To not understand why tons of people believe artificial sweeteners are more harmful than sugar?

[HavelockVetinari]

There is no scientific evidence to back up the various claims that it's addictive, carcinogenic...etc. Yet I'm always reading posts on social media that disparage sugar-free drinks as dangerous and harmful to health, without a shred of evidence being offered.

I do understand that some people dislike the taste (so-called 'supertasters' apparently experienced a bitter aftertaste) but that doesn't make it harmful!

I am not a 'super-taster' but can tell right away if a drink has sweeteners in it - YEUCH! I know this as I thought I was going mad when I tasted my 'usual' diluting juice and questioned it on the first mouthful. Upon checking the empty bottle discarded they day before, I was right - they had replaced some of the sugar with sweeteners without telling customers they were doing so. Yes, Morrisons, I'm talking about you.

Tastes absolutely shit, that's all I know. It leaves a horrible chemical taste in your mouth.

BTW, both Sainsbury's and Asda do 'full sugar' diluting juice (Blackcurrant). I prefer the Sainsbury's one.

They tasted awful. As a diabetic, I was forced to eat them because they were in diabetic chocolate, many other diabetic foods and all sorts of other 'healthy option foods', and this was 40 years ago, in the late 70's, also in the 80's and continuing in the 90's.
All my diabetic friends that recent ones aren't that much better.

I suspect that evidence will be released in the next 10 years, that will be compelling. I suspect it's there now, but is being suppressed.

You should take it back, and ask for a refund, Pola. If enough people did that, maybe the sneaky bastards would stop trying to impose them on people by stealth. By all means change the recipe if you really must, but be decent enough to tell people before you fleece them of their hard-earned cash.

Oh and it made me ill. I had terrible stomach ache and diarrhoea when I ate it. Never again, when I stopped eating it.

They don't even taste sweet to me, all I get is a really bitter, metallic chemically taste.

I thought Aspartame was a carcinogen

Why did you think that though? That's sort of the point of the thread

Maybe because of articles like this?

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24436139/

Sweeteners trigger my IBS and taste disgusting. I used to drink huge bottles of strawberry volvic, but since the sugar tax came in there’s barely anything I can have apart from Coca Cola or Waitrose lemonade, unless I want to spend a small fortune on appletiser or bottlegreen drinks.

Another person where it is a migraine trigger. And they are disgusting.

I will drink a 'full fat' coke occasionally and there are a few cordials which are still sweetener free but most soft drinks are now a waste of time for me, I can't believe their sakes haven't suffered as a result.

I resent the change and hate Jamie Oliver fir his whole sugar tax bullshit. I'm not obese or overweight and don't need nannying by the state.

Personally whilst I know sugary drinks are bad for you I'd rather have something natural than a chemical. My choice.

My DC react badly to sweeteners so try not to buy food or drinks with them in. As a youngster DS1 was witnessed having a reaction to Aspartame by a Paediatrician and even the Dr was astounded at the effect it had.

I also think they taste vile; if you gave me a drink with sweetener and one with sugar I could tell you which was which any day of the week. It's probably because we don't eat or drink them that I'm more aware, but even if the DC weren't reactive I wouldn't have them in our diets simply because they're not good for us.

I don't know if they're bad for you but they taste repulsive

Interestingly, OP, your post has given me food for thought, as I was one of the people who swore sweetener was "bad for you" - and yet I cannot find a study that proves that.

However.

They have yet to make a sweetener that tastes good enough to pass as sugar. They're all singularly hideous.

I've been on a diet for the last few years, and find that eating or drinking anything laden with sweetener is far more likely to trip off a binge eating session than eating something with sugar in. Especially diet drinks.

I really think the stuff is the work of the devil and actively avoid it.

@errolthedragon,
Scientific research article by Soffritti et al. (2010) reports that aspartame is a carcinogenic agent in mice.
However, this is one academic research study. I'm sure there are many other studies to support and refute it. And, of course, the various food agencies (EFSA and FSA) have taken the stance that aspartame is safe.
I, personally, don't trust aspartame and prefer to use sugar. I feel, in time, we will learn more about the negative impact of sweeteners.

Lots of search engine hits for a link to glucose intolerance.

Time will tell I suppose.

Well they give me the shits from hell so that's enough reason for me, they don't taste nice either.

This and migraines for me. My GP told me to avoid all articulate sweeteners as they are known to trigger IBS.

A few years ago I couldn’t work out why I was always so ill after nights where I was driving... it was because of the articificial crap in the soft drinks. Now I drink water or fever tree tonic if I’m out and not drinking.

They give me a very dry strange sensation in my mouth that lasts ages, they give me upset stomach and griping pain. Sugar doesn't do that.

Artificial sweeteners make my niece totally hyper. We therefore avoid them.

@AFistfulofDolores1

I've linked to a couple upthread if you're interested.

It tastes like shampoo from the 80s

Gosh. Did you drink a lot of shampoo in the 80s???

agree it tastes vile. I rarely drink any form of juice - diluting or fizzy - because of the taste. And yes, they ruin the taste of a good gin!

A few weeks ago I drank one of Dd's cans of dark fruit cider.
I was shitting liquid not long after and assumed it was the cider as it's not something I usually drink, but then I checked the ingredients and yep, stevia is in it.

All the links and research are all a few years old. NHS has a different outlook

www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/are-sweeteners-safe/

They don't affect me but DH always feels a bit sick if he has a diet tonic or coke.