Too much splenda?

Atomic pink

Gold Member
I know there have been discussions in the past about the possible side effects of aritificial sweeteners and I have always been of the opinion that if it is doing you no noticable ill-effect and is helping you limit other unhealthy choices then its probably the lesser of the two evils. Recently, though, I have been wondering whether I am consuming too much splenda as I seem to be having more of that than I ever would have done prior to slimming world in sugar.

In a typical day I would maybe have 4/5 cups of tea with one splenda tablet in each and most days either a teaspoon mixed with plain yoghurt and vanilla or mixed with some frozen berriers. Occassionally I will also stew some plums or apples with splenda (synning the fruit accordingly of course!). Is this normal for other people on slimming world?

I am suffering no noticeable ill effects due to it and having some yoghurt or a cup of tea seems to be stopping me reaching for the cheese of an evening but I would never have consumed 7 teaspooons of sugar (much more of a savoury tooth than a sweet tooth) in a day so it seems a little wrong to me to be consuming this much sweetener.

All opinions gratefully received!
 
I found some info on Wiki:
Splenda - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

There the max amounts/day are mentioned, but you also get them from Food Standard Agencies (although the amounts and advice may vary from country to country).
I personally keep my intake of artificial sweeteners to an absolute minimum, preferrably none at all. I use Erythritol and agave nectar, not perfect, but natural sweeteners and I don't mind the taste. Cannot stand the taste of artificial sweetener, especially in hot drinks, makes me retch.
Jill x
 
I tend to avoid sweeteners as much as possible, not quite an answer to what you were asking but I have believed for a long time that sweeteners and low fat foods made me crave more, then I saw a couple of programmes on TV that mentioned that when you feed your body sweetener it tastes it and prepares to deal with SUGAR -when it then receives sweetener it isn't sure what to do with it -so keeps on sending out the message that is wants sugar -which is why you crave more sweet stuff...now Im no scientist or Dr. :p But since I started SW nearly a year ago I gave up choc(amongst other things) (except fibre plus bars) and cut out as many sweeteners as possible and I get NO cravings for junk at all not even when * week is kicking in .. so for me its worth giving them up or at least cutting down -but I appretiate that not everyone will feel the same...:D
 
Hmmm. Thanks for the responses Hexe and Capricorn. I have to say it doesn't seem to make me crave sweet things - I eat chocolate or sweet things maybe once a fortnight, but I do agree about the low fat options. I always seem to find myself eating much more if I stick to low fat options.

I have just been to weigh 5 tbsp of splenda and it doesn't even reach the 1g mark so although this is probably a far from ideal habit it is probably still within the (albeit very vague) guideline consumption.

Why don't they do a self-delusion smiley??
 
I know that with artificial sweetners I can get bloated and have tummy aches!I tend to find this only happens if I have a fair amount of it though. Everything in moderation I guess!
 
Many people react with tummy upset (runs and the like) to sweeteners, especially aspartame.
@ Atomic Pink, I think the amounts of sweeteners you consume are within normal boundaries. If it gives you no side effects than why should you not continue your usage.
This is from an American study:
"FDA's Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) of aspartame is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight or about 3,750 mg (21 cans of diet soda) for an adult weighing 75 kilograms (165 lb). ADI is the amount of substance (e.g., food additive) like aspartame that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk to a person on the basis of all the known facts at the time of the evaluation." (with regards to the Aspartame/artificial sweetener causes cancer scare)
Aspartame and Cancer - National Cancer Institute
Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer - National Cancer Institute
Hope this info is a bit more useful.
Jill x
 
I have about that much splenda, I drink about 5 cups of coffee a day and have either 3 tablets or two heaped spoons in each. Mih, I have found no issues and since there's no aspartame in it, I'm not overly concerned! :)
 
I suppose there are dangers in lots of todays products and it must surely once again be a case of common sense and all things in moderation.

There are several websites that point out the dangers of artificial sweeteners and in particular Splenda.............

Sugar substitutes and the potential danger of Splenda

I have posted about Aspartame in the past and now limit myself to just 2 options or highlights drinks a day and 2 0% fat and sugar yogurts and I do not seem to suffer any side effects.

I am lucky as far as tea and coffee are concerned because I do not drink either just fruit teas.
 
I tend to avoid sweeteners as much as possible, not quite an answer to what you were asking but I have believed for a long time that sweeteners and low fat foods made me crave more, then I saw a couple of programmes on TV that mentioned that when you feed your body sweetener it tastes it and prepares to deal with SUGAR -when it then receives sweetener it isn't sure what to do with it -so keeps on sending out the message that is wants sugar -which is why you crave more sweet stuff...now Im no scientist or Dr. :p But since I started SW nearly a year ago I gave up choc(amongst other things) (except fibre plus bars) and cut out as many sweeteners as possible and I get NO cravings for junk at all not even when * week is kicking in .. so for me its worth giving them up or at least cutting down -but I appretiate that not everyone will feel the same...:D

This is exactly the reason so called "diet" foods hinder weight loss. I tell everyone this but not many are bothered. Think your body releases insulin to process the sugar then with nothing to act on it makes you need suger. Must be awful really for your body. I do use Splenda but try to limit it
 
You got a point there, but if people eat enough fruit (which is full of fruit sugars), the artificial sweeteners in drinks and the occassional diet food, shouldn't have such an effect on your insulin.
 
I have sweetener in my tea, have done for about 10 years, just one tablet, and I have sweetener on my cereal too. This last week, I've been eating loads of strawberries and been having a little sweetener on those too. I don't feel any side effects, and it stops me craving sugar. I think the amount you are having is fine, and as someone said above, if you are having no side effects, then it's fine.

Btw, I also drink tons of Diet Coke too! :D
 
Thank you everyone for your responses. I feel much more reassured that what i am doing is in "normal" limits so won't fret about it until such a time as it starts to affect me.

Right, time for a cuppa then ;)
 
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