The FastDay Forum

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early ... 2826.short

A nice summary here: http://www.weightymatters.ca/2014/07/no ... e-you.html

Thanks for posting this.

My guess is that the association between artificial sweeteners and high BMI is easily explained by the fact that people who need to lose weight are more likely to use artificial sweeteners. This is so obvious as to require no explanation, but I never expect the people publishing nutritional research to grasp even the most obvious of concepts.

Good to hear, I've always felt that was the case. I worry more about the long term effects of the chemicals. I currently use Stevia. I do drink some diet soda and I'm going to try to give that up, just because it just doesn't have any nutritional value!

Not surprised by the results. Makes perfect sense.

I did a review of over 300 research papers a year ago on Aspartame, found about 75 human trials, 20 or so that measured weight loss or gain. Out of those 20, only 1 found any weight gain and even that was questionable. All others found either weight loss or no change. Not surprised if all other LCS performed similarly.

As for the dangers, no study found direct relationship between aspartame (and in some cases, any artificial sweetener) and health issues in the general public. The only connections I found were the possibility of worsening the condition of those suffering from regular migraines, depression or epilepsy. That's basically saying that the dangers are no more pronounced than having allergies, which exist with almost any substance. Nobody is campaigning to ban nuts, even though it's the most common allergen on the planet.

One study was about cancer rates, but the results were confusing and inconsistent. Worth to research further, but nothing to panic about.


My conclusion is, that artificial sweeteners are a perfectly suitable alternative to high calorie substances and are quite useful in limiting sugar and calorie consumption. If anyone experiences negative side-effects, they should just stop using them. No need to campaign for dangers at this point when the evidence is overwhelmingly backing their safety and effectiveness.

@cblasz,

Stevia tastes so nasty to me, I can't use it. Re its effect on health: There was a guy posting on one of the diet newsgroups years ago who kept insisting that it caused men's sex organs to shrivel up. He was possibly a nutter, but his claim has always stuck in my mind. Fortunately, that isn't anything you have to worry about.

Really, it tastes fine to me! I went from equal to splenda to stevia! I get it granulated in packets, so I don't know if that makes much of a difference. It is supposed to be the most natural of all of them. I really don't use that much of any of them anyway. I think about trying to have my tea/iced tea without sweetener. I probably could do it, but right now I just don't want to! Especially hot tea!

The taste of Stevia is a genetic thing having to do with your taste buds. It tastes good to some people, but others find it bitter. I'm in the latter group. There are other foods some people can eat, like turnips, that taste awful to me, too.

I had hoped to like the taste of stevia since it is more natural but I can't stand it

I also don't get on with stevia. I try to stick to sucralose ( eg splenda). It has the same chemical formula as sucrose with an added chlorine atom which apparently makes it much sweeter and means we can't metabolise it so also pretty 'natural'