Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I don't regularly consume either, but I prefer to use actual sugar....
As for as safety/health, there isn't strong evidence that artificial sweeteners cause cancer, etc....but there is strong evidence that they do, despite being no-calorie, have effects on your health. For example, your brain correlates "sweetness" with caloric content. What happens when "sweet" messages from the mouth are routinely given to the brain.....yet the gut tells the brain "there ain't anything here!". The brain increases your hunger.......you'll be driven to eat more food.
Isn't it interesting that artificial sweeteners have done absolutely nothing to reduce obesity in the US?
Sorry I don't have the links on hand to post - but I thought exactly as you do on this topic and researched pubmed to see if it was true. I found 4-5 studies on the topic and actually they did not see the increase in hunger from sweeteners. They also did not see any additional weight gain. I think the reason they didn't see this may be study design -- if you enter people into a diet study then they will be focused on doing well - they may have mentally ignored hunger cues cased by the sweetener. Additionally, if I recall some of the studies were industry sponsored - so there is that... In any case - completely agree the sweeteners have done nothing to reduce obesity.
Just a quick vote....or you can explain (since I guess I am asking a compound question)
-- which do you prefer or which do you think is 'safer' sugar...or artificial sweetener?
I'm torn....I try to be very health conscious ...but I'm consistently worried about my weight and dieting, so I drink diet ice tea -- about a bottle a day. Not every day or week but that's what the inconsistent average over weeks and months amounts to. That's my only diet drink. Don't drink sodas at all. Haven't for decades.
I know sugar is the more 'natural' substance. And I've been told 'the body recognizes it and knows how to digest/process it. But it has calories. Aspartame and other sweeteners are of course 'man made. I've been told they 'build up in the body. Is that true? not True.
In general what to you use or prefer...sugar or artificial sweetener? And what are your quick thoughts -- for diet or general safety/health -- on the issue?
Thanks
The answers may be skewed because I'm asking this in Diet and Weight Loss and not the general "health" threads...but....I thought I'd ask. Of the half-dozen family and friends i've asked, I've got five votes for sugar -- one diet drinks person. They really are wary of the artificial stuff.
NOTHING fat free, sugar free or artifically created is used in this household. REAL food all the time just in moderation. For me it is about 1200 calories per day and for Sneakers it is about 1800 calories per day.
I found 4-5 studies on the topic and actually they did not see the increase in hunger from sweeteners. They also did not see any additional weight gain.
There are numerous studies that show that artificial sweeteners tend to increase appetite, and you still all sorts of things in brain imagining. In particular, the artificial sweeteners don't fool the brain....
There are numerous studies that show that artificial sweeteners tend to increase appetite, and you still all sorts of things in brain imagining. In particular, the artificial sweeteners don't fool the brain....
I have two conflicting studies, at least on sucralose that I posted previously at this site - I have others just not on hand right now. But I would love to see links to studies showing artificial sweeteners tend to increase appetite
I do buy UNsweetened tea sometimes. And most times I drink it as is. I buy the 1/2 gallon "Honest Tea" just brewed tea. But sometimes I want more -- or should I say -- a different taste -- and I don't always have lemon juice on me when I'm out.
I'm talking about a pre-bottled tea. The tea I drink is bottled that I buy when shopping for the week or out on errands, and grab an ice tea from a drug- or convenience store. I'd say half the time they don't have unsweetened as an option. Some don't have diet either. They sure do have Sweet Tea though. Every where you look, sweet tea, sweet tea. But no diet or unsweetened.
Most of the time my choice is between tea sweetened with sugar -- or diet. Unsweetened isn't even an option. If a mini-mart ONLY has sugar sweetened tea I chose water over the tea with sugar. But like I said sometimes I just don't want water or a plainer taste.
Hmm, how inconvenient would it be for you to brew your own tea and carry a water bottle of the stuff? It would definitely save you $$$ and you would know exactly what goes into your tea and how much. You could brew it once or twice a week and fill up a bottle in the morning.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sciameriken
If you want to try something completely different - try Miraculin! It turns anything sour into sweet - for example, lemon juice into water taste like perfectly sweetened lemonade. You can get this stuff on Amazon.com. Its a protein that comes from the miracle berry plant that binds the sour receptor modifying how it works.. This stuff is crazy!
I've tried the miracle berry, unless there's more than one out there. Some friends held a "flavor tripping" party, we each ate a berry (well, you don't actually eat it, just chew and spit) and then ate various citrus fruits and sour candies and pickles and such. Interesting stuff, but expensive and kind of weird. It's like when you go to take a sip of a sprite only to realize it's actually water, it's a head trip.
I actually have yet to find an artificial sweetener that doesn't give me horrible horrible migraines. I can't even chew sugar free gum. I once (unknowingly) drank a glass of sugar free lemonade and was out flat throwing up for about 8 hours. /sigh
Normal sugar doesn't bother me. So it is an easy choice for me.
I vote for real, raw sugar -as well as stevia, and locally harvested honey. These are natural and won't hurt you if used in moderation, like anything should be.
Sugar has zero fats, and a teaspoon only has about 20 calories. You could, as someone else suggested, use stevia and then just a teaspoon or so of sugar to give it a more natural flavor, though I don't mind the taste of stevia at all. I found it in drop form at Drug Emporium and it's really easy to use and mixes well in that form.
I use locally grown honey in my smoothies and it's delicious.
Hmm, how inconvenient would it be for you to brew your own tea and carry a water bottle of the stuff? It would definitely save you $$$ and you would know exactly what goes into your tea and how much. You could brew it once or twice a week and fill up a bottle in the morning.
I know...it comes off as spoiled rotten. I do buy already made unsweetened brewed tea. I don't cook at all. I eat out or microwave everything. Hey what can I say, I'm single, no kids, and am all about convenience. And for me it's more convenient to buy everything out than make it. I get all my take out from health food stores, or small east coast health grocery chains called My Organic Market and Fresh Market, or a Lebanese or Indian restaurant I like.
I'm spoiled and what what I WANT to be readily easily available. But as I said, ultimately our health is our own responsibility, and our culture is not exactly conducive to a healthy lifestyle. I know that, but not having diet iced tea available everywhere just frustrates me sometimes. But if that's my only worry in life then I have no complaints.
And the only time we use it is to sweeten our one cup of coffee.
We don't allow faked, processed crap in this house.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
