Guest guest Posted January 7, 2003 Report Share Posted January 7, 2003 On Tuesday, January 7, 2003, at 06:13 AM, wrote: > Not to mention Nutra Sweet has been found to cause brain damage... > (aspartame)I have used this artificial sweetener and get very sick > from it, severe headaches and nausea. If you are a phenyketoneuric you'd die if you ate aspartame. If you're not one -- it's the PKU test they give newborns, where they puncture the heel and take a quick blood test? So you basically know at once and all your life -- if you're not one, then aspartame is safe. HOWEVER -- many have reported reactions such as yours, and my friend Dan actually developed symptoms that resembled petit mal epileptic siezures -- he'd blank out, his eyes would flutter, and he'd tremble for a few seconds, up to half a minute, and have no idea he'd done so. When he stopped Nutra Sweet, he stopped this behavior. > I have Splenda (it does have > an after taste) I use Splenda, and taste no aftertaste. Individual palates have different responses to everything, including different batches of real sugar. > in my house which is made from refined sugar, but has > altered hydrogen so that the body does not use it as it would sugar > and does not store it as fat. It also does not raise blood sugar > levels, so it is safe for diabetics to use. > I have also read that > because sugar is so refined that it is actually missing the nutrients > that our body needs to process it, so ingesting it actually leaches > nutrients from the body just so we can process it(why would Splenda > be different?). This is, from my research, an urban legend or cultural myth. Sugar is an empty calorie, it simply spikes the blood sugar and is burned off as energy or stored as fat. It doesn't leach anything. > The other thing that I have found about sugar > (personally) is that it is addictive. Not chemically or biologically, no. We evolved to prefer sugars because they're rare and precious sources of quick energy, in the wild. That's why we respond so well to them - all mammals do. > That is the true problem that > I have with sugar. As with any addiction, you don't control it, it > controls you. When I have it, I want more of it. Not good. This is psychological, a compulsion. You are right, it is a problem you need to address. > When > you eat sugar, it produces the " happy " chemical in the brain...more > sugar...more happy...LOL! Sugar ingestion doesn't medically produce endorphins in the brain, but if you feel happy from eating it, it's likely a comfort food for you, and is evoking emotional associative responses. This can be devastating for those of us who need to lose weight. > I don't drink or do drugs and I quit > smoking 7 years ago, but I do have a big history of alcoholism and > drug addiction in my family. Alcohol is sugar and some research has > found that certain people are more likely to become alcoholic because > of the way their body processes it. This is quite true, and an interesting observation. Your body apparently behaves with sugar differently from the way others' bodies do. Perhaps in you it DOES release endorphins. If so, very interesting indeed. > I feel that is why I am more > likely to be addicted to sugar. Just like an alcoholic, I need to > stop using it. Thoughts? Avoiding sugar is a matter of life-or-death for me, as I " m diabetic. I use Splenda. However, it's total carbohydrates that count. All carbs go to sugar in the blood. And complex carbohydrates, being harder to digest, go more slowly, so they're much to be preferred. In practical terms, this means don't eat white bread, or more than half a cup of potato, candy, jelly or jam, etc. Those are simple carbs, " starchy " foods, and will spike your blood sugar. Go for the whole grains, and maintain strict portion control. If you want a sweet, have fruit, and again watch the portion control. I'd suggest you avoid sugar, but also pay attention to your total carbohydrate intake. It may be that your body is responding to other things in your diet, too. Not just candy canes and chocolate. > > Laura > " One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. " --A. A. Milne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2003 Report Share Posted January 7, 2003 *****The Stewarts wrote... >>...This is, from my research, an urban legend or cultural myth. Sugar is an empty calorie, it simply spikes the blood sugar and is burned off as energy or stored as fat. It doesn't leach anything.<< Sugar is called empty b/c there are NO vitamins or minerals in it, thus empty of nutrition, well...except for the calories. >>...Sugar ingestion doesn't medically produce endorphins in the brain, but if you feel happy from eating it, it's likely a comfort food for you, and is evoking emotional associative responses. This can be devastating for those of us who need to lose weight.<< Here's another thought. Sugar and chocolate are a common combination in sweets, and chocolate does affect the serotonin level in the brain, and thus mimics the euphoric feelings of being in love. Also, for those who eat when feeling depressed, a friend recently discovered that her level of DHEA was so low as to be unmeaserable. After she began taking a 25mg supplement and was then retested with normal levels, she noticed that her depression was also gone. I can't explain why, but if this sounds like you, please ask your Dr for a blood test. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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