In the past, as a Reddit member, if I talked about adverse reactions to Aspartame and gave evidence from doctors, I was banned from 'Nutrition' groups and the very active Aspartame Industry trolls gave me negative or minus voting so I looked like a troublemaker. This why I 'm no longer active on Reddit but I'm very active on Quora which allows more discussions about adverse side effects of artificial sweeteners and MSG.
Saying that, I get Google alerts about Aspartame and can still read the Reddit posts. This latest one I found worrying, where a post is removed - see below and link HERE.
I have been having a lot of stomach issues when I eat a lot of stevia such as acid reflux and diarrhea. Is it just me or anyone else is experiencing these as well? (20/2/21)
Replies:
level 1
Look into probiotics, and you're diet should have things that promote gut health
10
level 1
Yes. Happened with stevia and wrecked my digestive system. My body couldn’t tolerate also xanthan gum and I would feel terrible afterwards.
6
level 1
Stevia is typically bulked with erythritol which can cause gastric distress at high intake levels. I don't personally have any issues but things do gurgle more when I eat more Truvia (my preferred brand). None of the other artificial sweeteners cause any issues for me.
5
level 1
Idk if it is related to the artificial sweeteners but my stomach makes a lot of noise and it has a sense of pressure lately lmao
4
level 1
Try different sweeteners. I’ve been testing them out. My brother doesn’t do well with w/e is in the pink packets, but is fine with aspartame. My body doesn’t care apparently. Plant protein on the other hand...
1
level 1
No not really but a lot of erythritol does make my stomach hurt I use like 3 tbsp of truvia sweetener blend and it does nothing
1
r/selfimprovement
Posted by u/mangopiratebird - HERE
Successfully switched to water from diet soda!
Since I've lived on my own (about 1 year), I've drank a lot of diet soda. My favorite is diet mtn dew. I got to the point where I was drinking 5-6 a day, and I could literally open one and chug the whole thing. I'd get that satisfying burn in my throat. I'd justify it because it doesn't have any calories.
I decided not to buy it anymore. The last two weeks, whenever I'm thirsty, I'll drink a glass of cold water. The first couple of days, it was really hard to get used to and I felt very thirsty. But now it's been a while, and I love it. A glass of cold water is way more satisfying than soda. I'm also finding that my skin is much clearer and less dry, and over all I just feel a lot better.
I'm insanely proud of myself. Just wanted to share!
🔆
How do I get them to put a better warning when something has sucralose in it?
Posted by u/Kelekona
Sucralose won't kill me, it just burns. This morning I had something like acid reflux and was gasping in pain, so I decide to check my fruit juice. I'm used to checking sports drinks, but there was no reason for them to put sucralose in something where the second ingredient is HFCS.
u/fire-thorn
When you have an uncommon allergy, it's good to get in the habit of always reading labels, even on food you think would be safe. It's kind of amazing how much junk they can add to things that should be simple foods.
u/grovergirl36
Unfortunately you’re going to have to read every ingredient list you buy. I’m allergic to caramel color (anaphylaxis) - and that shit is sneaky! It’s in everything - crackers - ice cream - frozen foods - liquor - ice tea and soda - cereals - breads - sauces - literally everywhere. But it depends on the brand. And even by brand the ingredient lists change sometimes. So I have to read every word or I’ll end up in the ER
u/ExtrovertedBookworm
I’m going to tell you right now that you have to be hyper vigilant on this forever. I get REALLY sick from all artificial sweeteners (any of the -tols give me extreme diarrhea and abdominal pain and vomiting, the others mostly just cause pain and occasional vomiting) and doctors either don’t believe me or tell me to suck it up. At my hospital system (a major one/considered one of the top in the world), they don’t even have a way to put the allergy/sensitivity into their system.
Read everything. I mean everything, including medications. I know that, for example, sorbitol is often used as a preservative in medicine, so I have to aggressively read about and question everything.
u/Kelekona
Yikes. I know this isn't a contest, but you win.
Mom has sensitivities too, but for the longest time, if something didn't say sugar-free, it didn't have artificial sweetener.
We should still start a campaign because sensitivities like that are common enough. Ever hear about the 5 pound bag of sugar-free gummy bears? The reviews are hilarious. HERE
level 1
Seriously. I can't do artificial sweeteners (among other things). I hate that they're in so much.
u/boredtxan
You'd have to lobby the FDA. Meanwhile you can file complaints about the ingredient and hope enough people like u do the same. It sucks but that's what happens when you are in the minority and the ingredients you have a problem with are hugely popular & perceived as healthy.
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Posted by u/eliseaaron
Anyone have adverse effect from artificial sweeteners?
My partner and I have tried them all and they all give us issues. I have to fast from them for a week or so when I cant handle the burps/bloat/nausea. My partner gets stomach pain. I have to go real easy on them but it's hard when you want something sweet.
Anyone have adverse effect from artificial sweeteners?
My partner and I have tried them all and they all give us issues. I have to fast from them for a week or so when I cant handle the burps/bloat/nausea. My partner gets stomach pain. I have to go real easy on them but it's hard when you want something sweet.
🔆
Natural Sugar Alternative Stevia May Cause Gut Bacteria Imbalance -
Posted by u/tahutahu
u/LowestKey
Here’s the thing about gut bacteria: a lot of it is down to the individual. So if you find you tolerate stevia, go forth and sweeten. If you find you poop your brains out any time you eat anything with stevia, stop eating stevia.
u/Sir-Ult-Dank
Thank you. I thought it was the fish on the food truck I ate for lunch the other day. But it’s the Stevia I put in my coffee that day. Been so gassy and can’t just poop and get rid of the smell.
u/sumuroy
That stuff stuffs up my guts badly if I have it more than one or two times a day if I have a few drinks in a day or two running I always get cramps and toilet problems. And find I need to take a course of probiotics. I give it up then weakness for a sweetened drink gets me on it again.just lately it has happened again and I have now got used to drinking unsweetened drinks.looks like a smart move.
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Technical term for artificial sweetener intolerance? Posted by u/HarpHeist
Hey guys! This is my first post ever to reddit and it's an important one (to me) so I would really appreciate some help.
TLDR: Is there a technical/medical name for artificial sweetener intolerance?
So I was recently diagnosed with a really severe artificial sweetener intolerance and since avoiding artificial sweeteners, my quality of life has greatly improved. I'm about to go live with my mom though, and she does all of the cooking/grocery shopping because I can't due to my crazy schedule.
Here's the thing, she doesn't believe in food intolerances and no amount of articles or explaining will change her mind. She's basically the kind of person who doesn't believe a condition exists unless it's got some super fancy technical/medical name. She really heavily includes artificial sweeteners in her cooking and buys lots of things containing artificial sweeteners and she has basically said that she will keep doing it until I can prove that an artificial sweetener intolerance is a real thing. She refuses to talk to my doctor or read the articles that I printed and I'm afraid of eating anything that comes out of her kitchen. Help?
TLDR: Is there a technical/medical name for artificial sweetener intolerance?
So I was recently diagnosed with a really severe artificial sweetener intolerance and since avoiding artificial sweeteners, my quality of life has greatly improved. I'm about to go live with my mom though, and she does all of the cooking/grocery shopping because I can't due to my crazy schedule.
Here's the thing, she doesn't believe in food intolerances and no amount of articles or explaining will change her mind. She's basically the kind of person who doesn't believe a condition exists unless it's got some super fancy technical/medical name. She really heavily includes artificial sweeteners in her cooking and buys lots of things containing artificial sweeteners and she has basically said that she will keep doing it until I can prove that an artificial sweetener intolerance is a real thing. She refuses to talk to my doctor or read the articles that I printed and I'm afraid of eating anything that comes out of her kitchen. Help?
🔆
Do flavored protein powders with real sugar, not stevia or sucralose or anything else artificial, exist? Posted by u/5915407
I despise the taste of artificial sweeteners including stevia. I can always tell if it’s in something and it has an overly sweet, headachey taste to me. I also tend to get a real headache from it later in the day. Also I do not enjoy the plain unflavored protein powders as I must make a smoothie with it instead of just mixing it with milk or water.
I just want a whey or pea or whatever protein powder that has fun flavours like birthday cake and peanut butter etc. that isn’t overly sweet but is sweetened with real sugar (sucrose, cane sugar, whatever). I have searched high and low and found nothing.
Has anyone found any like this?
(bold and italics is admin emphasis)
🔆
Sorry for another artificial sweeteners post!
While the jury is still out on artificial sweeteners, they seem to be fine in moderation.
But my daily sucralose intake has been crazy high for a while. I've been going way way overboard, and have started to feel awful most days (very lethargic, no energy, slow cognitive tempo), so I'm going to just quit artificial sweeteners, or cut back like 80-90%, and see how I feel.
Just curious if anyone has stopped artificial sweeteners and had positive results?
I don't think it's going to be easy to quit. I sort of hate water, but the plan is to just start drinking pure h20 with no additives, in place of my normal sucralose-enhanced drinks.
edit: well this blew up pretty quick, I didn't expect so many replies. Thanks everybody for sharing your experiences.
Comments
u/McLindsay
My own experience: aspartame triggered migraines and Sucralose messed up my stomach. I felt much better after making an effort not to use either.
u/patineta00
migraines and nausea for me! I thought I was the only one!
u/knifensoup
For me I cant have aspartame, sucralose, or stevia without getting a migraine. I know stevia isn't artificial but it actually causes the worst/longest migraines
u/fastbetty
Artificial sweeteners trigger migraines almost instantly and will cause significant digestive problems if I have more than a couple servings. Quit years ago, and no issues since.
u/AriaNightshade
Sucralose kills my stomach. If I accidentally have a little, I get 3 days of stomach cramping.
u/NotHaolmi
Cool I have IBS and migraines and a diet Dr Pepper addiction. Life is grand.
u/Fire-Kissed
Same. Aspartame gives me mega headaches and nose bleeds if I consumed like 3 diet cokes a day.
u/jelli2015
Same! My migraines have drastically decreased in frequency and strength ever since I stopped consuming it. It's had the nice side-effect of me forming me to appreciate sweet things more since I can't get away with zero calorie sweeteners any more.
u/Idrisnite
Stevia man, did the same for me. I only trust Stevia and Monkfruit if I can find it. Better mood, better skin. Can't take my dessert away from me though. There's just more wiggle room for dessert now.
u/StanfordV
I have had the same experience. Cravings are non existent for me anymore.
u/vibeayma5
I stopped having sugar cravings. I found artificial sweeteners made my sweet tooth a lot worse and when I quit I stopped having uncontrollable cravings for sugar. Artificial sweeteners are a vicious cycle. I still have a tiny bit in my coffee though. Cannot seem to stop that yet.... you will feel so much better.
u/Korean__Princess
I stopped having sugar cravings. I found artificial sweeteners made my sweet tooth a lot worse and when I quit I stopped having uncontrollable cravings for sugar.
I quit sugar a long time ago, but this is what always bothered me about people (ab)using artificial sweeteners.
If you eat right you can completely get rid of your sugar addiction, but each time you keep dumping sweetness into your foods or desserts you are just keeping that cycle going.
I never found that to be a good thing, but I guess as long as it doesn't trigger negative habits such as binge eating or going all in on junk food, then at least it's a much better alternative.
u/dragonfly_254
I know this doesn't answer your question, just a tip: if you don't like the taste of simple water, you could try adding some lemon juice, or make some herbal infusions (mint, sage, chamomile, etc.) and cool them. It doesn't taste like simple water and it doesn't have artificial sweeteners.
u/silviablue23
You can also add fruit to your water and it will taste better
u/vagabonne
This is the answer imo. Cold mint tea is amazing in the summer. Korean groceries also have delicious tisane options, like cornsilk, barley, or 5 grains.
u/kombuchaluv
lemon juice all the way
u/charlesbussa
This is all anecdotal, but sweeteners seem to really increase my anxiety
Maybe it’s now all in my head but it def makes me feel weird
u/LionsRambit87
Isn’t their research about it being inflammatory? And if it’s inflammatory that messes with the brain which triggers things like anxiety? There’s a podcast I listened to a few times that does a really good job citing data about inflammation but I never did get around to clicking the links to see
u/TinyCubes
Aspartame contains phenylalanine which can worsen depression and anxiety because it lowers Serotonin. If someone is prone to anxiety & depression, serotonin is usually lower anyway and phenylalanine can exacerbate that. I stay away from aspartame because of this. In the US there will be a PKU warning on products containing aspartame because of the phenylalanine.
u/Mmsachin
Maybe it’s now all in my head but it def makes me feel weird. Yes, this happens to me too. A small amount is ok, but anything more and my anxiety flares up.
u/ayerighty
My stomach is better without them
u/depressive_anxiety
Yes. I never really used artificial sweetener before but they started putting it in protein powder because everyone wanted zero sugar. The powder kept making me feel bad and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. I switched to a bland protein powder without sweeteners and I didn’t have anymore problems.
u/InstigatedAF
Hello, could you recommend a common brand that doesnt add sweeteners? Cheers
u/leptictidium00
Nuzest probiotic protein is my favorite
u/Phenoix512
Yeah I have seen positive results from it However a caveat you can't replace it with sugar's or fat.
Switching to water, plain tea, black coffee.
If you start drinking soda or dumping sugar or honey into your drinks you will see negative results.
Artificial sweeteners do have one benefit based on my small friend group is that it doesn't seem to cause weight gain or diabetes.
That said it would be healthier to have less sugar and less artificial sweeteners
u/redditer799
Why would honey cause a negative result?
u/BeijingTurkey
Well that’s a hell of a tangent
u/gillysus
yes, no more bloating
u/Sadra
I was sooo confused a couple of months back. My bloating made me look several months pregnant and the rest of my body looked pretty skinny, it took me a couple of weeks to realise it was because of the ridiculous amount of pepsi max I was drinking.
u/Pineconn
Absolutely positively YES. I lost quite a bit of weight from 2016-2018, and, in the process, I became dependent on sweetened foods to cut out the calories. I used to constantly consume artificial sweeteners, be it through diet soda, gum, Halo Top, low cal yogurt, protein bars, syrups, etc. I ended up CRAVING these kinds of foods, including foods with real sugar (I wouldn't be able to say "no" to donuts at work, for example).
I quit all of these at the start of 2019. Within a few weeks, and after fixing my gut microbiota with probiotics, I no longer had appetite control issues. Sugar alcohols [tend to] cause bloating and artificial sweeteners [tend to] promote inflammation, both of which were pretty much disappeared. I can't say with 100% certainty, but I also suspect that changing my diet was the reason my chronic Achilles tendinitis (running injury) went away in 2019.
Now, I avoid all sweeteners and sugar alcohols, including stevia. I don't desire them anymore. I drink water, decaf coffee, decaf tea, and seltzer water. There are some almost candy-like seltzers on the market these days, like Bubly and key lime/limoncello LaCroix. Maybe give them a whirl.
u/c00kekng
Why all decaf?
u/karena15
Sounds like me :) I also noticed that I had to constantly increase the dose of sweeteners. Crazy. Like an alcoholic who needs to drink more and more to feel the buzz. Actually, I cut out alcohol as well. Life is so much better without these seemingly harmless addictions.
u/gradchica27
I quit artificial sweeteners 4 years ago when I realized I would get gallbladder pain after drinking artificially sweetened beverages. Every time. And I drank a lot of those drinks. So that eliminated the constant dull ache and the recurring attacks.
I’ve been off sugar alcohols for almost a year after realizing consuming more than just one serving/week would lead to major bloating and constipation (I’m reasonably sure that was the issue bc I replaced my protein bars—my main source of sugar alcohols—with a sugar sweetened version and...no issues).
u/gonetodublin
Yeah, I quit sugar and sweeteners for a while just to try it out, I wanted to cut down on my intake of processed and oversweet foods for a while and aI read that artificial sweeteners can keep you from really experiencing the benefits. I did lose weight but i think a lot of that was down to the lack of options without added sugar and sweeteners so i just cooked a lot of stuff myself
u/Etzello
Sucralose caused bloating and gas. I've also read some papers suggesting it kills your micro flora and I've been much better after quitting it.
u/xEr0r
same for me
u/TGreggors
Came to post this. I haven't been bold enough to stop using artificial sweeteners, but I'll grab a La Croix on occasion. They have a variety of flavors.
u/talkingofm27
Waterloo is my go to, if I ever get bored with plain water. BPA free, and there's not an abundance of carbonation that will not cause me any gastric distension. Also, adding in lime or lemon in water can do the trick, too.
u/yagirlhunter
I have IBS and IC and I know artificial sweeteners are a no-no because they hurt your gut health? So I'd say better gut health, better mental function, better skin, etc.
u/therealwadefagan
best natural sweetener is stevia, sugar intake can be balance by simply drinking more water
u/joflo828
man yall have sugar cravings? i got savory cravings XD but yeah artifical sweeteners do be messin with my tummy :/
u/hairgirl97
This sounds crazy, but I used to drink coke zero like people chilling on a sunday with their six pack of beer. I kept on forgetting too many things (also a side effect of my med). After I significantly cut down, I felt I could remember SOOO much better 🤯🤯 this could be all in my head but that is something I know changed ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
u/Pickle_Intensity
Oh god yes, I was such an idiot too, after months of horrible abdominal discomfort and digestive issues I was seeing doctors and was beginning to worry about IBS, Crohns, who knows!
Turns out I’m super sensitive to Sorbitol and was dosing myself daily with it via sugar-free gum.
Note that it’s also present in a lot of toothpastes, but I usually don’t have an issue with that as long as I’m extra cautious not to swallow any.
u/sadderall123
Interesting about the Gum. I am do use more gum than the average person. I wouldn't have thought enough of the sweetener would be ingested, since you are chewing the gum and spitting it out an hour later, but I'm sure the juice (for lack of a better term) still gets into your gut. Wouldn't think that small amount of sorbitol could cause problems, but someone else mentioned gum as well.
u/nindiesel
I haven't (I'm not an artifical sweetener girl, I'm v boring and stick to water or black coffee) *however* a friend in my undergrad who drank a HUGE amount of diet coke and juice with artificial sweetener. She said that she had way more energy when she cut that stuff out - she used the newfound energy to hit the gym more and ended up losing a bit of weight.
I don't think the weight loss was caused directly by cutting the sweeteners out but my guess would be you'll see a difference in your lethargy. I see you're not a huge water, and I don't know where the sweeteners are coming from - pop, flavoured soda water, juice - but if it's mostly diet pop, you may even be a bit dehydrated which would explain the lethargy. Pop does hydrate to a degree, but the caffeine in it acts as a diuretic so it won't work the same way as just plain ol water.
u/SisSandSisF
I doubt they’re healthy. When has something super amazingly sweet and delicious ever found to be healthy? With that said I use them lol
u/wakka12
No but for whatever reason artificial sweeteners just don't satiate my sweet tooth, so I end up eating some candy regardless. So for me they are useless and don't taste that great (stevia is what I use )
u/JAB1971
Giving up diet soda stopped my frequent migraines. If I have one once and a while, I’m ok, but if I increase it more than that, the migraines return.
u/iuytree
I have done a few tests - erythritol and aspartame make me break out. Sucralose and monk fruit are fine for me.
u/Stormy_Ktuesday
Yes! I used to drink all the zero cal energy drinks and then started putting tons of stevia in everything. I’m talking stevia every single day. I finally realized it probably wasn’t healthy (even though it’s better than aspartame and such) so I stopped all artificial sugar (even at the cost of consuming more maple syrup in its place) and digestion problems improved a LOT, and my skin cleared up. I don’t think stevia and monk fruit are as bad as sucrose/aspartame/etc, but it still isn’t something your body understands how to process. If you have to choose one, go with monk fruit, because stevia is like 200x sweeter than sugar and that confuses your brain.
u/nonbinary_parent
I get fewer headaches
u/SixScoopsHD
I drink zero versions of soft drinks and use splenda in my coffee. Noticed no ill affects. I only noticed issues with flavoured protein powder such as Syntha 6 edge chocolate giving me a migraine. I switched to unflavoured whey and that was solved.
u/chief_running_diddle
I quit all added sugars for about three weeks in the start of the year and from day 3 - day 6 I was definitely a bit of a bear. But yes, after that initial withdrawal, I felt better with a bit more energy, less bloating, less cravings, and I actually did notice that a lot of what I assume was water weight had been trimmed away. I have since begun eating things with added sugars in them again, but I have a substantially greater amount of greens, quality proteins, and good carbs in my diet day to day and I see now what eating things with added sugars, excessive caffeine, and other additives does to me. Give this experiment of ditching Sucralose a try and see what it can do for you. You may find you don’t even want it after a little while
u/SledgeH4mmer
In my own experience, the only issue is that artificial sweeteners made me crave more and more sweets.
u/Yargabash
I never feel great when I eat artificial foods or drinks in general. I’ve found agave to be the best to give things a bit of sweetness and not feel anxious or overloaded
u/MichSpoopy
Personally, artificial sweeteners cause migraines and unilateral facial paralysis for me. I haven't had artificial sweeteners in about 4 years now and feel much better than ever. No more migraines and half my face doesn't randomly paralyze every few months anymore. They really do a number on some people, while others can tolerate them relatively well. Listen to your body and go from there.
u/GainsAndGames_Pro
Removing artificial sweeteners helped me manage my appetite a lot better. I thought I was doing myself a favor staying away from sugar because of the calories but also the cravings. Turns out, studies are showing artificial sweeteners can give you the same kind of cravings as sugar and certain ones like aspartame have been linked to heart issues. I swear drinking diet soda every day for 20 years contributed heavily to my father's heart attack. Besides what the studies have started to show, there's a ton of personal annectdote out there like you, me, and others commenting on this post! The more we can get into a habit of drinking fluids without them, the better off we'll be now and later!
u/dreamingofwv
I gave up artificial sweeteners about six years ago. Before, I struggled with severe migraines that left me missing work/ school at least 3-4 times per month. Since I cut them out, I maybe get one or two a year, always right before my period.
u/Mitchringel333
I drink one monster energy ultra, zero cal, sucralose sweetened, and then water all day unless I have a beer at night, I’m 29, and have terrible back problems from heavy labor and lifting weights hard all my life, I’m also a farmer, jumping down from tractors constantly is actually the worst problem farmers have. So I wanted to cut some weight to help my back out, and I used to drink a TON of artificially sweetened stuff, and since I stopped I have noticed that my stomach doesn’t just hurt for no reason anymore, and it’s a lot easier to lose weight with a ton of water in your system I usually drink about 2.5 gallons a day, although some of that is because I work outside and need to replenish
u/theshined
Able to shit again
u/AliceMacann
artificial sweeteners are terrible for the gut so I would expect people to feel better when they cut them from their diet. Natural sweeteners like stevia are a good substitute as this one wont wreck the gut.
u/12-29-32
ABSOLUTELY. Headaches gone, more energy,and less brain fog. You can actually get aspartame poisoning if you consume too much on a regular basis. It’s hard, but so worth it for your beautiful body and mind!
Edit: bonus, once you stop using them, your taste buds change and realize they taste DISGUSTING.
u/snooptaco
I’ve been artificial sweetener free for 5 months. I actually had to use an addiction app (I Am Sober) to keep myself on track because I felt so addicted to it. I am low carb and don’t eat sugar, but had started to eat excessive amounts of sugar free treats instead. I have more energy, don’t get random headaches, and feel in control of what I eat now.
u/Beautiful-Positive-2
I read recently that aspartame converts to ethanol in the human body. I quit drinking soda with ethanol.
u/bloodstorm17
Feel like Monk Fruit has had the most positive effect on my body. It’s pretty good substitute for sugar in my experience with it so far.
u/kryaklysmic
Sucralose made my ulcerative colitis flare much worse, avoiding that and cruciferous vegetables in general (I had broccoli which made me very sick a few weeks ago and cabbage which made me urgently need a restroom in 30 minutes three days ago. This is sad, they’re my favorites and I hope I can eat them again soon) have helped. Aspartame simply tastes disgusting to me so I avoid it, but I’ve never had bad effects from it.
u/leandroabaurre
I use sodium cyclamate/sodium saccharin combo for over 15 years and never had problems. I also use aspartame from time to time. The only "positive" effect I had on quitting was increased carbohydrate intake and weight gain!! It's a no brainer for me.
u/lnewarre
The only one I don't seem to have awful side effects (headaches, weight gain, etc), is stevia. The taste isn't as good, but it's good enough for my 2 cups of coffee a day.
u/ColinHenrichon
Personally if I have the option, I prefer to use Stevia as a sweetener, so I can’t offer too much input. I am curious to see how it goes!
u/aerodeck
Yeah, I no longer had a terrible taste in my mouth.
u/McStormy76
Had pretty significant bladder issues with artificial sweeteners. When I quit using them, problems disappeared.
u/catsmom63
My major stomach problems stopped.
u/teamobliterator
I use Splenda in my coffee everyday and find it actually helps suppress my cravings for sweets.
u/Unspoken_Unknown
Yes, I have noticed a difference. I used to drink sodas and zero calorie energy drinks around lunch and all afternoon I experienced trouble focusing. It felt like I was mentally detached. I was finally able to connect that it was caused by the sweeteners in the drinks. I stopped having them and haven't had that issue since.
u/lobitamina
Somehow I got into a sugar free Red Bull habit, sometimes two a day. I am diagnosed bipolar 2, and looking back now, I would get much more erratic more frequently while drinking that shit. It was like experiencing strong mania in shorter spurts. Woof. Glad I quit that!
u/parsons525
I never liked them. They made me feel gross. I just cut out sugar.
u/papiwablo
I used have mega butt soup and it would make my skins itchy and slight breakouts on my face.
u/RadioUnfriendly
I used to drink Diet Coke with Splenda. I would have this lingering sweetness in my mouth. No problems other than that. Aspartame resulted in morning headaches for me.
u/strudelboom
I cut out diet sodas, I don’t know if it’s the aspartame, acesulfame K or phenylalanine.
It would make me feel weird and I’d get anxiety attacks much easier.
I’ve started drinking black coffee and realised the caffeine has no detrimental effect which I previously thought was the cause.
I seem to get away with having a regular Coca Cola each day too, it doesn’t contain any of the nasties. Just sugar.
u/jvsews
I am allergic to all artificial sweeteners. I just drink way diluted wjuice
u/clovercharms
For my own personal experience, yes.
I used either stevia/erythritol or monk fruit/erythritol blend in my coffee for a while. Every morning my stomach would bother me and I just thought it was anxiety having to drive/make it to work on time (I haaaate driving.) I ended up quitting sweeteners for other reasons (heartburn) and since then, my "anxious stomach" is no more lol.
I didn't want to accept this bc I looovveeee the taste of my monk fruit blend but alas, I feel so much better in the mornings.
u/Ashleydashley
They constipate me. Artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbiota. Immune, metabolic, and neurobehavioral health and the gut microbiome are connected.
u/Pearcey2
I try to avoid sweeteners as much as I can. Once I stopped fizzy drinks and all those unnecessary calories I felt instantly better in general. That’s the best option. If you have too much sugar or sweetener, the best option is to slowly reducing your consumption of it regardless. But keep what I call ‘good’ sugars in your diet (i.e. fruits). Then, eventually you will have less of the known side effects of sugar (obesity etc.) and sweeteners (migraines, fatigue etc.).
Sweeteners are a good way to curb calories and help you reduce your sugar consumption though (e.g. Diet Coke instead of regular coke). Although, once you have done that transition the next best thing is having coke once every other day/ twice a week/ until it’s gone.
I suggest trying to get into fruit or green teas and drinking lots of water. If you eat evenly spaced out healthy meals, you won’t need a sugar fix. It is just a craving, just remember you aren’t actually hungry.
I’m only saying what’s worked for me - I’ve made healthy choices for quite a while now. I’ve never been addicted to sweeteners but I used to have a tiny bit of sugar over my weetabix. Once I replaced that with two sweeteners and I was really ill - just no energy whatsoever for like two days. Now I’d just rather a small handful of raspberries or raisins or banana on top.
Now I have more energy than ever.
u/sadderall123
Thank you! Good information. I do feel a lot better already today with no sweetener and no caffeine, and actually drinking straight up water. I think I will continue to improve over the next month or so.
u/itsmeducksoup
In my experience, I used to use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar because it made me feel less like crap. I normally used monk fruit sugar and sometimes sucralose. After switching from normal cane sugar, I found that I didn't crash as hard and I had a lot more energy, but I still felt a little off.
Using just sucralose really hurt my stomach, and I ended up still having a carb crash afterwards. Monk fruit sugar had less of an effect, but still crash if I ate too much of it. After I removed all of it from my diet for a while, I noticed that my gut wasn't in so much pain, and that I didn't crash after eating. I like the way I feel not having these sweeteners, plus I save quite a bit of money from not having to buy so much.
u/lnewarre
The only one I don't seem to have awful side effects (headaches, weight gain, etc), is stevia. The taste isn't as good, but it's good enough for my 2 cups of coffee a day.
u/ColinHenrichon
Personally if I have the option, I prefer to use Stevia as a sweetener, so I can’t offer too much input. I am curious to see how it goes!
u/aerodeck
Yeah, I no longer had a terrible taste in my mouth.
u/McStormy76
Had pretty significant bladder issues with artificial sweeteners. When I quit using them, problems disappeared.
u/catsmom63
My major stomach problems stopped.
u/teamobliterator
I use Splenda in my coffee everyday and find it actually helps suppress my cravings for sweets.
u/Unspoken_Unknown
Yes, I have noticed a difference. I used to drink sodas and zero calorie energy drinks around lunch and all afternoon I experienced trouble focusing. It felt like I was mentally detached. I was finally able to connect that it was caused by the sweeteners in the drinks. I stopped having them and haven't had that issue since.
u/lobitamina
Somehow I got into a sugar free Red Bull habit, sometimes two a day. I am diagnosed bipolar 2, and looking back now, I would get much more erratic more frequently while drinking that shit. It was like experiencing strong mania in shorter spurts. Woof. Glad I quit that!
u/parsons525
I never liked them. They made me feel gross. I just cut out sugar.
u/papiwablo
I used have mega butt soup and it would make my skins itchy and slight breakouts on my face.
u/RadioUnfriendly
I used to drink Diet Coke with Splenda. I would have this lingering sweetness in my mouth. No problems other than that. Aspartame resulted in morning headaches for me.
u/strudelboom
I cut out diet sodas, I don’t know if it’s the aspartame, acesulfame K or phenylalanine.
It would make me feel weird and I’d get anxiety attacks much easier.
I’ve started drinking black coffee and realised the caffeine has no detrimental effect which I previously thought was the cause.
I seem to get away with having a regular Coca Cola each day too, it doesn’t contain any of the nasties. Just sugar.
u/jvsews
I am allergic to all artificial sweeteners. I just drink way diluted wjuice
u/clovercharms
For my own personal experience, yes.
I used either stevia/erythritol or monk fruit/erythritol blend in my coffee for a while. Every morning my stomach would bother me and I just thought it was anxiety having to drive/make it to work on time (I haaaate driving.) I ended up quitting sweeteners for other reasons (heartburn) and since then, my "anxious stomach" is no more lol.
I didn't want to accept this bc I looovveeee the taste of my monk fruit blend but alas, I feel so much better in the mornings.
u/Ashleydashley
They constipate me. Artificial sweeteners alter the gut microbiota. Immune, metabolic, and neurobehavioral health and the gut microbiome are connected.
u/Pearcey2
I try to avoid sweeteners as much as I can. Once I stopped fizzy drinks and all those unnecessary calories I felt instantly better in general. That’s the best option. If you have too much sugar or sweetener, the best option is to slowly reducing your consumption of it regardless. But keep what I call ‘good’ sugars in your diet (i.e. fruits). Then, eventually you will have less of the known side effects of sugar (obesity etc.) and sweeteners (migraines, fatigue etc.).
Sweeteners are a good way to curb calories and help you reduce your sugar consumption though (e.g. Diet Coke instead of regular coke). Although, once you have done that transition the next best thing is having coke once every other day/ twice a week/ until it’s gone.
I suggest trying to get into fruit or green teas and drinking lots of water. If you eat evenly spaced out healthy meals, you won’t need a sugar fix. It is just a craving, just remember you aren’t actually hungry.
I’m only saying what’s worked for me - I’ve made healthy choices for quite a while now. I’ve never been addicted to sweeteners but I used to have a tiny bit of sugar over my weetabix. Once I replaced that with two sweeteners and I was really ill - just no energy whatsoever for like two days. Now I’d just rather a small handful of raspberries or raisins or banana on top.
Now I have more energy than ever.
u/sadderall123
Thank you! Good information. I do feel a lot better already today with no sweetener and no caffeine, and actually drinking straight up water. I think I will continue to improve over the next month or so.
u/itsmeducksoup
In my experience, I used to use artificial sweeteners in place of sugar because it made me feel less like crap. I normally used monk fruit sugar and sometimes sucralose. After switching from normal cane sugar, I found that I didn't crash as hard and I had a lot more energy, but I still felt a little off.
Using just sucralose really hurt my stomach, and I ended up still having a carb crash afterwards. Monk fruit sugar had less of an effect, but still crash if I ate too much of it. After I removed all of it from my diet for a while, I noticed that my gut wasn't in so much pain, and that I didn't crash after eating. I like the way I feel not having these sweeteners, plus I save quite a bit of money from not having to buy so much.
Though, this could all be due to chance and many other factors could be affecting this such as my diet, exercise, lifestyle changes so YMMV. The hard part was getting rid of those cravings, which lasted for about a month. Afterwards, I didn't really notice the need for sweet things. I found a lot of things to be overly sweet.
A little note about sucralose in particular, a lot of sites say that it doesn't raise blood glucose and has zero calories. Yet they don't talk about how it raises insulin levels in the body as well as decreasing insulin clearance. Since sucralose won't be absorbed into the bloodstream, yet increases insulin levels, you might end up mildly hypoglycemic and more tired than usual especially after intaking high amounts of sucralose. This might be one avenue for you to look into.
Anyways, keep us updated on how you're feeling after cutting OP!
u/sadderall123
Many thanks for the reply and sharing your experience! I really think I was hypoglycemic, maybe even more than mildly so on days where I consumed a lot of sucralose. I almost passed out a couple times yesterday and also had to pee like 15 times (possibly unrelated, seeing the doc soon). I generally have felt crummy most of this year, it took me too long to realize that sweeteners & caffeine could be the big culprit.
Anyways, going to stick with straight up water and see how it goes. I think I will improve quickly, kicking caffeine and artificial sweeteners at the same time. I'm not going to start eating a bunch of sugar or anything, either, of course.
There's also another newer brand I've seen called AHA that has some weird but interesting and refreshing flavors. I also wait for the BOGO specials for the 8-packs.
But again, plain seltzer water has helped me stay off soda for good. 12 months later, and I don't even blink when I see someone else drinking soda or even if its in the fridge etc.
A little note about sucralose in particular, a lot of sites say that it doesn't raise blood glucose and has zero calories. Yet they don't talk about how it raises insulin levels in the body as well as decreasing insulin clearance. Since sucralose won't be absorbed into the bloodstream, yet increases insulin levels, you might end up mildly hypoglycemic and more tired than usual especially after intaking high amounts of sucralose. This might be one avenue for you to look into.
Anyways, keep us updated on how you're feeling after cutting OP!
u/sadderall123
Many thanks for the reply and sharing your experience! I really think I was hypoglycemic, maybe even more than mildly so on days where I consumed a lot of sucralose. I almost passed out a couple times yesterday and also had to pee like 15 times (possibly unrelated, seeing the doc soon). I generally have felt crummy most of this year, it took me too long to realize that sweeteners & caffeine could be the big culprit.
Anyways, going to stick with straight up water and see how it goes. I think I will improve quickly, kicking caffeine and artificial sweeteners at the same time. I'm not going to start eating a bunch of sugar or anything, either, of course.
🔆
leve
u/bonple_boi
best alternatives to soda?
for quite a while now i've been drinking nothing but diet sodas and the occasional coffee, and i recently found out how unhealthy diet soda is and i wanna make a change.
u/highplainsdrifter90
I second this. I had an addiction to diet soda. Bought a soda stream and I have cut my soda addiction by 90 percent or so. Just lemon with carbonated water = game changer.
u/not-a-throwaway212
been 12 months sober from Soda, lol. I gave it up like a year ago and haven't looked back since. I started with Perrier as a solid substitute, but that started getting expensive. Then I found my local supermarket's own brand's plain Seltzer Water (Publix here in Florida) is nearly the same as Perrier and like 1/4th the price. And then when I want to change things up, I love the different flavors from Polar, and usually stock up on the cans or the liter bottles when they're Buy One Get One Free every couple of months. Raspberry and Black Cherry being my favorite.
There's also another newer brand I've seen called AHA that has some weird but interesting and refreshing flavors. I also wait for the BOGO specials for the 8-packs.
But again, plain seltzer water has helped me stay off soda for good. 12 months later, and I don't even blink when I see someone else drinking soda or even if its in the fridge etc.
The fucking nerve of all these companies to claim that aspartame or stevia or sucralose are not artificial sweeteners. Yes, you're technically correct, I don't care - I want lemonade that tastes like lemonade, not arse water, and doesn't make my stomach produce arse water.
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