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Sugar Substitutes Can Make You Fat

time.com — So what the hell are you suppose to do now, go back to sugar?

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  • iching, on 02/12/2008, -1/+22You intake of sugar can be reduced to get the fix, who would pour 14 table spoons of sugar in their ice tea? You do, if you drink Arizona ice tea and never mind their non sugar free model.

    It is just anything that your body craves without knowing why.
    • blapierre, on 02/12/2008, -9/+2FIXED: Sugar Substitutes Can Make Rats Fat
      • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -1/+9Let's be fair, you wouldn't want to test that stuff on people, would you?
        • Scr4tchFury, on 02/12/2008, -4/+3They don't test it on people, because it's made from people.
        • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -4/+3you wouldn't? It's an artificial sweeter available in the market for years. It hasn't been only tested, it's been consumed for decades.
      • ozydingo, on 02/12/2008, -0/+10The most tenable difference of course is that for people who just want to sweeten their coffee or something similar, there is still a net-difference in calories consumed, and a controlled diet might prevent the resulting overeating that the study reported. However without a controlled diet, it may lead people to consume more just as the study suggests. So I wouldn't knock artificial sweeteners completely based on this study, but it does prompt caution.
    • sierrabrianne, on 02/22/2008, -0/+0yeah, but Arizona tea is like the best ever....
  • MyBookie, on 02/12/2008, -8/+73Try stevia... available in health food stores. No bad effects at all. Plant based sweetener. Used all over the world to sweeten stuff, but not yet approved by the FDA. I guess they are waiting for Donald Rumsfeld's aspartame (Nutrasweet) to make a few more billion dollars before they approve this simple and safe sweetener.
    • 0crabby0, on 02/12/2008, -1/+16I actually grow stevia. Indoors in the winter, and outdoors in the summer.
      http://tinyurl.com/3xcorp
    • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -1/+12Thanks man, I never knew that such a plant even exists.
      • bca102, on 02/12/2008, -6/+11Plant based sweetener? pretty shocking, i wonder what sugar comes from, or even corn syrup...?
        • capiCrimm, on 02/12/2008, -2/+6magic elves in trees?
        • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -1/+11No, I never knew that Stevia existed. As in plant with sweetener leaves. Don't be a smartass.
        • docbob84, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Stevia has zero calories and doesn't have the (possible) side effects of artificial sweeteners. I wonder how many calories sugar has, or even corn syrup...?
      • mateo60, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Sugar requires quite a bit of processing to become what we know as sugar. Corn Syrup requires even more. The Stevia leaf is naturally sweet. No processing whatsoever. I think it tastes damn good too.
      • Ford_Prefect2nd, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Very good in tea, you can get it in a box at the bulk barn for cheapish.
    • poptartrevival, on 02/12/2008, -0/+6You have to be careful with stevia though, too much and it leaves a taste to it, just like everything :) Better than aspartame any day!
      • mateo60, on 02/12/2008, -1/+4It also has lots of fiber. Eat too much at once and it will clean you out.
    • DatDamnCritic, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3Stevia has this aftertaste I don't like too much, but if you use it with tea, it's good. Another healthy option is xylitol.
    • thatsmyaibo, on 02/12/2008, -1/+18Isn't sugar a plant?
      • TheDreadDiggerD, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4You mean sugar cane or sugar beets perhaps?
      • giveer, on 02/12/2008, -1/+5It's the refining of the sugar that boosts it into a yummy tasting acid for the body. It really hinders muscle growth in case you wanted an anecdote for no real reason...
    • courtjester555, on 02/12/2008, -0/+10Apparently, Coke and Cargill (never heard of 'em) are developing stevia under the brand-name Rebiana. They are deriving a sweetener from stevia and hope to convince the FDA to change the regulation.

      In addition, a 2006 study by the WHO (World Health Organization) found no instance of harm due to stevia; in no way is it detrimental to health.

      See the well-sourced Wikipedia article for more info.
    • spyraled, on 02/12/2008, -4/+8Didn't we already learn our lesson of creating "plant-based sugar substitutes" from High Fructose Corn Syrup?
      • mateo60, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4High fructose corn syrup requires lots of processing to manufacture. Stevia leaves are naturally sweet, you can grind the leaf up and it can make something as sweet as sugar. Zero processing. And stevia has zero calories.
        Damn, I sound like an advertisement.
    • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -1/+7According to the logic of this study, stevia would fall prey to the exact same pitfalls as artificial sweeteners.
      • jonnyeh, on 02/12/2008, -1/+5Exactly, this study didn't even look at aspartame. Basically, this 'should' apply to any calorieless sweetner, even if it's 'natural', whatever that means.

        Then again, the headline of the story should read "Sugar Substitutes Can Make RATS Fat". We are currently unsure if this is true in humans.
      • Ellipsys, on 02/12/2008, -1/+3Well, I think there are some unaccounted for issues here - natural sweeteners like stevia (as well as agave nectar, which is low glycemic index and low calorie, but not no-calorie) are completely different chemicals than artificial no-calorie sweeteners like saccharine, aspertame, and sucralose. The metabolism's reaction may be completely different as well. It would be nice repeating the study with each.
    • SPLASTiK, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Stevia was actually originally used to sweeten Vernor's Ginger Ale from 1866 to 1991. They switched in 1991 when the FDA decided to ban stevia.
      • shootsfired, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1beat me to it..This is a popular soft drink in the mid west.
    • johnwp, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2You're missing the point.

      This article is about how your body is both psychologically and physiologically conditioned to respond to caloric intake.
      The title should really read, "Can sugar substitutes (including stevia) make you fat?"
  • whitezombie420, on 02/12/2008, -20/+11i don;t see why anyone thought that sugar substitute would be more healthy anyway. oh yea, most people are mindless sheep that think commercials have to tell the truth.

    sugar is natural, it grows from the earth. how does it make more sense to eat something made in a lab?
    • HystErica79, on 02/12/2008, -1/+20Sugar beets/sugar cane grow from the earth. Evaporated cane juice is natural. Sugar is an unnatural by-product that has been processed and refined and stripped of its nutrients.
      • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Exactly. Sugar is a freakish child of our invention. Natural foods never have as much calories. Even the sweetest fruits and honey aren't the calorie bomb that is sugar.
        I sound like an anorexia patient but I'm not. I don't even eat healthy.
    • mooseontheloose, on 02/12/2008, -5/+15That's the stupidest reasoning I've ever heard

      Only morons fall for that "NATURAL = GOOD FOR YOU" *****. But please, go eat some hemlock (it's natural, so how could you think it'd be better for you than something "processed"?) and off yourself
    • SlvrEagle23, on 02/12/2008, -0/+5I don't drink beverages with sweetener in them because I'm a "mindless sheep" who thinks "commercials have to tell the truth"...I do it because, for me, the idea of cancer when I'm 92 is a little more preferable than diabetes when I'm 32.

      But hey, if you're not in the danger zone for sugar consumption, go for the sugar for all I care...
  • dotlizard, on 02/12/2008, -0/+13i like sugar in coffee and tea, but i prefer diet soft drinks. so i'm screwed either way, i guess ...
    • Hobbes24, on 02/12/2008, -1/+12*chuckles condescendingly*

      thoes sweet snacks are going to be the death of you people.

      *takes another bite of Arby's melt*
    • rolf, on 02/12/2008, -0/+6Start drinking water. It takes a few weeks of withdrawal pains from those soft drinks but its the best thing you can do for your body.
      • Antimatter3009, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Agreed. I used to drink a ton of soda, then I dropped it completely for a few weeks. Now I have one or two a day max and I feel much better.
  • slvrbullet87, on 02/12/2008, -11/+19"So what the hell are you suppose to do now, go back to sugar?"
    Try going to the gym or atleast for a run ever decade or 2.
    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -0/+13Hahahahaha! seriously though, what can we do?
      • aramova, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1*sniff sniff*
        Is that sarcasm I smell?
      • jonnyeh, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3Everything in moderation?

        BTW, one can of soda is about 13 teaspoons of sweet delicious sugar, so it says in my office's kitchen.
    • Bodhinature, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2There's nothing wrong with sugar. The problem is Americans tend to over sweeten things because of how much cheaper it is to use refined sugars and high fructose corn syrup. Then your body becomes accustomed to high glucose intake. Try moderation of sugar and consuming complex high fiber carbohydrates which fill you up.
  • zeropoint51, on 02/12/2008, -3/+30Use sugar and learn to control yourself.
    • matu4251, on 02/12/2008, -0/+5same thing can be said about sweeteners.
    • MateyO, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Use sugar, eat meat, cook with butter. People get fat because they're not feeling _satisfied_. I'm not talking zero carbs, or organic only, I'm just talking the removal of overly processed foods.

      I can eat a full bag of Doritos and not feel full...ever wonder why that is?

      And really, you drink a bunch of soda pop out of habit...or worse. Drink some water...not 8 quarts like thy recommend, just replace half your soda intake with water. That 150 cal Pepsi doesn't stay with you, it just drops off the calories and runs right through your kidneys.

      And would it hurt to take the stairs once in awhile?
  • Richandler, on 02/12/2008, -2/+32Corn Syrup is so horrible for you in the amounts we get in our diets. I personally always look for the Coke from Mexico because they actually use sugar to make it and it comes in the glass bottle.
    • thatsmyaibo, on 02/12/2008, -3/+2Their sugar may be better but their water...yeEEeesh
    • nardo510, on 02/12/2008, -1/+4The coke taste way better also... ha ha..
    • deadsenator, on 02/12/2008, -1/+5HFCS is really only marginally worse for you than sugar. It is more about HFCS being in nearly everything and people consuming it without any thoughts whatsoever. I avoid HFCS whenever possible and substitute a sugar alternative, but I limit myself with how much I intake (most of the time). Manufactured substances should not always replace natural substances.
      • spyraled, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2It's way worse for your liver. The higher fructose levels cause your liver to work a lot more than sugar, which contains more glucose, which can be metabolized by nearly every cell in your body.
      • sporg, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Marginally worse? You are joking right? Dont come crying to me when your liver implodes and the waiting list is ten years long.
      • saska, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2My son can't have HFCS at all. It messes with his insulin response and makes him feel like he's starving even if he just ate a full meal. This leads to him being unable to concentrate, hyperactive, and hypersensitive. Real sugar has none of these effects on him. It is not "marginally worse" for many other people like him. (If I hadn't investigated his reactions to foods independently, he'd probably have been prescribed psychoactive drugs to combat its effect.)

        Plus, while I understand that correlation does not equal causation, the massive spike in cases of adult onset diabetes happened just after the major soft drink companies switched from sugar to HFCS in the 80s.
    • GeeWhiz2000, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1and costs $3.00 a bottle.
    • Inox555, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3Phone your local grocers and convenience stores and tell them you're interested in scoring some "Mexican Coke."
    • SinisterDexter, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Funny... I usually get my coke from Columbia...
  • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -1/+22I actually read some article claiming that statistically, people who drink diet soft drinks are more prone to get fat than people who drink regular soft drinks. But that proves nothing. Correlation doesn't imply causation. People who drink diet soft drinks probably have weight issues to start with and so are more probable to get fat. That doesn't mean that their drinking of soft drinks causes obesity.
    • thatsmyaibo, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4I drink diet soda (by the bucket) because I had high blood sugar. I'm not fat and in fact I play hockey. Diet soda was a good change for someone like me.
      • wisam, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Hence the word "probably". Not all people who drink diet soda are fat.
      • jonnyeh, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Diabetics also can only drink diet soda.
        • adrianmonk, on 02/12/2008, -0/+0Not to harsh on diabetics, but I'd bet you that being diabetic *also* has a positive correlation with being overweight. At least it probably does considering that being overweight is a huge risk factor for becoming diabetic.
    • minigamer1896, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2My father drank about 1-2 cans of soda (aka pop) for ~7 months and gained weight in a high-stress situation. He normally does not have issues with his weight.
    • macjaeh, on 02/12/2008, -0/+6I wrote a research paper in college on the effects of artificial sweeteners on obesity. I used research from a study of thousands of average-weight soda-drinkers over five years. It showed that people who drank diet soda were thirty percent more likely to BECOME obese than those who drank regular soda. It has to do with the chemicals in the sweeteners messing with dopamine receptors in the brain. Some artificial sweeteners can block the feeling of "fullness" you would normally get from foods. They tended to eat more, because they felt less satisfaction from the food they ate.
      • jonnyeh, on 02/12/2008, -2/+3References?
      • Ellipsys, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4I'm afraid I can't reference anything except wikipedia off the top of my head, but I can confirm that even High Fructose Corn Syrup messes with leptin, which does exactly what macjaeh states. I'm not sure if the artificial sweeteners do the same thing, but being that most of them are generally poisons that mess with hormonal and neurological responses (aspertame and sucralose were both created as pesticides), it sounds feasible.
        • RubberMullet, on 02/12/2008, -2/+1Pesticides? You've been reading too much sugar cane lobbyist propaganda.
    • ZenMojo, on 02/12/2008, -1/+2CNN this morning showed a study using rats had the rats gain weight on artificial sweeteners with the same diet.
      They're ***** rats in control conditions, how much more evidence do you need? It's the sweetener.
    • master_of_fm, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1well when i switched from regular soda to diet soda and stopped eating fast food i dropped 60 lbs in about 6 months. I have about another 40 pounds to lose and then I should be at a nice healthy weight, I just need to get off my fat ass and do some exercise.
  • tehpwnerofn00bs, on 02/12/2008, -10/+16You'd be surprised at the number of people that don't know artificial sweeteners are less healthy than sugar. Actually, getting fat is not nearly the worst thing the sweeteners will do to you.
    • mooseontheloose, on 02/12/2008, -12/+16"You'd be surprised at the number of people that don't know artificial sweeteners are less healthy than sugar."

      I'm also surprised at the number of people that post meaningless statements without proof. Like you.
      • tehpwnerofn00bs, on 02/12/2008, -3/+5I'm terribly sorry I didn't look up half a dozen studies for you before posting. I hope you'll forgive me and just look them up yourself.
        • mooseontheloose, on 02/12/2008, -5/+3For every study you can find I can find another showing the exact opposite. Studies (like this one) are mostly *****.
        • Frumbler, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1If you are talking about refined sugar, find me one study not sponsored by the sugar industry and I'll be really impressed.
      • dickenshit, on 02/12/2008, -1/+3I think it should be pretty obvious that something completely unnatural is probably harmful to your body.
    • thatsmyaibo, on 02/12/2008, -4/+10I'm assuming you're on the aspartame/brain tumor bandwagon?
    • Typhoon2009, on 02/12/2008, -2/+4Let's see. I can't say I'll ever fully drop drinking sodas. Who knows, if I go down to 1 or 2 a week I'd be fine with sugar. But right now I can pick between diabetes and being overweight, or I can pick between cancer. Damned if you do, damned if you don't... might as well do the one that isn't PROVEN to cause cancer in humans when taken in SMALL amounts versus the one that will cause diabetes and obesity in excess.
      • jonnyeh, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1What's this 'PROOF' you speak of? It's news to me!
      • TheDreadDiggerD, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2In either case, you shouldn't drink too much of either. Drinking a can a day of either will not make you fat or give you cancer (if it even does).
    • adrianmonk, on 02/12/2008, -3/+0You'd be surprised at the number of people who don't know that 2 + 2 = 7. No wait, neither of us would be surprised, because neither is true!
  • Jcespino, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3Dugg for the subtitle.
  • oep4, on 02/12/2008, -12/+2s'***** like wtf, my mom was like "SPLENDA" and i ate some. and now im like "WTF""""""""""""""". EXPLOSIONS OF THE LARGEST SORT.
  • Poltron, on 02/12/2008, -9/+3doesn't apply to Digg community since we already fat.
  • legoalert33, on 02/12/2008, -0/+10Real sugar can make you fat too.
    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3True, but I don't think that even the sugar industry is pretending that it's good for you
    • Bodhinature, on 02/12/2008, -0/+5Sure, if applied with a shovel.
    • ZenMojo, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3Sugar doesn't make you fat. Too much sugar makes you fat.
      • docbob84, on 02/12/2008, -1/+0Same way too much sugar substitute can make you fat? I'm with the many people above, I'd choose cancer at 90 over diabetes at 40 any day.
    • anononon, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1All food can make you fat if you eat enough of it. *BURP*
  • snuffulupagus, on 02/12/2008, -2/+7Agave nectar FTW. Low glycemic index, vegan, will mix into cold drinks without clumping up...
    • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -1/+2RTFA the problem is the sweet taste with low calories, not that its artificial.
      • snuffulupagus, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1I should have said that in addition to being natural, agave syrup is naturally more sweet than sugar but has the same amount of calories. DTM (do the math). You use less for the same amount of calories. No idea why this is getting dug down when the other option, Stevia, is being dug up like crazy. They're both good options.
        • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1They both would be bad options according to the article.
  • thedarkrabbit, on 02/12/2008, -1/+4SUGAR! FTW!!!!
  • robinthehood, on 02/12/2008, -4/+45years from now people will realize that if you eat a well balanced diet and work out regularily you can eat fat and sugar in your diet and, GASP, it's good for you.

    Oh, wait a minute. People are lazy and stupid. *****. Nevermind.
  • beantime, on 02/12/2008, -2/+8I'll take artificial sweetener over high fructose corn syrup any day. I have made such a concerted effort to avoid it that I can *taste* it, and it instantly makes me nauseous.

    The last few times I drank soda, I felt like I was oozing blech out of my pores. Yes, the physical manifestation of blech.

    And I've dropped 10 pounds since I cut it out of my diet. (A miracle, considering my booze intake, and that I didn't think I had 10 lbs to drop in the first place.)
    • greenlight2001, on 02/12/2008, -10/+2From your description, it sounds like the loss of you dick for a vagina. 10 pounds of swinging meat... it's a shame you had to lose it.
    • minigamer1896, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Try cutting out most highly processed foods out of your diet. ;P
      Normal store-bought carbs (your breads, donuts, bagels, etc), fast food, fruit and soft drinks, etc. taste _HORRIBLE_ to me. It is amazing as to how much chemical intake the US does.
      • JaredXM, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Fruit? As in all fruit of just the kind with fertilizer?
      • adrianmonk, on 02/12/2008, -2/+0Yes, too many chemicals are dangerous. It's especially important to avoid phenylalanine, valine, threonine, tryptophan, isoleucine, methionine, histidine, leucine, and lysine. These chemicals are similar in fundamental ways to aspartame and MSG, which are of course widely believe to have negative health effects.
    • Ellipsys, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Drop both, my friend. Start reading here if you must - HFCS and artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, sacchrine) are all basically poisons. http://www.buildingbodies.ca/Nutrition/aspartame-s ... There's a canadian source - I'm sure I can find a ton of others, but I encourage you to start reading.
  • specialbuddy1, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Nothing new since this has already been proven before. However, any new study to bring this issue up again is well worth it.
  • morningmatters, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Yikes. I read somewhere that saccharin used in artificial sweeteners can cause cancer in lab rats. This article makes me feel like there is no point to use this product at all. At the end of the day, it's probably easier to use real sugar and then exercise afterwards to burn the extra calories.
    • likwidfuzion, on 02/12/2008, -2/+1Or here's an idea: don't use any type of sugar or substitute at all???
  • mooseontheloose, on 02/12/2008, -4/+4There are so many things wrong with the conclusions drawn from this study that I don't know where to begin.

    This is like saying "Warning: Water can kill you!" because you saw somebody drown
    • charliekwalker, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Are you saying water doesn't kill you if you drown? Really? That's news to me.
  • TheSesom, on 02/12/2008, -1/+10Just purge more often.
  • poppacherry, on 02/12/2008, -5/+2Breaking News: AIDS kills people
  • mGARANDEUR1, on 02/12/2008, -3/+14Inaccurate title - it suggests that the sweetener alone makes people fat. Is it the artificial sugar making people fat, or do fat people just eat artificial sugar (trying to lose weight). Lab rats do not equate to humans.
    • JAG731, on 02/12/2008, -2/+3Agreed. Inaccurate title. Moderation and self control (among other traits) is the key.
    • majormar, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Yes. I am not an animal in a lab. Even though I may feel more hungry I do not have to eat more. These studies are ridiculous!
      • charliekwalker, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Humans are animals. So if you were in a lab, you would in fact be an animal in a lab. I'm just saying.
    • ZenMojo, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Lab rats are a pretty good analogue.
  • therealkdog, on 02/12/2008, -2/+9No, eating in excess will make you fat.

    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -3/+2YOU DON"T UNDERSTAND!!!! i'm big boned have a slow metabolism, and a thyroid problem. Oh and genetics too
    • Himself, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Its not the eating, but the lack of other activity
  • DaDrake, on 02/12/2008, -8/+3The problem isn't it causes you to get fat, the problem is people think you can eat more. Basically, people are unaware how much they are consuming.

    No question, if you going to drink Soda... diet-soda is best for you. (Best option overall = water)
    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2I heard about this lady that died of water poisoning. Be careful with that stuff.
    • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Right, I'm sure the rats were thinking "Ooh since this liquid was sweetened with a low-calorie artificial sweetener, I'm going to have and extra helping of rat pellets!"
      • Lukesed, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Actually if you read the article that is what happened, only on a more chemical level.
        • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Exactly, on a CHEMICAL level whereas DaDrake made it sound like it was a conscious decision.
  • biminitwst, on 02/12/2008, -3/+2An interesting study, I suppose. It would have much more relevant if it had compared aspartame, the sugar substitute used in Diet Coke, and most sugar free snacks, with high fructose corn syrup, the sweetener used in Coke, Pepsi, etc. Comparing saccharin to sugar is completely irrelevant in the real world, isn't it?
  • Alexwo1, on 02/12/2008, -3/+4with a side of cancer.
  • taintedzodiac, on 02/12/2008, -2/+5I've got a simple answer for everyone:
    Eat less. Exercise more. If that doesn't work, see a doctor.
  • Zane, on 02/12/2008, -2/+6Oh *****, plot twist!
  • chrishavel, on 02/12/2008, -1/+12It's not the substitute that "makes" you fat. The rats have the same urge we all do ... carbs for energy. Sugar substitutes don't fill the bodily need for carbs, so the rats eat until the carb urge is satisfied. People get plenty of carbs from other sources; they eat/drink corn syrup and sugar-based food/drink for the sweetness, not the carbs. The next newscaster who oversimplifies the study results gets three rounds in the whack-a-mole cage,
    • ZenMojo, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2I'm just a simple space chicken with a law degree, but, how does eating sweetener without carbs and carbs separately until the urge is satisfied make you fatter than simply eating the carbs instead of the sweetener? Just curious.
      • adrianmonk, on 02/12/2008, -1/+0I think the argument is that you get calories from carb and non-carb sources (i.e. protein and fat), and that if you reduce the carbs too much, you will continue to crave food and will make up the difference with protein and fat.

        I'm not sure I entirely agree with that reasoning, but I can tell you this: all the material I've read on long-distance running says that in order to recharge your depleted muscles, you want a very carb-heavy diet. Several books actually urge you to avoid the temptation to indulge in more than a moderate amount of meat and instead focus on pasta or grains or other complex carb foods.

        If you take that a step or two further and assume the body craves certain things (and can tell the difference between carbs and non-carbs as they come in), I suppose I could imagine the body craves N carbs per day and will keep eating whatever you give it until it reaches N. If you give it stuff low in carbs, you will eat more overall (or at least crave more overall).
  • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Poor lab rats :(
  • darkane, on 02/12/2008, -3/+7It's real simple: Stay away from high fructose corn syrup and aspartame. Even if aspartame doesn't make you fat, it will still give you cancer. If you have to drink soda, choose ones that use pure can sugar, such as Jones Soda. Yes, it's sugar, but at least it's a natural.
    • ED209, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Except that Jones Soda is inverted pure cane sugar, which as I understand breaks the sucrose into glucose and fructose, making it the same as HFCS. Try the Boylan Bottling Company instead. http://www.boylanbottling.com/

      I just wish I could find their "Natural" line locally.
      • darkane, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1We have Boylan around here (Rochester, NY), but it isn't in any big stores. I mostly see it in small mom-and-pop style pharmacies. But yeah, the 'Natural' ones seem to be hidden somewhere. Like in Boylan's warehouse.
        • SPLASTiK, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Boylan's is awesome. Everyone one of their sodas are excellent, especially the birch beer.
    • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -3/+2Please post a link to study on cancer and aspartame.
    • BabyWookie, on 02/13/2008, -1/+1Aspartame is not going to give any one cancer, you fruitloop. Any one with a basic knowlege of chemistry can see that it's not any more dangerous than thousands of other things that we consume.
      • maexus, on 02/16/2008, -0/+1Please expand, since you obviously have at least a basic knowledge of chemistry.
  • icegoddess13, on 02/12/2008, -2/+2And people still don't believe me when I say that I gained weight drinking diet soda. I drink a lot of regular Pepsi and I lost 50lbs while doing so. And of course, it's all about portion control as well.
    • matu4251, on 02/12/2008, -1/+2it's not the diet soda that made you gain weight.
      • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1If it stimulates his appetite it played a part in the same way if he took a diet pill and lost a little weight the pill played apart.
    • Lukesed, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2And the summer I discovered that my favorite drink in the world is diet sierra mist I went from 65lbs overweight to my ideal BMI, while gaining muscle (no, nobody was slipping steroids into it. That was also the summer I discovered I loved mountain biking). Seriously, most people I know don't even like the stuff but it practically satisfies hunger for me. Diet soda, so far as losing weight is concerned, is equal to water everywhere but inside your head.
    • adrianmonk, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1Hey, I once lost about 40 lbs partly by going to Mexican restaurants and having enchiladas filled with greasy meat and slathered with cheese (and sometimes a fried egg) with refried beans on the side and fried corn chips as an appetizer. It's amazing what portion control can do for you. I simply drew a mental line down the middle of the plate and ate exactly half of my meal, then took the other half home and had that as a whole entire other meal. Worked like a charm.
  • lucutus, on 02/12/2008, -1/+4Why does everybody seem to forget about honey when this topic comes up? Use natural sweeteners but in moderation people. I mean come on if you're 100+lbs over weight when someone asks 1 lump or two say NONE just a spot of honey.
    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -2/+1I'm sure as hell not putting honey in my coffee.
    • Gemfinder, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1And as an extra-special side effect from honey, it has anti-oxidants in it. It's hygroscopic which means it keeps you from dehydrating, and is more readily absorbed by the body than sugar to you don't get that sickeningly sweet aftertaste. Certain types of honey, like sage and wildflower, can cut back the effects of hay fever, too.
    • veeew, on 03/09/2008, -0/+1Just be sure to use raw, unfiltered honey from bees that are actually pollinating. Industrial bees in large factories don't really pollinate and are fed, you guessed it, high fructose corn syrup. So basically most store-shelf "honey" is actually bee-vomited high fructose corn syrup. Honestly, I would only purchase real honey - honey from real beekeepers - and locally if you can find it. Local unfiltered, raw honey is great because it can actually help you fight allergies because you are ingesting honey from bees that have pollinated from the plants and flowers of your area that are causing your allergies in the first place; many people have reported that local, raw, unfiltered honey has helped eliminate their allergies. Truth be told, natural and raw is always the best way to go.
  • borez, on 02/12/2008, -1/+3What about pepper? Sugar's bad for you, salt's bad for you etc. etc. But what about pepper? Nobody ever mentions pepper?
  • evanpugface, on 02/12/2008, -1/+3how bout limit your intake of stupid foods? don't be such a moron? eat nutritious food? rtards
    • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Most nutritious food is expensive , rare and difficult to prepare. Low cost, common, ready to eat junk food loaded with pleasing addictive substances is the norm. Try to buy a low sodium version
      of common foods if you dare for example. All bread I have ever seen has twice the sodium in RDA.
      • roflbrothel, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Expensive? Rare? Difficult to prepare? What the hell are you talking about? Whole wheat bread, fresh fruits & vegetables, fresh meat? All of these things are cheaper than premade food or fast food.
        • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -1/+0Whole wheat bread unless you bake it yourself has at least twice the RDA of sodium.(thats junk food)
          Thats very significant when you figure meat, cheese, condiments used on sandwiches
          are usually even higher in sodium.

          Fresh fruit and vegetables are very expensive relative to their energy content. Thats why junk food is much cheaper.

          Meat is the most expensive food ingredient in the store.


  • Nova437, on 02/12/2008, -2/+6Ridiculous... It doesn't make you fat.. lack of self control makes you fat. It might make you hungry but overeating is what makes you fat. If they make you fat it just shows you have as much self control as a rat, and if that's the case your life is a waste. Don't blame things for making you fat you make yourself fat.
    • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -4/+0Yeah all people can slam dunk a basketball to. Its just about self-control. My grandmother for example plays in the NBA.
    • roflbrothel, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Dugg for the harsh truth. L2selfcontrol people.
    • Frumbler, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Ya, when the sugar beast is riding your ass come talk to me about self control, obviously your body can handle sugars just fine because you can so easily make such a stupid statment.
  • Sheshymaroii, on 02/12/2008, -4/+3Splenda - "It tastes like sugar because its made from sugar"....
    WTF..... Does anyone else remember that...
    • Chaostician, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Yeah...That's because it is made from sugar...It's chlorinated so you can't absorb it.
      • Ellipsys, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1I shall have to find that study that suggests that use of chlorinated (or bromated, any halogen really) substances can be directly linked to thyroid and other hormonal problems. Taking large amounts of iodine supplements for a period of time can help to reverse the damage.
  • unclerichard, on 02/12/2008, -0/+0So how often did those rats exercise?
    • Enfenestrate, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1They can bench more than you can
  • c0re1337, on 02/12/2008, -2/+3Well, if it makes you fat, it's not really a substitute, it's just ***** tasting sugar.
  • ictoan, on 02/12/2008, -1/+5everything you put into your mouth makes you fat if you sit all day and don't exercise
  • cyclopssmiley, on 02/12/2008, -3/+1diet soda is nasty, I'd only drink it if I were diabetic
  • TheSkunkMonkey, on 02/12/2008, -0/+4Natural sugars (honey,etc) are not bad for you in moderation. It's stuffing your face with pounds of sugar laden food that's not good for you.
    So the solution is to create some nasty chemical that's sorta, kinda like sugar and won't make you fat but will make the fake sugar manufacturer's wallets fat. The government comes in and helps prop up these poison peddlers leading us to think it's a safe alternative.
    Surprise!
    Eat in moderation and stop eating manufactured foods. There's NO way a chemical substitute is better for you short of a medical intolerance.
  • kita8, on 02/12/2008, -2/+2who DIDN'T c this coming?
  • DiggCommando, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3I managed to eliminate complex sugars from my diet completely and I feel better than ever. The only sugar I have is that which naturally occurs in fruits and honey. No grains, starchy foods, lactose, etc. Sounds hard but you don't miss the stuff after a while. It's called the SCD diet (specific carbohydrate diet).
  • libertao, on 02/12/2008, -1/+1Diggers who are saying this study is concluding that all artificial stuff is bad for you and all natural stuff is good for you clearly did not RTFA!
    • TheMachine1, on 02/12/2008, -1/+0Thats right artificial sweeteners help keep blood sugar stable and reduce tooth decay. The study just says they want help you loose weight and maybe even gain weight because they stimulate the appetite for real calories. But guess what there are no easy solutions to weight loss. We evolved with constant food shortage when food is plentifully we tend to get fat. Fat American is becoming fat world as standard of living goes up.
  • KingGorilla, on 02/12/2008, -1/+2I think it's time we all go back to that other white powder. cocaine
  • sarcasticmango, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1guys, someone told me eating a huge tub of lard every day can also make you fat!!
    • saska, on 02/12/2008, -0/+2Eating a huge tub of lard every day will not make you fat. The other things you eat along with it will, though.

      I know nobody in the low fat food industry wants people to understand this, but the fat you consume is very difficult for your body to convert into fat. Fat and protein are readily turned into energy in your body. When you eat a lot of protein and fat in conjunction with a lot of carbohydrates (which are easily converted into fat), your body uses the protein and fat for energy and stores away the carbohydrates.

      This is why the Atkins diet works. I'm not advocating it, it's just really simple: if you eat things your body can't readily turn into fat, you won't gain any more.

      (I know you were just being sarcastic, but I can't resist the urge to point out the obvious.)
  • ORMEs, on 02/12/2008, -3/+9Eat natural sugar foods for brain fuel. Cognition is dependent on blood sugar.

    Our brains run primarily on oxygen and glucose (or fruit sugar). That ought to give us a clue as to what our natural fuel is. Glucose is the fuel of our being.

    The more (mentally and physically) active you are, the more fuel (sugar) you can burn off. The less (mentally and physically) active you are, the more fuel (sugar) you can burn off. The less (mentally and physically) active you are, the less fuel (sugar) you require.

    Sugar is the fuel of the human body, but it must be taken in the correct form. Sugar in the diet should come from primary organic raw sources, such as sweet fruits with seeds, wild (not orchard-grown) honey, unfiltered agave cactus nectar, yacon root syrup, etc.

    Refined and processed sugars (e.g. high fructose corn syrup, table sugar, brown sugar) are drugs. Natural sugars are also drugs when taken excessively. Refined and hybrid fruit and vegetable sugars slip past the liver like a slipping gear. The liver tries to recognize the sugar, but for the most part, it is unidentifiable and slippage occurs as unprocessed sugar enters the blood rapidly, causing a “high,” – or sugar rush – which has been described by many people addicted to refined sugar or even by people hooked on fruit or carrot juice.

    Obviously refined and processed sugars should be released from your diet. But even amongst certain raw foods, there are some sugars that should be avoided. I definitely recommend against the prolonged daily intake of straight carrot or beet juice. Both carrots and beets are extremely hybridized foods. They may heal one to a certain degree (because they are nutrient-rich raw plant foods), but once you reach a certain level of attunement, the body can begin to react to the sugar. I have seen many people on carrot juice cures begin to become unbalanced as they progressed in their cleansing.

    You should also avoid seedless fruits such as bananas, seedless grapes, seedless oranges, pineapple, seedless watermelon, etc. These foods are bred for certain genetics and then weakling, sugary plantings and cuttings are spread to gardens and farms everywhere. These weak strains are essentially artificial and loaded with hybrid sugar (however, if these foods have their seeds they are okay).

    Hybrid sugar, like refined sugar, can overstimulate the endocrine system, unless it is mitigated with fats, green-leafed vegetables or high-protein foods (such as spirulina, blue—green algae, maca or bee pollen) to “lessen the shock”. The glands sense the body is loaded with food, but hybrid foods (especially commercial fruits and sugary root vegetables) are fairly empty of trace nutrients and the body signals more hunger, which leads to an overeating of hybrid sweet fruit (seedless fruit). The overeating can be stopped by eating high-quality green-leafy vegetables, which have the trace elements.

    A diet heavy in hybridized sweet fruit can lead to constipation, especially if the individual is not highly active. Because excess sugar spills off into the urine, excessive urination can occur when the sugar is not being immediately utilized (due to a lack of activity). Excessive urination leads to dehydration and a potassium overdose, behind which follows constipation. This process is accelerated if nuts are included in the diet (without greens) as nuts are more difficult to digest and slow the digestive system. If this process continues unabated, a minor diabetic condition will occur as the body is constantly urinating to spill off excess sugar.

    Too much sugar in the blood triggers the release of alkaline minerals, such as calcium, from the bones and tissues to buffer sugar’s acidifying effects. These minerals are also lost with the urine. So, excessive stimulation of the body by sugars (including hybridized sweet fruit) not only causes constipation, but also leaches minerals from the body in the long term.

    This condition is completely reversible through regular exercise, considerably decreasing the intake of sugary fruits, and by adding a large portion of dark green-leafy vegetables and a variety of raw plant fats to the diet. The best way to rehydrate the body is with fresh spring water (plus a pinch of full-spectrum salt and a squeeze of lemon) and/or with celery juice. High-sodium foods, such as celery, are excellent to include to rehydrate the body and to relieve constipation as sodium counterbalances a potassium overdose (which could have contributed to the condition).

    Refined and hybrid sugars in the form of sucrose actually take water away from the body. In order to break down sucrose into two molecules of glucose, a molecule of water is required. Thus, drinks or smoothies containing refined or hybrid sugar can actually make one thirstier. This is why it is best to rehydrate the body with fresh green-leafy vegetable juice rather than with fruit juice. Celery/kale/cucumber/lemon juice is another particularly excellent drink we can use to rehydrate.

    Excessive intake of a refined and even hybridized sugar (foods with a typical glycemic index of 70 or above) can cause a hyperinsulinization of the blood. This can lead to drowsiness and fatigue. The glycemic index is the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the blood.






    • DiggCommando, on 02/12/2008, -0/+3People close their ears to this but never consider that it may be because they are hopelessly addicted!
    • Frumbler, on 02/12/2008, -0/+5Your pretty spot on except our brains don't run on fruit sugar, glucose is not the food of our being. Brains run on glucose which the body can make from sugars or fats. In fact the brain can surrive just fine without you eating any sugars at all! Sugars are carbs, you don't need to eat carbs to surrive. You cannot surrive without fats or proteins. Yes I lost 80 pounds low carbing, and my blood work is excellent.
    • tgc1, on 02/12/2008, -0/+5I almost agreed with everything you said. But Fruit Sugars are actually Fructose, not Glucose as you said. The Fructose in fruits needs to be converted by your liver before it can be used (as Glucose). Just saying.
      • ORMEs, on 02/12/2008, -0/+1I understand. The liver converts the fruit sugar into glycogen (super densified glucose), and is released from the liver and from within the cells to fuel the body.
  • SilverBlade2k, on 02/12/2008, -2/+1I knew sugar substitutes were worse then real sugar. That's why I drink regular soft drinks.
    Diabetics, on the other hand, just CAN NOT accept the fact that they CAN NOT have sugar-laced drinks, so they go for the diet drinks. Which in my opinion is bloody stupid.
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