POLL: Which artificial sweetener is worse: Aspartame or Saccharin?

[Electrode]

We've all been told about the possible dangers of these sugar substitutes, and most of us have concluded that these claims are greatly exaggerated.

Saccharin: "Shown to cause cancer in laboratory animals" when half of their blood is replaced with it.
Aspartame: Breaks down into phenylalanine and methanol in your intestines. Alarmists say the methanol can turn into deadly formaldehyde, but they don't say that the methanol yeilded from, say, a 12 oz. soft drink, is half of what you'd get from fruit juice.

What do you think? Vote and discuss.

 

[agnitrate]

The only negative side effect they both have is the that they both make it extremely easy for people to fill my mailbox with emails full of crap about how dangerous they are.

-silver

 

[Anubis]

Originally posted by: agnitrate
The only negative side effect they both have is the that they both make it extremely easy for people to fill my mailbox with emails full of crap about how dangerous they are.

-silver

 

[Soybomb]

I don't think either is really bad for you, I prefer the taste of saccharin though

 

[Electrode]

bump

 

[etalns]

Originally posted by: TheEvil1

Originally posted by: agnitrate
The only negative side effect they both have is the that they both make it extremely easy for people to fill my mailbox with emails full of crap about how dangerous they are.

-silver

 

[StageLeft]

Hopefully neither are too bad. I suck back quite a bit of artificial sweeteners. Of course a person sucking back regular soda, for instance, will have an insulin spike which people on the diet drinks manage to avoid, so somewhere you have to pick the lesser of the two evils.

 

[ScottMac]

Y'all should try "Splenda."

It doesn't have any nasty taste or aftertaste at all. It is more like the taste of raw sugar (restaraunts used to have raw sugar in the brown packets).

It measures the same as sugar, and doesn't break down when heated (you can bake with it).

Zero calories.

My Diabetes NP recommended it; now it's all I use. Even some of my (non-diabetic) friends use it because they like the taste.

"Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar."

FWIW

Scott

 

[hdeck]

i don't use the fake stuff

 

[LeeTJ]

Originally posted by: ScottMac
Y'all should try "Splenda."

It doesn't have any nasty taste or aftertaste at all. It is more like the taste of raw sugar (restaraunts used to have raw sugar in the brown packets).

It measures the same as sugar, and doesn't break down when heated (you can bake with it).

Zero calories.

My Diabetes NP recommended it; now it's all I use. Even some of my (non-diabetic) friends use it because they like the taste.

"Made from sugar, so it tastes like sugar."

FWIW

Scott

Splenda is AMAZING. it tastes just like sugar.

 

[StageLeft]

Whoa nelly i need some splenda then!

 

[LordJezo]

I third the Splenda..

It's made with real sugar so it tastes like sugar...

Johnson and Johnson did something to it so your body does not absorb it so its nice and healthy.

 

[kami]

yes my sis is diabetic so ive got lots of exposure to splenda. we use it for baking all the time. there is even a few soda's that use splenda, though it has way more exposure in canada. only recently could you buy it in granular form in the states.

as for the poll, real sugar is obviously the most dangerous for your body.

 

[MaxDSP]

anybody know which drinks use splenda? I hate the aftertaste of diet coke and diet pepsi

 

[Electrode]

I think Diet Rite might use splenda, but I'm not sure...

 

[kami]

Originally posted by: MaxDSP
anybody know which drinks use splenda? I hate the aftertaste of diet coke and diet pepsi

In canada all the Diet Crush ones (i.e. cream soda, orange, etc.) use Splenda...in the states I've heard diet rite sodas use it.

 

[kami]

Diet Rite and RC Cola according to their site..

Splenda is made from actual sugar, your body just doesn't absorb it...

 

[MaxDSP]

Originally posted by: kami
Diet Rite and RC Cola according to their site..

Splenda is made from actual sugar, your body just doesn't absorb it...

excellent, thanks for the info...will have to pick some of it up when it goes on sale

 

[Mark R]

Splenda is made from natural sugar but it isn't sugar. It is a substance called sucralose, which is similar to sucrose (natural sugar).

The difference is that key parts of the molecule are changed so that it cannot be used for energy. Essentially, it passes out just as it came in. Some is absorbed into your body, but it gets peed out (also) unchanged. Bacteria in your mouth can't use it for energy either, so it doesn't rot your teeth.

I haven't tried splenda myself, but from what I've seen it looks an interesting and promising alternative to more well known sweetners.

Finally, IMO real sugar is by far the most harmful sweetner listed in the poll. There is very good evidence for its contribution to obesity and dental caries. There is little good evidence for harm due to saccharin and aspartame in the quantities normally consumed (with the exception of aspartame and PKU).

 

[wfbberzerker]

and monkey is in the lead!

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: wfbberzerker
and monkey is in the lead!

i voted monkey.

 

[FoBoT]

sugar is good
sugar is best
if you need less sugar, then just don't eat/drink it, no need for these "substitutes"

 

[Freejack2]

Splenda is possibly the best sugar substitute to date. On the other hand it does have a problem. iirc extended use can affect your thyroid. Not sure though.

 

[KokomoGST]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
sugar is good
sugar is best
if you need less sugar, then just don't eat/drink it, no need for these "substitutes"

No need for Olean and other fat substitutes either... anal leakage is a bad thing.

 

[Angrymarshmello]

Just use regular sugar gdamnit