Thanks everyone! I guess I will search around a bit and see what other information I can get. Like I said, it's not like I'm shoveling into my mouth, but once a day in my coffee I'll use it. I just never really thought much about it, but now that I have my weight around where I want it and am a professional calorie counter, I'm thinking about the other side items....like sugar and sodium

I didn't know it could! I thought it was kind of invisible to the endocrine system... I'll have to read up on that! *scratches head*

Hey, Suitejudyblueeyes, I have also read studies that show that artificial sweeteners can impact blood sugar levels.

I use Hermesetas which is based on aspartme - although not very often these days. I found it a very useful tool to wean myself off having to sweeten my drinks and food by using a little less each time. Now I adore unsweetened teas, coffees, cereals etc and my baking uses half to a quarter of the orginal sugar requirements.

I use honey to sweeten my tea if I feel like it - I usually have one honey tea a day, first thing upon getting into the office lol. It's my little ritual.

I have never had any problems with artificial sweeteners and so far as the "it's so bad for you" rhetoric well...I think I must have read an article for nearly every food that has now been shown "scientifically in some study" to cause cancer AND sometimes on the same day another article claiming that same food can help prevent other cancers.

We all have different reactions to different foods - like most things it seems to be a matter of finding what works well for you.

True, true!

With artificial sweeteners and other processed things, I tend to take a "better safe than sorry" approach. There's data that supports either side, so I *personally* try and stay away from it as much as possible.. that doesn't mean that I'm militant about it or anything... and if I'm at the movies I'll take a couple of sips out of my boyfriend's diet coke (How gross, I know! ) if I get thirsty.

I can also see the point of view that I was clearly doing a LOT more damage to my health from being overweight and if using artificial sweeteners would help me to maintain a healthy weight, I'd use them.

For me, though, I just started to like unsweetened iced tea, stopped drinking diet sodas (which I didn't do much of anyway), and decided that I'd rather have the real thing in desserts, but that's also because I can taste something funky if it's sweetened with artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners have caused me many a headache and menstrual problems too. I avoid them at all costs.

Actually, I accidentally had a yogurt with splenda at my Aunt's house at Thanksgiving. It tasted terrible to me. It's been so long since I've had artificial sweetener that my taste buds just don't like it.

I am a huge fan of Splenda and use it almost exclusively, however I will use regular sugar when I have an exceptionally good cup of coffee, esp. my beloved Cuban coffee

I generally avoid all artificial ingredients, but there are some things I eat occasionally because they help me stay on plan. I don't usually consume much artificial sweetener, because I'd rather do without the sweetness or use real sugar. But, I don't feel guilty about it if I have some.

I haven't really listened too much too all of the negative talk about sweeteners and what it can do to your health because it seems like one year something is bad for you, then WAIT, all of a sudden the Health Industry finds out it's good for you for something else, then the next year it goes back to being bad for you - I get tired of the flip flopping with the "reports" the healthy industry puts out, so I've just stopped listening.

My only real thought on the topic is, if artificial sweeteners are truly bad for you, then would you rather die from being obese or from eating too many sweeteners? We know being obese is bad for your health, and if artificial sweeteners are that bad for you also, I guess decide which you would rather die of and take that road. I personally would pick using the artificial sweeteners in small amounts and otherwise being as healthy as possible and a normal weight, then being obese and having all of the problems that will bring.

This is my logic as well. Even with the Diet Mountain Dew I drink, I'm sure I'm much healthier now than I was at 275. I don't like the idea of artificial sweeteners either, and I hope to phase out the diet soda eventually, but right now it helps me stay on plan so it's staying. I use Splenda in tea, but occasionally I use regular sugar. I don't drink a lot of tea anymore, and you couldn't pay me to drink coffee because I think it's nasty so I don't have to worry about sweetening it! As for yogurt and things like that, I spend the extra calories there because I think the artificially sweetened ones taste disgusting.

Here's a question...

Do you feed your children things that are sweetened with artificial sweeteners?

Kara

That's my issue too. I learned the hard way that aspartame will give me a migraine. Got smarter and read up on Splenda before trying it and decided it was too risky. I love agave nectar when I need something sweet (I'm more of a savory person so sweet isn't much of an issue). My partner is diabetic and loves stevia. I hated the powder because I would find traces on things and it reminds me of the ooooold Tab days. Yuck!

I don't have kids, but that's a good point. I probably wouldn't. I'd probably avoid giving them processed and chemical things whenever possible. But I like to think I'd teach them good eating and exercise habits from the beginning and they wouldn't end up in a situation like I was, where you make tradeoffs to get away from the problem of obesity.

I find that I use a lot of Splenda. I bake with the Splenda Blend, which is both sugar and splenda (not sure how much of each.) That's just one of the sneaky ways I try to make family meals healthier.