Artificial Sweeteners are a controversial topic in the dieting/Keto/Fasting communities. Some people say not to use sweeteners at all. Others say that they are OK. Those who say that you can use artificial sweeteners usually have some sweeteners that they say are good, and others that you should avoid.
It is both confusing and conflicting to hear all of the different bits of advice. Some people, in fact, are very militant on this topic.
For most of my life, I have avoided sugar and used some type of artificial sweetener. This goes way back to when I was a child. When I was a child we used saccharin, but then there were all kinds of studies that said it caused cancer. I think that has since been disproven or at least put into doubt, but saccharin is rare now, from what I can tell. After the saccharin went away, I used various other sweeteners. Nutrasweet. Equal. Splenda. Others that I can’t even remember.
I should clarify a bit. Until recently, I did not avoid all types of sugar. No, if I was eating or drinking something that I had to add a sweetener I usually added an artificial sweetener. But, things that I would buy that has sugar in them, well, I guess I had no problem with that! Kind of stupid thinking, but I think that is common among people.
In the past 7 to 10 years or so, I have been using Sucralose. Sucralose is the same as Splenda, but it is much sweeter than Splenda (600 times as sweet). Although Sucrolose comes in powder form, because of the extreme sweetness it is common to mix it with water to the point where you add it in “drop” form. You mix it to where 1 drop is equal in sweetness to one teaspoon of sugar, or one packet of Splenda.
At first, I would purchase Sucralose already in liquid form. Later, I decided to start buying the powder and mixing it myself. When comparing already liquid Sucrolose with Splenda, the cost savings are enormous. Then, if you buy Sucralose powder and mix it with water yourself, the savings compared to already liquid Sucralose is again significant.
Over my years of using Sucralose, though, I have found that the amount I use keeps increasing. Maybe in the past, I added two drops to my cup of coffee.. then I would start adding 3 drops, 4 drops, etc. It was not that I was wanting it sweeter, it got to the point where 2 drops were no longer sweet to me. I can’t be sure, but I feel that my body or my taste buds had grown accustomed to the Sucralose and it took more and more for it to taste sweet to me. Kind of like if you are using drugs… you have to use more and more over time in order to get the same effect.
After I started doing fasting, a lot of changes were happening to my body. I could see and feel my body changing. One thing I noticed is that I am using less and less sweetener! Now, I use about half of what I used a few months back! In fact, if I used 8 drops of sweetener 6 months ago, it did not even taste sweet. Now, if I use 4 drops, it is too sweet and I need to cut back more! This is a wonderful change that I am very happy about.
I have even been considering cutting all artificial sweetener from my diet. I think it will be difficult for me to do, though. I admit that I have a bit of a sweet tooth, so I think this could be a difficult thing for me to accomplish. I should be happy, I guess, that I have been able to drastically reduce my use of sweeteners. For now, I think I will be happy, but I also feel like I am moving toward eliminating it altogether! We shall see!
Scott Day
Bob have you tried Stevia? It is all natural and has no calories. I personally tried it and found the after taste to be kind of earthy. So if I do use it it’s in something like coffee. They have over the past couple of years started to refine it and the earthy taste is not so bad now.
Bob Martin
Hi Scott, I find it very difficult to find Stevia here in the Philippines. I I have tried it once or twice, and felt it was okay. I actually have some Stevia coming in a shipment from the United States, I should have it in about 3 or 4 weeks I’d say.
Mumay Develos Torres
Hi Bob there are lots of Stevia at Rustans or Robinsons
Bob Martin
Hi Mumay. There is no Rustans in Davao. We gave Robinson I will have to look there.
Tripack Jenny
Hey Bob Martin, Amazon is your best friend 😉 https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stevia+seeds
Bob Martin
I do know how to order on Amazon. But as I said in the article I don’t need any Stevia. So why would I order it?
Edward Velarde
You guys should know. The person that discovered the 500 times sweeter than sugar was making rat poisoning. The element used is a deadly poison. It is in such a small amount in sweetners, like 500 times less, you don’t notice the effect.. But it is accumulating in your system. You will eventually get the side effects. Sugar is better for you in small amounts like fruits unless you are diabetic. Get off the candy’s and deserts.
Scott Day
Edward if you use toothpaste you brush your teeth with rat poison. Flouride is used as rat poison. Sweetenersâ like Splenda are made from sugar alcohol. Stevia is a natural sweetener but has no calories. Sacrarin got a bad wrap because they were feeding the rats the equivalent of 50 pounds of it a day. That’s a lot of sweetener. Equal is the sweetener that I would steer clear of as when it breaks down in the body is makes Formaldehyde. I personally don’t use artificial sweeteners and stay away from sugar (diabetic), I however would use stevia.
Mumay Develos Torres
Hi, is powdered Stevia ok? It is what I am using for my coffee.
Scott Day
I would think so.
Edward Velarde
Scott, I read up on Stevia and you are right. I would use it if i could find it in the Philippines where I live. Thanks Ed.
Jim
I switched to Stevia recently for my coffee, not quite yet used to the change in taste.
Bob
I have some Stevia drops coming which should arrive here soon, Jim. I will be trying it again and see how it is in coffee. 🙂
Dogglast Mather
Stevia plant is a genus of 240 various species of herbs and shrubs belonging to the sunflower family (Asteraceae), and is found naturally growing in sub-tropical and tropical areas in Latin america
Dogglast Mather
Yes, stevia is a plant from the earth, but in order for the sugar substitute to survive on the grocery store shelf or in your pantry, many companies include additional ingredients. A packet of Truvia, a popular stevia brand, contains erythritol, a sugar alcohol, and ânatural flavorsâ, along with the stevia leaf extract. Pyure, another stevia product, contains dextrose, a starch-derived glucose which is often extracted from corn, wheat or rice.