artifical sweetners

allnurses Guide · Apr 5, 2004

Check out the chain letter sent around about aspartame and then the real story. You can also check out any other artificial sweetner.

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartame.asp

steph

clgmezzo · Apr 5, 2004

Thank you!!! My brother has had juvenille diabetes for 21 years, since he was 4. Artificial sweetners became a way of life for our entire family because of this. I have had peole shoving these fake chain letters in my fae for a couple of years now, and it irks me every time. One lady on my exhusbands side of the family who didnt now us well ran up to me with a copy of one i had already seen and said point blank "i heard your brother is a diabetic you should read this so you can save him before some of these things happen to him" After the first few came around i went back to a professor i highly regard from nursing school and speak with off and on, he and my old chemistry prof were sitting in his office ( he teaches anatomy and micro) and i showed them one of these letters and started asking questions because some of it didnt make sense to me and i had questions. They both completely flipped all of these things over with sound principles of science, some that i aleady knew, and some things that were a bit beyond me. Now when someone tosses these in my face i smile and keep drinking my diet coke

RedSox33RN · Apr 5, 2004

Thank you!!! My brother has had juvenille diabetes for 21 years, since he was 4. Artificial sweetners became a way of life for our entire family because of this. I have had peole shoving these fake chain letters in my fae for a couple of years now, and it irks me every time. One lady on my exhusbands side of the family who didnt now us well ran up to me with a copy of one i had already seen and said point blank "i heard your brother is a diabetic you should read this so you can save him before some of these things happen to him" After the first few came around i went back to a professor i highly regard from nursing school and speak with off and on, he and my old chemistry prof were sitting in his office ( he teaches anatomy and micro) and i showed them one of these letters and started asking questions because some of it didnt make sense to me and i had questions. They both completely flipped all of these things over with sound principles of science, some that i aleady knew, and some things that were a bit beyond me. Now when someone tosses these in my face i smile and keep drinking my diet coke

I'm a Type 1 diabetic also, and don't know where I'd be without aspartame and the like. People get "preachy" to me, so I "kindly" let them know what it's like to be diabetic and not have as many options.

I've also been told I'm diabetic BECAUSE I had artificial sweeteners and because I eat too much sugar. Sometimes I wish I could tattoo on my forehead what an autoimmune disease is...... :rolleyes:

suzanne4, RN · Apr 6, 2004

Splenda DOES NOT contain aspartame............................

And I am definitely going to keep using it. I grew up using sucaryl because my father was a diabetic and I am sure that I am healthier than many of you out there. You have to use what works for you. Average Thai diet has 13-14 tsp of sugar in it and I am not about to consume that much sugar in a day.

Splenda works perfect for me, and if I couldn't get it I would find something that I could use.

:balloons:

hock1 · Apr 6, 2004

I've heard these all ....Splenda is made with bleach/aspartem is a neuro-toxin/sacharin(spelling) is a cancer causing agent....
I recently joined Weight Watchers and I wanted to jump up and scream in the meeting today "we don't need to use artifical sweetners to lose weight". I've adjusted the points when using the 'regular' foods, but all the 'diet' food just irks me to no end. I may not be dropping pounds as fast as the others but I still lost 5.8 pounds in three weeks...not too bad...and I did it with regular foods that my family also ate and enjoyed. Maybe I'm just paranoid. I quit smoking cuz of the risks, and I don't want to trade one unhealthy thing for another. Don't want to look like a model, just striving for a healthier way of life for me and mine.:angryfire Thanks for listening. I just had to vent. Also please forgive my spelling. One day I promise to learn how to spell or at the very least get off my lazy bumm and look it up.

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh...sorry but diabetes is another thing. I'm talking about pushing this as a 'healthy' alternative for the general population. My Mom is DMII and grandfather DMI neither died of a horrible disease etc due to artifical sweeteners. I only wanted to vent that I don't believe these 'diet' items need to be pushed as a health alternative. The jury is out if these items are good/bad. I'm not a diabetic (yet) and prefer not to eat it if I don't have too...same with the mercury and fish scare. Like I said I tend to be a little paranoid when it comes to food...that's just my choice. I ment no disrespect to anybody and apologize if I hurt any feelings in any way:uhoh21: I just needed to vent over a marketing push to the general population.

obeyacts2 · Apr 6, 2004

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh...sorry but diabetes is another thing. I'm talking about pushing this as a 'healthy' alternative for the general population. My Mom is DMII and grandfather DMI neither died of a horrible disease etc due to artifical sweeteners. I only wanted to vent that I don't believe these 'diet' items need to be pushed as a health alternative. The jury is out if these items are good/bad. I'm not a diabetic (yet) and prefer not to eat it if I don't have too...same with the mercury and fish scare. Like I said I tend to be a little paranoid when it comes to food...that's just my choice. I ment no disrespect to anybody and apologize if I hurt any feelings in any way:uhoh21: I just needed to vent over a marketing push to the general population.

I agree with you....I think these artificial sweeteners and additves in food may not be as safe as the food companies say. I develop migraines from the sweetners in diabetic candy and diet pepsi. I found out what was causing my headaches by using the process of elimination. I had started having the headaches, so I started charting when I had them (thinking the hormones may be at play) Well, they didnt line up with any obvious hormonal shifts. I started looking at the calender and realized I got them after certain visits with a particular patient. I was assiigned as an aide to take a very social gentleman from his care home to PT and anyplace he felt like going, plus provide socialization. He always wanted to sit and talk and share his diabetic candy (the reallt good stuff, like peanut butter cups that you cant tell from the real thing) and his diet sodas. Well,, as soon as I was assigned to somebody else and didnt eat those things anymore, the headaches went away. I avoid the stuff at all cost now.

Laura

Long Term Care Columnist / Guide · Apr 6, 2004

That's what SUGAR does to me......it not only gives me headaches, but also muscle pain, reactive hypoglycemia, and gas. I don't know what I'd do without artificial sweeteners, because I love the taste of sweet things but can no longer eat sugar, and fruit doesn't always get rid of the cravings. :)

allnurses Guide · Apr 6, 2004

I just wanted to point out that there are alot of myths out there regarding aspartame. Not trying to force anyone to use it against their will. I've just seen too many "internet myths" being taken as fact. Like the one about Arm and Hammer being run by Satanists.

Just being careful . . . .

Take care . .

steph