I don't eat many sweets, and avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague, but at a buffet last week I had a fat free sugar free frozen yogurt that surprised me.
If I can't afford a dessert that day I usually do not have it, or I have a small bit.
But that night I just was curious. I usually hate the taste of Nutrasweet, or splenda or whatever other G2H8-17's they are serving up, and I can find them in anything! I can taste 1/10000000 of the stuff!
I can tell when they add it in foods even if I don't see the label.
but I have to admit it wasn't bad.
It kind of scared me that it wasn't bad. I keep thinking that if I could get used to the taste of it I can eat lots of sweets I would normally avoid!!


I heard so many horror stories about Artif. sweeteners that I have avoided any and all. Was I wrong?
If I start eating them will they make you crave more and more sweets?
I heard that it gets you used to a sweeter taste so you aren't satisfied with less sweet things, true or urban myth??

What are your thoughts as to the healthfulness or the danger of Artificial sweeteners?

Oh darn!!
I meant to post this in "Living Maintenance"

Is it possible to have it moved??

For ME, I try to limit them because for ME I do notice sugar cravings.

I dont consider them an absolute horror (and most of the "poison" rumors are urban legend), but neither do I consider them a diet blessing.

I drink diet soda occasionally because I prefer the taste of diet to regular, but avoid all others.

for me having a diet dessert just increases my cravings for dessert. It starts small, and just cascades

Intellectually, I know they are chemicals and probably not good for me. But sometimes my shake is blah! and diet coke is a lovely treat!

I'm in the occasional camp too. I don't use them alot, but if I'm going out or am at a party diet sprite seems more festive than plain water. I've also been known to add a little splenda to a real chai since it is traditionally sweet. I don't think I use it enough to really know if it would set off cravings, but I can see where it would make fruit seem less sweet.

I don't find they lead to cravings for me. I use spenda, and will use products containing acesulfame-K. I avoid aspartame entirely because it gives me headaches and keeps me awake, and avoid all the sugar alcohols ( sorbitol, manitol, etc) because of stomach upset. Normally, I use about a teaspoon of a splenda-based vanilla syrup in my coffee every morning, and about a teasoon of spenda based sf pancake syrup on my oatmeal or protein pancake.

I personally don't taste the "chemicals" in them. They taste pleasantly sweet to me. My dh and ds can taste the chemicals and think anything with spenda is about as inviting as chewing aluminum foil.

After many years of experimenting, I don't think I really have sugar cravings. I have CARB cravings. Artificial sweeteners don't make me want to eat more sweet stuff, but one bite of a pretzel, cracker, or a cookie is my undoing.

I avoided artificial sweeteners when I gave up sugar for several years, and I personally think it was kind of pointless. I'm not advocating adding back in a diet of artifically flavored junk, but for me the addition of a little sweet flavor to things like black coffee and oatmeal-- foods that I'm eating for the rest of my life-- just makes maintenance a little easier.

Mel

Thanks for your opinions! It's funny that it's been on my mind like crazy ever since I had it.
I hate the "chemical" taste and the chance that it's bad for you, but a wicked little voice that I never heard before it taunting me! LOL

I really don't have a sweet tooth, I crave fats and protein, beef jerky and CHEESE!!!!

But lately, I have been thinking...hmmm....ice cream..pudding....dessert!!

lol!

I think for me the temptation is too great for some reason.
I had gall bladder and pancreas probs till surgery and that curred me of sweets.
I guess with that little taste, it came back with a vengeance!

From here on it's going to have to be real or nothing.

Ah, Mel, thank you for clearing this up. I realized reading your post that what I have are carb cravings. I seldom eat true sweets. I haven't had a candy bar in months, and even when the extra Halloween candy came to work, it didn't tempt me. But if it were a plate of pasta, or some good bread, stand back. As to artificial sweetners, I'm an occasional user. I have never used any sweetner in coffee/tea. I drink diet Pepsi/Coke occasionally; use splenda on cereal - but only 1/3-1/2 packet. Doesn't taste chemically to me.