How's that for a title?

My MIL and I were talking about how much Splenda we actually consume. Between sweetening tea, coffee, yogurt, and snacks, I imagine I eat about 1/2 a cup a day -- easily. MIL said it's better than eating 1/2 cup of sugar a day. Probably so. But, it can't be good for a body. What are your thoughts?

The thought of quitting....

I try to avoid splenda, and whenever possible I sub agave nectar or stevia.

I've found that agave sweetens coffee, yogurt and hot tea really well. I love it in coffee -- it has a light sweetness.

When I make a ricotta creme, I sprinkle in a bit of stevia instead of splenda. Sometimes it takes a bit of experimenting to figure out how much to add.

I've never had agave nectar. Isn't it like honey? Isn't it real sugar? Where do you buy it?

I know there's a lot of controversy regarding the safeness of Splenda, but at least it's approved as safe by the FDA.
The jury is still out on how safe Stevia is for you. Until it gets FDA approval, I'm going to avoid it. Splenda is bad enough.
I use agave nectar in a lot of things, but I don't like the fact that it has 30 calories per tablespoon.
I guess we all have to choose our poison.

ETA-

Chelby, agave nectar is very similar to honey, but has a very low GI rating, so you avoid the sugar highs that you'd get from real sugar. It's ideal for people with diabetes to use as a sweetener. You can usually find it in the natural foods aisle in your grocery store.

Half a cup a day??? It can't be. I was feeling nervous about a half envelope a day.

Really, Chelby, something in you wants the taste of sweet. I don't like that taste so I can't relate to what that might feel like, but I'd try to get into the groove of savory over sweet.

A sip of orange juice is too much for me. I can't even fathom what sweetened yogurt must taste like.

Savory. I vote for savory!

I trust mother nature over the FDA. IMO, lobbyists make the FDA's decisions, not scientists. I'd rather use stevia since it's a plant, but it is a medicinal herb so studies do need to be done about how much is too much. I don't find stevia palatable though, it's too bitter.

Any sweetener (artificial or not) is bad in those quantities, regardless of the studies and your own personal beliefs. Moderation in all things!

I'm another fan of agave, but I wouldn't suggest you consume 1/2 cup a day. Why not try drinking your coffee without or with less sweetener (high quality coffee tastes better and you need less sweetener), your yogurt plain, and limit the sweet snacks? I know that might sound terrible, but your taste buds will get used to it.

Mother nature also produces hemlock and belladonna. Aside from herbal poisons, many natural compounds we thought were safe, because of historical use were later banned or controlled because of concerns of safety and/or abuse potential (ephedra comes to mind).

There are a couple concerns stevia. Firstly, where stevia has been used traditionally, it has not been used in the quantities that sweeteners are often used in the US. Secondly, there have been several studies that raise concerns that stevia can cause birth defects and reproductive issues (these have been rodent studies, not human trials).

Understanding the research review process, I do trust the FDA over herbal products used in ways that are historically unprecedented.

I thought stevia was approved now and that's why it's showing up in grocery stores. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...weeteners.aspx

I did write a longer post last night but it disappeared into the ether. I rarely use splenda because there have been enough reports of problems that I'm not going to risk it (every few weeks I just really want a latte with caramel syrup). I'm also one of those people who can't go near MSG or aspartame (both FDA approved) because of headaches. I avoid almost all sugar alcohols (FDA approved) because of severe stomach cramps from just one serving.

When I want sweet I use either agave (sparingly, it is calorie dense) or erythritol. However I just don't use much added sweetener and that helps a lot.I add dried fruit to hot cereal, applesauce to yogurt and cottage cheese, and drink my coffee and tea black. My brain seems to equate all added sweeteners, so too many sweet treats make me crave. Sadly too many for me is more than one or two small things a week.

Artificial sweeteners make me want real sugar so I avoid as much as possible. I think using them on Phase I is counterproductive and just keep the cravings going.
Just my opinion.

When I was a kid, Mom would give my sister and me money for a treat. I'd get a candy bar; She'd get a beef jerky. She's 4'11" and weighs 102 pounds. She still prefers savory over sweet. I'd rather have cake than anything! Hence, my weight problem.

I'm going to make an effort to cut the Splenda dramatically. This morning, I had only a teaspoon of Splenda in my tea instead of close to a tablespoon. I'll let you know if it makes a difference.

Cyn does erythritol have any side effects? xylitol sends me right to the bathroom and bloats me like a thanksgiving parade balloon

Is splenda better than aspertame?

Little Chick, It tastes better, IMO.

I think when I researched it, splenda is one step away from a pesticide. I really don't trust any kind of artificial sweetener, I think I got that from my mom. The only thing I eat with Splenda in it (is it splenda? or something else?) is pancake syrup...maybe once every couple weeks. Now that I'm on maintenance, I eat real sugar in moderation. (oh, and I'll have a SF caramel latte...but that's maybe once every 1-2 months).

I'm just afraid they'll find out one day what it can do. And my children are strictly prohibited from having it.

KO - I've never had trouble with it but I do use it in small amounts, mostly oatmeal and chai I keep planning to bake with it but I never get around to it.