Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group

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EPagain 01/27/2009

1.) Splenda - I was speaking with a biochem prof I know. I stood up with him at his wedding and he has been awarded honors from the white house, etc. So he knows his stuff and being a good friend I know he has no bias to tell me anything UNtrue.

We had a conversation the other day on the merit of my MS theory he was intrigued by it. Then he was telling me about the chemical makeup of Splenda. He said "You know now they know nutrasweet causes cancer. I think they will find similar BAD health effects from Spenda in the future." Then he said, "You know the FDA can be given a ...lets say ... very organic compound to pass. Then once they do the company can modify it." Did you know that?

He said that eating this compound (Splenda)is like intaking a small amount of chloroform. He bases this on the molecular formula. He refuses to eat it. Personally, I use honey and brown sugar in most things that require it with some white sugar. He said this is the BEST.

It is harder to stay healthy when we have many compounds allowed in food to stack the deck against us. This includes things like spenda, fat free food that is chucked with sugar, compounds like below and others. Research is very eye opening.

*** Please let me know your thoughts on Splenda, Asparatate(in Diet sodas), MSG's that can mess with hormones, etc.

Best Wishes
EP

deleted_user 01/27/2009

I strongly believe in eating foods that our body would recognize as food...eating it with no or minimal processing. I have also had to change my diet to gluten and dairy-free. Not easy I must admit, but for whatever reason my body now seems to react as if they are toxic. Either my body has become overly sensitized or our food supply has been so overly altered (I didn't always eat so healthy) or a combination of both. I do not eat artificial sweeteners and I try to eat sweets in moderation. It is amazing how your habits can adjust when a person starts eating healthy. I start craving things like fruit and vegetables instead of junk food. Not to say I don't ever lack discipline when it comes to food, but I think eating healthy is critical to feeling as good as possible for anyone, but especially when one has a chronic disease. My mother-in-law was a vibrant, seemintly healthy person. She always was careful about what she ate, but thought that artificial sweeteners were the only way to go. She suddenly was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor and didn't have much time to live. I know this is just a personal experience, but it was enough to get my attention.

deleted_user 01/27/2009

IF YOU MUST USE A SWEETNER IN YOUR FOOD TRY STEVIA OR TRUVIA...BOTH CAN BE FOUND IN MOST MARKETS...THEY ARE NATURAL AND COME FROM A PLANT...THEY MAYBE HAVE ONE CRAB PER SERVING OR A COUPLE OF CALORIES...BUT, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER FOR YOU!
XO, EM

deleted_user 01/27/2009

same here... Stevia comes in powder or liquid and is natural, tastes pretty good too. all of the processed sweetners scare me a little. don't get me wrong, i have had plenty of them in my body in the past.

seems i waited until i have MS to think about a lot of wiser choices...doesn't make much sense does it? lol but i make small attempts.

i drink a lot of tea(decaffinated)with lemon throughout the day...i just don't bother to put any form of sweetner in it.

Summoning 01/27/2009

I drink this stuff called Lipton Green tea mixed berry. This stuff will prob. end up killing me, but it is great tasting. Anyways it is sugar free so there is Asparatate. One would think this drink would be healthy...pictures of colorful berries and green tea. If one reads the fine print youll see there is 0 juice but it has natural flavors, what the frig is that? Anyways all the crap they put in our food and drinks is why america has the most sickest kids, our kids with Autism, ADD, Hyperactivity, metal, emotional problems.
and what is funny (not funny funny) is the govt says it is ok for these companies to do this to us. The FDA knows when ingredients are being modified and they dont care until mass amount of people are getting sick and or die than they will "care"
America is better why? We can carry guns?

lillyrose 01/27/2009

i never use artiificial sweetners because of all rhe research i did personally, although i did many years ago.i also find myself craving more fruits and veggies than junk foods. i also use brown sugar or no sugar,i also very occassionally have foods i shouldn't in moderation.i try not to use many processed foods,but i do in moderation.its made an unrefutable difference and eliminated a lot of my sx.

deleted_user 01/27/2009

Just a sugar girl myself. Don't like the taste of fake sugar. Have to also add that friends who are diabetic really are glad for all the new choices.

Just like all things in life, it's a choice. It's up to each and everyone of us to make the choice, and am glad all the choices are out there. If you don't like something, in your food . . . stay away from it.

deleted_user 01/27/2009

It scares me that so many kids, not fat one, drink diet drinks. A spoonful of sugar is not that many calories, but people ingest artificial sweetener by the ton.

EPagain 01/27/2009

Lily Rose - glad it helped your sx by taking this stuff out
Taking gluten out of hubby's diet + supplements helped improve him too. Ronnie we know we are on the same page.

Lila4now - I believe in choice. However, I believe if things are poisonous they should at least be labeled as such ie cig can cause cancer is on the label.

deleted_user 02/20/2013

i once took a packet of splenda and made a circle of it around an ant and the thing freaked out. I would not cross the circle and was basically stuck inside it until it freaked and ran out. My wife uses her diet code with splenda on the large ant hills and they wind up moving.

lchoppel 02/21/2013

OMG, this is startling. My husband and I use Splenda by the bag full (2 lbs. a week or so). This will make me rethink my means of sweetening my foods from here on out. He is diabetic, and it is the only means he uses to sweeten his food/coffee/drinks. Plus, he drinks diet Pepsi by the case. I will definately share this with him, but I bet his reply with be "You have to die of something!" This is very scary information to me. Especially about the FDA and the ability to modify formulas after approval.

Thanks EP, you always have the most informative posts!

EPagain 02/21/2013

Kenzy~ I use brown sugar, a little white sugar, honey or agava nectar. Stevia is an herb that helps sweeten food and it is the only thing besides the above natural sweeteners in recipes.

jrmitkow ~ Whoa ants love sugar but they move when you pour splenda on their hill. I think that speaks volumes.

lchoppel~ glad you liked the post
-------------------------------------------------------
Here are a few links to some other additives that are not good for you, per the research links which are located in the posts below.

Aspartame = BAD
Aparatame is what is in DIET soda pop and most gum (except Pur and Xylitol gum which we use)
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/loved-ones-who-support-someone-with-ms/discussions/messages/14076827

MSGs = BAD
http://www.dailystrength.org/groups/loved-ones-who-support-someone-with-ms/discussions/messages/14076608

lorrieonline 02/21/2013

Yes, this is right on for me. I have heard all the bad reports of all those artificial sweeteners. when I heard that about Splenda a couple of years ago, I saved my packets and used them to sprinkle around red ant mounds outside.

I use either Stevia (liquid), Truvia or the NDMD at the office I go to recommends xylitol in preference to any of those. The only thing about xylitol is that the body has to get used to it since it can work like a laxative. moderation is key with that too.

Great post, EP!

dcinadr 02/21/2013

Artificial sweeteners are just that... ARTIFICIAL. I am always leery about any food that says it has anything artificial.

That is great info about the splenda. I did not know that. Thanks EP!

I personally like Stevia. It taste good. You don't need much of it to sweeten something up.

When it comes to MSG, I've been trying to stay away from it as much as possible. But I've always found it hard to know exactly when something has MSG and when it doesn't. There are some ingredients that they hide that stuff in. Like any time something says 'natural flavors' it may have MSG and it may not. It's so confusing.

I go by the rule. The smaller the list of ingredients the better.

EPagain 02/21/2013

We use Xylitol gum or Pur gum that has Xylitol (sugar alcohol) in it. This sugar alcohol reduces the bad bacteria in the mouth that causes cavities. ( :

HOWEVER, I do not try to ingest this substitute because if it effects mouth bacteria it could very well effect GI bacteria. If they find it reduces bad bacteria in the gut great but what if it adversely effects the good bacteria? Until more research comes out on this topic I am steering clear of it in food.

oleblue 02/21/2013

I always yell at my wife about the effects of Aspartame because she drinks a 12 pack of Diet Coke a day. Someone sent this link from snopes.com. I've always heard they are reliable but here is the article they sent me and if you do a search on Aspartame on their home page it brings up lots of things. If they are right I'll just forget to tell my wife I was wrong as she could of looked it up herself, besides that is to much pop anyways to drink a day. I don't drink Diet because of all the bad I hear or use any sweetners so I'm still on the fence about which is true
Dave

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

Here is one from CNN Health

http://thechart.blogs.cnn.com/2010/03/18/is-aspartame-safe/

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