Which sweetener is your favorite?

4-10-2006 @12:02PM Valerie said... SPLENDA IS VERY UNHEALTHY and should be avoided at all costs ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ALLERGIC IT SHELLFISH (IODINE). Splenda (which is the brand name for sucralose) is made with Chlorine, a toxic substance. For those suffering with "throat problems", you may be experiencing an allergic reaction causing your esophagus to swell, a very dangerous condition. I know, because it nearly killed me. You must check for the inclusion of SUCRALOSE in many food products; it is not always apparent or listed as Splenda.
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4-10-2006 @12:05PM Tracy said... I love Splenda instead of sugar. I have used it for over 2 yrs now in everything from cooking with it to even baking my desserts with it. I haven't found any difference in it. The only thing that I have found that I didn't like it in was the new Diet Coke (too sweet).
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4-10-2006 @12:08PM ECG said... ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL!!! Go to your healthfood store or search online for Agave Nectar. It's very sweet -- 35% sweeter than sugar -- with no aftertaste. It is also low glycemic and okay for diabetics. Cost effective because you use less. I wish I knew about this years ago instead of ingesting those awful chemicals. The one I get is Sweet Cactus Farms. It's organic. I paid $5.59 for 8 oz. worth every penny.



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4-10-2006 @12:16PM Joe said... I prefer honey as a sweetener for taste. Also, unlike the empty calories of sugar it has nutritional benefits. When I do not want the extra calories I turn to Splenda, or I use a mix of honey and Splenda. I stay away from sorbitol or any of the sugar alcohols. They reek havic with your digestive system and even carry a warning label. I read labels very carefully because even sugar-free products that advertise sweetened with Splenda may have sugar alcohols.
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4-10-2006 @12:17PM barbara mclemore said... I have tried Stevia. I hated it, and it is not cheap. I found it had a licorice after taste. I use Suzanne Somer's Somersweet. I don't care for the other two most popular sweetners.
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4-10-2006 @12:18PM Greg said... I use Whey Low, It is the answer to having sugar with out the same effect. check it out Wheylow.com
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4-10-2006 @12:31PM annie said... love my pink sugar....sweet & low for me.
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4-10-2006 @12:35PM Greg RPh said... Equal or Splenda for me. SweetNLow has an aftertaste. Sugar is calories (trying to lose weight). Re: Equal-it is a protein. It was discovered by serendipity in a lab. The researcher was working with amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. He happened to taste what he was working with, after all, it was food, not harmful and it tasted sweet, unusual for a protein compound. So he investigated and discovered Equal. Because proteins surround viruses, many of us react to them. I believe that is why some of us react to Equal. If you have ever eaten chicken and bananas, (well no, not together) then you have eaten the amino acids that make up Equal. Not much of a "chemical"! Anyway, we do vary widely in our taste preferences for sweeteners.
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4-10-2006 @12:38PM Al Nelson said... My favorite is a new substitute called Shugr, unforunately it is still very high priced and not readily available. I've had to go to Nutrition stores to obtain it. I hope that their price comes down
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4-10-2006 @12:40PM John said... Hemlock & arsenic are natural but that doesn't mean they're good for you. Anyone know the source of that quote that referred to processed sugar as "the white death"? While don't think there's any harm in moderate sugar consumption, my dentist recommends Splenda. As for taste, I find Aspartame/Nutrasweet equal (no pun intended) or in some foods and beverages superior in taste, but more than light consumption of Nutrasweet causes very unwanted side effects for me personally. I'll take sugar or Splenda over problems with bladder control, thank you~
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4-10-2006 @12:44PM Joan Eckard said... In candy or gum, I don't mind any of the artificial sweetners, but I can't stand most of them in drinks.

To me, Splenda tastes horrible! I'd much rather have water with a little fruit taste but no sweetner at all than any of the artificial sweetners.

I haven't tried stevia yet, so I can't give an opinion on that one.
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4-10-2006 @12:47PM Debbie said... Nutra Sweet for me...am diabetic, and found with splenda I need just a bit more, doesn't quite fix that sweet feeling for me.
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4-10-2006 @12:52PM patty said... I prefer equal but my sister claims it stays in your body for years. Is this true?
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4-10-2006 @12:54PM Amanda said... I love sugar, but when my doctor put me on a diet to help control my high blood pressure, I had to find a calorie free artificial sweetner. I have tried everything that I can get my hands on. Splenda tastes alright, but it foams up on me, the only foamy drink I can handle is coke. Sweet n low is just too bitter. I prefer equal.
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4-10-2006 @12:56PM Lesley said... If sugar's not available, I'd most likely just go without.

I was a kid when aspartame came on the market. My mom and all the moms in the neighborhood started serving Crystal Light. It seemed too good to be true - no sugar for the kids, and a drink perfect for the moms wanting to watch their weight. After a few weeks of drinking it, I became very, very sick. I had absolutely no appetite, was losing weight everyday, and had an array of other odd problems...my mom thought I was dying because every day I continued to waste away. Finally after realizing the Crystal Light was the only thing new in my diet, and tons of tests, my Dr. found out that the aspartame killed all the flora (good bacteria) in my intestines. It took months of treatment, but I eventually got on my feet again. After contacting FDA, an investigator from Washington D.C. was sent out to look over the case. Of course, nothing ever came of it, and I've stayed away from all artificial sweeteners since.

I know my case is unique. I have family members who are diabetic and hypoglycemic who use artificial sweeteners with no problems. For most people, I'm sure that in moderation, they're OK. I do think people should remember that these products can, and in some cases do, have serious side effects.

If sugar wasn't an option for me, I think I might try stevia.

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4-10-2006 @12:57PM Aimee said... I prefer Splenda. I actually bought Stevia but I haven't tried it yet. I love Diet Dr. Pepper and use sugar-free Coffeemate in my coffee. (I have one cup of coffee each day and maybe 1 or 2 Diet Dr. Peppers a week.) I really have cut back on sugar. I grew up putting 3 teapoons of sugar in my Cherrios and have the fillings to prove it. Luckly I am not a diabetic or overweight. I do believe moderation is the key and too much of anything is not good.
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4-10-2006 @1:12PM cee cee maki said... Artificial Sweeteners are for artificial people. Unless you are diabetic and are restricted, the caloric content of one or two spoonsful of real honest to goodness sugar in your coffee or tea etc. is negligible, and is a lot less harmful than the chemicals found in the artificial sweeteners. Read the research!
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4-10-2006 @1:18PM Sharon said... How come nobody has mentioned Suzanne Somers sugar substitute "Somersweet"? It has no refined sugar in it and you can use it like sugar in everything, even baking. There are 0 calories and the ingredients are as follows: Oligofructose, Inulin, Fructose, Sprouted Mung Bean Extract and Acesulfame K. Try it, you'll like it. Available thru HSN.
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4-10-2006 @1:22PM Denise said... Splenda is a sugar molecule with part of the molecule Removed. Nothing is added. Equal, by contrast, has a Warning on the box that people with Kidney Disease should NOT use aspertaime. I felt bad that Suzanne Somers "Somersweet" was not listed. It doesn't dissolve easily BUT it is a bulking agent which HAPPENS TO BE SWEET, NOT truly an artificial sweetener. Expensive, unfortunately, but worth it. By the way, I've been insulin-dependent for 45 years and have tried EVERY artificial sweetener on the market. I'm also 5'5" tall and weigh 112 lbs. Artificial sweeteners work -- it's all about the amout of calories consumed. I drink A LOT of green tea, flavored with Somersweet.
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