Artificial Sweeteners on a diet. Do we have to ditch those too??

[oatmeal69]

So, in an effort to get myself looking pretty for bikini-season, I was reading an article from a friend in "Shape" magazine.
All of the ideas are pretty standard, but one has me worried - The advice to lose the artificial sweeteners:

http://www.shape.com/weight-loss/wei...abolism?page=4

" "4. Metabolism Mistake: Drinking Diet Soda
It’s a cruel twist of fate that something calorie-free can plump you out. “Studies show that artificial sugar stimulates the same hormonal and metabolic responses of real sugar,” Dr. Cederquist says. As you eat fake sweetener, receptors in your brain and gut anticipate getting calories from sugar; in response, your body releases the fat-storage hormone insulin.
The solution: “Toss the calorie-free stuff and start eating real food,” Dr. Cederquist says. You want to cut out diet soda out completely, but if you’re a three-cans-a-day gal and don’t want to quit cold turkey, start by cutting back to one can and always consume diet drinks with a meal. “That way your body gets the calories it’s expecting, so there’s less of an insulin response,” Dr. Cederquist explains." "

If it wasn't for A.S., my diet wouldn't exist! I don't drink diet soda anymore, but I use splenda in 3+ cups of coffee a day, and lots of other stuff. Crystal-lite, sugar free syrup, protein powder, - EVERYTHING! Am I really "sabotaging my weight-loss goals??"

What do you guys think?

[GirlyGymRat]

I am interested in the responses. Seems reasonable but saw in another thread that other members have lost bf and increased lean muscle and do drink diet sodas.....

[951thompson]

There is alot of conflicting information regarding sweetners, personally I drink diet pop, it has to my knowledge had no negative effect on my attempt to lose bodyfat.

[Sgt. Hartman]

Those "studies" are a bunch of crap imho.

The action of chewing alone has been shown to secrete insulin production.

If sugar free soda increases insulin levels to the same extent that its hfcs counterpart does (which it doesn't) they would have cited the study.

And please stop reading Shape magazine.

[GirlyGymRat]

Those "studies" are a bunch of crap imho.

The action of chewing alone has been shown to secrete insulin production.

If sugar free soda increases insulin levels to the same extent that its hfcs counterpart does (which it doesn't) they would have cited the study.

And please stop reading Shape magazine.

I only look at the pictures

[ElectraMaddox]

Stevia...... Amazing stuff

[Sgt. Hartman]

I only look at the pictures

Lmao me too but I swear I don't read any of the articles. No really

[< <Samson> >]

It is all absolute shit. . . If you crave it, have a drink. But, try your best not to get used to it.


The less the better. . . Read what that shit is, not the BS they feed on what it does. It's pretty interesting, the garbage we put in our body - Some legal, some not < All garbage.

[oatmeal69]

I am interested in the responses. Seems reasonable but saw in another thread that other members have lost bf and increased lean muscle and do drink diet sodas.....

I was really sure about this too... I've just cut 20 pounds in 3 months, and practically all I eat is artificial sweetener. WTH would I do without SlimmerMe's pancakes??

Those "studies" are a bunch of crap imho.

That's what I'm hoping too... Have you seen anything which refutes it? I don't know if I can make it without splenda!

And please stop reading Shape magazine.

No way! In fact I found another article to help with my Brazilian bikini wax line!

Stevia...... Amazing stuff

Agreed, but way more expensive than Splenda or Equal. Do you notice a taste difference?

[oatmeal69]

Oh, and while I'm being completely honest, the article wasn't "from a friend" ... I have a subscription!

[Sgt. Hartman]

I don't doubt that artificial sweeteners cause an insulin response, pretty much anything does including no sugar gum.

But does it create enough insulin secretion to matter? I don't think so.

Whether or not some of the artificial sweeteners are good for us is an entirely different matter. I try to stick with truvia whenever possible which I think is the lesser of all the evils.

[Tron3219]

If I'm not mistaken I believe u get an insulin response at a time when ur body is used to eating if ur in a regular schedule. Hunger will increase insulin as well. But like sarge said, not enough to matter. And if it was I'd b one fat fvcker cuz I drink the hell out of diet dr pepper, mainly because it only has 55mg per 20oz of sodium. That's what gets ya with the diet drinks, the sodium!

-Chomp Chomp Chomp-Clink Clink Clink-

[--->>405<<---]

i drink 24-64oz diet soda per day and have 1/2 gallon of coffee with 10 stevia packets (LOL) every day! without fail.. im still 10%bf and i started at 27%bf.. whats that tell u?? personally i have read some disturbing stuff on splenda and prefer stevia, of which i have read decent stuff.

my .02: dont sweat diet soda dude.. im living proof!

[oatmeal69]

Sweet. I'm a Diet Coke addict. Only reason I'm not drinking the hell out of that as well is because I'm really poor these days. That habit gets expensive.

[Tron3219]

i drink 24-64oz diet soda per day and have 1/2 gallon of coffee with 10 stevia packets (LOL) every day! without fail.. im still 10%bf and i started at 27%bf.. whats that tell u?? personally i have read some disturbing stuff on splenda and prefer stevia, of which i have read decent stuff.

my .02: dont sweat diet soda dude.. im living proof!

Half a gallon? Wth!! Lol

-Chomp Chomp Chomp-Clink Clink Clink-

[Times Roman]

i drink 24-64oz diet soda per day and have 1/2 gallon of coffee with 10 stevia packets (LOL) every day! without fail.. im still 10%bf and i started at 27%bf.. whats that tell u?? personally i have read some disturbing stuff on splenda and prefer stevia, of which i have read decent stuff.

my .02: dont sweat diet soda dude.. im living proof!

mate,
You might want to check your "stevia" packs again. They are NOT stevia! Or at least the main ingredient is not stevia. Go take a look at the ingredients and let me know what you find....

Stevia...... Amazing stuff

yep!

300x sweeter than sugar, and 100% natural.

Don't be fooled by the cost. I purchased 1 kilo ( or was it a pound) for $50. But that was almost a year ago, and still have some left. A little goes a looooong way

[gbrice75]

Stevia FTMFW. /end

[austinite]

^ Yes, Stevia. FTGDMFW.

[oatmeal69]

You might want to check your "stevia" packs again. They are NOT stevia! Or at least the main ingredient is not stevia. Go take a look at the ingredients and let me know what you find....

What do you mean?

[smileybeast]

I take enough vitamins, minerals, and a protein shake + create shake everyday!

I don't want to put more stress on my liver or kidneys... diet cokes have no nutrition benefit and I only drink it if I am to a social gathering... and have to drink something else instead of water!! just to be social accepted!!!

Instead I have an awesome Pro powder for my shake.. I eat nuts and dark chocolate every day... and if I want something sweet I will eat or drink it right after my work out (I never really have craving for sweets, so it's rare), but if I have I will do it post work out!!

I don't want to fill my body with aspatarme and other hormone-disturbing substances... at least not with out any nutritional benefits!!

However if diet coke does have value for your life.... drink it... it's your life.. but doesn't change the fact that it has no postive effect and if you are serious about gains you should really consider giving it up!!

[gbrice75]

Personally, I drink roughly 1 diet soda (aspartame sweetened) a day. I don't even think twice about it. When I can control the artificial sweetener content, I use Stevia. But I enjoy a can of Coke Zero here and there too. Moderation guys. Drinking a 6 pack a day (arbitrary number) probably wouldn't be the best approach, but a can of soda/day isn't going to make or break anything. The only exception where I'd give it up completely would be contest prep. Other than that, I'll continue enjoying my life with a few (very) simple pleasures.

[oatmeal69]

... with aspatarme and other hormone-disturbing substances...

Well, this is where I start to wonder... I know there is TONS of Bro-Science out there making these claims. But I keep coming back to the idea that there aren't any (double-blind, Scientific method, peer reviewed, etc.) studies out there which show any of the supposed detriment to be fact that I am aware of.
However, the flip-side is EVERYTHING in moderation. Not like I slam a 6-pack daily and eat the stuff right out of the packet, but it REALLY makes dieting easier.

[zaggahamma]

splenda is a staple here too

probably save 400-600 calories a day in all (coffee, oatmeal, shakes...)

[gbrice75]

splenda is a staple here too

probably save 400-600 calories a day in all (coffee, oatmeal, shakes...)

I've personally ditched Splenda in favor of Stevia. I used to use a TON of the stuff, and am just not convinced it's 100% safe, so I decided to err on the side of caution. That's just me though.

[zaggahamma]

I've personally ditched Splenda in favor of Stevia. I used to use a TON of the stuff, and am just not convinced it's 100% safe, so I decided to err on the side of caution. That's just me though.

have u noticed ANYTHING at all since the switch or just like u said..err on caution

[gbrice75]

have u noticed ANYTHING at all since the switch or just like u said..err on caution

I can't say I've noticed any difference one way or the other... psychological if anything, as in a bit more peace of mind.

[rxmuscle]

Im using the Truvia......taste much better than the Stevia.

[gbrice75]

Im using the Truvia......taste much better than the Stevia.

Truvia is nothing more than a brand of Stevia. Stevia is the actual 'product'. Truvia, Purevia, etc. are simply brands, so i'm not sure what you were comparing before brother, lol!

[cj111]

I have a whole thing of stevia in the cupboard, but I haven't used it ever lol...
What does everyone put artificial sweetener on? On your egg whites? I might be missing the artificial sweetener bandwagon

[rxmuscle]

Truvia is nothing more than a brand of Stevia. Stevia is the actual 'product'. Truvia, Purevia, etc. are simply brands, so i'm not sure what you were comparing before brother, lol!



I am going to have to disagree with you on that one.......I think in my opinion there is significant difference for comparison. Have you tried both products??? I have tasted the Stevia in The Raw as well as Truiva......two totally different taste. One is more bitter (Stevia) and the other is more sweet (Truiva). And although they both are derived from the Stevia leaf, the Stevia product is more derived from the actual Stevia leaf by itself to what I understand, which is very bitter in taste. The Truvia is made out of a derivative of the Steiva leaf (Rebiana, which is a patented process for a chemically made extract from steeping the Stevia leaf). The Truvia also has added in with it erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol that I am sure knocks out the bitter taste that the Stevia in The Raw has.

True, they are very similar......but are made in two different ways and do not carry the same taste profile. I guess that is where my comparison came in.

[gbrice75]

I have a whole thing of stevia in the cupboard, but I haven't used it ever lol...
What does everyone put artificial sweetener on? On your egg whites? I might be missing the artificial sweetener bandwagon

Everything I want/need sweetened. Oats, baked stuff, protein shakes, etc.

I am going to have to disagree with you on that one.......I think in my opinion there is significant difference for comparison. Have you tried both products??? I have tasted the Stevia in The Raw as well as Truiva......two totally different taste. One is more bitter (Stevia) and the other is more sweet (Truiva). And although they both are derived from the Stevia leaf, the Stevia product is more derived from the actual Stevia leaf by itself to what I understand, which is very bitter in taste. The Truvia is made out of a derivative of the Steiva leaf (Rebiana, which is a patented process for a chemically made extract from steeping the Stevia leaf). The Truvia also has added in with it erythritol, which is a sugar alcohol that I am sure knocks out the bitter taste that the Stevia in The Raw has.

True, they are very similar......but are made in two different ways and do not carry the same taste profile. I guess that is where my comparison came in.

In your OP, you didn't reference Stevia In The Raw (which is another brand, and yes, a product closer to the plant found in nature vs. Truvia/Purvia), you compared Stevia to Truvia... in which case it could be said Truvia IS Stevia.[/QUOTE]

Im using the Truvia......taste much better than the Stevia.

Anyway, just a misunderstanding, I got you now. And yes - I've tried Stevia in the Raw, and agree with you.

[zaggahamma]

truvia trivia nice

[JJ78]

I would be more cocerend with what that stuff is doing to your brain and organs.

Aspartame, equal, sweetn low that shit will cause brain cancer, plus many other internal problems.

But again life is short so enjoy it while its here.

[JJ78]

Truvia does have other shit in it besides stevia.
Stick to stevia

[oatmeal69]

I would be more cocerend with what that stuff is doing to your brain and organs.
Aspartame, equal, sweetn low that shit will cause brain cancer, plus many other internal problems.

Cite your data please. As far as I know there is no scientifically valid information confirming your claims.

[mockery]

Conclusions
Our study shows that APM is a multi-
potential carcinogenic compound whose car-
cinogenic effects are evident even at a daily
dose of 20 mg/kg bw, much less than the cur-
rent ADI for humans in Europe (40 mg/kg
bw) and in the United States (50 mg/kg bw).
The results of carcinogenicity bioassays in
rodents are consistent predictors of human
cancer risks (Huff 1999; Rall 1995; Tomatis
et al. 1989). The results of our study therefore
call for an urgent reexamination of the pre-
sent guidelines on the use and consumption
Aspartame carcinogenicity
Environmental Health Perspectives
•
VOLUME
114
|
NUMBER
3
|
March 2006
385
of APM. The decision to use experimental
data to protect public health is important
because the time span of widespread APM use
is still too brief to have produced solid epi-
demiologic data. Moreover, it is unlikely that
sufficient epidemiologic data will be available
in the near future, given the difficulty of find-
ing a control group that has not been exposed
to this widely diffused compound.
R
EFERENCES
Armitage P. 1971. Statistical Methods in Medical Research.
New York:John Wiley & Sons.
Aspartame Information Center. 2005. Aspartame Information
Center Homepage. Available: http://www.aspartame.org
[accessed 27 October 2005].
Bailer AJ, Portier CJ. 1988. Effects of treatment-induced mortality
and tumor-induced mortality on tests for carcinogenicity in
small samples. Biometrics 44:417–431.
Belpoggi F, Soffritti M, Maltoni C. 1995. Methyl-tertiary-butyl
ether (MTBE), a gasoline additive, causes testicular and
lymphohaematopoietic cancers in rats. Toxicol Ind Health
11:119–149.
Butchko HH, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C,
Blackburn GL, et al. 2002a. Preclinical safety evaluation of
aspartame. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol 35:S7–S12.
Butchko HH, Stargel WW, Comer CP, Mayhew DA, Benninger C,
Blackburn GL, et al. 2002b. Intake of aspartame vs the
acceptable daily intake. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol
35:S13–S16.
Decreto Legislativo 116. 1992. Attuazione della direttiva n.
86/609/CEE in materia di protezione degli animali utilizzati a
fini sperimentali o ad altri fini scientifici [in Italian].
Supplemento ordinario alla Gazzetta Ufficiale 40:5–25.
EC Directive 35. 1994. Directive 94/35/EC of 30 June 1994 on
sweeteners for use in foodstuffs. Official Journal L 237:3–12.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration). 1974. Food additives per-
mitted in food for human consumption: aspartame. Fed
Reg 39:27317–27319.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration). 1981. Aspartame: com-
missioner’s final decision. Fed Reg 46:38285–38308.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration). 1983. Food additives per-
mitted for direct addition to food for human consumption:
aspartame. Fed Reg 48:31376–31382.
FDA (Food and Drug Administration). 1996. Food additives per-
mitted for direct addition to food for human consumption;
aspartame. Fed Reg 61:33654–33656.
Fry J. 1999. The world market for intense sweeteners. World
Rev Nutr Diet 85:201–211.
Gart JJ, Chu KC, Tarone RE. 1979. Statistical issues in interpre-
tation of chronic tests for carcinogenicity. J Natl Cancer
Inst 62:957–974.
Harper AE. 1984. Phenylalanine metabolism. In: Aspartame
Physiology and Biochemistry (Stegink LD, Filer LJ Jr, eds).
New Yorkekker, 77–109.
Harris NL, Jaffe ES, Vardiman JW, Stein H, Diebold J, Müller-
Hermelink HK, et al. 2001. WHO Classification of tumors of
haematopoietic and lymphoid tissues: introduction. In:
Tumors of Haematopoietic and Lymphoid Tissues (Jaffe ES,
Harris NL, Stein H, Vardiman JW, eds). Lyon, France:IARC
Press, 12–13.
Hazardous Substances Data Bank. 2005. TOXNET: Toxicological
Data Network. Available: http://toxnet.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/
sis/search/f?./temp/~mobZuL:1 [accessed 3 August 2005].
Huff J. 1999. Long-term chemical carcinogenesis bioassays
predict human cancer hazards. Issues, controversies, and
uncertainties. Ann NY Acad Sci 895:56–79.
IARC. 1993. Haematopoietic system. IARC Sci Publ 122:1–27.
IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer). In press.
Formaldehyde, 2-butoxyethanol and 1-tert-butoxy-2-
propanol. Monogr Eval Carcinog Risks Hum Volume 88.
Information Center for Immunohistochemistry. 2005.
IHCWorld. Available: http://www.ihcworld.com/_protocols/
antibody_protocols/ [accessed 1 April 2005].
Ishii H. 1981. Incidence of brain tumors in rats fed aspartame.
Toxicol Lett 7:433–437.
Ishii H, Koshimizu T, Usami S, Fujimoto T. 1981. Toxicity of
aspartame and its diketopiperazine for Wistar rats by
dietary administration for 104 weeks. Toxicology 21:91–94.
Jeffrey AM, Williams GM. 2000. Lack of DNA-damaging activity
of five non-nutritive sweeteners in the rat hepatocyte/DNA
repair assay. Food Chem Toxicol 38:335–338.
Kitahori Y, Kitamura M, Konoshi N, Matsuda H, Tao M, Matsui E,
et al. 1996. Carcinogenicity study of monosodium aspartate
in Fisher 344 rats: 100 weeks treatment. J Toxicol Pathol
9:161–168.
Kitamura M, Konishi N, Kitahori Y, Fukushima Y, Yoshioka N,
Hiasa Y. 1996. Promoting effect of monosodium aspartate,
but not glycine, on renal pelvis and urinary bladder car-
cinogenesis in rat induced by
N
-butyl-
N
-(4-hydroxy-
butyl)nitrosamine. Toxicol Pathol 24:573–579.
Kotsonis FN, Hjelle JJ. 1996. The safety assessment of aspar-
tame: scientific and regulatory considerations. In: The
Clinical Evaluation of a Food Additive: Assessment of
Aspartame (Tschanz C, Butchko HH, Stargel WW,
Kotsonis FN, eds). Boca Raton, FL:CRC Press, 23–41.
Maltoni C, Ciliberti A, Cotti G, Conti B, Belpoggi F. 1989. Benzene,
an experimental multipotential carcinogen: results of the
long-term bioassays performed at the Bologna Institute of
Oncology. Environ Health Perspect 82:109–124.
Maltoni C, Lefemine G, Belpoggi F, Soffritti M, Lenzi A, Ciliberti A,
et al. 1997. Risultati di saggi sperimentali di cancerogenicità
di acque minerali contenute in bottiglie di PVC, su ratti
Sprague-Dawley [in Italian]. Eur J Oncol 6:531–551.
Mazur RH. 1984. Discovery of aspartame. In: Aspartame
Physiology and Biochemistry (Stegink LD, Filer LJ Jr, eds).
New Yorkekker, 3–9.
Molinary SV. 1984. Preclinical studies of aspartame in non primate
animals. In: Aspartame Physiology and Biochemistry
(Stegink LD, Filer LJ Jr, eds). New Yorkekker, 289–306.
Mukhopadhyay M, Mukherjee A, Chakrabarti J. 2000. In vivo
cytogenetic studies on blends of aspartame and acesul-
fame-K. Food Chem Toxicol 38:75–77.
Opperman JA. 1984. Aspartame metabolism in animals. In:
Aspartame Physiology and Biochemistry (Stegink LD, Filer
LJ Jr, eds). New Yorkekker, 141–159.
Piegorsch WW, Bailer AJ. 1997. Statistics for Environmental
Biology and Toxicology. London:Chapman.
Portier CJ, Bailer AJ. 1989. Testing for increased carcinogenicity
using a survival-adjusted quantal response test. Fundam
Appl Toxicol 12:731–737.
Rall DP. 1995. Can laboratory animal carcinogenicity studies
predict cancer in exposed children? Environ Health
Perspect 103(suppl 6):173–175.
Ranney RE, Opperman JA, Maldoon E, McMahon FG. 1976.
Comparative metabolism of aspartame in experimental
animals and humans. J Toxicol Environ Health 2:441–451.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Cevolani D, Guarino M, Padovani M,
Maltoni C. 2002a. Results of long-term experimental studies
on the carcinogenicity of methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol
in rats. Ann NY Acad Sci 982:46–69.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Degli Esposti D, Lambertini L. 2005.
Aspartame induces lymphomas and leukaemias in rats.
Eur J Oncol 10:107–116.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Lambertini L, Lauriola M, Padovani M,
Maltoni C. 2002b. Results of long-term experimental stud-
ies on the carcinogenicity of formaldehyde and acetald-
hyde in rats. Ann NY Acad Sci 982:87–105.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Minardi F, Bua L, Maltoni C. 1999. Mega-
experiments to identify and assess diffuse carcinogenic
risks. Ann NY Acad Sci 895:34–55.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Minardi F, Maltoni C. 2002c. Ramazzini
Foundation cancer program: history and major projects,
life-span carcinogenicity bioassay design, chemicals
studied, and results. Ann NY Acad Sci 982:26–45.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Minardi F, Pinto C, Maltoni C. 1992.
Chemopreventive effects of vitamin A (retinyl acetate and
palmitate) and N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)retinamide in rats, with ref-
erence to mammary carcinoma. In: Progress and Perpectives
in Chemoprevention of Cancer, Serono Symposia Publications
from Raven Press, Vol 79 (De Palo G, Sporn MB, Veronesi U,
eds). New York:Raven Press, 79:47–60.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Padovani M, Lauriola M, Degli Esposti D,
Minardi F. 2004. Life-time carcinogenicity bioassay of
toluene given by stomach tube to Sprague-Dawley rats.
Eur J Oncol 9:91–102.
Soffritti M, Maltoni C, Maffei F, Biagi R. 1989. Formaldehyde: an
experimental multipotent carcinogen. Toxicol Ind Health
5:699–730.
Stegink LD. 1984. Aspartate and glutamate metabolism. In:
Aspartame Physiology and Biochemistry (Stegink LD, Filer
LJ Jr, eds). New York:Marcel Dekker, 47–76.
Tomatis L, Aitio A, Wilbourn J, Shuker L. 1989. Human carcino-
gens so far identified. Jpn J Cancer Res 80:795–807.

[mr.slippyfist69]

Aspartame is a down right poison. I have banned it from my cabinets based on tons of studies I have read. Not sure where your reading from but I have many sources and studies to choose from. http://aspartame.mercola.com/

[AlinSR]

I love my Diet Dr Pepper and Splenda too.

[Tron3219]

I take enough vitamins, minerals, and a protein shake + create shake everyday!

I don't want to put more stress on my liver or kidneys... diet cokes have no nutrition benefit and I only drink it if I am to a social gathering... and have to drink something else instead of water!! just to be social accepted!!!

Instead I have an awesome Pro powder for my shake.. I eat nuts and dark chocolate every day... and if I want something sweet I will eat or drink it right after my work out (I never really have craving for sweets, so it's rare), but if I have I will do it post work out!!

I don't want to fill my body with aspatarme and other hormone-disturbing substances... at least not with out any nutritional benefits!!

However if diet coke does have value for your life.... drink it... it's your life.. but doesn't change the fact that it has no postive effect and if you are serious about gains you should really consider giving it up!!

Get the fvck outta here with that...I drink diet dr pepper every day and my gains r just fine

-Chomp Chomp Chomp-Clink Clink Clink-

[Sgt. Hartman]

Get the fvck outta here with that...I drink diet dr pepper every day and my gains r just fine

-Chomp Chomp Chomp-Clink Clink Clink-

Haha I was thinking the same thing. I'm not gonna sacrifice quality of life over something so trivial as this.

I drink at least one coke zero and most of the time more everyday and put truvia in my shakes and other stuff.

If it takes 2 years off my life fvck it I'll be old and won't have shit to do anyway. Artificial sweetener is the least of my concern of all the stuff i put in my body......