Taste Test Tuesday: Pick Your Poison - Yellow, Blue, Pink or White
When in restaurants and cafes and you need to choose your sweetener for your hot/cold tea or coffee, you usually have a choice. There's the yellow bag (Splenda), the pink bag (Sweet 'n Low with saccharin), the blue bag (Equal or NutraSweet), or of course the white bag (the real white stuff, also known as sugar).
Everyone I've noticed has a certain color bag they are looking for. My husband, daughter and sister prefer the pink bag, one of my friends yells for yellow, while another friend of mine packs the little blue bag in her purse just in case they don't have any where she's going.
I guess it all comes down to what alternative sweetener you are used to, what you think is the safest choice and which one tastes the best to your particular set of taste buds.
I just did the finger test. You lick your finger and dip it straight into each colored packet. In between each packet I cleansed my palate with some iced green tea.
This is what I thought:
PINK packet (Sweet 'n Low) = intense sweet flavor, only a slight possible aftertaste for me but my daughter thought this one did not have an aftertaste.
BLUE (Equal) = sweet flavor, very desirable, no aftertaste for me but my daughter thought it did have a little aftertaste.
YELLOW (Splenda) = This one tasted closest to real sugar to me and it didn't seem to have an aftertaste (which surprised me because when I bake with it I definitely notice that there's something different). My daughter still liked Sweet 'n Low the best.
Bottom line: I think each person has a different taste perception and is sensitive to various aspects of each one.
What's your color?
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Is Sucralose Safe?, Are Artificial Sweeteners safe?
Technorati Tags: artificialsweeteners, sugarsubstitute, equal, nutrasweet, sweetnlow, splenda
Everyone I've noticed has a certain color bag they are looking for. My husband, daughter and sister prefer the pink bag, one of my friends yells for yellow, while another friend of mine packs the little blue bag in her purse just in case they don't have any where she's going.
I guess it all comes down to what alternative sweetener you are used to, what you think is the safest choice and which one tastes the best to your particular set of taste buds.
I just did the finger test. You lick your finger and dip it straight into each colored packet. In between each packet I cleansed my palate with some iced green tea.
This is what I thought:
PINK packet (Sweet 'n Low) = intense sweet flavor, only a slight possible aftertaste for me but my daughter thought this one did not have an aftertaste.
BLUE (Equal) = sweet flavor, very desirable, no aftertaste for me but my daughter thought it did have a little aftertaste.
YELLOW (Splenda) = This one tasted closest to real sugar to me and it didn't seem to have an aftertaste (which surprised me because when I bake with it I definitely notice that there's something different). My daughter still liked Sweet 'n Low the best.
Bottom line: I think each person has a different taste perception and is sensitive to various aspects of each one.
What's your color?
~~Elaine
Related Topics: Is Sucralose Safe?, Are Artificial Sweeteners safe?
Technorati Tags: artificialsweeteners, sugarsubstitute, equal, nutrasweet, sweetnlow, splenda
Labels: diet tips, taste test
92 Comments:
I have been using Sweetn'Low for more than a half a century (even when it was just called Saccharin) and have no ill effects and it does the job. You can say that I am in the "pink".
I was forced to use artificial sweetners due to diabetes 14 yrs ago. i would like to know why every artificial sweetners including the other poisions like isomalt maladextrin maladextrol to name a few give me horrible, wicked GI UPSET I cant eat or drink ANYTHING that is diet or sugar free. Please if you have answers email me thank you in advance.Im miserable being deprived of any beverages sweet treats.
I like blue or yellow. I can't take the pink because I get a nasty taste in my mouth some time after I have had it.
has anyone tried STEVIA? i hear it's the best, healthwise, out of all of them.
I use Stevia and I am completely
satisfied with it. I had to get
use to it in the beginning, but I
have no problem with it, no after
taste, etc. It is a completely
natural, safe product.
NATURAL SUGAR IS THE WAY TO GO - OUR BODIES WERE NOT DESIGNED TO RECOGNIZE THESE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND THEREFORE TREATS THEM AS A FOREIGN SUBSTANCE WHICH ACTUALLY TAKES LONGER TO DIGEST BECAUSE THE BODY IS DECIDING WHAT TO DO WITH IT..... JUST A TIDBIT INTO MY WAY OF THINKING AND WHY I STICK TO THE REAL DEAL.....
Stevia is the safest (100% natural). It may not be quite as sweet...and it may be a little more expensive, but it's the one I use. Aspartame can lead to seizures. Splenda is a chemical.
I drank soda with aspartame in it for years. I was having memory problems and had heard of other people having problems also and they stopped using aspartame products and got better. I asked my doctor about the problem and he suggested Splenda, which was new at the time, and once I stopped using aspartame products my memory problems started to go away. I am glad that we found Splenda.
Life is full of chemicals....everything in your life is made from chemicals, from the shampoo you use to the cleaning products you clean with and the water in your tap. Chemistry is not a bad thing, so Splends being a chemical is no surprise. Cooking a meal is chemistry, you add different ingredients together in specific amounts and add heat, you get a new combined product. I use them all, and enjoy all of them.
Aspartame turns into wood alcohol in your system. Also, leaves an aftertaste as well as saccharine. I remember cyclamates, the FDA said we couldn't have them and that they were unsafe. Cyclamates, as I have heard, are used in Canada. Cyclamates were sweat and didn't leave an aftertaste.
We use the yellow packet Splenda to sweeten tea, fruit & etc. It has the closest taste to real sugar. Also, the Splenda brown sugar is great on oatmeal.
I use xylitol (a natural sugar alchol) and stevia at home. Xylitol is expensive but actually good for your sinuses and your teeth (a sweetener that fights cavities, how about that?). Stevia is natural and very sweet; I'm still trying to get used to it - I tend to use too much and get my drinks too sweet. Although I'm still trying to break my diet soda habit, when I'm out and neither of my sweeteners of choice are available, I either drink without sweetener (iced tea) or used plain ol' sugar (coffee).
Hi!!! I think stevia is Great! I'm a nutritionist from Argentina, and STevia were use in Paraguay since.... almost ever to make sweet they traditional beverages. The herb looks like mint but it's really, really sweet, if you have that in your garden you can boil it with your tea and no need to add sugar or other sweetner. Yes, it's hard get the amount to use but is natural!!!! I have the same problem I'm making my drinks too sweet, Now I see some Stevia in podwer and liquid too, it will depend on your taste which one you like.
About Xilitol in my country is used in bubble gums and other commercial sugar free sweets. That is good for the teeth health of kids and grown ups.
Answer: none of the above.
Quit your sweetener addiction and begin to appreciate real flavors.
I use simple logic: If it comes from a plant or out of the ground naturally, I eat it. If it comes out of a lab, I don't. So I eat white (cane or beet sugar), but nothing that comes in a little colored bag! I live through the cancer scares of cyclamates and saccharin. I'm not taking chances with any other manufactured sweetners.
The yellow packet may taste the best, it breaks down into some very caustic chemicals
I do not put anything in my coffee/tea; and if i do, i go for the white one, or even better for brown sugar, apple sugar or honey. I think natural sugar is the best, the safest and the healthiest, if you're not diabetic, and if you don't use too much of it. the secret is: get used to the real taste of food. coffee is deliciously bitter. orange juice is deliciously sour. why should everything taste sweet?
I prefer the sweet n lo or equal over Splenda I find splenda has an awful after taste in coffee. But I enjoy cooking with splenda and the brown sugar splenda as well. they are awesome and no one notices the difference.
Forget pink, blue, and yellow - I switched to stevia! There are many cases of neurological reactions to both aspartame and splenda. But many years of use in other countries shows no ill effects from stevia. You can find it in health food stores or Trader Joes. Xylitol is my second choice, but FYI - it is toxic if fed to dogs.
Splenda tastes the most like sugar because it is a slight chemical variation of sugar. However, I don't use any of the artificial sweeteners because all leave me with terrible headaches and tremors that last for up to three days.
I avoid all artificial sweeteners. If I want something sweet, I take the calorie hit. To me, the answer is to reduce your appetite for sweets, not to go for an artificial fix to the problem. However, I am not diabetic.
STEVIA: Dont' leave home without it. I believe it is the SAFEST sweetener on the market.
I use to use Sweet 'N Low, but noticed an aftertaste so I eventually switched to Equal. Then I heard Aspartame in the Equal was bad for you so now I use Splenda, which does seem to taste the best to me. Sometimes I'll use real sugar if no Splenda or Equal but I have to add too many teaspoons to my beverage to sweeten it. Didn't care for Stevia.
I have been using sweet n low for over 30 years and when I have a cup of coffee or a glass of tea, I only use 1/2 the packet, if even that. That proves it's sweeter, as the other brands I need the whole pack or more! I won't change and I have no health problems at all.
I am a Type II diabetic... I used to drink diet drinks to avoid sugar, most of which had aspartame in them. I started getting severe leg cramps after ingesting ANY aspartame (in drinks, breath mints, etc) When I discontinued its use, I was fine. Interestingly, I saw a couple of doctors on a cable show a few years ago talking about aspartame & partially hydrogenated oils etc. They claimed devastating effects & said scientists in the food industry admitted to changing the published names of a lot ingredients as they became notable for ill effects... wonderful, huh?
I have a large glass container and I just mix the pink, yellow, blue and green all together and not looking I just pick one or two packets which ever is needed. Nobody has convinced me that one is better than the other. I am a diabetic.
I use yellow.
I remember cyclamates. No bitter aftertaste and no headache. Plus it made diet drinks taste great.
Cyclamates vanished almost overnight after it was determined that genetically tumor-prone beagles developed tumors when fed more than any human could ever consume. Poor beagles!
Reminds me that nutmeg is poison -- if you eat enough of it every day to fill a bathtub. For that matter, water can kill you, if you drink too much of it at one time.
Anyway, I discovered that Diet Dr. Pepper tastes exactly the same to me as the regular, with no aftertaste or headaches. I always liked the regular before I had to forego sugar, so the diet version is my drink of choice now.
I never heard of Stevia or xylitol before, but there aren't any health food stores around here anyway.
I only use maple sugar, which we make ourselves, white or cane sugar, and of course Stevia. If one does some reasearch on the artificial sweetners, it would be a life changing lesson. I was diagnosed with type 2, 2 yrs ago, in a 1 1/2 yrs, my diabetic fastin resting blood sugar was 85 and my A1c was 5.3. I follow the Nurishing traditions Diet, east minimal processed foods, drink raw milk like a calf and eat what ever wild free foods I can. And when I want something sweet, which is rare, I have it. Stivia can be found in small home town grocery stores, as well as most super marts. I only use real stuff.
I use to be blue but now yellow I feel its the best to reduce calories BUT i have I>B>S and just found out that all these suger free cookies and candy can make you real sick Whats a girl gotta do????
I'm a diabetic and I love Splenda and use it for everything. I make a lot of coffee cakes, muffins, etc., and even the non diabetics couldn't tell it wasn't sugar. The Splenda brown sugar is really good. You get the taste of brown sugar but with a lot fewer carbs. It's a winner.
The ingredient in sugar free cookies that causes gas pains and diarrhea is "sugar alcohols", not aspartame, saccharin or Splenda. Check the number of grams of SA's and don't use, or use sparingly, if it's high. Also note the srving size. A SF chocolate bar can be 4-6 servings, so you'd need to multiply the grams if you eat more. Many labels will caution against eating too much for this reason.
I'm a nurse and a diabetic.
STEVIA EXTRACT is the best way to go and can be purchased from lucky vitamin dot com for only about 4 dollars per once . That is about 600 servings.
I prefer Splenda, but still try to get accustomed to Stevia as I prefer natural and not a chemical. The others are too sweet and leave an after taste.
Nutra Sweet gives me a migraine headache and a violent stomach ache. Splenda leaves a horrid aftertast for me, but not my coworkers. I prefer a small amount of good old beet sugar. Like hubby's cardiologist said "anything in moderation".
I try to stay away from all Aspartame, but occasionally drink something with it just for variety (not many beverages use Splenda yet). Same with yogurts.
I miss the good 'ole Cyclamate days and "No Cal" soda. I was raised on it, and thought it was great.
I stock up on Cyclamates ("Sugar Twin Original") when I go to Canada. As I'm afraid of running out of it, I use pink for most beverages. I prefer it over Splenda.
There are other things I prefer Splenda in, such as cereal.
I made apple crisp from Splenda sweetened canned apples, and it was terrible! My poor guests that politely ate it!
I am Type 2 now, but have used artificial sweeteners all my life due to a weight problem.
I'm a Stevia user as well. I've finally found the right amount to put in drinks for my taste, and it's been great. I just have to make sure I have some in my purse when I'm dining out.
Never cook with any artificial sweetener, It can change its chemical composition, that's what makes it bitter, My husband is diabetic and we just reduce the amount of sugar and fat in recipes for cookies and pies and he can eat it, it is a myth that diabetics cannot eat any sugar, they just have to monitor their intake more closely, Splenda is by far the best tasting in tea, juice and pop, aspartame contains phenylalanine, and only causes seizures in people who have a genetic defect in which they cannot properly break down phenyalanine, which then builds up in their brains. The truth is all artificial sweeteners are safe and the most dangerous sweetener in society today is real sugar because of its contribution to obesity and super obesity.
i use the yellow have been for several years and really satisfied
with the i've tried the pink and
blue still like the yellow
I had been using blue and pink, and they were just fine. I recently purchased a bunch of yellow packets (splenda), because it said it was made from sugar. I used 2 packets in some oatmeal, and thought I was going to die. I got very weak, shakey, and untable on my feet. I could hardly get up from setting. I don't know what they did to that sugar, but I think it almost killed me.
I'm a 59 Type I Diabetic, diagnosed 2 years ago in November. I was concerned about using artificial sweetners, so I asked my Doctor. She smiled and said,"We're all going to die of something." Well, she's right. Over the years, I went from using Pink, to Blue, to Stevia, the Yellow (which I enjoy the best of all). Recent reports site that aspartame is "lethal." Most soft drink companies use it...so I'm trying to wean myself off my diet sodas and diet green tea products. My Doctor said water is best, with a piece of fresh lemon...Has anyone tried True Lemon? What do you think? Lemons are currently 79 cents each. I'm going to try, everything in moderation and live my life the best I can without worrying about things anymore. How about it, Diabetics?! We have so many other things to be concerned about. Right?
I'm wondered after read all the comments.. I still can't figure which is the best!?!? Wish that F.D.A. tell the truth!.. If the doctors knew that Stevia is the best; then should let us know what to take.. All in contest until we die..
If I had to choose between pink, blue, or yellow it would definitely be pink, but Stevia is the healthiest way to go.
I love to hear of all of these people touting Stevia as "healthy" and natural. Is it a natural occuring plant, yes. Does that make it healthy and safe to consume? NO! People need to realize that just because something occurs in nature does NOT make it safe. As per the Center for Science in the Public Interest website (a true fighter against false health claims, and for proper food labeling to allow Americans to make educated food choices) "The U.S. FDA has rejected stevia (or stevioside) for use as a food additive. Likewise, Canada has not approved stevia, and a European Community scientific panel declared that stevia is unacceptable for use in food. Studies found that high dosages fed to rats caused reduced sperm production and an increase in cell proliferation in their testicles, which could cause infertility or other problems. When pregnant hamsters were fed large amounts of a derivative of stevioside called steviol, they had fewer and smaller offspring. In the laboratory, steviol can be converted into a mutagenic compound, which may promote cancer by causing mutations in the cells genetic material (DNA). In addition, very large amounts of stevioside can interfere with the absorption of carbohydrates in animals and disrupt the conversion of food into energy within cells. In sum, small amounts of stevia are probably safe, but it is inappropriate to endorse wide use of this sweetener."
Don't be fooled by Stevia's natural claim. This is a dangerous substance. The debate about sweeteners is really no debate at all. There is a whole list of food additives including the sugar substitute Splenda (Sucralose) that are deemed safe, but many others (some natural) that are NOT. Copy and paste this into your browser to see this list.
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#Additives%20rated
Be informed, but make sure the place sharing the information is coming from has quality scientific proof not just claims. I trust CSPI because I know they make sure there is true quality scientific evidence behind their statements.
I HAVE HAD TYPE 2 DIABETIC FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS ON INSULIN ABOUT 17 OF THEM I THOUGHT I COULD ONLY DRINK DIET SODA(BECAUSE OF SUGAR) WHEN MY HUSBAND TOLD ME TO GO TO WWW.ASPARTAME.COM ALL THE PROBLEMS I WAS HAVING "HAIR LOSS" MEMORY PROBLEMS" "LEG CRAMP" ETC.. HAVE ALL DISAPPEARED AND I HAVE NEW HAIR GROWTH SINCE I STOPPED USING THIS INGREADENT I ASKED MY DOCTOR ABOUT THIS AND WAS BASICLY TOLD I WAS CRAZY THIS WASN'T THE PROBLEM DUH IF THE MATCH HURTS DONT TOUCH IT I SINCE HAVE USED EITHER NOTHING OR THE YELLOW PACKET
Most folks over sweeten with all products including sugar. I'm type 2 and use only splenda. My wife makes delicious deserts with it, and I find no after taste.
I also use Stevia, which is great and comes in a liquid or granular format.
I've also tried agave nectar, which is made from cactus and has the sweetness and consistency of honey.
You can buy both at Whole Foods or any other store that carries organics.
To the person who posted about the negative effects of Stevia - I think that's entirely false.
Stevia WAS used as food additive in the US UNTIL it was "banned" in 1991 because of undue pressure by Monsanto (makers of aspartame).
Japan uses Stevia in 40% of their products and it's been used in South America for hundreds of years. And the European Union DID approve stevia as a sweetener in 2004.
http://www.cookingwithstevia.com/stevia_faq.html
Who says you need any sweetner at all? I put nothing in my coffee, never have. And I prefer seltzer to soda.
We need to stop the vicious cycle of craving sweets, not look for another chemical that fakes sweetness . . .
When I need it, e.g. for cooking, I use normal, regular sugar, sometimes honey or maple syrup.
Forget all of those artificial sweeteners blue, yellow or pink. What is most natural and unprocessed is the best according to anything I have read or heard from doctors and nutritionists. Seems that sweetness is another addiction.
I have found that whether it is salty or sugary, extreme usage is bad for you (whoever thinks they need more than one packet of regular sugar in a drink has a perception or palate problem).
If you get used to having less and less of either salt or sugar, you really notice and think that everything that is pre-packaged is too salty or too sugary. It's relatively easy and so much better for our health to moderate our consumption of these health robbers.
I also prefer not being a victim of cleaver marketing and filling someone else's pockets with heaps of profits from those pink, blue and yellow (poison) packets.
I have personally never liked the taste of Sweet & Low. It always left a bad aftertaste to me. I was using Equal until Splenda came out. That is by far my favorite. Diet Coke became better by leaps and bounds when they started using Splenda.
i agree that sweet n low leaves a terrible aftertaste and it turns me off since it has saccharin. I like Splenda the best if I can't have regular sugar.
So, what can be done for the upset stomach? Too much diet sweetner of any kind gives me diarhea that keeps me home for the day! Also, aspartame products contribute to yeast infections, another joy of diabetes. I have been type 1 with insulin resistance (type 2?) for 15 years. I love that we talk about what's good, what works, blah, blah, but never address the real down and dirty of what a pain it is to sometimes deal with a diabetes altered life style. And of course, kidney, eye, heart and nerve damage are all more important topics than pink-yellow-blue dilema, but come on, food is right up there with sex and money!
Several years ago, I was consuming large quantities of aspartame in foods and drinks. Then I noticed a problem with short-term memory loss and a strange "lightheaded" feeling all the time. After seeing a TV show reporting (annecdotal evidence) on how many people were having reactions to aspartame (although researchers could not find this statistical correlation), I decided to go "cold turkey" and soon noticed an improvement.
Subsequently, I ate fat-free (but NOT sugar-free) frozen Yogurt for lunch at a shop about 5 hours from my home. I noticed the symptoms again and told my travelling companions I felt like I had gotten into some aspartame.
Several weeks later, I returned to this same shop and asked them about the fat-free frozen Yogurt coming from the same dispenser. That is when I learned that their Nutrisweet symbol had fallen off!
It's not just my imagination!
Its to my belief ANYTHING FAKE isn't good for us! The body does NOT take it in nor through it out as well as NATRUAL substances - such as suger. The FDA never approved Nutra Sweet to be placed in soda drinks in the 1st place.Workers wear FULL WHITE GEAR FROM HEAD TO TOE COVERAGE to handle it.THIS SHOULD TELL YOU SOMETHING!!!!!! Juanita
I like Splenda. It has a very good taste and no calories.
To the person who asked about True Lemon, I haven't tried that but I do like the True Lime in water, it definitely improves the taste and gets rid of the blahs as we all try to drink healthy.
Aspartame gives me severe headaches. I saw a documentary a few years ago about people that got headaches and some that had vision problems which cleared up when they quit using aspartame. Splenda tastes bitter and gritty. I mostly use Saccharine, Stevia (it is also available with extra fiber!) or various types of sugar but it doesn't dissolve very quickly in cold drinks. FYI-xylitol is toxic to pets. I try to keep all artificial sweeteners away from the dogs. I try to be very careful about what I eat and if a restaurant can't tell me what is in something, I don't order it and may not return there. I think all places that serve food should be able to provide Nutrient and ingredient information for everything they serve.
Splenda hands down!
I have tried them all, and the closest to the real thing for me is the Blue. I think the others all have an aftertaste, even Splenda.
Liquid Stevia drops, a derivitive from a plant, is the healthiest sweetener that isn't artificial, and is much better for you than sugar is. You can buy these drops at any health food store.
I LOVE the pink stuff!!!
To JDell:
Thanks for the link to the CSPI website. I found the information there to be very helpful.
I like to use Splenda in my drinks, but that is it.
This subject has apparently elicited very strong reactions from a lot of people.
And why the criticism from those who use no sweetener/little sweetener? If that's how you like your things, fine; do not be critical of those whose tastes differ from yours. :-)
Again, the CSPI page has a lot of good information about food additives I did not know. (I don't work for them, BTW) Knowledge is power, so check out that page and arm yourselves with some facts, not just about sweeteners, but about bascially anything that makes its way into our food supply.
STEVIA!
I'm 32 and was diagnosed with Diabetes as a result of PCOS. clear Stevia is by far my favorite! I bought it from GNC. It's ultra portable (I always keep it in my purse) and it lasts a long time.
I've tried them all as they came into the market. Lately, the blue and yellow used in my coffee were leaving a strong after taste. My lips were burning as if cracked or chaped. I've gone to stevia lately and like it. Use the liquid and five drops to a mug of coffee is excellent! I read that the blue and yellow do not metabolize properly and build up in your system. Appears that might explain the lip sensations I got. I do need sweetness in coffee or tea.
I take sugar as it has know chemicals and
i dont have it all the time. mostly i uee water with a slice of lemon the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have tried all of them, but I prefer liquid Stevia. They have all kinds of flavors. I use chocolate raspberry in my coffee, orange or lemon creame in my water or tea. I havce finally got my grandchildren off of sodas with this in their water.
To all those of you who said they use Stevia as a sweetener, congratulations! You are making the really, truly smart choice. The price keeps dropping every time I get my six month supply, about $14 worth. I found Stevia around seven years ago after someone in my circle of acquaintances at that time suggested it. I was desperate! I just have to have my "SWEET" high at least four to five times a day. I hate having to pump all that sugar into me, because my body heats up and sweats like WOW! & my Dr. says I don't have diabetes, even after many, many tests. Artificial sweeteners? No poison for me, ever, except as medication from my doctor, thank you! Unfortunately, cooking or preparing desserts has to be with sugar, or it just doesn't work! You can add "just a little bit" of Stevia for an added sweetness punch, but be very careful, it's extremely sweet and it's all natural. But too much really "clobbers" your taste buds for a while... It takes time to find just the right amount that works best for you.
OOPS! I thought I was done posting! Oh BOY!. . . Here we go again. J Dell pooh poohs us Stevia adherents with touts of scientific evidence of some deleterious effects. Well, even milk taken in excess can be extremely dangerous. He supplies a link to a web site that probably shows all of today’s available sugar alternatives: http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm#Additives%20rated. Thank you Mr./Mrs. Dell. You’ve done us a great service! It is must reading. I have additionally read much of the controversial corporate interference with testing agencies and the FDA. Why? They can’t patent a natural product and until they can corner the market on Stevia, the situation will persist. Aspartame is probably much more than 100 times more noxious than is reported in the literature that’s even mildly presenting its damnable dangerous properties, lawsuits, you know! and most everyone knows that food additives are poisonous to some extent or other. Most if not all drugs we take today are poisonous, but used in measured, controlled doses can be beneficial when taken as predetermined by the pharmaceutical companies. The story of the meteoric rise of Aspartame as a sweetener is a modern marvel of marketing ingenuity. Yet it is an injustice to the consumer and a shameful disgrace that it made it past the most rigid testing. Do indeed read and learn about sweeteners. It’s quite an education! Contradicting statements are strung together so cunningly as to defy logic and sound reasoning. Beware of any additive that is said to be “Perfectly safe.” Or like this one for instance: “Moderate amounts of sorbitol may have a strong laxative effect and even cause diarrhea, but otherwise it is safe.” Is it really safe! if it causes unwanted diarrhea! Woe!
I like sugar. The artifical sweeteners tasty nasty to me. I cannot drink diet drinks or anything with artifical sweeteners in it. Its hard to explain the taste. I would almost have to say it tastes like poison. (not that I ever tasted poison--but this is what I imagine it tasting like). I wish I did like it. It would save alot of calories for me..lol.
IF I USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS THEN YOU KNOW THAT WHAT EVER I AM SAYING JUST HAS TO BE TRUE. IT IS SIMILAR TO THAT NEWS NETWORK WHERE WHO EVER SHOUTS THE LOUDEST IS ALWAYS RIGHT. By the way, I like sugar or sugar in the raw. One evening at a restaurant I saw the sugar cup - it was a cup holding tubes of the various sweeteners. As I was putting several of each color into my rather tall glass of ice tea, I was thinking how festive they looked. After the first enlightening sip, I realized why they were different colors. No, it wasn't to bo festive...
A new healthy alternative as a sweetener is Zsweet (www.zsweet.com). It has the sweetness of sugar because it's made from real fruit sugar alcohol, like xylitol. It's 100% all natural, unlike Splenda (will kill you). It is a great alternative for diabetics. Try it.
I cannot use any "unleaded" as my husband call the artificial sweeteners. So far all have given me foul headaches and Nutrasweet gives me serious depression. I have not tried Stieva as of yet. So I am leaded all the way, I just am careful of how much I use.
Stevia has a very bitter aftertaste to ~some~ people. I cannot tolerate it at all.
I use a liquid sucralose (Splenda, with no additives) that I buy overseas because Splenda will only sell sucralose/maltodextrin in the USA.
I also use a different form of sugar alcohol called Erithritol, which causes little to no gastric distress for most users (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erythritol). It has a slighly "cool" aftertaste, but no bitterness.
And, I find xylitol, a sugar alcohol from birch bark, has a pleasant taste and texture with a slight cooling sensation. Xylitol is good for your teeth and can actually help repair small cavities (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol)
Splenda is the best I have found and you can even cook with it> I have tried the others and this is my favorite
Pink= yuck, yuck, yuck!-big after taste and the taste is horrifying!
Blue= just about as bad as pink but a little better. Just as much after taste.
Yellow=tastes closest to sugar but still has a little after taste.
WHITE!=yummy!!! I'll stick with the white and take my glipizide. I'm still controlled enough that once I'm off prednisone for long enough I doubt that I'll have to worry much. I'll just take it easy on the sweets. Better than barfing from the other colors.
I started using the pink then eventually switched to the blue after I noticed an aftertaste. Equal was fine until I heard it could cause cancer. Then I tried the yellow when it came out. I think Splenda tastes the best and use it in iced tea all the time now.
I've used them all: cyclamates - back in the 'day (60's) cyclamates provided a perfect amount sweetness, no aftertaste, no longer avaiable in US; Sweet n' low -- okay, no aftertaste, easy to oversweeten; Equal -- okay, no aftertaste, esasy to oversweeten,a little pricy -- I must use this the most as I drink 2 or 3 diet Cokes a day & its in them; Splenda (yellow pkg) okay, no aftertaste, but sweetness spreads somehow to lips, so the sweet stays with you if you lick your lips -- strange sensation; Splenda fake brown sugar -- I go out of my way to find this stuff, it is perfect in oatmeal -- I don't care about the sweet lips phenemonon; Stevia -- I use a couple of drops liquid stevia in tea (iced or hot), slight licorice (?) aftertaste which is somewhat pleasant.
I have one even better than Stevia, it is All Natural Blue Agave Nectar all organic. It is made from the Agave Cactus Plant t that Tequila is made from. For diabetics it has a very "LOW" glycemic index (39) and has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels, with a texture close to honey without the sugary texture that honey sometimes has. You must be careful because it takes very little to get the sweet taste desired by most. You can purchase it at health food stores but we buy it through Young Living Products as it has been proven to be the most pure and has a great shelf life. But be warned it is not cheap but well worth it considering the blue, pink and yellow alternatives. I have a mother with Alzheimers and have been forced into a lot of health alternative research in the last year, which has caused our entire family to start taking our health more seriously.
why think you have to have every thing or some foods to be sweet?
Learn to eat a lot of your foods with no sugar. Such as hot tea or coffee, cereals and you will be surprise how you can change and learn to just like the real teast of foods. Sugar is a posion to your body if you did not know it.
Eat food that you would not have to put sugar of any kind on it. You can be surprise what your mind can guide you to do, if only you will use your brain.
About J Dell's comment:
Though one may trust the CSPI, I would never trust the FDA. And I don't believe the negative info about Stevia, but I do keep my eyes and ears open for any new information about it. This blog has been great.
I'm not a diabetic thogh my father died of complications caused by diabetes, so I take my diet seriously.
Whenever possible I do try to go without sweetener as some here have suggested. But let's be realistic, not everyone can do it.
Try cutting back on sweeteners, either natural or unnatural, little by little. When you really want a sweet, cut down your portion, buy less, give some to a friend, or throw it away after a bite or two. Try diluting diet or regular soda with plain soda water, or try soda water with a splash of fruit juice.
But for a non-caloric sweetener, I choose Stevia. I prefer the powder; it is more economical. As far as the taste, it's not sugar, but it is sweet and it is powerfully sweet. I like to use a tiny amount and it is best in beverages or foods with more than one flavor.
Does anyone cook with it?
Becky C...
Thanks! As a Type 2 diagnosed in 2003 I exercise, decreased bad foods and working my way towards decreased animal protein (chicken/cows are over processed meats).I use Stevia 95%..just not in natural applesauce..eww (smile).
I WANT an a1c to drop from 6.5 to <6! Thanks again. Oh..yes..everyone SHOULD EDUCATE themselves. USA =commerce ($$)..no body MASS media is going to tell you..really. Think folks!
Splenda is the worst thing I've ever tasted in an artificial sweetener. To me it is bitter with a rank aftertaste. For me the solution is pink and blue, 1 to 2.
Has anyone heard of sugar twin, My granmother in-law seems to think that her leg cramps are assosiated with the use of this. She has only used sugar twin and nothing else, I have looked everywhere adn found nothing. If you have any idea as to what she is talking about please help..
I guess I would have to be "white" only because I have found out that ANYTHING with aspartame in it gives me HORRIBLE headaches.
Someone PLEASE help me!!! My taste buds are very sore and large at the back of my tounge. What the heck is wrong with me???
I went with the blue one for the longest time, but as soon as splenda came out, I switched to yellow. <3 Splenda.
I go with white sugar or raw sugar only. Do not trust the nutrisweet. In the coming years they will say about it like they said about sacharin. I tell my kids not to have any drinks with that stuff in it. It is not good for kids. Don't let kids get hooked on that stuff at a early age. Also don't let them eat msg. Look it up it causes brain damage and can can aggression. My son becomes very agitated with msg.
Artificial sweetners are pure poison!! But, yet it's in EVERYTHING! I don' get it, I really don't!! I recently read an artical that would make you never want to touch the stuff ever again! Wise up people or else you'll die an early death!
Nutmeg eaten in large quantities is not poisonous, it is only poison if injected into the vein. Why would you do that?
stevia is great. all natural, very sweet, low calories, and not poisonous like all of those chemicals in the pink, blue, and yellow packets. xylitol is another great, all-natural, non-chemical alternative to sugar.
I don't like Splenda, but I do LOVE Diet Coke and will continue to drink it. I'm allergic to aspirin. Should that be pulled from the shelves because some could die from it? We need to make our own choices and be responsible for those choices! To the person that asked about TRUE LEMON - it tastes good, but I find that after awhile it irritates my throat. But that just might be me. And it does have maltodextrin in it. I don't know if that is good or bad. You decide.
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