Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

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

295 replies

HavelockVetinari · 29/05/2019 19:03

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!

OP posts:
Passthecherrycoke · 29/05/2019 20:50

What about stevia then e1y1? A natural sweetener? What’s your issue with that?

Passthecherrycoke · 29/05/2019 20:52

BeckyAnnLeeman But this is something everyone finds vile all of a sudden- diet drinks have been around and popular forever. Why all of a sudden are they so awful to so many people? It’s all a bit band wagon-y

e1y1 · 29/05/2019 20:53

And what I also find interesting is, whilst most manufacturers/products have done a formula change and made the sugar version non existent,

Coca Cola (who got severely burned from a formula change in 1985) and of course the worlds biggest brand, has not made one change to their original formula due to ST - they just reduced portion sizes/charged more and pushed their zero version more, but kept their original available.

So it does affect taste of products.

Wallywobbles · 29/05/2019 20:54

I think they are a pretty typical IBS trigger. I've discovered my favorite drink in Spain is now undrinkable. Very disappointing. I barely touch sugar so it's not preferring loads of sugar. I've always been able to taste them and just don't like them.

Is stevia used in much? How is that for IBS?

LonelyTiredandLow · 29/05/2019 20:54

wonder if people who think it tastes vile are just used to incredibly sugary things? so I am assuming you can't taste the chemical taste or the dry throat effect after anything with sweetners in?

I don't drink coke and am not a huge fan of sweets either. However sweetners are stronger than sugar to start but the taste is completely different to me. A mix of nail varnish, celery and shoe polish (but worse!). The dry mouth afterwards, which then means you have water which just reignites the taste means it can literally be in your mouth for hours!

RedToothBrush · 29/05/2019 20:54

I started to get night terrors every so often. Not just a nightmare, but super vivid dreams. On one occasion I physically attacked DH in my sleep thinking he was a burglar. The worst attack was whilst staying in a dorm in a hostel abroad. I was fortunate as 3 of the people in the room had become close friends who I trusted and I woken them, screaming because I thought someone was trying to attack me. And even then I took some talking down.

It was horrendous.

DH was the one who eventually found out what it was, as he was none too impressed at being punched whilst I was asleep. I wasn't even aware of it, but he did a blind test on me to see what happened.

It's just not worth me having anything with aspartame in, if there's a chance of that happening. It's easily avoided. I prefer drinks with sugar in, but I'm OK with other sweeteners so I just stick to those if I have to.

The thing is that it's a case of that haven't proved there's a problem but they have proved there isn't one either; and there is awareness that there is a group who are more sensitive to aspartame than the general population. It isn't a stretch to suggest that's realistic since we know people are allergic to all kinds of things.

They know it has some sort of affect on the brain.

I just happen to have a particularly acute reaction to aspartame. And given its happened when I've not even been aware that someone was testing the theory, I'm going to continue to avoid it and not give it to my son.

Passthecherrycoke · 29/05/2019 20:55

Stevia is in sprite. And you can get a stevia Version of Coke & Pepsi. You can also buy it to add yourself to stuff. It’s exempt from sugar tax

Freyasmum1 · 29/05/2019 20:55

I don't think they are more harmful than sugar.
But they taste rank.

Believe me me and my fat arse and amalgam filling mouth wish it was not so

SuperLoudPoppingAction · 29/05/2019 20:55

I've been complaining about them since 2000 when I had schweppes lemonade and had a really painful reaction which I was not expecting.

And no I'm not obsessed with sugary drinks.
I drink water.
I drink herbal tea with no sugar.
I drink those infusion things to flavor cold water.

Why are folk so dismissive of people who don't like sweeteners?

Stevia tastes odd and cloying to me but I don't think it has made me ill.

High fructose corn syrup burns the back of my throat a bit but likewise hasn't given me a sore tummy.

Tolleshunt · 29/05/2019 20:55

That's very poor customer service, Pola.

BeckyAnnLeeman · 29/05/2019 20:55

Diet drinks have been around forever and people who like them have always drunk them but people who don't like sweeteners and managed to avoid them without much effort are now finding that their favourite soft drink now has sweeteners too.

It's not bandwagony, people genuinely think they taste like shit. And the taste is my main issue, not some alleged medical side effects. (Aside from turning my shit to liquid. That was very very real.)

Celebelly · 29/05/2019 20:57

They taste like shit, make me thirsty and my mouth dry. That's enough for me to say no thanks. I can instantly tell when something has artificial sweeteners as it makes my mouth and throat feel horrible. I'm glad other people find this too! DP doesn't understand as he drinks stuff made with artificial sweeteners fine.

Tolleshunt · 29/05/2019 20:57

Stevia tastes really bitter though, Passthecherrycoke, it's just unpleasant.

Passthecherrycoke · 29/05/2019 20:57

so I am assuming you can't taste the chemical taste or the dry throat effect after anything with sweetners in

Like most people, when i drink coke I drink diet, and have been brought up on no added sugar squash. I have never met anyone who would’ve given their children sugar added squash, and I personally have found full fat coke drinkers to have always been in the minority.

It’s hardly a new thing, AS have been around 50 years and are some of the most researched substances there are

e1y1 · 29/05/2019 20:57

passmethecherrycoke (love the name - my favourite drink),

I suppose stevia is better than aspartame, saccharine etc, but in the main way sweeteners affect me (soft drinks) you'd be hard pushed to find a drink that uses stevia, I know coke did for a while but it didn't last.

Of course when it comes to adding sweetness, I could choose stevia vs others, but I don't add sweetness to anything that I can think off, it's just already in the products I buy (and chosen by said manufacturer as to which sweetener)

HariboLectar · 29/05/2019 20:58

Aspartame gives me insomnia, sugar doesn't have that effect on me. I'll stick to sugar thank you.

RosemaryRemember · 29/05/2019 20:58

Sweeteners are now hard to avoid. They are in the non-diet drinks.

That's the change.

BeckyAnnLeeman · 29/05/2019 20:59

If you're looking for a laxative these are just the ticket. I think Xylitol is the magic ingredient.

To not understand why tons of people believe artificial sweeteners are more harmful than sugar?
Gingerkittykat · 29/05/2019 21:01

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/artificial-sweeteners-linked-diabetes-obesity-health-a8319291.html

Possible link between sweeteners, diabetes and obesity.

I hate sweeteners, and instantly taste them, they are hidden in all kinds of food now (last place I found them was some prawn cocktail crisps from Aldi that I thought tasted funny)

I do think they can't be good for us and much prefer real sugar in moderation.

I'm pro vaccination btw!

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 29/05/2019 21:01

I think the sweeteners taste sweeter and more sickly than sugar - and I dislike the chemical aftertaste.

I haven’t tried Stevia yet, either as a replacement for sugar at home (not that I use much sugar anyway) or in drinks - I have IBS and colitis and am reluctant to risk causing them to flare up.

And I know this is going to sound mad, but sugar tastes a different shape to artificial sweeteners - sugar tastes rounder, whilst the artificial sweeteners are flatter and thinner.

Tolleshunt · 29/05/2019 21:01

Why are folk so dismissive of people who don't like sweeteners?

Ah, Superloud, this is a typical MN trope, you see it on here time after time, it boils down to 'it doesn't happen to me, therefore it can't happen to anyone else, they must be lying or thick'.

There are a fair few on here without the imagination, or life experience, perhaps, to understand that we're not all the same.

Celebelly · 29/05/2019 21:01

And yes, the issue is that because of sugar tax, sweeteners are now in a lot of drinks they weren't before as the manufacturers want to keep their profits up. I think Coke is one of the only ones who still do a sweetener-free version. Even Irn Bru got destroyed :(

e1y1 · 29/05/2019 21:04

Yes Xylitol is the best laxative you can buy, upshot is its really good for preventing dental decay (hence why it's in a lot of chewing gums apparently). It is LETHAL to dogs, in the states where xylitol is used more than here, there is constant advice on what you give your dog in case it contains it (eg peanut butters etc).

Yinyen · 29/05/2019 21:05

Dare you to give them to my DS1 and look after him for the day. Honestly may as well give him speed. The fun we had when we discovered Ribena had gone sugar free without us realising was a day to remember.

BeckyAnnLeeman · 29/05/2019 21:05

You have to be careful buying Coke because one of their sugar free versions looks very similar to the good old sugary version.