Splenda
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Some time in the early - mid nineties I had a series of events that forced me to completely change how I look at food and drink and what I consume . Which makes what I say next almost funny , really .
In 2004 or there abouts I was at home in Arizona for the second 1/2 of summer . It was a warm summer even for AZ and I had many things to do outside . At one location a friend had stocked a refrigerator full of "natural" clear flavored water which I consumed and replenished and consumed and replenished etc for about a month and a half at the rate of 1-2 out of 3-4 gallons a day .
At the end I was a bed ridden mess with old problems abloomin' and other new problems , strange problems cropping up .
I was also in a surprising amount of pain just about everywhere with almost no night vision and a type of tunnel vision that would come and go during the day .
There is more , but its a needlessly complicated boring " comedy of errors " and there were definitely other factors . The upshot is after getting away from that water ( unable to move - different location ) and doing some other things I started to get well at week three ; after 6 months or so was thru the worst and by about 15 months pretty much on top again .
That water contained aspartame and I had missed that in the small print .
Well , it was a humbling BUT informative experience in more ways than one - in that unique way that first hand always is .
Many times although not always I have found there is a brightside to unpleasant situations . Sometimes that can be hard to see esp. when you are in the middle of the river but there were many here .
In this case , one of the benefits would be I READ ALL labels and I read them carefully .
In 2004 or there abouts I was at home in Arizona for the second 1/2 of summer . It was a warm summer even for AZ and I had many things to do outside . At one location a friend had stocked a refrigerator full of "natural" clear flavored water which I consumed and replenished and consumed and replenished etc for about a month and a half at the rate of 1-2 out of 3-4 gallons a day .
At the end I was a bed ridden mess with old problems abloomin' and other new problems , strange problems cropping up .
I was also in a surprising amount of pain just about everywhere with almost no night vision and a type of tunnel vision that would come and go during the day .
There is more , but its a needlessly complicated boring " comedy of errors " and there were definitely other factors . The upshot is after getting away from that water ( unable to move - different location ) and doing some other things I started to get well at week three ; after 6 months or so was thru the worst and by about 15 months pretty much on top again .
That water contained aspartame and I had missed that in the small print .
Well , it was a humbling BUT informative experience in more ways than one - in that unique way that first hand always is .
Many times although not always I have found there is a brightside to unpleasant situations . Sometimes that can be hard to see esp. when you are in the middle of the river but there were many here .
In this case , one of the benefits would be I READ ALL labels and I read them carefully .
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In order from best to worse:
Saccharin
Cyclamate
Sucralose
Stevia
Aspertame
And as g20ooh points out, aspertame metalization can have some nasty effects in some people. All, with the possible exception of Aspertame, are better for you than sugars. The problem with Splenda is not sucralose but the corn sugar based carrier. I use Splenda only because it tastes better, especially aftertaste.
Funny how the sugar industry claims substitutes are harmful and can cause stomach/head aches when their product is known proof-positive to cause diabetes, arthritis, blindness, plaquing of blood vessels, liver/pancreas/kidney damage, immune system damage..... and stomach/head aches.
Saccharin
Cyclamate
Sucralose
Stevia
Aspertame
And as g20ooh points out, aspertame metalization can have some nasty effects in some people. All, with the possible exception of Aspertame, are better for you than sugars. The problem with Splenda is not sucralose but the corn sugar based carrier. I use Splenda only because it tastes better, especially aftertaste.
Funny how the sugar industry claims substitutes are harmful and can cause stomach/head aches when their product is known proof-positive to cause diabetes, arthritis, blindness, plaquing of blood vessels, liver/pancreas/kidney damage, immune system damage..... and stomach/head aches.
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I don't think it is easy or even possible to make a list of artificial sweeteners in order of how dangerous they are. Over the years, each one of them has been accused of being carcinogenic, mutagenic or otherwise dangerous. Cyclamate used to be one of the worst offenders, but the latest new suggest that cylcamate is at least not carcinogenic. I don't know who pays for what research and who can be trusted. I will however say that I stay away from all of those sweeteners when possible.
I have tried stevia out of curiosity, but it too has been badmouthed. Just because it's a naturally derived substance doesn't mean it's safe. I don't care for stevia's taste anyway, but do prefer plain old sugar, which I do not consume in vast quantities anyway.
Let's not forget that recommendations change over time. Often, what was supposed to harmful yesterday is just fine today, and vice versa.
In the end is comes to making sensible choices, which includes moderation. Unless one has a metabolic disorder like diabetes, one does not need to resort to using artificial sweetners (and fat-free foods, low-carb tit'ntat) as long as one eats appropriate amounts of proper food. Washing 5 donuts down with a liter soda just isn't natural, even if it's all diet and fat-free.
I have tried stevia out of curiosity, but it too has been badmouthed. Just because it's a naturally derived substance doesn't mean it's safe. I don't care for stevia's taste anyway, but do prefer plain old sugar, which I do not consume in vast quantities anyway.
Let's not forget that recommendations change over time. Often, what was supposed to harmful yesterday is just fine today, and vice versa.
In the end is comes to making sensible choices, which includes moderation. Unless one has a metabolic disorder like diabetes, one does not need to resort to using artificial sweetners (and fat-free foods, low-carb tit'ntat) as long as one eats appropriate amounts of proper food. Washing 5 donuts down with a liter soda just isn't natural, even if it's all diet and fat-free.
If you love brain cancer, it is darn tootin
I'm not biting on this. Says who? What is bad about Stevia for example? Why is it "worse" than Saccharin or Sucralose?
Metabolic uptake mostly where Saccharin does not metabolize and Aspertame has some potentially harmful metabolic by-products that can make some people sick. I suspect it is the formaldehyde by-product that causes this. Anything that kicks off a lot of Insulin production is not good for you. Sugars (and alcohol...alcohol is formented sugar) being the worst.
I'll bite. I'm a chemist with a few semesters of organic chem. I admit all those chlorines hanging off sucralose are a bit unnerving. But you can't just look at that and say it must be unhealthy. A lot depends on dosage. Eating an iron bar would be stupid, but your body needs a little iron. Selenium is a deadly poison, but your body has trace amounts.
I've been drinking Diet Coke for years. I must be pumped full of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Can't say I've noticed any problems. My mom has Splenda with her morning coffee. She just bought a couple big boxes of it, she must be handling it OK. If you're worried about chlorine, I'd say cutting down salt intake would be a lot more helpful for the average person than avoiding artificial sweeteners.
Now gimme my Diet Dr Pepper!
I've been drinking Diet Coke for years. I must be pumped full of aspartame and acesulfame potassium. Can't say I've noticed any problems. My mom has Splenda with her morning coffee. She just bought a couple big boxes of it, she must be handling it OK. If you're worried about chlorine, I'd say cutting down salt intake would be a lot more helpful for the average person than avoiding artificial sweeteners.
Now gimme my Diet Dr Pepper!
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I don't know if this is true, but I've read very similar claims over the years:
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Blaylock-AspartameAndMultipleSclerosis-Neurosurgeon'sWarning.html
http://www.truthinlabeling.org/Blaylock-AspartameAndMultipleSclerosis-Neurosurgeon'sWarning.html
If your connected to the public water grid, the water is clorinated. If you use well water, chances are you will have at least trace amounts of salt in it. Salt (sodium cloride) is essential for human health as well. Salt and water are the only inorganic compounds that are essential for human health.
I just stay away from Aspertame/NutraSweet now since Splenda became available. I dont sweeten much but when I do I use Splenda. The metabolic uptake of sucralose is very small.
I just stay away from Aspertame/NutraSweet now since Splenda became available. I dont sweeten much but when I do I use Splenda. The metabolic uptake of sucralose is very small.
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If I have a sense of smell and taste buds, I am most likely aware of chlorinated water, even if I was raised by hermits in a cave in North Dakota and have no common knowledge whatsoever. It's also likely that, should I have eyes, I will read the yearly water report that I get in the mail, Doctor Lex.
The FDA allows 4 ppm chlorine in tap water. You are not even supposed to swim in water that contains more than 3 ppm. Anybody who doesn't use a water filter, even when taking a shower, is in my opinion negligent, especially here in SF: http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/uscities/pdf/sf.pdf
Sorbitol is a sweetener I used to see a lot in cough drops and chewing gum. I never heard of problems with it (unless consumed in large quantities -- it is a laxative). Mannitol is similar.
The only artificially sweetened thing I routinely put in my mouth is chewing gum. I prefer the kind that is sweetened with xylitol, but don't mind sorbitol or mannitol.
Sorbitol is a sweetener I used to see a lot in cough drops and chewing gum. I never heard of problems with it (unless consumed in large quantities -- it is a laxative). Mannitol is similar.
The only artificially sweetened thing I routinely put in my mouth is chewing gum. I prefer the kind that is sweetened with xylitol, but don't mind sorbitol or mannitol.
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By the way, Tom's of Maine toothpaste uses xylitol as sweetener. I wouldn't put any of the triclosan ( a pesticide!) or saccharin-laced laced junk in my mouth.
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What the heck is with Triclosan in toothpaste!!!?? I saw some Colgate with Triclosan. The stuff is not approved for internal use - and people's mouths are full of festering STD sores. Oh maybe that's the point.
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Triclosan is great at killing the bacteria that causes periodontitis. Since gum disease can cause heart attacks and stroke, triclosan may well be indicated in some cases, as it may be the lesser evil, but for someone with healthy gums using a pesticide orally three times a day is just plain nuts.
How bad is acesulfame potassium?
Xylitol isn't just used as a sweetener, it also supposedly has a whole bunch of dental health benefits.
The jury is still out on acesulfame potassium. It has been linked to a bunch of weird forms of cancer, but who knows. Theres a lot of people out there who say it hasn't been tested enough, and the testing that has been performed so far has been mediocre.
My guess on triclosan in toothpaste would be to kill bacteria in your mouth that may cause bad breath, although i usually see it listed as an anti-gingivitis ingredient.
The jury is still out on acesulfame potassium. It has been linked to a bunch of weird forms of cancer, but who knows. Theres a lot of people out there who say it hasn't been tested enough, and the testing that has been performed so far has been mediocre.
My guess on triclosan in toothpaste would be to kill bacteria in your mouth that may cause bad breath, although i usually see it listed as an anti-gingivitis ingredient.
Cripes - I chugged one of these http://www.drinkfuze.com/ and THEN read the ingredients......sure enough!! Acesulfame potassium!!! Gak- ugh - fack
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They say xylitol aids in the remineralization of tooth enamel and can even prevent dental caries. It's increasingly found in chewing gum and toothpaste.
We have of course beneficial bacteria in the mouth, and they are being killed off by triclosan, too. In a similar fashion, triclosan in deoderant and soap will also disturb the natural skin flora.
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I hear it stimulates insulin production -- which of course is exactly not what you'd want.
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