The New Intimacy

Splenda, Aspartame & Others

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Contributor: Cookie Monster Mike Cookie Monster Mike
Ok, so I'm curious about a few things that I know I could probably find some info on wikipedia but anyways, I like personal responses here more. So this topic is about a few things involving sweeteners, mostly aspartame/splenda but feel free to add in any others you like. In the last 6 months or so I have been using a home soda maker rather than buying Coke/Pepsi and other name brand products. I had heard a lot of things about different sweeteners, how they are bad for you, but hearing and facts are different i know.

Ok so back to the homemade soda, It uses Splenda as the sweetener, and some good ole sugar. I have had some people say, they don't like that soda because the splenda makes it taste funny. Sometimes some people have commented they taste the aspartame in other sodas. But what I don't understand is how they taste it? I've tried splenda in baking, coffee, soda, etc and never notice any change in flavor, just sweetness. I never taste a huge different between homemade soda and name brand using different sweeteners. So what is all the fuss about with some people? I ask because we carry the homemade soda maker where I work at, and every day I hear someone crying about the flavor being off and so on. Or i'll hear some 10 minute speech about how splenda is bad for you, or aspartame etc.

Now to something else, one of the many things I heard about aspartame is that over long periods of consumption aspartame can cause in some people their body/bones to ache significantly more. When I drank coke/pepsi products often, I will admit my body often ached etc. When I started drinking splenda sweetened soda that was homemade, quickly I rarely ever had body aches. I have no other diet changes or anything like that. Could be just random I don't know, but I figured this might be a good discussion if anyone else had some thoughts on it. Thanx for reading
12/07/2011
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Contributor: bayosgirl bayosgirl
I don't use artificial sweeteners, so I can't comment on the taste. It does make sense that a chemical replacement would not taste like real sugar. My understanding is that artificial sweeteners in general are linked to cancer, among many other health problems. There IS something called stevia which comes from a plant. It's sold under brands like Truvia, Wisdom Naturals, etc. and does not cause side effects and health problems. Why don't you give it a try?
12/08/2011
Contributor: AndroAngel AndroAngel
I don't use any sweeteners but sugar or corn syrup (natural). The few times I've had anything made with splenda it left an awful, cloying, syrupy aftertaste that I couldn't stand. I played a game of "What on earth is in this!?" until I figured out it was the nasty chemical sweetener making it taste so bad.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Ghost Ghost
You should really do some reading about artificial sweeteners. Here is a good article for the common person:
link
12/08/2011
Contributor: MeliPixie MeliPixie
Some people are genetically predispositioned to have a bitter taste after consuming certain artificial sweeteners, and others aren't. Much in the same way that rolling your tongue, or making that clover shape with it, is genetic, and so is hair on the middle segment of your fingers.

Studies have shown that the amount of aspartame it would take to cause bone pain and cancers would be the equivalent of eating several cups of it a day for years on end, but because in those large amounts it CAN have a negative effect, all reports are required by the CDC (I think the CDC) to be accessible to the general public.

Hope this was helpful!
12/08/2011
Contributor: wetone123 wetone123
I personally would not poison my body with this laboratory made junk. It causes a myriad of symptoms and some are still unknown as they were just introduced in the bill for Obamas last money give away to the feds. Why does poisoning the people have anything to do with the bill to give money to the banksters? Think on that. Studies also show, it doesn't really make you lose weight to consume these poisons, which is the main reason everyone is slupping the stuff up.
12/08/2011
Contributor: JackRaiden JackRaiden
Quote:
Originally posted by bayosgirl
I don't use artificial sweeteners, so I can't comment on the taste. It does make sense that a chemical replacement would not taste like real sugar. My understanding is that artificial sweeteners in general are linked to cancer, among many ... more
I'm lovin' stevia, although it does taste slightly different. I notice a few more (low-cal) beverages are now using it, usually under Truvia/Rebiana name. Aspartame, Splenda and saccharin (cancer warning removed recently) have all had their health scares. Unsure how real sugar fares, but probably quite well (in moderation).
12/08/2011
Contributor: Cookie Monster Mike Cookie Monster Mike
All interesting replies thank you, the cancer is one I had actually not heard anything about in relation to sweeteners. One of the reasons I brought this topic up is because you can easily find all the negatives about something. Natural sugar is bad for the body in many ways also, but depends on the moderation and how much is in your diet, almost like most other things.

As far as, switching to sweeteners to lose weight, that never crossed my mind really. Doesn't make sense to me how it would help in a least and even if it did, it would be so insignificant really. Unfortunately in today's society too many companies pry on lies, bending the truth, using select words to trick people into thinking they are having something healthier. In the end these companies truly have one goal in mind, make money and that's it.

I have heard about stevia, I have tried a few things (Baking, Drinks etc) with stevia as the sweetener. It did not make anything taste funny or different, the only noticeable difference was the huge mark up in pricing for stevia products. If I have noticed anything between sweeteners was a splenda and sugar blend, is tastes fine, but smells really bad in the bag.

I have plenty of sugar in foods and other types of drinks, or cereal so when it comes to soda I try to really limit what sugar I have. This is nothing to do with trying to lose weight but trying to save my teeth as much as possible. I know this is a contradiction in the sense that carbonated beverages are not the best for your teeth any ways, with or without sugar. I used to have sugar with everything a long time ago, there's just no need for it --- at least I don't think there is in large quantities.

I just wish in the end that companies, or groups, organizations that do these studies could just make it available to the public for people to see. I'm sure some do, but when I read an article where someone says something is bad for you and why, a lot of those articles never have any sources. Or the author is never heard from about about where they got their information from. It's like they went onto random sites, picked out what they thought would be cool to put in their article and post it up. Then people that follow these authors believe them, just because they like their work so it must be true.

Well, who knows these days, the way things are right now is that, what is not in the best interest in a lot of companies means it's bad for you. Then they will come out with a new product that is supposedly going to make you lose weight and make you feel healthy when you eat or drink it. Then the studies come out, one study will say how it causes 50 different side affects including cancer, but the chances in 1/10 people is 2% more increased risk, just throwing out random numbers as an example. Then another study will say the same product you in time make your brain smarter by increasing activity in a certain area of the brain. I'm just a person who enjoys reading fact, and not, "may cause" or "could benefit you" etc.

Ok, so I have had some of that on my chest for awhile and just not had the chance to get it off In the end I find myself just keeping things in moderation, no over indulging and eating large quantities of random foods or the supposed bad ones. But it's good to read the response on the subject. I guess it makes sense that it would be genetics on the tasting of different sweeteners!
12/08/2011
Contributor: Ghost Ghost
Quote:
Originally posted by Cookie Monster Mike
All interesting replies thank you, the cancer is one I had actually not heard anything about in relation to sweeteners. One of the reasons I brought this topic up is because you can easily find all the negatives about something. Natural sugar is bad ... more
I made a post about making primary literature available to the public. If you're interested to read the research, you may want to look at that post.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
I didn't know about the genetic predisposition to tasting the artificial sweeteners, but that makes sense. To me, Splenda tastes just like every other artificial sweetener out there and I just can't stand the taste. I have had good luck with Truvia the few times I've tried that, but for the most part I just stick with plain ol' sugar in moderation.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Sammi Sammi
I never used to mind the taste of aspartame, but after it built up in my system it caused some truly bad reactions, and a very scary misdiagnosis. I avoid it completely now - it took about 2 years to get it completely out of my body I think - but it can be hard when you don't eat sugar, and it's in everything it seems. Even things I wouldn't expect to find it in.

I like the taste of Splenda, although my family thinks it makes things taste "weird." Stevia is also one I use. I like them both.
12/08/2011
Contributor: AngelvMaynard AngelvMaynard
I hate artificial sweeteners and refuse to drink, cook or bake with them. I can taste even the tiniest bit if it's in something. Like MeliPixie said, I think some people are just predisposed to tasting it and some aren't. I'm one that can and avoid it like the plague. Bring on the regular old sugar!
12/08/2011
Contributor: True Pleasures True Pleasures
I just can't consume anything with artificial sweeteners like Splenda or aspartame. They upset my stomach terribly. I'm fine with sugar, stevia, and xylitol, though.
12/08/2011
Contributor: Cookie Monster Mike Cookie Monster Mike
Good responses on this subject, honestly better than I expected I'm glad to have better understanding on it now, also helps to hear other personal opinions and experiences with it. As Sammi was talking about Aspartame taking about 2 years to fully get out of their system, this is pretty scary. I have heard a lot with aspartame mostly that your body takes a very very long time to remove it from your system. That it builds up and stays there for a long long time, unfortunately I do not have a source to link so, so for now that's just "hear say".

In any case, I feel kinda screwed, I like using Splenda right now that's in my homemade soda, but supposedly isn't the best for my long term health. I like real sugar, but that is also very bad health wise and can lead to all sorts of diseases and conditions. I wouldn't mind going with a natural sweetener as mentioned in an earlier post, but it's freaken expensive. Even "all natural" soda is somewhat more expensive, but is still packed with a crap load of sugar, most cans of soda have 30-40g of sugar for 12oz.

So no matter how I look at it, I'm screwed one way or another lol But I guess that's where someone could say, don't take all this so serious and enjoy life. But I obviously don't want to kill myself slowly by digesting something.
12/09/2011
Contributor: married with children married with children
I can taste the bitterness of the artificial sweeteners in drinks and candy type products.
12/09/2011
Contributor: Jake'n'bake Jake'n'bake
I wouldn't doubt the aspartame causing aches and pains. I've got plenty of them and pretty much love soda... I should really stop drinking it if it has that.
12/15/2011
Contributor: Cookie Monster Mike Cookie Monster Mike
Quote:
Originally posted by Jake'n'bake
I wouldn't doubt the aspartame causing aches and pains. I've got plenty of them and pretty much love soda... I should really stop drinking it if it has that.
The first time I went cold turkey on soda/coffee and caffeine the results were bad. I overcame the first 3 days of severe migraines and thought i'd be fine but in fact things got worse. I started getting sick very easily, almost like my immune system was lowered. I don't know if that was the case but it seemed that way, I happened to catch every cold, flu, stomach virus etc. I went back to the coffee/soda caffeine and felt great. Decided to slowly reduce my intake over a couple of months. Cut out soda almost completely but kept the coffee going. These days I have usually 1 14oz cup of black coffee every morning and usually no more than one diet soda I make at home each day.
12/15/2011
Contributor: Chirple Chirple
I'm very sensitive to taste and especially bitterness - and aspartame definitely makes me go "ew". I feel like I need to scrape my tongue off after having Diet Coke.

But, dang, I would never lecture a worker about something like that. It's not like it's your fault. If they want to bitch at someone, they should bitch at the company that makes it.

I had a coca-cola sweetened with pure cane sugar before, it was imported from Mexico. It was actually pretty good, not nasty like other permutations of coke I've had.
12/15/2011
Contributor: Destri Destri
Hubby and I switched to Splenda (or the store brand equivalent) about 8 months ago. He was having really bad sugar crashes that led to very severe panic attacks. The minute we went off sugar, his crashes stopped. We have never noticed any difference in the taste of anything we use the Splenda in. No bad taste or aftertaste whatsoever.

We tried Truvia and I hated it! I think it tastes weird. I would never, ever use aspartame because I have heard such bad things about it, and because I think it tastes funny. Actually knew a woman who got nosebleeds if she had anything with aspartame in it... that was enough for me!

We both lost some weight after getting off sugar. Just seemed to happen all on its own.

By the way, we don't drink sodas of any kind. Just coffee and water, and he enjoys those juice mixes with Splenda in them.
12/15/2011
Contributor: hillys hillys
I don't like how most artificial flavorings taste, also I'm not sure if there will be bad effects from these artificial sweetners or not. Yet steiva is sopposed to be good and is tasty.
03/26/2012
Contributor: Cookie Monster Mike Cookie Monster Mike
Quote:
Originally posted by hillys
I don't like how most artificial flavorings taste, also I'm not sure if there will be bad effects from these artificial sweetners or not. Yet steiva is sopposed to be good and is tasty.
From personal experience from reducing my intake of any aspartame to near 0 I feel a lot better. I used to have a lot of products with aspartame in it (Walmart "Clear American" flavored carbonated water) for instance. Drinking 1-2 of those daily for a very long time had a noticeable affect on my body. Basically I was very achy a lot of the time, to keep a long story short, I stopped having aspartame in my foods/drinks and I rarely get body aches now. Unless I work a long day, or do extreme outdoor activities etc.
03/28/2012
Contributor: RiahPapaya RiahPapaya
I avoid artificial sweeteners and things made with them. I've always been warned by my grandmother since before there was such a big hype about them. Even though my grandma is diabetic, she absolutely CANNOT have any type of artificial sweetener. She has a severe allergy to them. The first time she drank a diet soda, she had to be rushed to the emergency room and almost died. She has said that aspartame is a made from a by-product of plastic. I've certainly taken her advice and stayed away from them. Once in a while though, I will eat or drink something new that I'm not aware was made with artificial sweetener (a Fiber One cereal I bought a few months ago was made with sucralose), and I can absolutely taste something funny (bitter I guess, as others have said) about it within the first bite or drink. All of the different names for artificial sweeteners are hard to keep up with, but I wish more people would educate themselves about these nasty potentially deadly chemicals
06/11/2012