificial sweeteners (ex. splenda, etc) for those watching their diet? In an attempt to kick my latte habit, I've switched to a cup or two of tea in the morning, but I've been adding a packet of spenda. How counter-productive is this? Thanks.

A little Splenda here & there isn't going to hurt anything.

I like Stevia better for home use because it is all natural and noncaloric. But a little Splenda here and there wont hurt you as Drew said.

You are probably better off using small to moderate amounts of sugar versus consuming artificial sweeteners regularly!

Saccharin is a known carcinogen; aspartame (NutraSweet) can cause headaches - and it does not occur naturally, ie it's a chemicall too; sucralose (Splenda) cannot be absorbed via the gut (molecule is too large) - it is supposedly safe...?

Stevia - a natural herb is a good choice and it's available in either powder or liquid form. I actually use it in coffee, tea, on plain oatmeal, etc.

Just my educated opinion & 2 cents!

Well, most of them work because they are hundreds or thousands of times sweeter than sucrose. It's not that the body doesn't metabolize them, there are few calories because there's hardly any of it in there.

Splenda is an exception. It's about the same sweetness as sucrose, but not metabolized. There's a lot of nonsense floating around on the web from the paranoid, but still, I don't like to use much of it.

MunchingZombie saidI like Stevia better for home use because it is all natural and noncaloric. But a little Splenda here and there wont hurt you as Drew said.

Stevia is my favorite. When mixed with juices or just a little lemon juice in any normal recipe, it has no aftertaste as other artificial sweeteners do. Of course, Stevia is natural...meaning it wont give you a brain tumor or massive headaches if ingested too often. So, I go for Stevia! I have a great Wheat, Mango, and Papaya muffin that takes great advantage of this wonderful South American plant.

pharmjl said
and it does not occur naturally, ie it's a chemicall too;

looknmd siad
Of course, Stevia is natural...meaning it wont give you a brain tumor or massive headaches if ingested too often

Sorry, but you guys have pushed a couple of my bottons.

That's nonsense. ALL FOOD IS CHEMICALS. Everything that you have ever eaten is chemical. Some of the most deadly toxins known are produced by plants and soil organisms. It doesn't make any difference whatsoever if a chemical is synthesized by a human or by a stalk of corn.

ALL FOOD IS NATURAL, except so far as people try to claim that it has magical properties.

The properties of food additives are well known. They've been purified and tested. For the most part, the composition and properties of herbal concoctions are unknown and untested.

Why not just cut out the sweeteners and be a real man in the way of the ancients? Seriously. Why not simply cut out the unwanted and unnecessary crap from your diet -- ween yourself off of it progressively -- rather than develop another addiction to simili-crap?

Mmm... just wondering why the Moderns are so adverse to eating and living like humans.

It is true that stevia is not approved by the FDA as a sweetener - however it is currently undergoing review (no surprise who - coke & pepsi). Stevia is approved outside of the US for use as a sweetener.

The direction of the discussion has taken a turn that it didn't need to take with regards to the previous post about food...chemicals...etc.

Still think one should consume sugar and/or artificial sweeteners in moderation.

I think they are all ultra-shady. Let's put it this way, if they WERE going to cause health problems in the future, we would NEVER know about it... just too much $$$ in that shit.

What pisses me off most is that I can't find one F'ing whey protein powder that isn't artificially sweetened or has stevia in it. They should either put a bit of sugar in it or nothing at all.

IdkMyBffJill saidI apologize in advance if this has been discussed recently, I'm a newbie -- and couldn't find it anywhere.

How bad are artificial sweeteners (ex. splenda, etc) for those watching their diet? In an attempt to kick my latte habit, I've switched to a cup or two of tea in the morning, but I've been adding a packet of spenda. How counter-productive is this? Thanks.

Artificial sweeteners will cause a heart attack. It will block your blood vessel. Try xylitol sugar, stevia, or agave. They are good and that is what I use.

http://www.diabetes.org/nutrition-and-recipes/nutrition/sweeteners.jsp

Check this out

Thanks for the info.

mindgarden said

pharmjl said
and it does not occur naturally, ie it's a chemicall too;

looknmd siad
Of course, Stevia is natural...meaning it wont give you a brain tumor or massive headaches if ingested too often

Sorry, but you guys have pushed a couple of my bottons.

That's nonsense. ALL FOOD IS CHEMICALS. Everything that you have ever eaten is chemical. Some of the most deadly toxins known are produced by plants and soil organisms. It doesn't make any difference whatsoever if a chemical is synthesized by a human or by a stalk of corn.

ALL FOOD IS NATURAL, except so far as people try to claim that it has magical properties.

The properties of food additives are well known. They've been purified and tested. For the most part, the composition and properties of herbal concoctions are unknown and untested.

Mmm not to be nit picky, but can you back any of this up with citations of some sort? Because In one of my Biomedical Engineering classes we had a lecturerer who was an organic chemical engineer come in from the FDA and explain how the FDA is currently vastly underfunded and many food-based products are being released without proper testing, and they have been having strings of recalls on food additives. Just my two cents.

But it's true; everything you consume is a chemical. Water is a chemical=) But not all chemicals are benign to your body, and it's a personal belief that artificial sweeteners lead to bad effects on the body.

dammmmmmmmmmmmmmit....gotta throw the sugar free grape jelly (made with splend) away now.

Can you purchase stevia a whole foods?

yes.