Topic: artificial sweeteners

Diet Soda Makes Us Sad, Diet Fruit Punch Makes Us Sadder

Open happiness? Quite the opposite, perhaps: Artificially-sweetened beverages like Diet Coke and other low-cal sodas may actually be making us depressed.
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Acesulfame K Is Diet Pepsi’s New Sweetener … But What Is It?

The Associated Press reported yesterday that Pepsi is quietly rolling out cans of Diet Pepsi made with a new sweetener, designed to increase the cola’s shelf life and “fresh” taste. The AP article assures us that the new sweetener won’t change the old Diet Pepsi flavor — but it says nothing about the safety of acesulfame or any potential health concerns. More »

Johnson & Johnson Sued, Because Duh: Splenda Doesn’t Cause Weight Loss

Artificial sweeteners are bad for you. This is not news. But companies just keep on touting the (nonexistent) health benefits of articicial sweeteners, trying to convince consumers that not only are they better than sugar, but that they’re actually good for you. The latest culprit? Johnson & Johnson, who are now being sued for claims that Splenda Essentials can help people lose weight and live healthier lives.
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Future Diet Foods Will Let You Eat Massive Portions, But Is That A Good Thing?

Filed under the category of This Is Why They Hate Us: The new trend in diet foods, according to the Associated Press, is to make things so ultra-low-cal that dieters can eat a huge portion without worry. Well, worry about breaking their diet, that is: Many low-cal foods achieve their status by loading up on artifical sweetners and other questionable ingredients. More »

Bad News: Olestra Could Make You Fat

Another strike against “diet” foods: Olestra, a fat substitute used in popular snack foods for people on diets, may actually cause weight gain, according to new Purdue University research. More »

Death By Sucralose: I’m Addicted To Artificial Sweeteners

I live, by all intents and purposes, an extremely healthy lifestyle. I exercise daily, I eat only nutritionally-dense, vitamin-rich foods and refrain from junk at all costs. But most of all, I have no vices whatsoever. Swearsies. I have always refrained from drinking, smoking, doing drugs, eating meat, having dairy, and drinking coffee. Ask anyone.

That is, until last year, when that final vice – the delicious caffeinated brown beverages of the Colombian variety – finally popped my vice-cherry (so to speak). So naturally, I sweetened the coffee with the artificial varieties available at the cafés.

And now I’m addicted.

And what’s worse, I know this stuff is killing me. More »

Research Links Diet Sodas to Stroke

We’ve long been leery of all the chemicals, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners used to jack up drinkers of diet sodas, and a new study indicating that drinking diet soft drinks may increase risk for stroke only makes us more worried about the mysterious effects of those calorie-free cans. Researchers tracked the habits and health of about 2,500 adults in Manhattan over a nearly 10-year period, and found that those who drank diet sodas daily had about a 48% higher risk of stroke or heart attack than subjects who drank no soft drinks at all. More »

True or False: Artificial Sweeteners Are Harmful to Your Health

A reader named Christi sent me the following thought-provoking question about this recent Blisstree post: 10 Foods You Think Are Healthy and Nutritious But Aren’t:

I read your post about several foods that we commonly mistake for being healthy. I saw the image of the fat-free, sugar-free pudding and read the description. I understand that this food probably has little to no nutritional value, but I’m curious why you think sugar substitutes are unhealthy? I’ve always tried to stay away from sugar substitutes, and also do without sugar when possible. (I stopped putting sugar in my coffee a few years ago.) But I never really understood why it would be unhealthy to have sugar substitutes.

Great question, Christi. When I was studying for my R.D. exam many moons ago, I memorized a lot of information and random facts – much of which I’ve since forgotten. But one of the things I retained is the knowledge of an eating disorder known as pica. Those who suffer from pica eat non-food substances such as dirt, soap, or chalk; it’s quite serious. I’ve always likened eating fake foods such as sweeteners (saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose), with “no nutritional value” to this disorder. So if we don’t suffer from pica, what’s the appeal of food impersonators? More »