Sugar is the same, nutritionally, even by any other name

"ShepherdsDog" said
The glycemic index is just as important as the caloric content for diabetics. Fructose, as opposed to sucrose and glucose, also has a more gradual impact on blood sugars. Personally, I use the 'arificial' sweetener sucralose(Splenda) rather than sugar, most of the time but I sometimes add a wee bit of honey for flavour. I can't stand Stevia, as it's way too sweet.

"ShepherdsDog" said
I tried some soda sweetened with stevia a couple years ago....first time I ever dumped a cream soda down the shitter

"ShepherdsDog" said
The glycemic index is just as important as the caloric content for diabetics. Fructose, as opposed to sucrose and glucose, also has a more gradual impact on blood sugars. Personally, I use the 'arificial' sweetener sucralose(Splenda) rather than sugar, most of the time but I sometimes add a wee bit of honey for flavour. I can't stand Stevia, as it's way too sweet.

Fructose is a monosaccharide which is abundant in nature. It is the sweetest naturally occurring carbohydrate. The availability of fructose increased substantially when it became possible in the 1960s to economically produce high fructose syrups from corn starch and other starches. Such high fructose syrups are now used to sweeten soft drinks, fruit drinks, baked goods, jams, syrups and candies. The most recent data available suggest that fructose consumption is increasing worldwide. Fructose presently accounts for about 10% of average total energy intake in the United States. Studies in both healthy and diabetic subjects demonstrated that fructose produced a smaller postprandial rise in plasma glucose and serum insulin than other common carbohydrates. Substitution of dietary fructose for other carbohydrates produced a 13% reduction in mean plasma glucose in a study of type-1 and type-2 diabetic subjects. However, there is concern that fructose may aggravate lipemia, particularly in men. In one study, daylong plasma triglycerides (estimated by determining the area under response curves) in healthy men was 32% greater during a high fructose diet than during a high glucose diet. There is also concern that fructose may be a factor contributing to the growing worldwide prevalence of obesity. Increasing fructose consumption is temporally associated with the increase in obesity. Moreover, on theoretical grounds, dietary fructose might increase energy intake. Fructose stimulates insulin secretion less than does glucose and glucose-containing carbohydrates. Since insulin increases leptin release, lower circulating insulin and leptin after fructose ingestion might inhibit appetite less than consumption of other carbohydrates and lead to increased energy intake. However, there is not yet any convincing experimental evidence that dietary fructose does increase energy intake. Although evidence that fructose has adverse effects is limited, adding fructose in large amounts to the diet may be undesirable, particularly for men. Fructose that occurs naturally in fruits and vegetables is a modest component of energy intake and should not be of concern.

That little yellow packet may not be so innocent. Sucralose—the no-calorie sugar substitute most commonly known by the brand name Splenda—has been found to cause a variety of harmful biological effects in the body, according to a new research review published in the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B: Critical Reviews.

Early research said that sucralose passes through your GI tract undigested, so the theory was that it had little to no effect on you. But new studies show that sucralose is actually metabolized, says study coauthor Susan S. Schiffman, PhD, an adjunct professor at North Carolina State University. Enter a slew of problems, including:

Reduces good gut bacteria: Sucralose alters the amount and quality of those beneficial microbes that hang out in your belly (the same ones found in yogurt) by 50% or more. “Alteration in bacterial counts is associated with weight gain and obesity,” says Dr. Schiffman.

Makes meds less effective: The sugar substitute limits the absorption of therapeutic drugs, such as those for cancer and heart disease, rendering them less effective.

Releases toxins: Many people bake with Splenda to reduce the calories in a recipe, but it decomposes during baking, which releases potentially toxic compounds called chloroproanols.

May alter your body's responses: Sucralose can alter insulin responses and blood sugar levels, has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease, and may even alter genes, the researchers note.

Now, let’s put the research in perspective. It was performed on rats, and rats are obviously not humans. However, the FDA’s approval of how much sucralose can be consumed safely is also based on rat studies, so it’s a fair comparison.

The research also used amounts that are approved for use in food, not megadoses, and some adverse effects were seen at very low levels. For example, says Dr. Schiffman, drinking the equivalent of less than a diet soda a day was found to reduce good gut bacteria, and two diet sodas a day could limit drug absorption. (If you're addicted to your diet fix, these 7 Gross Facts About Diet Soda will make you rethink your habit.)

Other research published in Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism in 2013 found that sugar substitutes are linked to type 2 diabetes, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. So if you want something sweet, your best option is regular sugar in moderation—no more than 100 calories, or six added teaspoons a day, per the American Heart Association’s recommendations.

"andyt" said

There's no free lunch with sugar. splenda is coming under fire now:





Stevia may be a better option. Personally I can't stand the taste of stevia or splenda, so I just use sugar. hasn't killed me yet.