The TRUTH About Artificial Sweeteners

I don’t drink tea or coffee so never have to add sugar/artificial sweeteners to my drinks; however I am partial to some diet soda.

The main issue I have with diet soda is bloating but I’d be keen to hear what the research has attempted to illustrate.

Too much of anything can be bad for you.

I know that for me personaa lly, if I drink more than three beverages a week that contains aspartame, I get headaches and some point pain for the next few days. I have experimented with it many times over several years. If I drink a diet Coke here and there, I am fine. Once I go over 3, the headaches appear in the evenings and I experience joint pain. From what I read on it and what my doctor said, it could just be that I have an allergic reaction to it. I don’t tell people not to drink it or that it is bad for them. I just let them know why I avoid it. Other sweetners do not have the same effect on me.

Hi Joel, I drink the occasional Diet Coke and we use splenda to sweeten ice tea. Really hoping I don’t grow a third ear or something because of it. I remember all of the saccrin reports in the 70’s that it caused cancer in lab rats. I’m not a rat and I don’t ingest the stuff by the spoonful so hopefully in moderation this stuff is okay.

Joel,
I have been drinking diet coke and using both the pink and blue sweeteners in my coffee for years. After multiple arguments with people at work about the risks and benefits of diet vs regular drinks. I did a little experiment. What I found for me was that if I consumed beverages containing artificial sweeteners, not only were my appetite and cravings much stronger, I consumed about 3 times the volume of these beverages, “because hey, no calories!”. When I consumed the regular beverages, I usually did not finish even one can and had no additional cravings. I think the bigger issue here is the other ingredients in the items consumed such as caffeine and sodium. So not only would I be decreasing my overall water intake, but also increasing diuresis and adding odd quantities of otherwise unuseful chemicals to my body. Bottom line, cut or eliminate artificial sweeteners and therefore better control cravings and overall hydration.

very good article joel, and i do drink diet coke on weekends and has sweeteners to some things i cook.

Well, I might be eating my own words. I’ve read a number of the posts here, and I have to say I am a big Splenda user (we can’t get many of the other products people have mentioned here in Canada!) and I DO have many of the side-effects listed in some of the posts. I’ll do my own tests – cut out the Splenda for a while and see if my head clears. This should be intresting.

Hi,

I avoid artificial sweeteners because of the Pavlovian reaction to stimulate appetite after eating something sweet.

One also needs to beware of similar compounds that can be incorporated into cell structures yet lack the functionality of the natural substance, eg. cell receptors which are responsible for intercellular communication, like replication and hence cancerous states. Very difficult to study and prove though. So I err on the side of caution and do without and stick to a very low carbohydrate ketogenic diet with exception when going out, couple times per month.

I am so with you! I have searched out information, and while yes there is information out there it was nothing that convinced me. I don’t use it all the time, but it does fill a nice void when I need it. I would love to hear more input on this.

I have read reports that state all the horrible side effects of aspartame as posted by Don Bell above. They put a scare into you for sure, and were probably released by the sugar industry—which is really no better for us. However, let me just say, I have been drinking diet soda for 41 years and I am still alive and kicking. Not only that, I am pretty darn healthy—except for being about 35 lbs overweight. I have had no surgeries, have normal cholesterol, normal blood pressure, rarely get headaches, and am on NO medication. So, after 41 YEARS of drinking artificial sweetener, heavily (I’m addicted to diet pop), I would think that I am a prime example of someone who not only did not die a hideous death due to the use of Splenda, Sweet & Low, Equal, etc), but also seem to suffer no adverse health effects. Maybe I will some day, but 41 years is a long time. (I am 60)

BTW, quite a few years ago I gave up all artificial sweetener for six months. I could tell no difference at all, so I went back to using it.

@ Rachel:
Doesn’t Xylitol have a laxative affect if you consume very much?

Joel, I hope you get it right. I tend to agree with the camp that if it wasn’t food 300 years ago, it’s not food today. If the “la menu” low fat meals are your diet plan you’re in trouble. Do these three things to lose weight.
1. Cook your own food using nutrional oils like olive, avacado and yes coconut. and eat your veggies.
2. Move. Start exercising using weights 5 days a week for 15-25 minutes. 80% of success is showing up
3. Sleep. Turn off the TV early and sleep for 8 hours. Then get up and workout. Don’t skip breakfast either.
Finally, avoid pop and drink water, tea or coffee. Eat a bite of chocolate once in a while after dinner if you have a sweet tooth. If you’re having cravings it’s because your diet has spiked insulin and you’re on the blood sugar roller coster.

I drink the artificial sweetner too with my coffee. I used to drink decaf after reading all the stuff about regualr coffee. Hell give me my regular coffee and the blue pack. I know I read the studies about the rats getting cancer but then again read how much they give the rats compared to their body weight…lol I have my cup before a workout and maybe one in the morning at work. I also have the Cherry Zero coke when I want a soda. I usually try not to drink too much of the sodas. Curious as to the studies you came across.

I’m the type of guy who drinks their coffee black w/o sugar. My parents, on the the other hand, live by the artificial sweeteners. They’re diabetics and can’t stand the taste of black coffee. Therefore, this information would be very helpful for my family.

make us surprised again..

Info is always good!

I’ve read studies both ways. In the reasearch it is not always clearly noted HOW MUCH we’re talking about. It I have to eat 7 teaspoons for negative effects that’s one thing, but if I have to eat the equivilant of 7 semi loads, that’s clearly another! I think we also have to consider the novel idea that we’re all individuals, and what effects one person might not the next. AND we also should consider common sense if it exists anymore: If you drink a case of any diet soda a day, it’s not good for your body. One diet soda a day, for most people, will probably not effect you one way or another.

This is great topic to discuss and have enjoyed reading the other comments.–rj

tell me more. I use sugar but would rather not.

Oh yes, that is baaaaddd stuff. I have switched to Stevia, I use PureVia. Check with Julia Hanf and she will tell you what for. I found her products that lower my blood sugar Melabic and saved her husband who is diabetic and that is how I found out about Jason Hunter, oh I do belive Jason has info on that bad artificial sweetner too and But I do have to admit, not in my coffee, but I do like an occasional Fresca or no carb lemon Monster drink. Oh btw if you use the pink pak it is like chorline look up the chemicals.

I’m very interested to hear what you have researched. I’ve given up artificial sweeteners now for about a year mostly because of Isabel’s advice and also how I feel about healthy eating. Whether or not there was any real need to do this, I have to confess that my taste buds have changed dramatically, for the better, and I now find that I no longer need or crave sweet things. If I do want something sweet I reach for fruit instead. I read, somewhere, and subscribe to, that if you need to add artificial sweetener to a food or drink then you probably don’t like that food or drink in the first place. I can only drink one to two cups of coffee per day now without sweetener whereas before, I could have drunk it all day. Was it the caffeine I craved or the sweetener?

I love your work by the way, you have great info to share. Thx
Reina
UK based.

Well, the only thing I drink with sweetener is energy drink. Normally, soda or cofee or juice or whatever I drink it with sugar. I try to take to no sugar add for the juice.

What about phenylalanine? Why do products with aspartame always have a “warning” on them, usually in bold, stating apartame contains phenylalanine. obviously the research on this chemical is either incomplete, or it may produce some side effects. One side effect I have read about is headaches, possibly cluster headaches. But if the FDA approves of it then it must be safe though. To put it more accurately if the FDA approved it then some politicians pockets are being filled with money, be it rising stock prices or perks from lobbyists. Just a thought.

I’m a water person as well as unsweetened ice tea. I do enjoy a diet soda (not cola though) every once in a while. Artificial sweetener leaves an after taste in my mouth that I dont’ find particularly pleasant

Interesting stuff here.
Personally, I hate putting anything in my body that isn’t naturally occurring. My biggest reason for that is close to what you’ve said Joel – it hasn’t been researched enough. Sure, the companies that make is have minimum testing that they have to do, but it’s really not rigorous enough for me and certainly not unbaiased.
I have a horrible sweet tooth unfortunately. I like to use xylitol in small amounts, stevia or organic maple syrup.
Used to use agave nectar until I found out they cook the ever lovin heck out of it and as a result it’s actually higher in fructose than corn syrup – even the organic kind – that discovery kind of made me sad – I thought I had found the key with agave nectar. But when I stopped using it I immediately saw fat loss results I hadn’t been getting before.

I do drink diet coke sometimes and have used splenda before in cooking. Some people have told me bad things about splenda, so I did a little research and became aware of an all natural sweetner called stevia that I am starting to use more. Look into it! :)

I starting recommending Xylitol to my friends and family but unfortunately it gave them diarrhoea!! Might be worth mentioning that little “side effect”. @ Rachel:

Information desired please. I use sweetners. Saccharin in coffee at home. Splenda when cooking. Truvia (A stevia product) for general sweetner. And I do drink diet sodas.