Someone told me that sugar free substitutes are just as bad for the body as sugars if you have diabetes, is this true?

Hi. I don't believe totally that they are "bad" for you, but, like anything in life, moderation seems to be the key.

I read a lot about this a few months ago and checked several websites. Most told me that this was a complete myth. I have to say, some of the stuff out there on the subject is really off the wall.

I was drinking lots of diet coke every day. I cut out the soda and now drink mostly water, coffee or tea and some iced tea that is sweetened with nutra-sweet. I feel a lot better now, but who knows? I think you have to "experiment" for a little while and find out what you are comfortable with. Good luck.

It depends on the product. A sugar free soda will not affect a diabetics blood sugar too much. A sugar free cookie will. You have to look at the grams of carbs, not the grams of sugar.

Sometimes I'm really suspect when people say things about sugar-free products.

My 14 year old has Type One. If she wants a can of soda, she has to drink a diet soda.

One day one of my mom's friends told her (in my presence) that drinking the diet soda was probably what caused her diabetes in the first place. Then she pulled out of her briefcase a bunch of "evidence" from websites that supported her point of view.

As a previous poster said, everything in moderation. Obviously if you drink a 12-pack of diet soda a day, that can't be good for you. But I honestly don't believe one or two sodas a day and some Equal or Splenda on your cereal is bad for you.

I agree, it is the total "carb" count that is important when it comes to "sugar-free" foods. When I look at a pkg. of sugar-free cookies or other items I find the carbs are too high for me to indulge in. I am not willing to give up healthy foods in order to eat junk foods.

Marie

I believe that nutrasweet is dangerous to anyone not just diabetics. I used to get tingling in my hands and feel like I was on drugs when I was consuming diet soda and snacks. It was like moving in slow motion sometimes as I would move my arms. I don't take any medications so that explaination is out. It took about a week or two to get out of my system when I stopped using it cause that's when my symptoms went away. I then went to a couple of websites about it and it explained that it does have a culmulative affect and does cause such problems. One was discribed as feeling unreal. Natural furtose is safer. Even Slenda.

[This message has been edited by Simmer (edited 12-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Simmer (edited 12-25-2002).]

i agree with Simmer, from what i have learned nutraSweet is broken down in the body into harmful components including formaldehyde (which is a known toxin and carcinogen), formic acid (poision in ant stings), and methanol (nervous system toxin also known as free methyl alcohol).
phenylalanine and and aspartic acid, can bypass the blood-brain barrier and enter the brain, upsetting the balance of neurotransmitters and brain chemistry.

high intake of aspartame (nurtasweet, equal) has been linke with headache, vision loss, seizures, mood disorders, and other nervous system problems.

oh by the way phenylalanine and aspartic acid are the amino acids that form aspartame

I'm using the new product "Splenda" and love it. Its actually made from sugar and has no additives or any of the other "dangerous" things contained in some of the other substitutes.

I just wanted to say that I can tell if I have had any aspartame because I immediately get a really bad headache. Someone told me that it was actually wood alchohol? Anyway, I use Splenda in moderation and have had no trouble with it but search every label to make sure it doesn't have aspartame.