Do you use Splenda and other sugar substitutes?

[janinegirly]

I use one daily in my coffee--but wonder if it''s doing more harm than good.

What do you do/think?

 

[Cinna]

I always use splenda or equal when I have the choice. They actually melt in my drinks versus real sugar that doesn't melt in my drink all too well. People say that all the time to me like 8/10 times I use it... but in the end, imo I think if you're maintaining a healthy lifestyle it's not going to be the cause that makes you dramatically ill later.

 

[purselover]

No I used to drink diet sodas like it was my job, but I started to question it''s healthiness and now rarely consume any artificial sweeteners. DH swears by stevia it''s an all natural sweetening option.

 

[missy]

My dh is on an all natural trend these days. He has given up all added sugar and soft drinks and artificial sweeteners. So I have been searching for a substitute to splenda and equal (not for him as he doesn't need to use that stuff) for me as I need sweetness! I have a sweet tooth and unfortunately all my fillings in my mouth show it

Anyway, I found regular stevia to be somewhat bitter but spoonable stevia (stevita) is great!!! No aftertaste and supposedly all natural. So, if anyone is looking for an all natural substitute to artificial sweeteners or reducing their sugar intake I highly recomment Stevita (spoonable stevia). I still have my crystal light and fruitH2O as I am not giving up all my artificial sweeteners but now I am using stevita instead of splenda and equal in my coffee, herbal tea etc.

I figure every little bit helps.

The reason my dh has given up all artificial sweeteners is because he is in the environmental field and realized that splenda/equal etc used to be (in) pesticides and someone accidentally tasted it and saw how sweet it was and those artificial sweeteners were born. All I know is that he went cold turkey on all artificial stuff. I know he is probably right but I just cannot give all of that up. I hate plain water

Anyway, stevita tastes great. Now if I could only find a substitute to my crystal light addiction

(The stevia flavored drinks taste awful IMO

)

 

[Tuckins1]

I use splenda when I drink tea. Usually daily in the winter, maybe a few times a month in the warmer months.

 

[lilyfoot]

I don''t use artificial sweetners in my coffee, and I also don''t like them in anything else (yogurt, etc).

My main concern with them are the health risks.

 

[elrohwen]

No, I don't. I don't eat much sugar in general or put much in my tea and I prefer for what I do eat to be the real stuff. I don't think artificial sugars are going to kill me, but I'd rather not eat them all the same.

I also really don't like the taste of artificial sugar.

 

[PumpkinPie]

my dad''s diabetic, so we grew up around Splenda- now I use it in brownies and apple crisp, among other things. (and I''m another crystal light addict! almost as good as juice but with no calories)

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''ve been using Splenda (Sucralose) off an on but try to limit it with being pregnant and all. Prior to getting pregnant I was using Truvia (Stevia), but my doc has asked me not to use it because they haven''t tested the affects on pregnant women.

 

[zoebartlett]

We use Splenda when we''re baking (we use regular and brown sugar Splenda). If there''s Splenda around, I''ll use it in my coffee or tea, otherwise I''m okay using regular sugar.

I hate the taste of other sugar substitutes like Equal or Sweet ''n Low, so I stay away from them.

 

[janinegirly]

I had stopped all artificial sweetners when I was pregnant--more as a precaution. But now I''m back on them (Splenda in coffee and crystal light daily). It''s more convenient (quickly dissolves) and also less calories, but to me, not worth the health risk if they are real. Using it daily can certainly add up over time. I''d like a more "natural" solution, but really isn''t sugar the only real one? I''m a bit of a sugar addict too, so probably should just try to work on that!

 

[missy]

Date: 4/5/2010 10:21:17 AM
Author: janinegirly
I had stopped all artificial sweetners when I was pregnant--more as a precaution. But now I''m back on them (Splenda in coffee and crystal light daily). It''s more convenient (quickly dissolves) and also less calories, but to me, not worth the health risk if they are real. Using it daily can certainly add up over time. I''d like a more ''natural'' solution, but really isn''t sugar the only real one? I''m a bit of a sugar addict too, so probably should just try to work on that!

You might be interested in Stevita...supposed to be all natural and better than sugar. It does taste good (not stevia though, stevita).
It dissolves well also.

 

[CDNinNYC]

I've been using Agave Nectar as a natural sugar substitute since January. I'm liking it so far.

 

[megumic]

Doesn''t the word "artificial" in artificial sweetener say it all? Even the term "sugar substitute" is a flashing red sign to me that it''s chemically processed. In my mind, there is nothing healthy about fake sugar.

 

[Mrs Mitchell]

Never, ever, ever. Unprocessed cane sugar or nothing (usually nothing).

One of my close friends works in cancer research and she has made me promise never to use artificial sweetners because she's becoming increasingly concerned about the effects they have on health. Her current research is in this area.

 

[Octavia]

No, never. I use honey or maple syrup whenever I can, but they don''t substitute well in a lot of baking recipes so I use real sugar in those. I know that too much sugar is bad for you and that most artificial sweeteners haven''t been definitively proven unsafe in humans yet, but my feeling is, better the devil we know than the one we don''t...I just keep my sugar consumption as low as I can.

 

[JSM]

I used to... but then noticed that I would get awful headaches after consuming the artificial sweeteners. I can''t even have most gum!

I buy whatever natural sugar they sell at Trader Joe''s. I''m sure there are better options out there, but I don''t bake much and it tends to last forever.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I saw a documentary once on artificial sweeteners...

I much rather have calories than chemicals in my body.

 

[Catmom]

All I can tell you is our experiences. We gave up sugar [are hard core Atkins] over 7 years ago and have been using Splenda ever since. Our headaches have disappeared for the most part and neither my husband or myself get sick any more. It''s been 7 years since I''ve had a cold and I used to get several a year. We can tell immediately if we ingest some sugar inadvertently because we get an immediate headache and feel sick to our stomachs for the rest of the day. For us, sugar is way worse than Splenda any day.

 

[stone-cold11]

Date: 4/5/2010 10:31:58 AM
Author: megumic
Doesn''t the word ''artificial'' in artificial sweetener say it all? Even the term ''sugar substitute'' is a flashing red sign to me that it''s chemically processed. In my mind, there is nothing healthy about fake sugar.

Not necessary. Stevia you can grow in your own pot by the window and use it as a tea. Just not a sugar that can be used for baking or making jam, etc. Honey, maple syrup, sugar beet are all sugar.

 

[BeachRunner]

The only thing I put sweetener in is coffee or green tea. I''m only using 1/2-1 teaspoon, so I use regular sugar. If we make sweetened tea, we''ll use honey.

Like Tacori said, those chemicals scare me!

 

[Circe]

I have a diet soda addiction that I suppose I ought to kick (3 or more a day). Other than that, I tend to stick to sugar, more out of laziness than anything else ....

 

[ladypirate]

Nope, either real sugar or honey/agave/molasses/maple syrup etc. I try to avoid things with HFCS in them as well.

 

[movie zombie]

Date: 4/5/2010 1:20:53 PM
Author: ladypirate
Nope, either real sugar or honey/agave/molasses/maple syrup etc. I try to avoid things with HFCS in them as well.

plus one.

mz

 

[Indylady]

Date: 4/5/2010 2:04:22 PM
Author: movie zombie

Date: 4/5/2010 1:20:53 PM

Author: ladypirate

Nope, either real sugar or honey/agave/molasses/maple syrup etc. I try to avoid things with HFCS in them as well.

plus one.


mz

+2

 

[shimmer]

I saw this interesting lecture about HFCS. Not entirely certain of the accuracy, but I can vouch for some of the biochemistry he goes through.

http://today.ucsf.edu/stories/ucsf-lecture-on-sugar-and-obesity-goes-viral-as-experts-confront-health-cri/

ETA: Sorry, that was off-topic. I use Splenda if available, nothing if not. I use maple syrup in baking and am trying to find agave syrup in my small town.

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 4/5/2010 10:31:47 AM
Author: CDNinNYC
I''ve been using Agave Nectar as a natural sugar substitute since January. I''m liking it so far.

What does it taste like? I realize that may be a weird question, but does it have a certain taste, or is it just a sweetner?

 

[lilyfoot]

Date: 4/5/2010 1:20:53 PM
Author: ladypirate
Nope, either real sugar or honey/agave/molasses/maple syrup etc. I try to avoid things with HFCS in them as well.

This is a huge thing I''ve been wary of lately. I honestly didn''t realize just how many things had HFCS in them .. i.e. Ritz crackers, cereal ..

 

[jewelz617]

I don''t use artificial sweetener. Just raw sugar, if anything and I try very hard to avoid processed sugar altogether.

 

[BeachRunner]

Date: 4/5/2010 2:55:53 PM
Author: lilyfoot

Date: 4/5/2010 1:20:53 PM
Author: ladypirate
Nope, either real sugar or honey/agave/molasses/maple syrup etc. I try to avoid things with HFCS in them as well.

This is a huge thing I''ve been wary of lately. I honestly didn''t realize just how many things had HFCS in them .. i.e. Ritz crackers, cereal ..

...and bread! While I understand bread would be bitter w/o sweetener, HFCS, really? I buy bread sweetened with brown sugar or cane sugar.