OK, this is going to sound funny, but although I do have Splenda, I use regular sugar in my coffee because the Peke
likes to have a sip or two and artificial sweeteners are bad for dogs.....yeah, I know, coffee isn't great for them either..

That reminds me, Pekemom--Xylitol, which is in most sugar-free gums, is extremely toxic to dogs. Even a stick or two can be fatal. Worth mentioning from time to time.

I seem to be almost a lone holdout among family and friends, but no artificial sweeteners in this house, no diet sodas here. If I'm going to have something sweet, I'd rather it be just a little of the real thing.

That's not to say I don't ever indulge in things not good for me, but I slip on things like French fries, creamy (so high in fat) or salty foods, not sweets.

For the most part I do pretty well eating things natural/real and not artificially processed and just keeping portions small - although I don't fault my neighbor who is diabetic for using splenda and other products in her cooking.

Sugar free gum or candy with sorbitol? I have to send myself outside. Ummmm, can I politely say - GAS????

DH is a diabetic for many years. Real stuff most of the time, except a bit of splenda in the coffee occasionally. He watches carbs also.

Diabetic here, no real sugar for me.

I use honey in my tea, but have some packets of Splenda as a back up. They are pretty old, a box lasts me a loooong time.
Otherwise I bake with real sugar.

Thanks alisande, I know I have some sugarless gum in my purse, I'll be extra careful...

Anything that makes me as sick as artificial sweeteners do, CANNOT be good for anyone.

Funny thing? I just got back from spending the better part of the last week in the hospital--and EVERY sweet thing they served was sweetened artificially. AFter my surgery, when they had me on liquids, there was little I could eat--they brought diet soda, suger-free Jello and sherbet, etc.

Wow--it continually amazes me after all this time how few hospitals have grasped the connection between food and health (or healing). In my experience (my own hospital stays and visiting friends) they serve the most godawful stuff--nothing fresh, mostly starch and grease and sugar (or, as you point out, Azzalea, artificial sweeteners. It's cheap, and it does nothing whatsoever to help people get well. It probably impedes their healing. Unbelievable.

PS: The stellar exception was Florida Hospital in Orlando, which at time my dad was there (1989) was run by the 7th Day Adventists, who are vegetarian. The medical care was outstanding, and the food wonderful.

I used artificial sweeteners for years and drank diet drinks (Crystal Lite, diet soda, etc). I rolled my eyes at people who warned against using Splenda, Sweet-n-Low, etc.

Fast forward to a few years ago. I was having a lot of stomach problems (more than usual since I've always had a bit of IBS). I had a constant tightness and paining around my stomach. Not bloating, but I couldn't take any pressure against my stomach, when I sat down I had to unbutton my pants even though they were not tight. I was also having cramps and diarrhea off and on. This went on for over a year.

I went to the doctor and had a ton of tests done (colonoscopy - since my mother died of colon cancer - barium tests, stool samples taken, ultrasounds, blood tests, etc.). Everything came back normal, there was nothing wrong with me. But the discomfort remained.

Then I went on vacation for a week and the pain disappeared! I tried to figure out what I was eating or not eating differently. I narrowed it down to Crystal Lite which has artificial sweeteners. I completely cut it out and stopped using splenda in my coffee. Since then I have not had any of the same tightness or pains in my stomach.

It's really amazing that I had those pains for over a year and simply by cutting out artificial sweeteners the pain went away immediately.

I will never use artificial sweeteners again.

Good for you for discovering this, Casey! Others might not have put that particular two-and-two together. Too bad your doctors didn't . . . what a shame you had to go through all those tests.

Thanks for sharing your story!

In summer I drink a lot of iced tea. Because I can easily drink two quarts a day, I used Equal instead of sugar as that's about 3/4 cup of sugar for me. Then one day last summer, the grocery I shop at stopped carrying bulk Equal so I switched to Hermesetas bulk sweetener. After a couple of months I realised that the almost constant diarrhoea I was experiencing started at about the same time as I switched to the Hermesetas. I stopped drinking iced tea and lo and behold, I also stopped dashing to the loo all the time. The major difference I see in the two is that the Hermesetas has "fructofibres" which may be the cause of the intestinal distress.
This summer the store has started carrying the Equal so I'm back on iced tea with no issues.

20 years ago I started suffering horrible headaches. Doctors could not figure out why, so I decided to eliminate foods from my diet and then re-introduce them a week or two later. Within a few days of stopping all foods and drinks with artificial sweeteners, my headaches disappeared. When I reintroduced, the headaches returned. Since then I only use real sugar.

Just recently I was using a toothpaste that contained Xylitol and within 2 days began getting tiny blisters on my lips and mouth.

There is something wrong with about everything it seems. Sugar caused problems for some folks so saccharin was developed, that caused cancer in rats so aspartame was developed. About a thousand new issues are blamed on the aspartame, so the door opened for sucralose. Some are sensitive to it, (and I hate the side effects to our environment) so now we have Stevia.....when do you think they might find problems with it? Or have they? I grow it every summer and brew it with our tea. I didn't like the taste of it but have gotten used to it. I have to limit my sugar.

All in all, nature is the best producer of things going into our body.

I hate the taste of artificial sdweeteners. I don't know why, they initially taste fine but the next day I have a chemical after taste. I use only regular cane sugar (white or brown) and honey. I don't even chew sugar-free gum. I figure the calories in sugar are the price we pay for its taste. So I don't go overboard.

Wow, Casey, my dd has had problems like you described for a few years now. We always chock it up to a stomach bug or something she ate. She doesn't drink soft drinks anymore but puts artificial sweeteners in her coffee or unsweet tea when restaurants don't serve sweet tea.

Artificial sweeteners can give me bladder irritation and a minor version of what Casey described.

I use sugar, agave nectar or honey. I don't chew a lot of gum, but I buy the sugared kind when I do.

(We have some stevia in the cupboard, which should be okay, but I haven't gotten used to the taste.)

Petaloid, did you read what the article has to say about agave nectar? I threw out all the agave nectar in my pantry last year after reading up on it. My local health food store sells it, but posts a warning about it. I don't understand why they don't just stop selling it.

No, I didn't read it before, but now that I do I see the warnings about agave nectar. Surprising.

Although I usually use sugar I do have Splenda as I said in
an earlier post. I also bought Truvia awhile back, it was
supposed to be even better, well, I don't know if I used too
much or what, but it gave me the "scoots" and I quit using it....

I just noticed in that article "Bad Guy #4: Sugar. You just can't win.

Sugar (white and brown) ... honey (that I seldom use for beverage or porridge) about all that's in my house. (There's chocolate, too).

Oh, yeah - except for some Splenda and Equal ... left over from Aunt Phyllis' days - she was substantially diabetic. Died a couple of years before Uncle Stuart ... and I ran back and forth for about a year, making the place look "lived in" ...

... and then the new owner offered to rent the house to me.

When March comes up ... it's time to re-negotiate the rent ... for the sixth time: I accepted his offer when I moved in. Actually ... I've accepted it without quibble, every time since as well: he's a nice guy.

Doesn't seem possible that it was ten years since Auntie died.

ole joyful