[Photojess]

there are facts in the article from several other sources, but doesn't link specific studies, but for anyone who suffers from depression or other mood disorders, it could be worthwhile investigating, like cutting out all diet or sugar free products with aspartame in them.

here's the interesting part at the very end: "....someone suffering from depression could see an increase in the severity of symptoms, including the feelings of sadness, agitation, restlessness, fatigue, worthlessness, guilt or irritability."

http://blog.foodfacts.com/index.php/...re-depression/

 

[GoGoGoddess]

An interesting idea. I'll experiment by cutting it out for a few weeks (even sugary pop has sweeteners as well) and see if my symptoms improve.

 

[Doktormartini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GoGoGoddess

An interesting idea. I'll experiment by cutting it out for a few weeks (even sugary pop has sweeteners as well) and see if my symptoms improve.

Good luck. That stuff is nasty and should never be consumed.

 

[nomad888]

A "sweet tooth" is like a drug addiction as far as I'm concerned. There really is no healthy way to satisfy it. Sugar is basically poison when consumed in anything but extremely small quantities, and, although the the evidence in regards to artificial sweeteners is far from conclusive, since they provide absolutely no nutritional benefit whatsoever, the risk is much greater than the reward

 

[AlainWinthrope]

I don't even like the taste of aspartame and there was that study a while back connecting it with cancer.

As for sugar, it's fine as far as I'm concerned, just don't eat a lot of it. There's no reason to call it a poison, just seems childish.

 

[IamJen]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomad888

A "sweet tooth" is like a drug addiction as far as I'm concerned. There really is no healthy way to satisfy it. Sugar is basically poison when consumed in anything but extremely small quantities, and, although the the evidence in regards to artificial sweeteners is far from conclusive, since they provide absolutely no nutritional benefit whatsoever, the risk is much greater than the reward

How do you feel that sugar is basically poison?

Mostly curious, as I've seen this sort of statement made frequently, but I don't see it well-supported much of the time. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a whole other (largely unknown) area, imo, but I'm not yet convinced that simple sugars (honey, cane/beet sugar, agave, etc.) are as evil as they're being made out to be.

 

[nomad888]

Fair enough, eat as much of it as you want

But for every study linking artificial sweeteners to a health hazard, there are 10 linking sugar, corn syrup, and other non-artificial sweeteners to a health hazard, which is why I consider it to be a poison. I still consume sweets on occasion, and I prefer sugar more on principal than because I believe it is healthier than artificial sweeteners (I do consider artificial sweeteners to be unhealthy, just not more so than sugar by comparison), but the days of a desert with every meal are long gone and I am much healthier as a result.

I am not fond of modern nutritional science, which is more accurately a half century of flawed science. What interests me more is endocrinology, and the problems that excessive insulin in the system, caused now days primarily by our vastly increased consumption of sugar and it's cousins (hfcs), are responsible for. Based on my research, and I say that as a complete nerd who does a LOT of reading, I firmly believe that sweets are the single largest health threat to the world today, and that is far from an exaggeration.

 

[Limes]

I've never liked soda for the most part, but my husband goes through at least 1L of diet pop a day. I've started buying him orange juice as a substitute, but I'm wondering if this isn't that great either? I buy 100% OJ, no sugar added, organic if they have it. He won't drink water unless there's nothing else

I figure a sugary drink is still better than an artificial one.

 

[IamJen]

Heh. A varied diet is clearly the best option, but it's just that I see words like "toxic" "poison" or "evil" attached to sugar (not hfcs), and I'm not really getting where that comes from.

 

[nomad888]

To me a varied diet means plenty of healthy fats, plenty of healthy proteins, and plenty of healthy carbohydrates. The main difference between me and what seems to be half the population is that I do not consider sugar to be a healthy carbohydrate. Like alcohol, I suppose, many people can form a healthy relationship with it nonetheless. Some, however, become addicted. I agree that in moderation, it won't hurt you. In excess, however, nonstop consumption of foods containing high amounts of fructose (deserts, sodas, etc.) is absolutely devastating towards health, much more so than meat in my opinion, yet we all seem to agree that cutting that out completely, as opposed to eating it in moderation, was the right decision.

 

[nomad888]

Also, though I definitely have huge ethical problems with hfcs, it is not nutritionally much different than sugar, or even it's undeservedly more reputable cousins, like agave nectar or honey. It's all the same stuff, some are just more environmentally friendly than others.

 

[AlainWinthrope]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Limes

I've never liked soda for the most part, but my husband goes through at least 1L of diet pop a day. I've started buying him orange juice as a substitute, but I'm wondering if this isn't that great either? I buy 100% OJ, no sugar added, organic if they have it. He won't drink water unless there's nothing else

I figure a sugary drink is still better than an artificial one.

that's pretty disgusting. I can't even finish a soda can without getting a little queasy. I love some ice cold cola on occasion and find it incredibly refreshing, but a half can is all I need. Ice cold water is the way to go (I'm drinking like four quarts a day atm), everything else should be an exception.

 

[nomad888]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlainWinthrope

Ice cold water is the way to go (I'm drinking like four quarts a day atm), everything else should be an exception.

I can never understand people that don't like water. For me, when I'm thirsty, nothing else will do

 

[GoGoGoddess]

There is a thread about sugar set up for those who weant to talk about that. This isn't the place.

Would anyone else like to talk about aspartame and depression?

 

[IamJen]

I didn't mean to hijack the thread, but a little wandering is part of the normal course of conversation.

Aspartame = all sorts of bad, my gut tells me, so glad to see some studies on it's negative effects.

 

[delitebrite]

Yuck! I don't know why anyone would eat it in the first place. It tastes awful, and it's already been proven to significantly increase your risk of cancer.

People should just cut down on sugary things in general, not just replace all their sweets with "healthy" sweets. I have a sweet tooth, but I got hypoglycemia from eating that crap all the time. Had to scale back or give myself diabetes. People should really just care more about their health instead of always trying to take the easy way out....

 

[Doktormartini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamJen

How do you feel that sugar is basically poison?

Mostly curious, as I've seen this sort of statement made frequently, but I don't see it well-supported much of the time. Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are a whole other (largely unknown) area, imo, but I'm not yet convinced that simple sugars (honey, cane/beet sugar, agave, etc.) are as evil as they're being made out to be.

I'd consider agave nectar close to a poison since it's a highly concentrated source of fructose (like high fructose corn syrup) and studies have shown negative effects with high fructose consumption.

My view is to get sugars from natural sources as much as possible. If you want to sweeten foods up, use natural whole sweeteners like dates or something. You can make your own 'syrup' with them by blending them in water. If you're going to consume sugar, might as well get vitamins/minerals with it too.

 

[Doktormartini]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomad888

Also, though I definitely have huge ethical problems with hfcs, it is not nutritionally much different than sugar, or even it's undeservedly more reputable cousins, like agave nectar or honey. It's all the same stuff, some are just more environmentally friendly than others.

It IS different for you body. It tricks you into thinking you aren't as full causing you to eat more. Studies show (in animals

) that it can make you gain weight more than regular sugar.

 

[papayamon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IamJen

I didn't mean to hijack the thread, but a little wandering is part of the normal course of conversation.

Aspartame = all sorts of bad, my gut tells me, so glad to see some studies on it's negative effects.

no kidding. it amazes me that people embrace it and consume items laden with it as basic staples of their diet.

i've taken to letting fruit get very ripe and getting my sweetening from that, though i do confess to the occasional use of stevia. i avoid aspartame like the plague.

 

[Photojess]

I use Stevia on occasion....hardly at all though.