| Saturday, November 05, 2005 |
| Splenda & NutraSweet: trouble in paradise? |
Yesterday while at the laundromat (an adventure in itself; I had to clean stuff too big for our home washer/dryer), I went down the street and indulged in my fave Starbucks beverage: a Java Chip Frappuccino. I got the "light" version because I'm trying to watch my fat and cholesterol. I don't care about calories and carbs, as I'm actually close to being underweight. However, heart disease and cholesterol problems run in my family, so I'm trying to be proactive about that and ward off anything bad that might be waiting to develop in the future.
According to the Starbucks barista, what makes the frapp light is 2 things. First, they use nonfat milk instead of the standard milk, which might be whole milk (*cringe*) or maybe it's lowfat. I was also told the light frapp contains a sugar-Splenda blend, which leads me to think there are 2 different formulas for the chocolate/mocha syrup: one regular and one with the sugar-Splenda blend. (Splenda is the brand name for sucralose, a so-called "sugar derivative.")
Well, let me just say that all afternoon and evening yesterday, I had more GAS than if I'd eaten a BOWL OF BEANS!! :( *blush* And I can't attribute it to having eaten anything different except the light frapp. (And I never have this problem when I drink a non-light frapp).
I already know I have to stay away from things made with NutraSweet (the brand name for aspartame), because not only do I have a problem with gas, but my whole digestive system feels like it's churning and turning. I don't feel sick, but I certainly don't like the feeling of "internal distress" either. That's why if my only drink choices were diet soda or nothing -- I'd drink nothing! *wry smile*
Apparently I must now add Splenda to the stay-away list. I felt confident about Splenda (versus NutraSweet) because in Splenda's advertising it sounds so natural and so similar to sugar. I do not think NutraSweet is as "natural" or a sugar-derivative, is it? At any rate, I don't think I want to risk it again, otherwise I'll have to quarantine myself for half a day afterwards! LOL
Incidentally, I've found a LOT of website references from people who've experienced an amazing number of unpleasant side effects from both aspartame AND sucralose. Gas and bloating were among the most common complaints of all. Some of the less-common ones were downright horrible, including vomiting, seizures, migraines, rashes, etc.! I guess neither of these sweeteners is as "sweet" as they seem.
If anyone else has had any problems from either of these sweeteners, I'd love to hear about it. (I'm extremely curious by nature, first of all. And second, hearing about others' problems will make me feel like less of a freak! *chuckle*)
Today I am feeling  a little yucky. |
posted by ScaryShari @ 8:25 AM   |
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| 1 Comments: |
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Heya, thanks for the feedback! I don't know if I have reactions to sorbitol or not. I've heard of it, and I *have* sampled sugar-free candy, but I don't remember if I had any probs.
I always assumed sugar-free candy was sweetened with either saccharin (the "cancer-in-lab-animals" thing!) or aspartame (Nutrasweet). I don't know much about sorbitol, but I think I'd better avoid it too! Sorry to hear you have such a yucky reaction to such a small amount. :( How natural/unnatural a sweetener is it?
I guess sometimes, despite everyone's hopes, there's no substitute for natural, old-fashioned SUGAR! :)
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 - Name: ScaryShari
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Heya, thanks for the feedback! I don't know if I have reactions to sorbitol or not. I've heard of it, and I *have* sampled sugar-free candy, but I don't remember if I had any probs.
I always assumed sugar-free candy was sweetened with either saccharin (the "cancer-in-lab-animals" thing!) or aspartame (Nutrasweet). I don't know much about sorbitol, but I think I'd better avoid it too! Sorry to hear you have such a yucky reaction to such a small amount. :( How natural/unnatural a sweetener is it?
I guess sometimes, despite everyone's hopes, there's no substitute for natural, old-fashioned SUGAR! :)