The TRUTH About Artificial Sweeteners

When I read “reports” on side effects that go from cancer all the way to in-grown toe nails, immediately think that there is something suspect there. The “Sugar Lobby” pays for a lot of these so-called studies, as the “Pharma Lobby” pays for the other side. Take everything with a grain of salt and your sweeteners in moderation. You’ll be fine.

I use stevia to sweeten iced green tea and sometimes throw it in some plain greek yogurt with some cinnamon to make a delicious snack. I see nothing wrong with that! I also use Da Vinci syrups (sweetened with splenda) all the time in oatmeal and yogurt (got that tip off from Jamie Eason’s website, so if she’s using them all the time, I know it’s possible to have a banging body and be healthy AND use artificial sweeteners). If I’m saving calories and its not deterring my progress, but helping me to stay on an overall healthy eating track, what’s the big deal!?!?
I have tried to cut down on my diet coke intake, but I’ll have one every once in a while, usually when I’m out to eat, since having a soda to drink helps me to not overeat on all the not so healthy food around me.

all i can say, everything in moderation : )

I use the in my protein pancakes which i have 2 days max so be about 4-5 teaspoons per pancake and sometimes in my cocoa and coffee I use it.

I`ve also come across the notion that the body still recognises this sweet taste in the mouth and because of it you still get an insulin response, have you heard this?

**** YOU MUST READ THIS***** If you want to greatly increase your risk of cancer and myriad of other problems then by all means go on consuming excitotoxins like aspartame and MSG. Fine by me if you are that stupid. I’d rather have sugar, stevia or xylitol anyday at least I know where they come from. Sugar won’t hurt you it will only make you fat if you are a greedy pig and eat too much of it. I am a slim woman and I’ve been eating sugar for years but I also use stevia and xylitol, agave nectar, honey, molasses and other natural substances. You can find plenty to tell you that aspartame is safe but you’ve got to understand there are corrupt, greedy people out there that will falsify data because it puts more money in their pockets. Don’t believe me? Do your research. Go read about Dr Scott Reuben who was found to have falsified medical research for YEARS and all his work was published in reputable medical journals that your GP relied upon was made up right out of his head. Yes, I am serious. Type in “falsify clinical trial data” in google and you will find a whole bunch of corrupt people that are happy to profit from your ill health from scientists through to doctors. Your body can only deal with so much poison. You’re probably already drinking fluoride in your water and consuming free glutamates in every bit of processed food, do you really want to be so foolish as to deliberately add an excitotoxic substance to your food/drinks? Please tell me you aren’t that stupid…. there is good reason why 50% of us will get cancer. What are you doing to increase your odds?

This subject has been debated a lot in my family. My mother drinks diet sodas daily and it worries me. I try to take Stevia when I can , but do not like the taste. Isn’t natural sugar okay? The unrefined kind?

The only sweeteners I use are Splenda and Stevia (or Truvia). I cannot use the blue or pink packets or eat/drink anything that uses them (diet drinks) because I they give me migraine headaches. I am not one that get’s migraines normally, but I have realized that any time I drink a diet soda sweetened with either the pink or blue sweeteners (or the ingredients in them) I get an almost instant and sever migraine.

Well I have also heard nasty things about these artificial sweetners that they can cause cancer etc etc.

I have found an artificial sweetner without aspartame and the other nasties its called EETLESS SUGANONE

I have asked numerous people, including my doctor about what studies show about sweetners and they all say that studies have been only completed in rats not in humans as yet and they show that you need to feed the rats a very very huge amount of sweetner before there is any reaction – cancer, etc. Humans won’t even come close to consuming that much sweetner in their lifetime so the point is mute. Sweetners do not have a bad effect on us.

I am most interested in hearing your views on this subject! It seems every day I read another article about the dangers of artificial sweetners & how they are going to hasten my demise…so far, I am still breathing! I use both splenda & Sweet & Low. Looking forward to your input!

Hey Joel! You are right, there are hundreds of scary stories out there. I’m interested to hear the real truth. I drink a ton of diet soda and diet green tea and I always use Splenda when drinking regular iced tea. Should I make any changes?

Hey Joel…Love the article. I started out using the sweetener in the pink packets but I stopped because I hated the taste. Then I started using Equal. It had a much better taste. I just recently started using Splenda. To me it tastes the best and has no after taste. It stops me from using so much sugar in my coffee and tea. I’m glad someone in the fitness arena finally had the courage to say that they use the Sweetners and it’s ok.

I dont know much about the pros and cons of artificial sweeteners, but I tend to stay away from anything that is not natural. I live in Canada so I have access to organic maple syrup straight from the tree :) I use that as sweetener. My rule is that if it was made in a factory then I wont eat it as I dont know exactly what happened there while it was being “created”

I only have artificial sweeteners when I’m drinking diet soda; my favorite is Barq’s diet root beer – doesn’t seem to have as much of an aftertaste. I use to swear by artificial sweeteners, especially Splenda. But a while ago I went back to sugar and realized if I cut back on the amount I take in, I think my body is healthier and can process it faster/easier. I won’t drink regular soda because it has WAY too much sugar in it. But if I sweeten things myself, I can control the amount.

I think to stay lean you need to eat clean…definitely does not include articifically produced sweeteners. If we keep our livers busy processing unrecognizable chemicals, it has less time to process the fat!

I use sugar in my early morning tea, but use stevia (or xylitol) in the evenings to sweeten my cocoa/dessert. I tried artifical sweeteners for a while but they just didn’t cut it. Since I lost the weight I wanted, I have kept it off, and without concerning myself too much about what I drink (mostly water anyway).

I drink diet drinks and my wife always tells me I am poisoning myself. Bring the research, Joel!

I don’t get it. Everything I have read from you in the past suggests staying away from artificial sweeteners. Eating natural, organic, and unprocessed foods. Why the change?

I use Splenda – and I work for the company that makes it. I still second-guess whether or not my organs will shut down… I’m also tired of hearing all the rumors! Show me the proof! MANY years ago I heard on the radio that having showers can cause brain tumors – apparently the water beating down on your scalp every day promotes unusual cell growth… after I heard that crazy nonsense I decided never to listen to anything without real proof – people will say anything! Share the info with us please Joel – I want to hear what you have to say, maybe I’ll never worry about my organs again! I think those with side-effects abuse the sweetener. You went blind after having 17 diet cokes a day – really?! What a shocker!

I use artificial sweeteners pretty regularly. A couple packets in a cup of coffee instead of 3-4 spoonfuls of sugar gets me the same taste without all the calories. I also put about 6 packets in the pitcher of iced green tea when I brew it (I have an iced tea maker & boy am I using it a lot this summer!) along with half an orange & half a lemon.

I used to use aspartame, but now it’s the yellow one “made from sugar” but also I use stevia, which comes also from nature…..
but for all of the people saying that all of them are poisonous, just for you to know lots of poisons are totally natural, plants and herbs and even “mushrooms” I believe it’s more a matter of publicity, if a new brand is emerging the previous one was “bad for you”, don’t you think that after all this years the NIH would’ve taken all of the Bad ones out of the market, or you think that the NIH is “bought”
I don’t drink sodas, I think they are not natural…….. :) I used to be a coke, sprite, drinker, first the light version, then the zero version, I quit cold turkey and I feel great now….. but I do drink 2 or 3 cups of joe a day….
then everything else is as is, with no added “sugary stuff”

I drink one to two diet sodas per day. As far as coffee, just cream for me!

At last!!!!!
I live on diet coke and the comments that I get are really beginning to get on my nerves.
When I ask people to provide me with concrete research they just say “it’s a known fact”.
I am happy that someone is having the balls to tell it like it is.

Oh Boy, how confusing. I try to stay away from anything artificial but these comments blow my mind. How can anyone believe anything they read these days. I try to stay away from sugar and I have used stevia in small amounts, but I am not crazy about the taste of it. I would love to read what you have to say about the artificial sweetners…

“All things in moderation”

Cut out 90% of all the crap that you’ve been eating for the last 5 years and the occasional aspartame won’t hurt you.

When we cut out all the “fun” stuff in our diets, you may not live longer, but it will sure FEEL like you have !

Make educated decisions regarding everything you feed you body.