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Here's to Your Health:  Splenda and Nutrasweet  |
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The Pinup Cowgirl
Farmgirl in Training
36 Posts
Holly
Tacoma
WA
USA
36 Posts |
 Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 12:37:54 PM
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Hello y'all,
I was reading one post about trying to lose weight, and one lady wrote to use Splenda. I have recently researched the topic, and found out that nutrasweet/splenda have shown some scary results in early tests. There aren't many results from human studies, since it is a relatively new product. I talked about this with one lady, and she said that the reason she tried to get off of it (she was a diet pop addict), was because she found out that to make the 'sugar' have less calories, is they take off a sucrose compound and add three chlorine ions. That does mean chlorine, like you put in the pool to disinfect it. Pretty scary. Her testimony was that she felt her mind sharpen incredible once she was off of it. It was like a veil was lifted off of her face, she said.
Anyways, here are some links to the studies I read. I hope this helps anyone interested!
http://www.mercola.com/2000/dec/3/sucralose_dangers.htm
I hope the link works!!
"We can do no great things; only small things with great love."
-Mother Teresa |
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Lacy
True Blue Farmgirl
114 Posts
Lacy
Dallas
Texas
114 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 1:12:35 PM
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This has been my problem... I use a lot of splenda because I have a history of diabetes in my family and I'm trying to be consciencous. Also, I like to make diabetic-friendly sweets for family get-togethers, and have been under the impression that Splenda was the "best of the bad" if you will (as far as artificial sweeteners are concerned). Do you have any other suggestions?
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Clare
True Blue Farmgirl
2173 Posts
NC WA State
USA
2173 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 1:22:04 PM
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Try Sweetleaf (brand) Stevia. It is an extract from the stevia herb leaf. The flavor is intense, so just a dab offers alot of sweetness. Zero calories, zero carbohydrates, zero gylcemic index, and zero chemicals, which adds up to win/win/win/win in my book!  
**** Love is the great work - though every heart is first an apprentice. - Hafiz
Set a high value on spontaneous kindness. - Samuel Johnson****
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mdotterer
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Marlene
Pleasant Hill
CA
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 2:16:05 PM
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In the spirit of "if you can't think of anything good to say..." I've been trying to stay out of this topic. But, wow - artificial sweeteners give me the creeps! I won't let them anywhere near me. If I have to have sweet, I use sugar and I try (despite my sweet tooth) to keep it to a minimum. BUT - I don't have diabetes. So, I don't feel I can tell someone who does that they should cut back on sweet stuff and use sugar rarely. For all I know, even a little bit of sugar will set off an insulin reaction.
Can someone tell me how this works for diabetics? Is sugar in any form bad for you? What about fruit? I'm thinking it would be okay to sweeten cakes or cookies, etc., with apples, for instance. But, maybe you can't do that, either. And, I'm sure that honey, maple syrup, and other things are just sugar in another guise.
Marlene |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 5:26:06 PM
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I attended a lecture at the university a while back on the foods we feed ourselves. When asked what one food or additive he would eliminate from our diets if he could, his answer was artificial sweeteners...particularly for young folks. He claimed that teenagers who drink one soft drink per day with artificial sweetener are showing signs of nerve damage. I'll stick with my sugar...remember sacharin?
Marlene...any ingested sugar in any form including fructose from fruit, requires insulin to stabilize blood sugar levels.
Clare's suggestion of stevia is a good one and I have used it myself, although I haven't learned yet how to bake with it as sugar supplies "bulk" to baking ingredients.
Diane
Live a good and honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time. |
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potterygirl
Farmgirl in Training
14 Posts
Tracy
Ironton
Missouri
USA
14 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 5:47:31 PM
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Ladies...Ladies.....I am one who has brought up Splenda. In the last two years I have been cooking for my boss who is now 72 years of age with diabeties and also HAS MAJOR kidney problems. I have been to doctor after doctor and dietition month after month with him. The only thing that seems to keep his sugar levels down is Splenda. (which he takes his blood sugar test two times a day..) Yes, everything seems to have SOMETHING wrong with it now days.... I do have an herb garden that does for the first year have Stevia..but, I have not figured, nor had the time to figure out how to bake with it...?! MAYBE, I NEED HELP!!!???
I LOVE FOOD.... OF ANY KIND, FAST FOOD, DESSERTS, SNACKS WHETHER I AM HUNGRY OR NOT... BUT, I have been put in this situation, like it or not, to help my boss in living with his kidney/diabetic diet. Talk about mind ..... ?! Sometime's I have know idea what to do!
As far as carrots, banana's, grapes..... they all have sugar! OR, something.
My diet came about when I had to start cooking for him!?
SPLENDA?...WELL, is it good or is it not... I don't know??? HELP ME to cook with the right thing!
.........What is right and what is not? |
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Sep 19 2005 : 8:26:22 PM
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I don't use any artificial sweetner at all..just hate the taste and am scared of the stuff. I tried stevia once and it had a weird after taste. Luckily I am not a big sweet eater, but husband sure is. My kids are not allowed much sweets at all but they have real sugar or honey if they do have something sweet. It must be so hard to know what to do if you must use an artifical sweetner..sounds like stevia is the best choice..but there must be different types..the stuff I tasted was yucky..very strange tasting. I hope someone has a good answer for you..I feel for ya.
Jenny in Utah
The best things in life arn't things |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 05:45:39 AM
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| I will say one thing: just because something has an element in it that looks scary doesn't mean that in the compound form that the thing is dangerous. After all, pure sodium (Na2) will explode and burst into flames if it comes in contact with water, and yet sodium ions are necessary to our bodies' functioning. And what's the other atom that's part of a salt molecule? That's right, Chlorine, just like what you put in your pool. We ingest chlorine every day. |
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BlueEggBabe
True Blue Farmgirl
417 Posts
Susan
PA
417 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 09:10:40 AM
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An interesting article entitled
The Dangers of Chlorine and Issues With Sucralose (Splenda)http://www.mercola.com/2001/jun/23/chlorine.htm
"If more of us valued good food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 10:07:50 AM
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I'm sorry, ladies, but the more I read from this Dr. Mercola's website, the more he looks like a quack, and the more his research seems spurious. For instance, his comment that chlorine doesn't occur naturally doesn't make sense. First of all, Splenda doesn't contain chlorine gas, it contains chlorine ions. Chlorine ions are found in table salt as well.
On another part of his webpage here http://www.mercola.com//forms/salt.htm he advocates for the use of pure sodium chloride and against other ions like fluoride and iodide. This is the same chloride ion that he claims is unhealthy in another part of his site.
Furthermore, he advocates taking at least 3 tablespoons of coconut oil a day. That's 56 grams of fat, 60% of which is saturated, which is in excess of the USDA recommendations for saturated fat. |
Edited by - ivmeer on Sep 20 2005 10:21:48 AM |
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mdotterer
True Blue Farmgirl
78 Posts
Marlene
Pleasant Hill
CA
USA
78 Posts |
Posted - Sep 20 2005 : 10:36:55 AM
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You know, it's really a case of moderation and using reason. For instance, Tracy's boss probably doesn't have a lot of choice about what he eats. Even normally healthy foods that are high in sugar (e.g., carrots, grapes, etc.,) cannot be in his diet. I don't know what he uses splenda for, but if other options are not good, then he's using the lesser evil.
I do think that if someone wants to lose weight or improve eating habits, then the thing to do is reduce the amount of sweets you eat, not just replace everything with an artificial sweetener. It's sort of along the same lines as the French women or lifestyle way of eating - eat what you want, but eat in moderation. So if you want chocolate or cheese or something sweet, eat the very best and most flavorful you can afford, use "real" ingredients, and only eat a little bit. It will taste better and you'll be more satisfied. And, in the long run, you'll ingest fewer calories and fat grams. If someone has to deal with diabetes or other sugar-related diseases, then they may need to use an artificial sweetener on those rare occasions they have something sweet. The idea is to use it rarely, just like everyone else should be using sugar rarely.
I would encourage anyone who drinks sodas or any of the myriad kinds of "drinks" on the market, to try to kick that habit. Put them down and get some water. Put a slice of lemon or orange in the water, some ice cubes if you like it cold, and try really hard to develop a taste for that. This eliminates a big chunk of sugar from your diet, and if you drink the "diet" kind, it eliminates the artificial sweeteners and any possible problems from those. And, don't forget about all the artificial "flavors" and "colors"! Eliminating these can only be good for us!
Marlene |
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Mari-dahlia
True Blue Farmgirl
269 Posts
Marianne
Hoosick Falls
New York
USA
269 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 06:20:41 AM
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Beware of Doctors who post on the internet!!! There is much medical research on the internet that is not real sometimes the Doctors aren't real and sometimes they have lost their licenses in their own states and this is how they now do business.
My husband is a physician who does alot of research in his field and you will never see his research on the internet unless it is within a real professional site like the american medical association or some other professional society that Doctors subscribe to or even a news agency but never a doctors site on it's own. |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 08:34:46 AM
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| Marianne, thank you so much for this information. Like I said before, I really hate to see nice people get fooled. |
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sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Sep 21 2005 : 09:04:19 AM
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I just don't eat anything that is artifical. I think I'd go with Calres idea. Stevia had been used for hundreds of years by people in South America, with not ill effects. It is VERy sweet and it does not effect insulin or sugar levels, it's always recommended for hypogycemics and diabetics. This is what I would do, of cousre research the heck out of it first.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com www.sisterhood.sqrlbee.com
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ladybugsmom6
True Blue Farmgirl
128 Posts
Tami
Horicon
WI
USA
128 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2005 : 08:49:56 AM
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girls all refined sugars are terribly hard for the adreanal system to process. even common wite sugar in poison in my system. i have learned that all things natural are something recognizable by our body and there fore useable. carrots, apples, all raw fresh fruits and veggies are great especially for diebetics, watch out for simple not sweet made for you things like bread, fullof added sugar. i make my bread with honey. i have been unable to find, or learn to use stevia, but that is good. splenda is sugar broken down again, fine for the taste buds, bad for the blood. If you are cooking for a diebetic start with raw fresh foods, use sweet as little as posible, spagetti does not need sugar! and use honey and whole grains in those just gotta have deserts! i love apple pie! so i start with a good sweet apple. like braeburn, add honey cinnamon cloves nutmeg and alspice. it is so wonderful. http://www.naturalpathcenter.com/tek9.asp this is my natural paths website, you might find it helpful.
-Tami
livin' right and loven' life! |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Oct 29 2005 : 8:02:31 PM
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I was given a handful of the Splenda packets from my parents (Sams Club purchase) and I was using it for a while and it tasted fine to me. Then I thought I was using it too much and went back to my trusted Stevia and have been using it exclusively for a couple months. The other day I used one of the Splenda packets and had to through my tea out, it was horrible. I personally think that out of all the artificial sweeteners, Stevia is the best then Splenda. I certainly understand if there is a concern for diabetes but I personally still use white sugar or honey in all my baking, but for tea and other beverages I use Stevia. No more Splenda for me  |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 05:17:27 AM
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I have a couple books on stevia,a cookbook and one about the plant.
STEVIA REBAUDIANA by David Richard
STEVIA SWEET RECIPES by Jeffrey Goettemoeller
The taste is a little different,but I'm ok with it, one thing to remember is the different forms of stevia are different strengths
Example...
approx 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of Stevia EXTRACT Powder = 1 cup sugar
3-4 teaspoons of Green Stevia Powder = 1 cup of sugar
Here's a couple recipes from the recipe book...
Oatmeal Banana Bread
2-1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup currants
1/2 cup of chopped dates
3/4 cup of water
1 cup mashed bananas (about 3)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Butter and flour a 9 x 5 inch bread pan
Stir together flour, stevia, baking powder,soda, and salt.
Add oats currants and dates, then stir briefly. Set aside.
In a medium bowl mix water, bananas, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and stir just to combine. Turn into prepared loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees in a pre-heated oven for 55 to 60 minutes.
Cool a few minutes in a pan then remove to a rack.
Variation:Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg.
TOMATO KETCHUP Yields 1 pint ketchup
2-3/4 cups home canned tomato puree or 2 cans (10-3/4 oz) plain tomato puree
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspon garlic powder
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
Homemaid tomato puree needs to be as thick as store-bought applesauce.
If yours is too thin simer over low heat to reduce before measuring.
Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir over moderate heat a few minutes until mixture bubbles up. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid in a tilted position, allowing steam to escape.
Continue to cook and stir occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes or to thicken as desired.
Pour into pint jar and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate,
Use within 2 weeks. Ketchup may also be frozen.
Hope this gives some ideas!
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 07:35:43 AM
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| Hey thanks for those recipes Karen!! I'm going to try the Oatmeal Banana bread for sure. I have a question for you or anyone else that bakes with Stevia, how does it work with yeast recipes? I mean will the yeast eat it or does it need real sugar? |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 08:02:49 AM
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Kristi, I don't think you need to feel guilty about using white sugar. People think white sugar is bleached the way flour is, but it's not. The molasses is removed, so if you want the molasses taste, you can use brown sugar where the molasses has been added back in, but if not, it's no big deal.
The problem is when you eat lots of processed sweets with high fructose corn syrup (not the same as the Karo you have at home). that's dangerous stuff. |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Oct 30 2005 : 1:47:42 PM
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Kristi,
I don't think Stevia will feed yeast.In the following recipe it looks like apple juice is what feeds the yeast.
Here's a bread recipe from the recipe book...
GOURMET WHEAT AND RYE BREAD yields 2 loaves
1/2 cup rye flour
5-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon Stevia Extract Powder
2 packets dry yeast
2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons natural apple juice
3 Tablespoons butter
2-1/2 cups very hot water (not boiling)
more wheat flour for kneading
vegetable oil
In a large mixing bowl combine rye flour, 1-1/2 cups wheat flour, stevia yeast, and salt. Stir well. Add juice and butter then pour water over all. Water should be just hot enough to melt most of butter. Using an electric mixer on medium, beat for 2 minutes. Add 1 more cup of flour and beat on high for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Using a wooden spoon, stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn out on a floured surface and knead about 10 minutes or until smooth.
Cover dough with plastic wrap and set aside 15 minutes. Punch down and then form 2 loaves. Place in bread pans prepared with vegetable oil. Liberally oil the tops of the loaves. Cover with waxed paper. Place on a cookie sheet and cover all with a clean towel. Refrigerate 5 to 20 hours.
To bake, uncover and set aside 10 minutes. Place oven rack in a position about 1/3 of the way above the base. Bake loaves in a preheated oven at 350 degrees from 45 to 50 minutes. The bread is done when it sounds hollow if tapped on the underside. Place on a rack to cool.
Enjoy,
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 06:57:40 AM
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Yeah, your probably right Amanda but it seems like we eat soooo much of it so it's got to be bad . I need to discipline myself and not make cookies, brownies, pies, etc. Oh but they're too good!!! 
Karen I didn't think Stevia would feed yeast but just double checking since you have a book. Thanks for the recipe, I'll have to try it. Do they have just a white bread recipe in your book? My DH doesn't like rye but I do, I think your recipe sounds delicious!!! |
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KarenP
True Blue Farmgirl
666 Posts
Karen
Chippewa Falls
Wisconsin
USA
666 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 3:14:45 PM
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Kristi,
I checked and my recipe books don't have a white bread recipe with Stevia, but I will check around.
KarenP
"Purest Spring Water in the World" |
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RachelLeigh
True Blue Farmgirl
635 Posts
Rachel
Rainier
WA
USA
635 Posts |
Posted - Oct 31 2005 : 3:18:45 PM
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I studied to be a chef at a major culinary school in this country and they absolutely preached against the use of artificial sweetners in anything we cooked. They said that the bad effects of these sweetners had yet to be studied and it jus wasn't worth the health risk. Even though I'm not a chef (found out the chef life wasn't for me) I still, to this day, avoid artificial sweetners. I won't buy yogurt with aspertame or drink diet drinks. I have been unimpressed with the taste of Splenda and others. Unless you are a diabetic and can't use sugar, I think it is safest, and healthiest, to stick with the real stuff!
http://countrydreamer.blogspot.com/
Colliehaven's Farmgirls - southern IN chapter |
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lonestargal
True Blue Farmgirl
607 Posts
Kristi
Texas
607 Posts |
Posted - Nov 01 2005 : 06:27:34 AM
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Thanks Karen for checking. Looks like quite a few of us still use white sugar so I'm not going to worry about it. Everything in moderation I guess. I just need to cut WAY back on my baking!!!
Rachel--how lucky of you to attend culinary school. I would LOVE to go. I'm obsessed with the Foodnetwork just to watch them cook and learn different techniques. I think it is so neat and interesting. I've found out quite a few things that I was doing wrong. I can't stand the taste of Splenda either. The only one I've found that I like is Stevia. |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Nov 02 2005 : 07:26:05 AM
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Kristi, I agree with you about the brownies and cookies. Both that they're sooooo good and that we should limit ourselves (please refer to weight loss thread. I'm in California now, but when I return to Chicago on Thursday, the diet is back in full force).
I just think that people who substitute honey or brown sugar or molasses or turbinado and think they're somehow doing something healthier for themselves than eating regular refined sugar that they use in their kitchen (white cane/beet sugar and/or Karo-type corn syrup, not HFCS, which is only in lab stuff) then they're kidding themselves. With the exception of HFCS, sugar is sugar, and it tastes great, and we all need to have will power against it, even "healthy" sugars like turbinado or honey. These might add a more complex flavor to cooking, but they're still sugar.
Karen, that oatmeal banana bread sounds incredible. I might make it with real sugar, but I'm going to try it. My husband will love it. |
Edited by - ivmeer on Nov 02 2005 07:29:25 AM |
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greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Nov 03 2005 : 04:51:40 AM
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Splenda came up in this week's Newsweek... yes it is chemically derived from chlorine.
I avoid the artificial sweeteners, but I didn't know some yogurt had aspertame in it! That stuff is linked to all kinds of cancers, MS, etc.
I think I'll look for that Stevia cookbook! I've wanted to grow Stevia for a while anyway, so maybe this Spring I'll play around with it. :) |
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Here's to Your Health: Splenda and Nutrasweet |
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Splenda and Nutrasweet
