Gransnet forums

Health

Replacing sugar in food and drink with sweeteners.

(70 Posts)
gillyknits Sun 03-Jun-18 13:39:21

This may have been discussed before but I couldn’t find a thread.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that when the manufacturers reduce sugar in anything they immediately add artificial sweeteners. This seems to make the product even sweeter than before. Surely, in my opinion, it would be better to reduce the sweetness of things. This might help to stop the craving for ‘sweet everything’
I can’t stand any sweeteners and have totally gone off most soft drinks. They don’t quench my thirst and leave a funny taste in my mouth. Looks like I’ll have to stick to water (or beer!), in the future.

Jalima1108 Tue 26-Jun-18 16:53:25

I do like a glass or two of wine now and again though!
Yes, I agree - everything in moderation!!

Jalima1108 Tue 26-Jun-18 16:52:36

I agree with what TinyDancer has said re artificial sweeteners - but as for sugar, my attitude is that it is probably less harmful than, for example, aspartame - but in moderation and not in the form of daily fizzy drinks, daily confectionery and it need not be added to ready meals.

Everything in moderation.

Jalima1108 Tue 26-Jun-18 16:49:55

PamelaJ1
www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-44613652

although I understand that there's too much in the atmosphere contributing to climate change .....

Pittcity Tue 26-Jun-18 16:45:39

Just heard on the news that Bookers wholesalers are rationing sales of lagers and other fizzy drinks to shopkeepers because of the C02 shortage!!

PamelaJ1 Tue 26-Jun-18 07:36:26

A shortage of CO2, Jalima? how can we have a shortage of that?
Tiny dancer has said it all really. There is so much evidence that sweeteners send our brain incorrect messages.
I just wonder why , as there is so much information out there that so many people have missed it.
Hardly anyone I know adds sugar to drinks but you do have to read all the labels on manufactured products.

Eloethan Mon 25-Jun-18 23:24:20

I don't like the taste of articicial sweeteners and I think they are bad for people's health.

I only drink soft drinks very occasionally now and try to stick to freshly squeezed orange for breakfast, water, sparkling water, and one or two cups of tea a day. I do like a glass or two of wine now and again though!

Menopaws Mon 25-Jun-18 22:54:03

Aspartame never

Jalima1108 Mon 25-Jun-18 19:56:46

CO2

Apparently there is a shortage

M0nica Mon 25-Jun-18 19:51:54

For the second time in several months I have bought a drink from M&S, only to be left with a nasty sweetener aftertaste in my mouth for several hours. It was not sold as a diet or low-calorie drink and the calorie count was not that low. so unless I scrutinised the list of contents with a magnifying glass, which seems a bit excessive, there was no way I could see that it had sweetener in it.

We were travelling from Wales to Oxfordshire and I had already consumed several bottles of water on the journey, but at 5.00pm, I just fancied something with some flavour, preferably lemon. In future I will travel with a magnifying glass.

Nelliemoser Mon 25-Jun-18 00:12:36

I don't like the taste of the sugar substitutes.
I rarely drink many sweet drinks, Less than one a week .

What about plain fizzy water. (H20 + CO2) All chemicals though! wink wink wink

Jalima1108 Sun 24-Jun-18 22:48:42

Surely, in my opinion, it would be better to reduce the sweetness of things.
Yes, gillyknits, I think so too.

Aspartame will be the next health crisis.

NanTheWiser Sun 24-Jun-18 22:45:15

If you read the Diabetes forums, OldMeg, you will find that for many diabetics, sweeteners definitely DO raise blood glucose. Fact.

OldMeg Sun 24-Jun-18 21:44:19

I’m afraid there’s a lot of dubious science being quoted here about the brain expecting a sugar high and still releasing insulin. That’s completely incorrect. The taste buds detect the ‘sweet’ taste (obviously) but there’s no corresponding rise in blood glucose for the brain to register.

Jamie Sun 24-Jun-18 21:42:20

Aspartame, which is in most sweeteners is known as 'Sweet poison' and is not good for you and is thought to be a factor in various illnesses. Like other sweeteners, while it may be lower in calories than sugar, it is very addictive and makes one crave more sweet things. So not very good if you don't want to put on weight or raise your sugar level. It is also found in many foods including so called 'healthy' yoghurts!
It isn't wise to drink too much fizzy drinks including water which can contribute to diseases of the intestines including Cancer.

goose1964 Sun 24-Jun-18 17:22:52

purple aspartame is safe for the vast majority of people. The health risks were dreamt up by the sugar lobby

Jang Sun 24-Jun-18 16:21:29

Nothing nicer than a glass of tap water or soda water with ice and a slice of lemon, mint and other fruit, ginger in it for flavour! Have not drunk any fizzy/sugary drinks for years apart from a little 7Up in a shandy and have even had soda in that!
Hate taste sugary drinks esp those made with artificial sweeteners!

annep Sun 24-Jun-18 15:25:56

I didn't realise that about the brain tinydancer. So nonsugar sweets not good for prediabetic?
I use stevia if I use anything. But whats wrong with drinking plain water instead of flavoured drinks.

NanTheWiser Sun 24-Jun-18 13:33:29

I fully agree, Tinydancer - especially about the diabetes risk.

Tinydancer Sun 24-Jun-18 11:32:44

Look up the history of Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. They have not been proven to assist in weight loss, in fact quite the opposite. The brain detects a sweet taste and is expecting it so sends out the insulin so not helpful in preventing type 2 diabetes either. I cannot stand the taste of them and try and avoid them. They seem to be in nearly all soft drinks and most "diet" low fat foods so I don't touch them and stick to water, not the flavoured kind as that is full of chemical sweeteners. As a nation we need to wean ourselves off our addiction to sugar and save it for a special treat. Easier said than done I know, especially if you were raised on it big time and I struggle with it. It really is addictive especially as it is mostly sold in low cost units, just enough to keep the addiction going without ending up on the streets as with perhaps other addictions. There was a book in the 70's called Pure White and Deadly, nothing has changed since then in the poison that is sugar. Good luck all in beating this substance which has been in everything and is now being substituted with a chemical which is possibly even worse.

Pittcity Sun 24-Jun-18 08:33:09

We'd never eat or drink anything if we believed all the health scares...I avoid artificial sweeteners because of my personal reaction and would love to have a choice of affordable alternatives.
Brands are losing customers by changing recipes.

OldMeg Sun 24-Jun-18 06:03:10

There is no evidence of aspartame causing health problems as anno and a couple of others have pointed out, with the exception of phenylketonuria which is a rare genetic condition.

Most of these scares have been circulated on the Internet and through unsocial media and are passed on and shared by the gullible.

Auntieflo Sat 23-Jun-18 22:35:34

Coast35, I bought some pancakes from a supermarket last year, and they were so sweet, I really didn't enjoy them, even the lemon juice didn't really cut it.

Scooty413 Sat 23-Jun-18 22:33:11

I use stevia after watching a programme about it and how it's made using the leaves of the stevia plant. It's the only completely natural sweetener with nothing added and you only need a fraction of the amount that you'd need using sugar.

Kim19 Sat 23-Jun-18 16:45:44

charjoy, I think I used to indulge in the selfsame product and I think it was called Creamola foam.

charjoy Sat 23-Jun-18 16:07:50

About 70+ years ago I remember drinking lemonade in the Summer which was bought as a powder and added to cold water - very refreshing at the time. I wonder what the additives were then! Does anyone remember this powder and can you still buy it?