Splenda, Not So Splendid
by Ashley Ramsey on 03/17/2009 at 5:22 PM
My New Year's Resolution for the two years prior to 2009 was to give up Splenda. In 2007, I tried to do it cold-turkey. Failed. In 2008, I planned to do it slowly over a three month period. Failed again. In 2009, I didn't even kid myself. But here I am a quarter into the year and feeling the pressure to break my artificial sweetener addiction.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with Splenda, here is a brief description from Splenda's official site:
Sucralose, or SPLENDA® Brand Sweetener, is made from a patented multi-step process that begins with sugar (sucrose). Three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule are replaced with three chlorine atoms. Although the process for making sucralose begins with sugar, sucralose is not sugar and is not broken down for energy. This is why it has no calories.
Isn't the most basic purpose of food to provide energy? Food is meant to give us energy for life, not to be where we find life's sweetness. Splenda is empty of any real nutrient; it only adds flavor. So even though Splenda assures me that there are no harmful effects, I'm wary of something meant to give energy that only gives empty taste.
I know that a fake substance can't possibly taste better than the real thing, but it does to me. I don't like real sugar in my coffee. There was a time when I used Splenda to save the calories of the sugar that I put in my cereal and my coffee. Today, I would gladly take back the 100 or so calories. But I like it so much.
Sunday was my fist attempt of 2009 to cleanse my diet of Splenda. I ordered a Grande Americano before church as is my sabbath ritual, but instead of adding three Splenda, I added four raw sugars. I couldn't even finish it. Yuck.
(I put a Splenda in my afternoon coffee without evening thinking about it.)
Monday was attempt two. Instead of adding sugar, I just drank it with cream and called it a cup. Not the same, but not bad.
Today is day three and I didn't drink coffee this morning, so sweetener has not been an issue today. (Yes, I'm dragging.)
If I'm going to make it to day four, I need to have better reasons than the vague assumption that artificial sweetener is bad for my health. What's going to happen when I'm sixty and I've had a three packet-a-day Splenda habit for forty years? I've been doing some research and my findings have been ... confusing.
From Splenda.com:
Sucralose has been tested at extremely high doses in long-term studies without any adverse health consequences. These doses are far in excess of the amount normally consumed in the daily diet. Moreover, sucralose does not accumulate in the body. It is highly water soluble and passes through the body without being broken down for energy.
From WebMD:
"Sugar may have its health drawbacks, but at least we know we're not in for any major surprises -- and we just can't say that about Splenda yet -- so to imply that it's got the same profile as sugar is misleading and that is important today, as well as in the long run," she says.
Samantha Heller, MS, RD, agrees. "Saying Splenda is made from sugar is like taking the round wheels off a car and putting on square wheels. Is it still a car? Yes. But can it still perform like a car? No -- and what's more we don't know what's going to happen when people try to 'drive it' cross country," says Heller.
From Consumeraffairs.com:
A new Duke University study finds that the artificial sweetener Splenda contributes to obesity, destroys beneficial intestinal bacteria and may interfere with absorption of prescription drugs
"The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label," said Turner.
Of course this isn't the extent of what I found, but it sums up the research pretty well from what I can tell. Splenda claims their product is a consequence-free alternative to calorie laden sugars. Others are saying time will tell if Splenda is our calorie cure and still others are saying the results are in and sucralose should be taken off the shelves.
Do you use natural or alternative sweeteners? Do you know anything about Splenda that I didn't find on the Web this week? If you do, I'd love to hear it. It might keep this dog from going back to its vomit artificial sweetener.
1. BDB said the following at 6:08 PM on Mar 17:
It's so sweet of you to write about Splenda!
2. Rachel said the following at 6:23 PM on Mar 17:
In the past two years, I as well have made an attempt to cut out artificial sweeteners. Currently, there is so much that is artificial that is added to the food found in stores. Chemicals for color, taste enhancement, preservation, etc. And with the prices, I can't afford to go to an exclusively Organic diet. My thinking is, I can't make the food manufacturers stop adding these things to the food. So I shop smart, read labels, and try my best to buy food that contain as little unpronounceable chemicals as possible. To further aid myself is kicking this 'chemical habit' I've stopped using Splenda, drinking diet soda, and eating anything that stains my hands orange. Our bodies were not made to break down chlorine-sugar compounds!!
3. Lukas said the following at 6:30 PM on Mar 17:
Ah, sucralose. My wife and I have had many discussions over this. She doesnt like the taste, saying something about the aftertaste not agreeing with her. She's also somewhat fearful of the relative novelty of it and the fact that we dont know long term effects on humans. My Dad (a chemist) also distrusts it slightly because in his words: "I dont trust covalently bonded chlorines", mostly because some organochlorides are used as pesticides. Personally I think its pretty safe, the only effects in animal studies have been at massive doses (ie 1000+ times what people typically eat), plus the molecule is relatively insoluble in fat, and most never leaves the gastrointestinal tract. Plus, the Canadians approved it years before the US, and you know how Canadians love their health and safety ;)
4. Kendra said the following at 6:31 PM on Mar 17:
I've always had my doubts about the health "benefits" of Splenda! I work at Tim Hortons and we have customers who order coffees with 20 Splendas in them. It's like people think that they can go crazy with Splenda in their drinks just because Splenda is supposedly "better" for you than sugar. The whole "calorie cure" thing seems kind of fishy to me.
5. BDB said the following at 6:44 PM on Mar 17:
The easiest solution may be to just dump a packet of hot coccoa into your morning coffee.
6. Kelly said the following at 6:55 PM on Mar 17:
I confess - I love the idea of "diet" food and low-calorie replacements.
However, I can't touch anything that contains aspartame as it gives me headaches. As a result, I never touch diet drinks and instead have "full fat" coke.
7. Saidahwk said the following at 7:10 PM on Mar 17:
Hahaha. I used to be obsessed with diet everything. Especially sodas. I discovered after a while that the artificial sugar in many "diet" products contributed to insomnia. I stopped "dieting" and started sleeping. It was bizarre. Also, many researchers aren't quite sure about your body's ability to process "fake" foods like sucralose and margarine. I've heard some researchers say that ingesting these products is not unlike swallowing your gum. Questionable.
*shrug*
8. David in Cambridge said the following at 7:50 PM on Mar 17:
I wanted to get the journal article named in your third item, but I can't get access. It is always a good idea to read the actual journal article to see if the study was conducted correctly. Scientists can lack the writing skills needed to clearly explain their results, and the journalists lack the scientific skills understand them. It's a vicious cycle.
A http://annonc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/15/10/1460>review article by Weihrauch and Diehl in the Annals of Oncology (2004) found that there was no reason to believe that any artificial sweeteners contributed to cancer. Previous studies to the contrary widely circulated in the media and on labels of some products turned out to be wrong.
I'd believe that it screws with your brain's regulation of your food intake. We are all very well-designed to be able to eat well without the need for scientific studies. (Our Creator put us here thousands of years before such luxuries were available.) However, weird compounds we make are at our own risk.
As a final note, a packet of sugar is 15 calories, or 2% of a Big Mac. You will never get fat off the sugar packets in your coffee.
9. Emerald said the following at 8:51 PM on Mar 17:
I am puzzled by this whole situation. People actually *LIKE* artificial sweeteners? People actually choose them over real sugar? I thought that they were kind of a last resort for cutting out calories from one's diet.
I can't say I've ever had sweetener in any of its incarnations, except for the occasional diet coke. I always feel like I'm putting my body through some kind of hideous torture when I drink it, though - isn't aspartame supposed to be brutal for your innards?
Is sweetener addiction very common? I've honestly never even seen anyone choose it over sugar. Maybe it's an American thing (thinks this Canuck)... although Kendra (#4) does report it at Tim Hortons, unless she works at one of the few Timmy's in the States...... (not trying to make any kind of national judgments, but wondering if it's a trend slowly making its way north!)
10. Kate said the following at 9:01 PM on Mar 17:
Maybe your dislike for added sugar is your body telling you that are trying to eat too much sugar in an imbalanced way and it's not good for you (but maybe with Splenda, the body doesn't recognize it as that?) Try adding only the tiniest bit, or learn to drink your coffee black and/or with only spices like cinnamon or nutmeg added.
After spending some time avoiding high fructose corn syrup, I can now instantly taste the difference between drinks sweetened with that vs. sugar... and also even in things like granola bars! Perhaps it's not so much a taste as that weirdly smooth-yet-sticky texture. I generally don't consume much artificial sweetener and do not prefer them since they taste too sweet.
Sometimes it seems like artificial sweeteners seem "cleaner" because they don't make your teeth get all gunky and give the bad aftertaste from the digesting sugar. They also don't give whatever physiological feelings you may have with a spike in blood sugar that comes with eating something super sugary. Maybe either or both of those is why you prefer Splenda.
Of course the trick to avoiding artificial sweeteners and those unpleasant effects of sugar is to reduce your intake of added sugars overall. You can do this gradually, by examining your diet and finding the biggest sources of added sweetener and reducing them one at a time.
One way to do it is when you're baking, don't add the full amount of sugar. Only put on half as much frosting, or skip it altogether. I realize this can change the chemistry of baked goods and make them come out different, which can offend the traditions of having them a certain way, of course... but you'll still end up with a cake or a cookie.
A fun tip is to find ways to add sweetness in the form of a whole food. Like, instead of using salad dressing (typically contains sugar or corn syrup), use some kind of vinegar/oil/seasoning combo and toss in raisins for that bit of sweetness. Or add fresh/frozen fruit to plain yogurt/oatmeal/unsweetened cereal. If you care about "added sugar" you'll have to check for it on the labeling of dried and frozen fruit. This way at least you are getting fiber and vitamins with your "sweetening."
Another sneaky source of added sweetener can be canned spaghetti sauce! You can make your own sauce from tomato paste and an Italian seasoning mix and other ingredients just as easily. It is an easy way to experiment with flavors and/or use what you have around.
Once you reform your "sweet tooth" senses, your tastes really can change. You might start noticing the natural sweetness in things like carrots and become more aware of how different (and not real) the artificial sweeteners taste.
Hmm I guess I wrote a lot, but this is an area of great interest to me!
11. Merly said the following at 9:49 PM on Mar 17:
Well...I'm not a dietitian, but I do think you're trying too hard to stay away from this "necessary evil", if you will. :) It's like knowing you should work out, so you go from 0 days/week to 5 days/week, all the while knowing you're hating every minute of it. I would try to incorporate it more naturally into your food choices.
From working in the health/wellness field, I am surrounded by dietitians who say the artificial sweeteners are processed the same way as sugar once it gets inside you. Check out www.standupandeat.org for great info about calorie literacy.
Have a sweet day!
12. L. from Canada said the following at 9:53 PM on Mar 17:
My friend & I recently did a detox diet. Since we're both already health nuts, eating all those veggies, etc. was not that hard. But my friend ended up quiting three days into the diet due to her SPLENDA HABIT!! She just could not live without her splenda! I never knew this stuff was so addictive because I've never liked it.
How about not adding any sugar or sweetner to your coffee? Just some milk or soy milk? In fact, soy milk is sweeter than milk so it makes you think there's sugar in your coffee! Or how about adding natural, unpasturized honey to your tea? I've replaced the sugar in my oatmeal with honey & it actually makes my oatmeal taste even better!
Often, the things that are naturally sweet in nature taste better than all that artificial stuff humans make.
Good luck kicking the Splenda habit! I know you can do it!
13. Andrea said the following at 10:09 PM on Mar 17:
When you eat dimes they never leave your gastrointestinal tract, nor do they cause cancer. Maybe I will start eating dimes for dinner. I've been wanting to lose a few pounds.
14. Craig M. said the following at 10:24 PM on Mar 17:
Don't use Splenda because of its nasty aftertaste, not because of cancer. Real sugar all the way! You can always run an extra mile in the gym!
15. Shari Malone said the following at 11:31 PM on Mar 17:
Ashley-
I share your preference for the taste of artificial sweetner over sugar. We have successfully "trained" our taste buds and it is very difficult to stop the habit.
I was a SIX packet per CUP of coffee user of "the pink stuff" - and I drink at least 10 cups of coffee per day. So I felt I was using my body as a lab rat. I've tried for over 10 years to stop the habit. I'm not otherwise fit, normal weight (123lbs 5'5"), and eat a healthy diet (with the exception of my artificial sweetner habit.
I DO have an alternative that I have been successfully using the last couple years. STEVIA extract. Natural herb, sweeter than Splenda or Sweet and Low. I now use a bit of Stevia + about 1/4 packet of sweet and low in my coffee. I think it is a vast improvement over the previous habit and hasn't been a difficult switch. You might try it.
I've never participated in a blog before - so I don't know if I'll find this spot again. Feel free to email me personally at Online@sharimalone.com
Good luck
16. Ally said the following at 12:47 AM on Mar 18:
In December I started researching artificial sweeteners--and what I found made me so angry (partly at the FDA for its money driven potentially lethal failure to fulfill its duties and at myself for buying into the American belief that we can get something (artficial sweetness) for nothing) that I immediately quit drinking diet sodas and cut way back on my Splenda, etc. in my lattes.
First, I wouldn't give any creedence to what the to what Splenda's manufacturer tells you about its product; I'll bet "long-term" doesn't mean a human life-time of consumption (the study I saw was two years with rodents), and I wonder if the studies take into account how sucralose might interact with all of the other sweeteners we consume now. Plus we all metabolize differently; some people may retain more of the sucralose than others. I would suggest that you read the specifics of those reports. Second, it's sort of common sense that putting a man-made chemical into our body daily isn't a good idea. There's some part of me that wants to do better than that and honor the body the Lord gave me and not pollute it. Third, and while not scientific, it's amazing how many stories I've read of people who gave up artificial sweeteners and had health ailments go away. Since I quit drinking diet sodas I have about 1/10 the amount of headaches I had before.
Anyway good luck in your endeavor. Keep on reading and maybe you'll get angry like me.
17. Mike Theemling said the following at 2:11 AM on Mar 18:
I unapologetically use artificial sweetners, including Splenda because:
A) It is a good low calorie alternative to sugar
B) It dissolves better in hot liquids than granulated sugar does
C) I want to avoid a "sugar rush" sometimes
As for the health warnings, for now I take them with a grain of sugar. You can always find a study on just about anything being bad/good for you. I recall articles over the past few decades talking about the dangers of everything from coffee, to fish, to eggs, to milk, etc.
But I do agree that Splenda and other artificial sweetners can actually be counterproductive to some people in maintaining proper weight. They think to themselves, "I'm saving calories by drinking this diet soda" and then overcompensate by eating a jelly doughnut.
18. Anna said the following at 4:21 AM on Mar 18:
Ashley,
I gave up Splenda about 4 or 5 months ago. I hadn't looked up any studies (although what you posted is food for thought!), but what I discovered was that Splenda's sweetness always ended up making me very hungry. Once I stopped using it, my appetite was much more normal. I'm not sure if it's the Splenda, or the fact that anything sweet may tend to spark hunger, but it definitely helped my diet to stay away.
19. Kate said the following at 5:13 AM on Mar 18:
Oh also (as I'm enjoying morning coffee), maybe if you don't really enjoy your coffee black and feel compelled to add sweetener of any variety, it's because you're not drinking good coffee. I'm not sure where a "Grande Americano" comes from but it sure sounds Starbucksy... whose coffee tastes burned to me and almost always gives me an upset stomach whether I have it black or in some sort of horrific latte creation.
Perhaps it's time to try home brewing some different brands or at least seeking out a different coffee shop? Even just making this change may help you disrupt your habit of adding the Splenda, since you'd be in a different place.
20. Andre said the following at 6:34 AM on Mar 18:
I wouldn't have any trouble quiting artificial sweeteners, because I find their taste awful in the first place... I try to use brown sugar whenever possible.
21. Becca said the following at 6:55 AM on Mar 18:
#3 - "1000 times what people usually drink". I've heard that said about many artificial sweeteners and though I understand that, at the same time when I watch my parents or my sister with their diet, all I see are foods sweetened with splenda or aspartame. When 50% or more of what you eat has those in it, even in small amounts, doesn't it add up?
It's like if you checked how much of pre-packaged foods you ate that have "monosodium glutamate" aka MSG. It's in a lot of foods! And now they want us to take a yogurt for "irregularity"? Geez, just take a look at what you're eating throughout the day.
I agree with David (#8). The more we can eat naturally and make our own foods, the better off we'll be.
22. Christina (in green) said the following at 7:04 AM on Mar 18:
I enjoyed this post :)
I can't stand artificial sweeteners. If I'm being calorie conscious, I go for no sweetener at all. But then, I never liked the taste =/ Even of Splenda.
But yeah, I agree...you kinda need a good reason that you feel convicted by to stick with a new discipline.
I'm not an organic nut or anything, but I do prefer natural foods.
If you are gonna go without, pick an alternative you like. You like no sugar better than 4 packets? stick with no sugar. Or adjust how many packets you use (4 is a bit much =p).
And I guess, sometimes the discipline needed to stick with it can emulate the discipline needed to stay in communion with God.
Have you heard of Mandeeza (sp? but she sang a song with Kirk Franklin and Toby Mac that's been on the radio a lot around here)? She apparently lost a lot of weight and broke her addiction to food by using bible verses on flash cards when she was feeling tempted.
Could work with any addiction, so why not try it?
23. Dan Gill said the following at 7:33 AM on Mar 18:
I find it hard to believe that a post about Splenda has anything to do with this blog's purpose.
24. Elisabeth said the following at 7:36 AM on Mar 18:
Just the fact that when I became pregnant a lot of the sites/books I read all recommended cutting out artificial sweeteners (including Splenda) made me think twice about including them in my diet again after I have the baby.
Also I just have conviction about being addicted to something...I have officially gotten off caffeine except for rare occasions. No more morning headaches because I didn't drink coffee! I do still drink decaffinated coffee, but I stopped putting sugar in it a long time ago and just enjoy the taste of the coffee and the cream.
Just try drinking the coffee without anything (cream or sugar) then put some cream in (I've found heavy cream to be the best and I don't have to use much) and you will find it amazingly sweet!
25. Ashley Harris said the following at 8:20 AM on Mar 18:
Kate,
Did you really just hate on Starbucks? I know they are over-priced and semi-cultish in their brand-loyalty schemes, but their coffee is amazing. I used to say that it tasted burned to me too, but somewhere along the way I joined the cult. I still have some cognitive dissonance about that...
I do brew coffee at home. Starbucks coffee :)
26. Sarah P. said the following at 8:21 AM on Mar 18:
Well, not all artificial sweeteners are created "equal." hehe
Aspartame is absorbed by your body. It breaks down at over 86 degrees Fahrenheit into compounds that include methanol (wood alcohol), which then converts to formaldehyde, which then quickly converts to formic acid. None of these three things is good for you at all. The producer says it's fine, that there are no adverse studies. Plenty of Internet sites with flashing text say otherwise. Here's one link to an open letter to the FDA on their website that cites some adverse studies. I haven't checked out those studies myself. http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/03/Jan03/012203/02P-0317_emc-000203.txt
My dad says he doesn't break down the phenylalanine properly, and that diet soda makes him grumpy. It gives me headaches too. I used to drink a large fountain cup of diet soda every day without trouble, but now I can tell the difference when I drink even one soda -- probably my body is more sensitive now, with less exposure.
Splenda is different because your body doesn't metabolize most of it. I think Lukas (#3) has a pretty good summary. You'd have to consume thousands of packets a day for a while to build up anything in your body, poisonous or otherwise.
As far as "making you fat," no sweetener is gonna do that. Some people argue that it gets your body ready to eat and therefore makes you hungrier. Well, you still don't get from "hungry" to "fat" unless you eat in between! heh. It's the food that makes you fat.
27. Shannon said the following at 8:25 AM on Mar 18:
I can't stand Splenda but I do prefer diet sodas to regular. I don't worry about it too much since I only drink a soda maybe once a week. I think you just need to be careful not to overdo it.
28. Ashley Harris said the following at 8:31 AM on Mar 18:
Seriously Dan Gill? I hear this all the time on The Line. Commentors say, "What does _______ have to do with Christianty/the purpose of this blog?"
Peter says that God's divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness. There are many places on Boundless where we talk about godliness, but isn't their room to talk about life as well?
I am certain that God is concerned with all of life, not just the seemingly spiritual parts.
I think we do a great disservice to our selves and the world around us when we compartmentalize.
Now, I'm sure my Splenda habit is not the most interesting blog topic. I give you that.
29. Heather said the following at 8:39 AM on Mar 18:
I have just given up Splenda after years of depression that correlated with my use of the stuff. I would never have thought to blame the Splenda for it until my mother suggested that I change my diet to only 'natural' foods. Then I realized that Splenda is about as unnatural as food can come.
30. Dan Gill said the following at 8:45 AM on Mar 18:
Seriously.
31. Loris said the following at 8:48 AM on Mar 18:
This discussion is a little moot to me since I'm allergic to all artificial sweeteners. However, I started drinking a lot of water since last summer because I took the biggest cup I could find to work and mindlessly refilled it during the day. After a few months of that, I was surprised to find that sodas taste terrible!
Ashley, #25, get yourself some Intelligentsia brand coffee. You'll never drink Starbucks again.
32. Kristen said the following at 9:07 AM on Mar 18:
I dislike the taste of Splenda and try to stay away from it. I also try to limit my consumption of high fructose corn syrup. I don't think refined white sugar is a whole lot better, though it is more natural...
Here's an article about baking with alternative (natural) sweeteners:
http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/a-few-favorite-sweeteners-recipe.html
Ashley, I agree with you about Starbucks. I used to think their coffee tasted burnt, but now I enjoy a cappucino every once in a while. I also brew their coffee at home, along with Caribou and Dunn Bros. :)
33. Janna said the following at 9:08 AM on Mar 18:
Found this via a friend.
I can't stand anything with artificial sweeteners in it, regardless of what kind of sweetener it is. Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sorbitol... all of them have this disgusting aftertaste that I just can't handle. (And I can taste it in everything except - occasionally - baking.) Heaven forbid I ever develop diabetes; I'll end up drinking Perrier and plain water for the rest of my life if that happens!
34. Sarah P. said the following at 9:21 AM on Mar 18:
Also, I'm not sure you can call use of Splenda an "addiction." You add it to make your beverage more flavorful. It's like saying you're addicted to salt because you sprinkle it on your meat.
Perhaps I am addicted to apples. I eat two or three a day. :D :D Maybe I should be worried.
35. Jorden said the following at 9:26 AM on Mar 18:
Haha, I agree with Craig M.(#14). My mom went on a diet several years ago and well I had no choice but to go along with it. I hated splenda at first because of the after-taste, but then I got used to it and then everything else seemed -too- sweet. But I eventually stopped the diet and eating splenda. So now I'm back to hating the stuff again, and loving sugar. So it all worked out in the end. My mom is still a splenda addict though, so maybe I should let her read your guy's conversation :P.
36. Rachael said the following at 9:38 AM on Mar 18:
In comment #11 was included this:
"It's like knowing you should work out, so you go from 0 days/week to 5 days/week, all the while knowing you're hating every minute of it. I would try to incorporate it more naturally into your food choices."
--> So, perhaps along those lines, maybe you could still take Splenda but just set limits or if you feel gradually weaning yourself off it doesn't work well, just allow yourself to have a little rather than take it completely away.
Like the idea that you can allow yourself a little of a treat (for example, an oreo cookie), I suppose with the purpose of avoiding overindulgence (like, the whole oreo bag).
I'm not on a diet, but just thought I'd say that anyway.
37. EconNicole said the following at 9:45 AM on Mar 18:
I use Truvia, it's made from the Stevia plant. It tastes great. I'm against artificial sweeteners. Stuff made from chemicals sketches me out. I try to keep my diet as natural as possible. Truvia tastes like sugar from a fruit or something. It's great, and you need to use very, very little of it. But it is expensive.
38. Amir Larijani said the following at 9:54 AM on Mar 18:
I'll admit: I use Splenda, mostly in my oatmeal. I drink my coffee black, with nothing in it, though.
Still, I think the Duke folks might be onto something. These sugar-substitutes may provide marginal caloric reduction--16 calories per teaspoon of sugar--but at what cost?
If you drink a 140-calorie can of regular Coke, and it keeps you less hungry than your 0-calorie can of Diet Rite (which has Splenda), then the Coke may be better for you than the Diet Rite.
After all, if Splenda helps foment hunger pangs, then you could be more likely to consume far more calories than you would have had you simply drank a Coke instead.
It's like that old joke: only in America, will you see someone order a Big Mac, large fries, and a diet Coke.
I'm a self-confessed exercise addict, but--honestly--I've been pondering going back to sugar from Splenda for one simple reason: cost vs. benefit.
39. Tami said the following at 9:57 AM on Mar 18:
I am *quickly* learning that what I eat and drink is a huge part of my spiritual life and discipline. What I take in has an almost immediate effect on how I feel physically -- and when I feel bad physically (migraines!), it holds me back from taking part in valuable activities. And when those activities are part of fellowship and service -- that's connected to how I live out my walk with God! So while the connection isn't explicitly there, I do think this blog post has relevance to the overall purpose of this blog.
I did Weight Watchers a few years ago, and one of my big takeaway points (ha! no pun intended) was that I'd rather have a small bit of a real goodie than a whole ton of "fake food." So like Craig M said -- a tiny bit of sugar won't hurt, in moderation. (That said, I do use artificial sweeteners on occasion!)
Janna -- actually, drinking Perrier (and other sparkling waters) is how I learned to cut down on sodas :) It helps me think I've got a special drink without drinking yet more soda. (I used to drink a lot.)
Sheri mentioned Stevia -- I know a lot of people like it, and it is a natural sweetener. But I've also heard of some health risks. (Not that there aren't with artificial sweeteners...) So if someone's curious, you might want to read up before using it.
Might want also to think of agave syrup. It has a lower glycemic index. And you can bake and cook with it!
40. Christina (in green) said the following at 10:09 AM on Mar 18:
The only thing I've ever heard that makes the "artificial sweeteners make you fat" sound plausible is what I have learned about detoxification and toxin build-up in lymph nodes.
Something along the lines of toxins accumulating in the fatty tissues around the lymph nodes, making it more difficult to lose weight in specific areas and easier to accumulate fat in those areas.
Even if it doesn't have any adverse effects, all the sweeteners do contain toxins. So it really could be plausible.
I'm not a health nut (or maybe I really am given all the time I spend researching stuff like this) and definitely not an expert, but this is what I heard from some experts (given how widely varied their reports can be).
*******************************
Sara P,
Addictions to artificial sweeteners (and food) are possible =p
Though i wouldn't consider your 3 apples/day an addiction ;)
41. Adam said the following at 10:41 AM on Mar 18:
I'm surprised I'm not seeing any comments about high fructose corn syrup. While not quite as artificial as splenda, it goes through its fair share of processing. And there is an interesting link between obesity rates and HFCS consumption as opposed to sugar consumption.
42. Kate said the following at 11:37 AM on Mar 18:
Ashley of 25: haha I suppose? It's true that I really dislike Starbucks both for its product and a bit for what it represents in our culture. Even their coffee brewed at home still gives me a bit of an upset stomach, though not as bad as from the stores. I am sure the short time I spent working there with all the lack of food service sanitary practices and sick messy syrups and mixes (especially the mocha) didn't help!
You might be interested to know that for home brewing, 8 O'Clock Coffee recently beat Starbucks in a Consumer Reports review: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/food/2009/02/05/2009-02-05_eight_oclock_coffee_beats_starbucks_dunk.html
We decided to give it a try and are pleased to discover it since it's available in the supermarket and we no longer frequent the town where we used to get our preferred very fresh beans from a local food co-op. As someone who is skeptical about the social benefit of fairly traded coffee, I prefer it because I find the quality to be superior. Of course not all fair trade coffees are equal either, since the quality seems to be related to freshness. Funny thing is, our fair trade beans we used to get were actually cheaper than Starbucks! (and the 8 oclock actually costs half as much, if not more, depending on where you get it)
Of course it is all a matter of personal taste and preference, and coffee is a luxury anyway no matter if you're buying frilly latte creations at coffee shops or making cowboy coffee over a fire... but this is a bit of a tangent from the original Splenda ponderings!
43. Vanessa said the following at 11:39 AM on Mar 18:
I'm very sensitive to both aspartame and saccarin. I tried sucralose and didn't like it. I've also used stevia and don't like it either. I stick to cane sugar (or raw sugar) mostly. I also NEVER use margarines and rarely use even butter. I stick to natural oils with minimal processing. I'm trying to go all organic and would probably benefit from gluten free as well...but baby steps is DEFINITELY the way to go when changing your habits!
I've heard and read so many things about how all the other sweeteners either wreck your liver or kidneys.
Unfortunately, cutting out sodas and sweets did nothing for my weight unlike most people I know who gave them up.
44. Ashley Harris said the following at 11:42 AM on Mar 18:
Kate,
Thanks for the Eight O'clock recommendation! I see it all the time and wonder about it.
My previous comment was meant to be playful. I hope it came across that way :)
45. Megan said the following at 11:49 AM on Mar 18:
I'm a chronic dieter. For real. I'm 24, and I've been on a "diet" for 12 years. Half my life. Don't get me wrong, I'm not incredibly overweight. I could stand to lose about 20 pounds, and that's after a weight gain in the last two years.
I drink diet drinks, eat diet food . . . blah blah blah.
How does Splenda contribute to obesity? Contribute directly? Or is it that people who use Splenda think that they can veg out on everything else? I think that's a misleading statement. Obviously it's not Ashley's statement, but I highly doubt that something with no calories directly contributes to obesity. Correlates? Yes. Contributes? Eh.
Anytime we put something synthetic into our bodies, we have to understand that it might not be the best thing for us. People take drugs, but there are side effects with drugs (listen to any birth control or blood pressure medication commercial). Is the risk worth the desired result should be what you ask yourself.
Eat Activia to counter balance your acidophilus.
46. Kate said the following at 12:00 PM on Mar 18:
Dan Gill,
I don't know, I think critical discussions about our use and understanding of food as related to the Christian walk are important and are far too lacking in current Christian culture.
Food is actually mentioned a lot in the Bible, which would make sense as it is obviously an integral and constant part of human life.
Granted, Splenda itself is not mentioned... but if it turned out Splenda did have harmful side effects on people both physically and psychologically, it sure would easily correspond to the sense of trading truth for worldly and temporarily attractive lies, especially since Splenda is a total add on that serves no nutritional or medicinal purpose. I guess you could claim it had a nutritional purpose as a replacement for "harmful" excess calories from added sugars, but those are calories that could just been avoided by leaving the sugar out, or eating smaller portions.
Even the marketing for Splenda with all its little sparkles seem to almost parody this concept of a too-good-to-be-true shortcut when you look at it that way!
Also, the idea that Ashley has a habit of eating it and kind of wants to stop but is having difficulty could correspond to something more spiritual. It may be a stretch to call what she's describing an "addiction," as others have pointed out. However, it is different than our basic regular dependence on food, since Splenda is not food.
I think Ashley is smart to catch on to some of these potentially troublesome metaphorical similarities and further explore the possible connections!
47. stevi said the following at 12:32 PM on Mar 18:
As someone who struggles with blood sugar control, and a family just bursting with diabetics, I'm a big avoider of sugar & corn syrup. I try to avoid sweetened foods alrogether, but when I drink my tea, I take two Splendas. To me, the side effects of blood-sugar spikes & crashes (such as migraine headaches) are such immediate concerns, I don't worry so much about the as of yet unknown possible effects of longterm Splenda usage.
48. Kelly said the following at 1:05 PM on Mar 18:
Well, if you really just think about it logically, just look at what Splenda is made of: chlorine. Yeah, that's the same chlorine that is used as a hazardous weapon by the armed forces. I'd no sooner get a drink of water from the hotel pool than knowingly ingest this sweetener.
49. Krissy said the following at 1:54 PM on Mar 18:
Well,
I didn't have time to read all your other comments, so I hope I don't repeat. My family and i have done a LOT of research on diet, nutrition, and health. To put it all in a really simplified nutshell: if God didn't make it we shouldn't eat it.
I personally use Agave' nectar, which is natural but doesn't have the sugar "spike", honey, or stevia. You can even buy flavored Stevia at the health food stores, or in packets to keep in your purse. It is perfectly natural and healthy, but you may have to get used to the taste. Agave' is yummy but not very cheap. But, I have come to the conclusion that I should do what I can to take care of the body God has given me.
Just the fact that Splenda is so addicting should be a clue!
There's my 2 cents!
50. BDB said the following at 2:24 PM on Mar 18:
Krissy (#49) wrote:
>>Agave' nectar,<<
I've never heard it called that. But, I guess after a few shots, no one will mind missing the Splenda. Perhaps the worm tasts better with Splenda.
51. Tami said the following at 2:49 PM on Mar 18:
LOL BDB!!!
Perhaps you get one of these at the bottom instead.
http://www.naturalcandystore.com/product/natural-gummy-worms-3-pack/natural-gummy-worms
52. Rachael said the following at 3:36 PM on Mar 18:
I recently went to a home where Agave and honey were options to go with the tea we had.
It would be kind-of cool to be all suave about knowing what kinds of things to put in what kinds of drinks (hot drinks).
Like when you go to places and see all those packets. I suppose lots of those are splenda. I think I dumped some kind of packet of something into coffee last Sunday.
I think I'm drinking coffee a tiny bit more as I age - I recently attempted a pot of coffee for a couple people, perhaps for the first time in my life, though perhaps I needed double the amount of water.
Maybe one day I'll be cool and know a lot about different types of coffee drinks....
53. BDB said the following at 3:39 PM on Mar 18:
Tami (#51) that sounds like an excellent idea for a facebook group:
I only swallow the worm if it's a gummy worm!
OK, I admit I can't relate to the Splenda thing. The only cult-like food I've gotten involved with is nonfat milk. You see, in the one season of track I ran, all the people running distance pressured each other to ONLY drink non-fat milk. In college, for some reason, non-fat chocolate milk was available for every meal.
Twenty years later, nonfat milk is still what's in my fridge. 2% tastes like half-n-half to me, which is a yummy treat. Actual cream is, well, QUITE an experience...
54. Kelsey said the following at 3:42 PM on Mar 18:
I'm two months away from getting my bachelors in biochemistry. In fact I'm typing this on my iPhone in an advanced organic lab as I wait for something to evaporate. My professors have mentioned splenda before. From what they've said, and what I've learned in general about the chemistry of our bodies, splenda should be somewhat more healthy than other artificial sweeteners. However, if the bonds to the chlorines break... Let's just say there's gonna be problems. That's the biggest concern that I can see.
Also, a side note about high fructose corn syrup. Unless the name's misleading I don't see the big deal about it. If it's just more concentrated fructose, then the body is going to break it down exactly like it would glucose (sugar). In fact fructose is a step in breaking down fructose.
55. Andrea-Elena said the following at 4:37 PM on Mar 18:
Krissy (#49),
If you follow that logic to its inevitable conclusion, then we ought to eat only raw veggies and fruit legumes and grains (which is what Adam and Eve ate before the fall, I believe). God didn't make bread, though He did make grains. God didn't make applesauce, but He did make apples. God didn't make cooked beef, but He did make cows.
As I understand chemistry (and the biochem folks here can help me here if I'm mistaken in this), just because a subtance has a similar chemical structure to another different substance doesn't mean that they are the same thing...or that they act in the same way in the human body.
And remember: everything in life is made up of chemicals. Some are just already found in nature in certain forms and combinations; others are combined, refined, subtracted, and whatnot in different ways by humans to produce useful, helpful, and healthful substances. (Soap, for example! Of course, I'm not suggesting ingesting soap.)
I'm certainly glad for human-made substances -- else I'd be DEAD right now! The insulin in my pump is produced by some really complicated process (I'm sure), derived from human DNA, if I'm understanding it properly. Used to be made from pigs and cows... somehow. This new stuff (Humalog) is a grand improvement evidently!
Not everything is perfect this side of heaven, of course. And with nutrition, as in other areas of life, there are tradeoffs. Each person has to decide the weight of the factors involved in making a decision.
For example, if I want to drink a sugary beverage, I have to pump 1 unit of insulin for every 15 grams of its carbs, be they starchy or sugary. Since sugary stuff raises blood sugar quickly and since one of the side effects of high blood sugar is excessive thirst, it's counterintuitive to me to drink my carbs! (Unless I'm really jonesing for something... and then I see it as a treat, not a thirst quencher.) So... I use artificial sweeteners and have done so for the almost 23 years I've been type 1 diabetic. I don't know if they've ever caused headaches or other body pains, since I've got all kinds of other factors that bring on such symptoms (hello... Pollen Bowl of Middle Tennessee! ... high blood sugar, low blood sugar, fluctuating blood sugar).
I think the point of Ashley Harris's blog post is that we should ask ourselves: Is this thing that I think is so necessary to my life, truly so? Or in this matter, am I a slave to my taste buds and desires, rather than to Christ? I think many of these types of dilemmas are personal conviction things, not absolutes.
56. Melissa said the following at 5:05 PM on Mar 18:
If I could make a suggestion... maybe you should try a better coffee. I drink a fantastic blend (from Community Coffee in New Orleans) which has so much flavor that I don't use sweetener at all-- just a splash of milk.
57. Elyce said the following at 5:26 PM on Mar 18:
I agree with #15- Shari-
Stevia is wonderful! And Natural :)
58. Danielle said the following at 9:34 PM on Mar 18:
I agree with #37. Truvia is much better. Try it.
59. beatrice81 said the following at 11:33 PM on Mar 18:
Dan writes: "I find it hard to believe that a post about Splenda has anything to do with this blog's purpose."
Dan, look at it this way:
- it's a brief escape from the thinly disguised shilling for Republican-Party politicians and policies elsewhere on the blog
- Do you mean you're not fascinated by dozens of posts on the personal sweetener preferences/behaviour of utter strangers? Seriously?
- anyone who comes to a religious blog to get healthcare expertise (or financial expertise, career expertise, investing expertise, etc.) is kinda asking for trouble, aren't they?
60. Christina (in green) said the following at 11:41 AM on Mar 19:
Andrea-Elena,
Not sure I follow your conjecture...
Apple sauce is mashed apples with extra seasonings...all of it is natural.
Bread is ground grains with water and some other natural ingredients...all of it is naturally God-made.
Butter is churned cow milk...fatty, but natural.
Beef is cooked cow...all of it is natural.
splenda could not be made outside of a chemical engineering lab that creates bonds that don't occur in the natural world.
Its like the argument of taking natural herbs vs medicines.
This is actually the kind of route I plan on taking with a detox plan after I'm done with my pregnancy and start breast-feeding. Only I might be a little extreme and go with avoiding PROCESSED foods - which DOES rule out bread and applesauce =/
61. BDB said the following at 1:29 PM on Mar 19:
OK, here's why this blog post is relevant:
- Boundless wants to encourage marriage.
- Women think about dieting a lot.
- Men need to get used to this.
62. Netanya said the following at 9:37 PM on Mar 19:
Krissy (#49):
Amen to the Stevia and Agave nectar! For the uninitiated, Stevia is a natural herb that tastes sweet without the calories. You can get a concentrated powder of it to replace sugar with a 1-1 ratio, or even more concentrated drops (1 or 2 drops will sweeten a cup of coffee/tea).
Agave nectar would be for those who like natural sugar, but are trying not to spike their blood sugar. It has a lower glycemic index than honey or refined sugar.
63. Ashley said the following at 6:11 PM on Mar 20:
Stevia
64. Mike said the following at 7:56 PM on Mar 21:
#48 and #54:
Chlorine is dangerous? Well, you better stay away from salt...you know, sodium chloride...that breaks down into sodium and chlorine... :-)
65. Merly said the following at 9:59 PM on Mar 22:
Just thought this was interesting to add...
66. Christina (in green) said the following at 9:36 AM on Mar 23:
#64 -
Chlorine is dangerous? Well, you better stay away from salt...you know, sodium chloride...that breaks down into sodium and chlorine... :-)
And occurs NATURALLY!
67. Jacob M. said the following at 11:52 AM on Mar 23:
Andrea-Elena, it's even "worse." The insulin you use to control your diabetes is produced by genetic engineering: the gene for human insulin is inserted into the DNA of a bacterium, making it an insulin-producing factory. The bacteria is then grown en mass in culture and the insulin is harvested. Anyone who believes this kind of thing is wrong must believe that a whole host of actual, presently and widely-used medical therapies are wrong (not just the pipe dream of embryonic stem cell cures.)
68. Kate said the following at 1:48 PM on Mar 23:
BDB 61: ha ha!
I'm kind of surprised nobody has mentioned Xylitol.
69. Cassandra said the following at 2:27 PM on Mar 23:
Is there anyone else out there who finds it obnoxious when people brag about how healthy they are or what they will or won't eat?
Ecclesiastes 9:7
Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.
70. Kelly said the following at 7:24 PM on Mar 23:
BDB - Women think about dieting practically all the time, not just "a lot". ;) Yes, even the thin ones (that's how we stay thin!)
71. BDB said the following at 8:38 PM on Mar 24:
Thanks for backing up my tie-in!
72. Tammie said the following at 1:57 PM on Jun 30:
I work at a Tim Hortons and I have to open hundreds of splenda packages a day...I have to inhale it. I had it go in my mouth so many times in one day, that I have actually gotten a tooth ache. One time I developed this big cis-like bump under my nose...like the size of a thumb(this is from someone who doesn't get pimples or cold sores...I don't get heartburn).
I really believe that splenda is going to kill me and I don't even eat it....why can't tim hortons insist that customers order it on the side like peanut butter!!!