Which is 'worse' for you; Sugar or sweetners?

[PlayingHouse]

I'm doing Slimming world where I could swap my sugar for sweetners (in my tea) and be better off.

But are sweetners worse than sugar?

Unsure what to do?

I think sweeteners are not great for us and probably have a lot to answer for in terms of encouraging overeating. Sugar obviously had more calories though.

Try Stevia, that one is one of the few sweeteners that is less manufactured - it's actually comes from a plant

Go cold turkey and do without either. It might take a week or two but once you are used to drinking hot drinks without sugar you will find that when someone does add sugar to a hot drink you won't enjoy it.

I know because I used to take sugar in hot drinks and now I can't bear sugar in tea or coffee.

It depends on the sweetener.

Agree with the poster above though, try cold turkey.

Sweeteners seem to be very big in slimming world, a lot of their recipes contain them. I'd be tempted to try and cut down on sugar where possible.

I've cut to 1/2 a tsp but really can't do any less

Yep, cut it out completely. Your teeth and your waistline will thank you.

If you don't like tea without sweeteners/sugar, how about trying other drinks that you may like unsweetened? Herbal tea for example.

It is perfectly possible to do Slimming World without using artificial sweeteners - I just leave it out of their savoury food recipes and don't bother with the recipes for puddings that contain loads of it.

Stevia is more natural (compared to aspartame) and therefore better for you compared to that.

I don't know much about it but I read somewhere that at least with sugar your body reacts in the right way, whereas with an artificial sweetener it doesn't really know what to do, hence how it makes some people over eat etc.

Have you tried any fruit teas? I'm not a fan of most but love green tea with cranberry as it comes and I have a massive sweet tooth!

Sweeteners by a million miles. Gross! I don't know how anyone needs to go off sugar or replace it in any case. What do people put all this sugar in or on? If you avoid processed food its not something you come across much. Can't think where I would be eating much sugar. (I make my own bread and don't really eat cereal and am not big on sweets so that saves a lot of the sneaky sugar I guess).

Sorry, I should have said the reason I hate sweeteners is that they are horrible, sneaky, lying little bastards. Companies stuff them into otherwise healthy food so that they can label things in a way that sells (sugar free etc.). Its total bullshit. I also have a sneaking suspicion that they are not actually any sort of food source at all, just a bunch of shitty chemicals but I don't have proof of that as have never really checked.

If you have to have sugar then use the real thing.

Sweeteners are literally Devils food. Look up the effects of Aspartame which is the most common one used. It causes so many health problems it's ridiculous. Better to have sugar than that shite.

Unrefined sugar all the way here too! I don't use sweeteners, v dodgy some are banned in some countries while ok in others - I think it was aspartame??? Best just to steer clear...

I am following SW guidelines and bought stevia. It's ok, I use a tiny amount in peppermint tea etc.

I don't like sweeteners at all. We dont eat processed food very often and if I eat something like a veg lasagna in a pub I find the sweet taste gross and that it leaves some sort of aftertaste
Yucky
Though I never enjoy a cup of tea like I used to when I took 1 tsp of sugar; I can't drink it now but I loved my cuppa so much!

"Sweeteners are literally Devils food. Look up the effects of Aspartame which is the most common one used. It causes so many health problems it's ridiculous. Better to have sugar than that shite."

Thank you! Now, can you please tell my sister?!
Every time she comes to my house she asks for a sweetner in her tea. I tell her EVERY TIME that I don't buy that shit! She always acts like I have majorly inconvenienced her by not buying sweetness because the 15 extra calories (or whatever) that sugar has is going to ruin her diet.

Tell your sister pickle that it causes:
Multiple Sclerosis
Migraines
Cancer
Motor Nuerone
Tinnitus
All things Neurological

There's 92 side effects of using that shite some of which are deadly diseases. I'd tell her to stick her sweetners and go for nothing at all. Diet coke is the absolute worse for aspartame so if you're going to drink it opt for Coke Zero or the full fat stuff as either one of those is better for you!

I would much rather eat sugar than artificial sweeteners, not only do they taste awful but they are very bad for you. Same as I won't touch margarine, give me real butter any day!

sweetners are pure chemical. I quit normal cola over 2 years ago but had one average size bottle the other week. Had nothing but stomach pain for 5 days after it. I used to get it al the time then I cut the cola....

Pixiechops have you tried the natural cola I would go with that. it is made with stevia.

No I've never tried natural coke, may give it a whirl as I'm slightly obsessed with the stuff haha. Miraculously though I still have all my teeth. According to the dentist even though I eat and drink a shite load of sugar my teeth are in really good condition- no fillings and I've only had to have one tooth removed but that was because my wisdom tooth couldn't get out and had damaged it in the process