The Lesser of Two Evils: Sugar or Artificial Sweetener?

[Maklershed]

So as of about a year ago, in an effort to reduce my calorie intake, I've been only drinking water and artificially sweetened beverages. I've noticed lately that in the course of a day I probably tend to take in a lot of artificial sweetner due to the fact that I drink around a quart of home made iced tea w/ splenda, one or two diet sodas, and a large coffee w/ equal. I'm getting nervous that I'm taking in too many chemicals and that I may develop cancer or something to that effect.

I know we're all just common folk and not experts in the health field but what do you guys think is better .. drinking regular (more natural perhaps?) sugared beverages or calorie fee, artificially sweetened beverages?

(and please dont say "just drink water" as I do that a lot anyway)

[VanillaGorilla]

Aren't artificial sweeteners MORE unhealthy than basic sugar? Didn't NutraSweet have some kind of ingredient that gave you anal leakage or something.

[SneakyPenguin]

I've always heard bad things about artificial sweeteners, which is one reason I avoid diet sodas.

[linkpwns]

I drink artificial sugars all the time... Splenda is good because it is half sugar and half artificial. Try more of that

[jmcc]

Splenda isn't really that artificial. It's sucralose, a perfectly cromulent sugar that embiggens us all.

edit: sorry, I was wrong. I was thinking of xylitol, which is awesome.

edit 2: look at it, CAG! LOOK! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

[Thongsy]

I think pure cane sugar is more healthier, even though I think I perfer the taste of the sweet n low and splendas of the world. I remember reading a while back that even though pure cane sugar was healthier and some soda companies were moving purely to that, people still perfer the artifical sugar version.

[Cornfedwb]

Natural sugar can cause weight-gain which can cause diabetes, heart disease, etc... Artificial sweeteners are chemicals which can cause random other problems... pick your poison I guess is the way I see it.

[evilmax17]

Hrm, I just learned that Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of the company that discovered aspartame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Discovery_and_approval

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some shady underdealings with the FDA in order to be approved.

...and I take Nutrisweet in my coffee too. Eegh.

[mtxbass1]

I use Sugar in the Raw daily for my coffee, but stick to water for everything else.

Here's a story about Aspartame.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=34040#

Hrm, I just learned that Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of the company that discovered aspartame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Discovery_and_approval

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some shady underdealings with the FDA in order to be approved.



I was just about to post that as well.

[jughead]

You know what sucks. Standing, talking to people at the coffee lounge at work who think they are so special because the use the brown (unrefined?) sugar because they say its healthier for you. As soon as they finish that cup of coffee, they walk outside and burn down a cigarette. For me, I try not to think whats harder on my liver, advil or tylenol, because who really knows? While we metabolize things similarly, everyone is different. Don't worry about it, is my philosophy. But... not a bad question.

[jmcc]

This topic is wonky anyway. Like there's actual sugar in anything anymore. It's all high fructose corn syrup. Though, not outside the border, so you can get actual sugar sodas at Mexican grocers, I've found. Much less "sticky" too. S'great.

[c0rnpwn]

You know what sucks. Standing, talking to people at the coffee lounge at work who think they are so special because the use the brown (unrefined?) sugar because they say its healthier for you. As soon as they finish that cup of coffee, they walk outside and burn down a cigarette. For me, I try not to think whats harder on my liver, advil or tylenol, because who really knows? While we metabolize things similarly, everyone is different. Don't worry about it, is my philosophy. But... not a bad question.

Brown sugar is just like white sugar but white sugar has had the molasses removed. So I wouldn't say it's 'healthier'.

[mtxbass1]

Brown sugar is just like white sugar but white sugar has had the molasses removed. So I wouldn't say it's 'healthier'.

He's talking about Sugar in the Raw, not brown sugar.

[happy]

the artificial stuff creeps me out. But then again why would people put sugar or milk in coffee, that's just crazy.

[Dead of Knight]

Hrm, I just learned that Donald Rumsfeld was CEO of the company that discovered aspartame.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame#Discovery_and_approval

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some shady underdealings with the FDA in order to be approved.

Holy shit. Learn something new every day.

[soonersfan60]

Lots of articles on Splenda being akin to a pesticide:

http://www.dailytrojan.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticlePrinterFriendly&uStory_id=b8fd51d8-1352-4b6a-99d3-5fd7981a0929

I drink artificial sweetened drinks once in awhile, and usually trade off between the different sweetners.

OP, I actually now enjoy my iced tea unsweetened. Try it for awhile, and you might get used to it and actually like it. Putting lemon in it helps at the beginning, but eventually it's not really that necessary--and I find unsweetened more refreshing now.

[Graystone]

Artificial Sweetener are to sweet. They taste fake, that is if you use them at home. I drank diet coke for many years, and it has a art sweetener. I quit drinking soda/pop a few months back. So now I only drink tea, or water. Most of the tea I drink is flavored with corn syrup. I need to stop being lazy, and make it at home.

[megashock5]

Sugar. I know where it came from.

[lokizz]

i try not to use either anymore. if i need to sweeten something ill use honey but for the most part i avoid sugar and sweetners like the plague. especially since i remember them saying things like nutrasweet caused cancer in rats or something way back when. not to mention that nasty after taste. theres a new one thats half sugar half what the fuck ever ( maybe ground up alien afterbirth) i think its called splenda and i used it once for this aian dipping sauce i made and it was ok.