THERE’S NO DOUBT about it. Artificial sweeteners cause obesity.
I always thought it was funny to see a very large person order a Big Mac, large fries — and top it off with a Diet Coke. I also found it peculiar that I rarely saw thin people drinking diet sodas. So I began to wonder if there could be a link between diet beverages or artificial sweeteners and obesity. As I began to explore this notion, I discovered a number of different research findings that pointed to this very phenomenon.
First, our current obesity epidemic has coincided perfectly with the introduction of large amounts of artificial sweeteners into our food supply. Although we cannot say for sure that this means artificial sweeteners cause obesity, it certainly makes me wonder.
Next, a body of research indicates that just the thought or smell of food initiates a whole set of hormonal and physiologic responses that get the body ready for food. This is familiar to us from Pavlov’s dog experiment, where he trained dogs to salivate by associating the ringing of a bell with the presentation of food. By doing this repeatedly, he eventually trained the dogs to salivate in anticipation of food simply by ringing the bell — without any food at all.
Think of diet sodas and artificial sweeteners as ringing the bell for your physiology. Today I will explain how that happens and review some of the research that indicates artificial sweeteners may not be all they are cracked up to be.
Stop confusing your body. If you have a desire for something sweet, have a little sugar, but stay away from “fake” foods.
The Problem with Ringing Your Physiological Bells
Ringing the bells in your body with artificial sweeteners is not a good thing. It’s even worse when you ring the bells with artificial sweeteners and then not provide any sugar. Here’s why …
Our brains know how to get our bodies ready for food. It is called the cephalic (for “head”) phase reflex. Your brain is preparing for food even before your fork or cup crosses your lips. This allows you to anticipate and prepare for the arrival of nutrients in your intestinal tract, improves the efficiency of how your nutrients are absorbed, and minimizes the degree to which food will disturb your natural hormonal balance and create weight gain.
So in a way, your body is already preparing to regulate your energy balance, metabolism, weight, calorie burning, and many other things — just by thinking about food. Any sweet taste will signal your body that calories are on the way and trigger a whole set of hormonal and metabolic responses to get ready for those calories.
When you trick your body and feed it non-nutritive or non-caloric sweeteners, like aspartame, acesulfame, saccharin, sucralose, or even natural sweeteners like stevia, it gets confused. And research supports this.
Studies Show Artificial Sweeteners Lead to Weight Gain
An exciting study in the Journal of Behavioral Neuroscience has shown conclusively that using artificial sweeteners not only does not prevent weight gain, but induces a whole set of physiological and hormonal responses that actually make you gain weight. ( i)
The researchers proved this by giving two different groups of rats some yogurt. One batch of yogurt was sweetened with sugar. The other was sweetened with saccharin. They found that three major things happened over a very short period of time in the rats that were fed artificially sweetened yogurt.
First, the researchers found that the total food eaten over 14 days dramatically increased in the artificial sweetener group — meaning that the artificial sweetener stimulated their appetite and made them eat more.
Second, these rats gained a lot more weight and their body fat increased significantly.
And third (and this is very concerning) was the change in core body temperature of the rats fed the artificial sweeteners. Their core body temperature decreased, meaning their metabolism slowed down.
So not only did the rats eat more, gain more weight, and have more body fat, but they actually lowered their core body temperature and slowed their metabolism. As I have said many times before, all calories are not created equal …
The most astounding finding in the study was that even though the rats that ate the saccharin-sweetened yogurt consumed fewer calories overall than the rats that ate the sugar-sweetened yogurt, they gained more weight and body fat.
These findings turn the conventional view that people will consume fewer calories by drinking artificially sweetened drinks or eating artificially sweetened foods on its head. Despite their name, these are not “diet” drinks. They are actually “weight gain” drinks!
We’re surrounded by low-calorie, “health conscious foods” and diet soft drinks that contain sweeteners. As a result, the number of Americans who consume products that contain sugar-free sweeteners grew from 70 million in 1987 to 160 million in 2000.
At the same time, the incidence of obesity in the United States has doubled from 15 percent to 30 percent across all age groups, ethnic groups, and social strata. And the number of overweight Americans has increased from about 30 percent to over 65 percent of the population. The fastest growing obese population is children.
Here’s the bottom line: Avoid artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose, sugar alcohols such as malitol and xylitol (pretty much anything that ends in “ol”), as well as natural artificial sweeteners like stevia.
Stop confusing your body. If you have a desire for something sweet, have a little sugar, but stay away from “fake” foods. Eating a whole-foods diet that has a low glycemic load and is rich in phytonutrients and indulging in a few real sweet treats once in a while is a better alternative than tricking your body with artificial sweeteners — which leads to wide scale metabolic rebellion and obesity.
So, put that teaspoon of sugar in your tea and enjoy!
Now I’d like to hear from you…
Do you use artificially sweetened products?
How have they affected your weight?
What sweet treats do you indulge in?
Has this finding taken you by surprise?
Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
To your good health,
Mark Hyman, M.D.
References
(i) Swithers SE, Davidson TL. A role for sweet taste: Calorie predictive relations in energy regulation by rats. Behav Neurosci. 2008 Feb;122(1):161-73.
I just started using Agave Nectar. Is that considered an artificial sweetener too?
I was used to drinking green tea (6 -8 cups daily) with one spoon of raw cane sugar plus real lemon slice. About a week ago, switched the sugar to Stevia, to avoid calories. Your article makes sense and even though it is too soon to see any noticeable changes in weight, will stop Stevia.
Thanks for your good work.
I switched to agave several years ago.
Please report on this sweetener.
I have read conflicting reports as to it’s use by diabetics – what have you deduced from the research? (I am not a diabetic but have friends with this disease.)
Hi
I use splenda or german rock sugar from teavana. I know diabetics use splenda and its suppose to e part pure sugar. How do you feel about these sugars. I believe artificial sweeteners are bad also.
Splenda is sucralose… mentioned in the article.
I am 76 years old…went back to sugar thinking along the lines that you have, about 2 years ago. I am hypothyroid and was getting heavy and could not loose weight. For some reason, pounds are coming off now the more we stick to a balanced diet and watch our carbs. I do drink a diet Lipton’s tea mix which when gone, will buy the regular stuff and enjoy it as much.
Thank you for reminding me to wake up. Dot
Great article, thank you. My body temp is always around 97.5. What about agave? Is, it considered artificial or a good healthy alternative to refined sugar?
Thanks.
I have always wondered how your body could tell the difference between real sugar and fake sugar. If it’s supposed to taste like sugar, I would think your body would react as though it is sugar. I don’t drink much diet soda because I don’t like it. I will substitute 1/2 diet and 1/2 regular soda. I’m diabetic so I shouldn’t have either. I have stayed my same weight for about 10 years, but I am 40 lbs overweight. My husband, on the other hand, is diabetic and only drinks diet. I do think the diet drinks cause you to want to eat more. He has trouble with portion control. I think the diet drinks stimulate his appetite because he is alway hungry. We are now on the Atkins diet and trying to eliminate most sugar. They say you can drink diet. I had a friend who was on Atkins. He lost some weight but his weight loss was at a stand still. He quit drinking diet soda and lost 50 more lbs.
It’s all confusing. I should just do what my Dad preached, everything in moderation!
I lost over 100 pounds & kept it off, for the most part, until I started drinking diet sodas. I had given them up for about 3 1/2 years. Now, the weight is coming back on… and one of the big things I have changed is drinking coffee in the morning with 2 packets of Splenda and drinking diet sodas. For me, I believe there IS a corrolation. As of today, I’m giving up the sugar substitutes, including all drinks with artificial sweeteners.
Thank you for confirming something I had begun to suspect. I just couldn’t understand HOW it would be possible for these items to cause weight gain if one did NOT consume extra calories. Also, on the subject: I believe, for me anyway, that people can become addicted to sweets. Whether it is real sugar or artificial, there is something about the sweet taste. Have you ever heard of someone being addicted to broccoli or cabbage??? There is some “drug” connection in the brain that causes some of us to want more and more and more. Stopping with one cookie, for example, just doesn’t work for me. I could eat the whole bag. I should just never eat the ONE to begin with. Chocolate has the same effect.
I hope I hear from you, Dr. Hyman. You are absolutely RIGHT ON!!! (The truth will set us free!)
2 questions:
1) If the issue is the cephalic response, then it really should not be a matter of whether you are having stevia or sugar, but just whether your brain is anticipating a sweet treat, correct? So isn’t it better to use stevia than sugar? Or is stevia actually an artificial sweetener a la splenda?
2) Are you suggesting that diabetics are better off with sugar vs. a substitute like stevia?
Thanks! Love your work!
Hi Mary,
These are great questions! You have part of the story intact. The other part is that the brain-gut response is to prepare for the incoming sugar by ramping up the necessary enzymes, secretions and hormones necessary for proper digestion and absorption of the sugar. We suggest having the real thing IN RESPONSIBLE doses from natural sources such as fruit, starchy vegetables or moderate portions of honey or sucanat. Not only do these sources come in a complete package which provides the synergistic effect of sugar absorption but the real food is what our bodies have evolved on. To truly heal and treat DM2, we suggest following Dr. Hyman’s Blood Sugar Solution. This dietary protocol replete with herbs, spices and the necessary nutrients from food will help improve and even reverse insulin resistance. Upon balancing the head and gut brains response to sugar, cravings decrease and the amount of sweetener necessary for pleasure also dramatically decreases so that just a tiny bit of the real thing is needed. It is all about recalibrating the brain and your metabolism and Dr. Hyman demonstrates how to do this in a clear, simple and tasty format. For more info, check out: http://www.bloodsugarsolution.com
In good health!
Lizzy
Nutrition Coaching Program
I wll have some diet coke when having lunch when the place does not have wine.
I read this before, probably from your book. So my weight gain was due to too much sugar from cereals, fruits, vegetables, and snacks. I now read box labels and check out the sugar content per serving and if it’s to high I stay away from it
What should Type 1 Diabetics do in this case??
Thank you, Melanie, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
I was eating sugar free Hershey bars and getting bloated, gaining weight and developed rectal bleeding. Also, while drinking diet Pepsi and eating the sugar free Hershey, I was gaining weight. I am now off of both of them.
Dr. Hyman,
On the whole I can’t agree with you more. Unfortunately, this article may give the diabetic a blank check to eat sugar. As we both know, this could be very unfortunate. Too bad that you did not also address this in this article.
As a health care professional, I have seen too often the results of our “diet”. Would that we could turn back the clock about 50 years to a time when food was really food, natural and healthy, without all of the additives, preservatives, and manipulation.
Betsy Burnell
I’ve been hearing about Truvia lately. Is there any research on it regarding the role in obesity?
1. This article is disappointing for those who feel comfortable having an artificially sweetened soda drink or a dessert.
2. The revelation of this article is not very clear.
3. It is well known that reducing weight and getting rid of obesity are very difficult tasks. The issue largely remains thus.
4. It is seen that weight conscious non-obese people who also patronize artificially sweetened drinks & foods continue to remain non-obese.
5. Similarly, the obese people, who attempt to avoid high calories in some of their foods by patronizing artificially sweetened drinks & foods, continue to remain obese.
6. A person who cannot avoid a burger, at least attempts to lower the calorie intake through an artificially sweetened Soda and/or a dessert that follow the burger.
7. Do you mean to say that a high calorie sugar-sweetened soda and/or a dessert that follow the burger would be more beneficial for both an obese and a non-obese person?
8. In this brave new world anything is possible. There could be a genuine or an honest health articles. There could also be articles that lean towards one vested interest or the other. Both, the manufacturer of sugar or a sugar substitute have to sell their respective products to maximum profitability.
9. The biggest sufferer in this whole story is the obese person who has to suffer throughout his life physically & mentally. The obese person leaves the world most disgruntled for having missed some or many pleasures of a wholesome life.
10. I am yet to read an article that addresses honestly to the cause of obese people. Strenuous work-outs, starving or highly regimented life styles are a subject only of a very few and of freaks. Please research and report on easier and more user friendly ways to address obesity.
I have know this is true, my wife switched to diet soda and steadily gained a 100 lbs
by only drinking an average of of 2 diet sodas a day average. Imagine that o calories
and 100 lbs of fat. I on the other hand drank average 12 sodas 150 calories each &
41grams of sugar with a 20 lb wait gain and not counting the 1800 calories from the daily sugar, in the can, I consummed at least twice as many calories without the weight gain.
i indulge in homemade ice cream. i cut up bannanas, mangos, i freeze alot of fruit. put some frozen bannanas in a blender with unsweetened cocoa powder and some dates add a little water and blend. or use bannanas as a base and add any fruit to make any flavor. simple , and using whole foods.
I am now 67 years old and have been consuming so-called diet drinks and diet foods since 1972, when they first came out with cyclamates or saccharin drinks. It wasn’t known then or until recently with your views on the subject. I had noticed that the HFC fad in the late 1970′s when they started putting that into yogurt. In the late 60′s and early 70′s, I could get Dannon yogurt without it. But it wasn’t long before they started doing and now my alternative or good doctors are telling us that the producers or corn industry have applied to the FDA to change the name from HFC to Corn sugar, I suppose because people are getting smarter. From 1961 to 1981, I served in the US Navy and the last 10 years I was in, I had a lot of trouble keeping my weight in check according to Navy standards, and was 16 lbs overweight at 216 when I retired in June 1981 with a back injury. This led to more weight gain with the thinking that eating “diet foods and diet drinks” I would not gain weight. It took me until 1989 before I figured out for myself that something was causing me to gain weight, but I didn’t really find out until about ten years later. From 1989 to 2007, I worked as a medical transcriptionist for a large medical center in Seattle, which was mostly sitting down with very little exercise and by the time I retired I was 345 lbs and suffering from all the ills of overweight. After I retired from that job, I began to research with some alternative doctors, such as Dr. David Williams, Dr. Julian Whitaker, Dr. James West, Dr. Shallenberger, Dr. Weil, Dr. William Cambell Douglass, and Dr. Jonathan V. Wright of the Tahoma Clinic online. I have lost some weight, but only by switching to all fresh foods and very little sugar products or real sugar and only fresh foods. I have managed to lose some weight, but gained it all back, about 15 lbs since the Spring of 2010 to Winter 2011 and weight about 345 again and this is mostly because it has been raining almost constantly since then. We had only 12 days of summer in 2010, 6 days in July and 6 days in August, then rain and I just couldn’t get out. However, my lovely wife and I are going to join the YMCA at Gig Harbor and begin exercising with coaches in a pool environment , but this won’t be until the end of January. I have learned a lot from these doctors but it won’t do me a bit of good until I add the exercise component. I enjoyed reading your perceptions and you are right on track. Thanks for the articles, and I pass them on to family in Montana (home state) once in awhile. Oh and I am 40% disabled with bad knees and still bad back, mostly because I am very deconditioned from practical no exercise for the past 25 years. I plan to change that, I want to live longer than 75. I don’t smoke or drink alcohol. My wife is a type 2 diabetic and has celiac disease with intolerance to wheat products, which we didn’t find out about until October of 2010, when I asked her doctor to check for this disease, he did although reluctantly. She has had this latter condition since 1972 when she had her gallbladder out and had constant diarrhea, which the docs at that time said would go away, it never did and all docs from mainstream medicine circles kept trying new drugs, which didn’t work and were later withdrawn because it was killing people. I don’t have to tell you about the FDA and its crooked politicians. We try to eat the same foods so she doesn’t have to cook two different types of meals.
I don’t eat fake foods..but I do like stevia,,and chew gum..which is not good for me…question is..can these both be why I find it so hard to lose weight? I am 57 and know its harder at that age..but thinking the gum is more of a problem then the stevia……I am 30 lbs overweight..
I’ve always been suspicious of artificial sweeteners and I HATE the way they taste. I’ve instructed my young daughter NOT to drink diet Coke but to just drink regular Coke instead. Just consume the sugar and stay away from the fake stuff. That nasty after taste is your body’s way of warning you that something just isn’t right and to stay away!
This is from a 78 yr. old male. I use Stevia in my coffee exclusively ( 4 cups/day ).
So far I have not noticed any change in either my appetite or my weight. I submit this info in response to your request and not in any way to contradict you.
Ciao.
Dear Dr. Hyman, I personally try to stay away from artificial sweeteners as much as possible, but I´ve recently heard from some of my sixth graders that they take diet sodas and other foods containing artificial sweeteners. They are not overweight yet as they are growing and lead active lives, but I´m sure that on the long run these foods and drinks might take their toll. Your article is quite clear and interesting so I will use it as a reference to try to convince my students to opt for healthier choices. Thanks. Argel
My wife and I (70 and 77, respectively) do no drink soft drinks and do not sweeten tea or coffee. My wife does not eat desserts or candy and I seldom do. She,m however, does chew what I think is a lot of gum, artificially sweetened. We do drink 3 to 5 oz of wine with dinner on weekends and sometimes during the week, usually red wine. We avoid fatty foods to a reasonable degree except do put dressing on our large salads which do have an appreciable calory content. We both eat less than 20 years ago but weigh more than 20 years ago. We seem to be walking less, probably a contributing factor. Almost all meals are prepared at home. Even so, our weight has increased even while attempting to reverse that trend.
Hello,
Thank you for suggestions about not using artificial sweeteners. I tried them all and the weight is going up and up. I am not junk candy eater but love sweet coffee and pastries sometimes. I would never buy an ice cream for myself, Godiva maybe.
I will follow your advice. Thanks.
Dobrila Schultz
I’m not a doctor. I do think that sweet is sweet and somehow the body responds to the sweet affect that occurs when a food or beverage is consumed. I have followed the American diet all my life and loved sweets. Now thanks to all the information available I have learned how to use real sugar (in moderation) when sweet is necessary, eat fresh baked REAL desserts on occasion, avoid preservatives and artificial anything and focus on getting as many sugar grams out of my daily diet. Its a small chore, but one that I know will have a payoff.
Thanks for your continued concern.
MMitchell
Thank you, Dr. Hyman for being open to a layman’s reaction. I am in my late 50′s, well past menopause with the usual weight gain problems that commonly accompanies this stage of female life. My gynocologist warned me when I was perimenopausal that a chemical in the female hormones that usually triggers a ‘full’ or ‘satisfied’ feeling when eating will be gone when I go through menopause, and thus I will find myself eating more food, no matter whatever it might be (e.g., 0 calories celery) in order to finally find that ‘full’ feeling. Could you please provide more information about this? I have noticed that now I can no longer go with as few calories as I did when I was younger, that my energy fades quicker and I’m hungry more often than I ever was before, even though my physical activity has slowed down. I don’t understand how I could get hungry when I haven’t burned off the calories yet. Could this be due to that missing ‘trigger” phenomenon? Of course, I have learned to graze with small protein snacks during the day so as not to get to that faint feeling. And, although I have eaten pretty healthfully throughout my adult life – avoiding artificial additives or preservatives, plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, etc., I find I am now gaining weight at an unstoppable rate of 5 lbs/yr. Where before a couple of lunches of tunafish and cottage cheese took off 5 lbs in a week, my low fat (healthy fats only) and lean protein are having no weight-losing effect whatsoever. Regarding your article above (“Artificial Sweeteners Could Be Sabotaging Your Diet”) I had cut back on my sugar intake for years and it had helped to keep my weight down, but now, as I said, not even lowering sugar is making a difference. After listening to Dr. Amen (amongst many health care practitioners) regarding his own breakthrough for losing weight involving drinking water with flavored stevia, I then went out and bought flavored Stevia, too, to help inspire me to drink more water. Flavored Stevia has helped me drink more water, but I still haven’t lost weight. I realize I need to get into the gym more often than my twice a week routine, but I can’t race against the aging process or time. I can’t live in the gym. It seems to me that your suggestion of having a bit of sugar could be more satisfying to the body, but I don’t understand how. Drinking sugar-free Zevia soda (made with Stevia) is a very satisfying sweet treat and liquid (water). My common sense says 48-72 or more grams of sugar per regular can of soda is just too much sugar and I don’t think just taking a sip of regular soda is realistic. I small piece of chocolate is realistic when you crave a sweet treat. Although, I noticed that most other sweet treats are also saturated with butter and other fats and chemicals so that a small amount of that sweet is also adding amounts of other unwanted ingredients. Based upon the statistics you mentioned above regarding those that had sugar subsitute and those that had sugar, I’m just wondering whether Stevia, in contrast to sugar, somehow affects the body in such a way as to stimulate the body to hoard fat or to affect the metabolism to slow down or stop, where regular sugar doesn’t seem to have that affect. Is there any scientific evidence that otherwise explains how Stevia could sabotage the diet if it were used in place of sugar? And do you have some advice on what other efforts I could make to lose weight? THANK YOU!
This could explain why I am ravenous by the time I get home from work, on those afternoons when I have a diet soda. And even after I eat, I still feel hungry, which can lead to a whole evening of grazing.
As a diabetic, I find this even more confusing. I can’t have artificial sweeteners for the weight, I can’t have natural for the blood sugar, what am I supposed to do???
Dr. Hyman,
I figured out years ago the artificial sweeteners were not the answer. However,
xylitol and stevia work well for me. I have been self-managing my diet for blood sugar for levels for at least 30 years. At first, I was fainting from low sugar levels and was told I would be diabetic within 6 months. I haven’t had a low sugar episode in years. My concerns has been raising blood fasting levels, but have managed not to be diagnosed as diabetic by watching my diet and walking. Over the years, I have never had a weight problem. My weight has stayed within a 20 lb range during these 30 years while raising my family. Actually, today I weight about what I did 30 years ago.
I am very conscious of how what I eat is going to raise my blood sugar and have found that xylitol and stevia don’t raise my blood sugar. I only use these natural sugars in tea, which I drink daily. Perhaps that is why I don’t see a negative to using xylitol or stevia. Otherwise, I cut down on regular sugar in my recepies. Fortunately, I don’t crave sweets and don’t make deserts on a regular basis. Also now I have to avoid wheat & gluten so that further limits my prepared deserts.
The following supersedes my comments of January 22, 2011 at 5:01 pm.
1. This article is disappointing for those who feel comfortable having an artificially sweetened soda drink or a dessert.
2. The revelation of this article is not very clear.
3. It is well known that reducing weight and getting rid of obesity are very difficult tasks. The issue largely remains thus.
4. It is seen that weight conscious non-obese people who also patronize artificially sweetened drinks & foods continue to remain non-obese.
5. Similarly, the obese people, who attempt to avoid high calories in some of their foods by patronizing artificially sweetened drinks & foods, continue to remain obese.
6. A person who cannot avoid a burger, at least attempts to lower the calorie intake through an artificially sweetened Soda and/or a dessert that follow the burger.
7. Do you mean to say that a high calorie sugar-sweetened soda and/or a dessert that follow the burger would be more beneficial for both an obese and a non-obese person?
8. Suppose there is a desire for a fizzy drink and one can manage only a non-fizzy drink (or may be just water) or vice versa, will the body still get confused and create havoc?
9. Saccharin, which remained a cancer causing ingredient for a long time, perhaps was later absolved of its deadly effects.
10. In the mean time came into scene, one after the other, the artificial sweeteners aspartame, acesulfame, sucralose, sugar alcohols such as malitol and xylitol, as well as natural artificial sweeteners like stevia as indicated in your article.
11. In this brave new world anything is possible. There could be a genuine or an honest health articles. There could also be articles that lean towards one vested interest or the other. Both, the manufacturer of sugar or a sugar substitute have to sell their respective products to maximum profitability.
12. The biggest sufferer in this whole story is the obese person who has to suffer throughout his life physically & mentally. The obese person leaves the world most disgruntled for having missed some or many pleasures of a wholesome life.
13. I am yet to read an article that addresses honestly to the cause of obese people. Strenuous work-outs, starving or highly regimented life styles are a subject only of a very few and of freaks. Please research and report on easier and more user friendly ways to address obesity.
R S Bajaj
It is nice to know that my feelings about this were right. I see an awful lot of heavy people try to lose weight to no avail with continuous use of green tea, soft drinks, etc,. I was on a diet called the Six Weeks Makeover which limited all salt and fats, but not artificial sweetners. I lost 20 lbs. which is really good for me, because I am post menopausal and my metabolic rate has always been slow. Weight Watchers, Physicians Weight and Shaklee, Isogenics, Slim Fast etc. were a waste of money. Green Tea belly fat busters were a joke. Products with ephedra were too nerve wracking. Just at the point where I was seeing results, I was rudly interrupted by a tragedy and I slipped into depression, grief, and became a couch potato when I injured my knee. I ate so much comfort food that I gained the weight back and have not been able to get back on track. My belly has gained weight all around from sholders to thighs and seems to be larger than ever, even though it has only been the same 20 lbs. Is it possible that the absence of good fats and salt, plus the artificial sweetner is causing me to not see results? Is there some way that I can detox my system from these sweetners?
Thank you, SConner, for your message and your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. Your question and constellation of symptoms represents a complex medical condition. Questions regarding conditions like these cannot be answered in a responsible manner via the Internet.
If you would like information on becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center please see “How to Become a Patient” at http://www.ultrawellnesscenter.com. That site is designed to give prospective patients a comprehensive source of information about The UltraWellness Center. You may also feel free to call The UltraWellness Center at (413) 637 9991.
Regardless of becoming a patient at The UltraWellness Center, it sounds like you need to consult with a doctor. Please seek medical attention for the issues that you outlined in your message.
Wishing You the Best of Health!
Hey! Wait a minute! If your body initiates a whole set of hormonal and physiologic responses that get the body ready for food as you smell and look at food then creates fat cells when the sweet food isn’t ingested then can’t you get fat by just LOOKING at food and then not eating it? Won’t I put on a pound by standing in front of a bakery counter, salivating and then walking away? I just lost 45 pounds by eschewing grains, sugar and simple carbs of all kinds AND during this time I used stevia daily in my coffee and morning yogurt. I’ve kept the weight off for 6 months using the same process every day. I avoid all artificial sweetners – no – ‘ols , no aspertaime, no splenda and my weight is very stable.
I’m very confused!
what about natural sweeteners such as stevia and agave nectar?
Are they safe to use for diabetics or people wanting to avoid becoming diabetic?
Are there pros and cons to either one for diabetics?
Are there others that are okay for diabetics to use?
I’ve lost 6 pounds drinking protein shakes with artificial sweeteners in them over the past two weeks. Although, I’ve also cut out refined sugars and bread, etc. The main ones I’ve used have contained stevia and sucralose, and although I’ve heard bad things about them…they both fill me up, prevent cravings and I haven’t noticed any undesirable side effects.
Beyond detrimental effects, there seems to be plenty of evidence backing potential health benefits of stevia. That aside, given that it’s the only natural virtually non-caloric alternative to artificial sweeteners, I’d say it’s your best bet.
Dr. Hyman:
I love your facebook page. I enjoy reading all posts on health topics. This particular post caught my attention. Most of these artificial sweeteners have been recognized by the FDA as Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS). I see no problems using artificial sweeteners in moderation; however, too much of anything could pose health risks. I just don’t think we can stick the problem with obesity with just fake sweeteners. Most foods that are sugar-free pack alot of fat calories with them as well. Just because it is sugar-free doesn’t mean it’s calorie free for all cases.
I’m excited to hear about all the new promising research that is evolving on this matter. However, I do not feel we can truly compare rat findings with humans. It’s a limitation that should be factored .
Regards-
Jennifer Guin
I used stevia to break my Splenda habit. I’ve started using unsweetened organic almond milk which helped me break my stevia habit. I can finally taste the natural sweetness of fresh, whole foods, which is wonderful. A local, organically grown strawberry now tastes too sweet to me, while slowly roasted garlic seems to have the perfect balance of savory and sweet. Go figure! Down 9 pounds, and hubby and I don’t start The UltraMind Solution for 8 more days when he returns from overseas. He’s down 7 pounds. All we’ve done so far is cut out sugar, wheat, white rice, and any corn that isn’t either still on the cob or sprouted
I have had IDDM (Insulin Dependent Diabetes ) for 50 years and so I have eaten foods with these artificial sweetners for many years….well, ror 50 years. I have heard that the atifical sweeteners can cause a carving for sugar and/or overeating. I’m beginning to think I won’t need embalming! I know other things can cause this from your articles and those on the education website of Dr. Gant. I suffer from extreme guilt over my cravings for sugar!.
I will cease and desist gluten products and sweeteners.
Geraldine.
Good day to you,
I was very surprised to see Stevia described by you as an “artificial sweetener”. Surely this is a natural product and should not be put into the same category as the other products which I would consider to be toxic.
G
What about agave nectar? I just started using this on my oatmeal with blueberries.
Also what about brown rice syrup?
Dear Andrea,
Generally speaking, I recommend you avoid all sweeteners. Agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and honey, are basically just different forms of sugar. Stevia, and other natural sweeteners can also be problematic due to their affects on insulin. Even the thought of something sweet spikes your insulin levels a bit. Eating sweet foods of any kind—even natural sweeteners like Stevia.
Wishing You Good Health!
In some alternative health circles, Xylitol is rather looked upon as a sort of miracle “medicine” against all sorts of inflammation. They recommend chewing gum with Xylitol for better teeth, etc. You list it with the substances to avoid, though. Why is that? Are they who promote its use, wrong?
Dear Alice,
Sweeteners of any kind—including xylitol—spike insulin. Over the long terms this can lead to a host of problems including insulin resistance and all of its effects. My recommendation is to stay away from sweeteners of any kind. They typically do more damage than good. Once you’re off of them you will find your cravings disappear.
Wishing You Good Health!
Besides the weight gain (bad enough), sugar alcohols like xylitol or manitol can cause intestinal distress. I don’t know why I ever thought that putting anything artificial into my body was okay.
OK, how about stevia and agava? How about honey (which I don’t care for)? I am a sweets nut, diabetic, type 2, and I really want to know your answers.Please.
Thank you.
Dear Donna,
Generally speaking, I recommend you avoid all sweeteners. Agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and honey, are basically just different forms of sugar. Stevia, and other natural sweeteners can also be problematic due to their affects on insulin. Even the thought of something sweet spikes your insulin levels a bit. Eating sweet foods of any kind—even natural sweeteners like Stevia—have a much more dramatic effect. My recommendation: Get off them. Once you are off them you will find your cravings disappear.
Wishing You Good Health!
Years ago I used artifical sugar and it killed my stomach bacteria. Then later the sucralose activated my autoimmune hepitis. I now use plain sugar and honey. Everytime I use artifical sugars in mass I get sick.
Dr. Mercola has found studies that indicate that Splenda is getting into our water supply. This is because Splenda is not entirely absorbed by the human body, not being biofriendly to the human body, so it then passes out and into the water supply. Given very serious effects on the body, this can be serious. And no way has been found to get it out of the water supply, and standard treatment plant means do not get it out. Reverse osmosis does get out many drugs, but there was no info on if it deals with Splenda or not.
I was surprised that you included Xilitol and Stevia as artificial. One report did find that agave was also not foolproof.
I settle for 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in my coffee, and that does the trick.
SK
It took me some research to figure out that things like Splenda and Sweet and Low were unhealthy and caused the effects you outlined in your article. However, I have to admit I was surprised to find that Stevia falls into the same category. As I read this article, I was drinking a cup of tea with a packet of Stevia. Needless to say, I put the cup down. Learn something new everything, thanks for the information.
While I ate only organic vegetarian, brown rice, drank a little wine or coffee once a week I kept my weight controlled.(till 40 yrs). Once I started to eat white rice/ bread, alcohol, but still eat plenty of fresh veggies, sushi, and feel sad and lonely due to not understanding the culture I moved in to, I put on close to 25 kilos. I know its due to the comfort foods such as chips, chocolate cakes and American prepackaged cookies. I seldom use processed foods. But my younger sisters and friends in NA, who were never organic, all drink diet drinks, use artificial sweeteners, tended to use diabetic snacks, and often use prepared foods have each in excess of 60 kilos. I don’t have health issues except for perhaps a flour allergy just discovered, a sore knee, some skin allergies, and sometimes a severe cold. My friends have so many ranges of illnesses, diabetes, knee replacements, gall bladders cholesterol, & heart troubles. I truly believe that artificial sweeteners had some impact along with many unnecessary ingredients in processed foods. Its easy to taste and get an after taste from these ‘new foods’. But if I get sad and crave something then I gobble those junk foods I find in shops. I’m sure that all the chemicals we now eat are very toxic destroying our natural health and functioning. Why is our society being given such in our foods, We will not be able to work well nor live well, we will cost the health system more to care for as we age. Just wondering why we don’t make changes in many systems for the true betterment of all of society.
I have been following Dr. Hymen’s UltraMind diet suggestions and have found my sugar cravings greatly reduced, gone really. If I do have a sweet craving, I eat a little high quality dark chocolate or white tea with a little honey. Those of you still having challenges with weight, have you tried his other suggestions?
I still think cane sugar is the worst product you could ingest. Causes more problems than weight gain. Like Cancer. Diseases like this thrive on sugar (glucose). I personally feel people who are obese eat too much, especially the bad carbohydrates. I use Stevia in moderation. When I see the “medical studies” that say Stevia is bad for you, I will continue using it. My bad vice: Ice Cream. Again, the sugar and carbohydrates. To control my weight, I work out a lot at a gym.
Mel 9/24/2011
A lot of people have asked what they can do, perhaps my story will help. In early 2010, I was diagonosed with Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. My blood sugar was off the charts and I was overweight (220 lbs, 5’11″ male). I have changed my eating habits (eliminate simple carbs, more green vegs) , dropped all soda drinks, and began a exercise (walking/stationary bike) program. I do drink green tea with Stevia in the morning but usually have water with meals. My goal was to drop 1 pound a week and within a year, I had dropped 50 pounds. My weight is now 165 and over the past year my A1C numbers have dropped to 5.6 and 5.7 (below 6 is considered normal). My doctor and I are very happy with these results and have reduced medicine for both diabetes and cholesterol. The key, I believe, is to change your lifestyle in regards to food. Drop the fast foods and eat healthy foods instead. Exercise. A simple walking program will do you wonders. You can do this.
How about sugarfree gum. I chew alot of it every day for the sweet taste. Could it contribute to weight gain?
Dear Maria,
Xylitol spikes insulin. Over the long terms this can lead to a host of problems including insulin resistance and all of its effects. My recommendation is to stay away from sweeteners of any kind as they can do more damage than good. Once you’re off of them your cravings disappear.
Wishing You Good Health!
Dear Dr. Hyman,
It’s not only the weight gain that is a concern. The overload of sweeteners is unhealthy. The added sugar in much of our food is unnecessary. I don’t need food to be that sweet. Even chewable vitamins (if you are in a hurry) have maltodextrin (what is that and how does it compare to the other artificial sweeteners?). I would prefer NO sweetener in many cases. It is hard work to get the sugar that you don’t even want out of your food. You need the time to prepare everything yourself, so it’s a battle if you’re busy. So I agree that a little real sugar is the better way to go if you can find a way to use only a little. Thanks for the article.
While people will argue to defend a habit, product or governmental edict others of us will go with the animals on this one and enjoy a bit of honey.
Eat well, think well, move well.
`Responding to comments by R.S. Bajaj post:
Good morning R.S.,
If you compile all of the current medical wisdom as to why weight gain and obesity you will find that there are lots of little pieces to a rather complex puzzle. Metabolism is different for each of us due to a multitude of reasons. Obese people with dysfunctional metabolism effectively lose more weitght consuming a high fat diet, while this same diet could be detrimentaly to a skinny person. What I find rather profound when the issue of weight gain comes up…virtually every person remains in a hungry mode despite having consumed a large meal 30 minutes to 1 hour earlier. This occurs because 3 different satiety hormones that work in the normal feedback regulation of our metabolism are basically turned off. People are stuffed with food and yet can easily devour additional food placed in front of their nose.
Remaining constantly hungry while up to 25% of the power plants that generate energy in your body (mitochrondria remain dysfunctional) makes it extremely difficult for an obese person to lose weight and keep it off. Dr Hayman is correct…all calories are not equal. And yes, all forms of sweetners that don’t contain the right amount of calories will further alter the delicate feedback mechanism. When your tongue senses sugar… a chemical message is sent to your liver telling it to stop producing glucose since the body expects to process and burn the glucose in the meal you are consuming. The body will wait about an hour anticipating the sugar that never arrives, and then will jump start the process by creating additional cravings for sugar to correct what is missing from your diet free food.
Your best intake of natural sugar should come from consuming “organic” only fruit and non processed honey used in very low levels. Non organic fruits are loaded with chemicals (pesticides, surfactans and detergents). It’s no longer whats on the outside of the fruit you can wash off (not!). The chemials are inside the fruit with strawberries and apples being two of the worst in having the highest levels of multiple toxic chemicals. EA
You have been asked about Agave, but there has been no respones
I use raw organic agave…what about that???
Any suggestions as to what I can put in my almond milk smoothee or organic, non fat yogurt for a bit of sweetening???
PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTIONS POSTED FROM EVERYONE…MANY ASKED ABOUT AGAVE…any difference between the raw organic as to the regular agave?
Dear Mil,
Generally speaking, I recommend you avoid all sweeteners. Agave nectar, brown rice syrup, and honey, are basically just different forms of sugar. Stevia, and other natural sweeteners can also be problematic due to their affects on insulin. Even the thought of something sweet spikes your insulin levels a bit. Eating sweet foods of any kind—even natural sweeteners like Stevia—have a much more dramatic effect. My recommendation: Get off them. Once you are off them you will find your cravings disappear.
Wishing you Good Health!
what about Raw organic agave???
Please see you other post.
Dr Hyman Staff
This is a great article and I have seen other studies that suggest the same thing.
I do not think that the doctor here is trying to convince everyone to just drink regular soda and eat nothing but sugary snacks. People are missing the point if you believe him to be condoning a high sugar diet. And yes he does not address the diabetic situation. I believe this was more directed towards either a prevention of or a curbing of standard obesity, not toward people with specific medical conditions.
The most healthy lifestyle to life, and it is one I have been living for a while now, having lost 75lbs on it and gone from obese to normal body weight, is a balanced diet which is low in simple sugars. I consume 0g of processed or cane sugar or HCFS during the day. Any simple sugars I eat are from fresh or dried fruits. This is the type of diet a diabetic person should be on. Stop eating the “sugar-free” coffee cakes and eat some eggs. Just cut out the sweeteners, don’t replace them.
People are addicted to sugar and sweetness. I do not sweeten my coffee or tea ever. Once I stopped and accepted the natural flavor of them I learned to enjoy the complexity of it and not just to enjoy the sweetness. It feels like you are having withdrawals when you first start. When you quit any food you will crave it for a bit but then the craving stop and you won’t want it ever. I stopped drinking soda 5 years ago and now to me soda is very unappetizing.
Hi. I am an insulin dependent Type II diabetic who has a terrible time losing weight. I even tried and followed a Nutri System D program for diabetics and lost very little weight. Do you think this could be part of the problem?
Hi Connie thank you for your comment. We cannot answer your question without having your medical history and blood panel, nor can we offer medical advice over the Internet. We would suggest you review your levels and you diet plans with your physician to see where the problem lies.
Wishing you good health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
I so agree about the artificial sweeteners because they are bad for us on so many levels, so I use organic NOW Stevia in powdered form when I drink green or herbal teas. I, personally feel that Stevia (a natural sweetener) should not be placed in the same category as the artificial ones and do NOT see this as a problem. I believe that being a label reader and knowing WHAT we’re putting into our bodies is very important. It’s so sad how many people are addicted to and abuse sugar which weakens the immune system, but there are so many different forms of sugar. Example: At some point, prior to intense exercise, we need energy (complex carbs) as well as a little protein and after intense exercise, we need to replace the glucose that we used.. We need to eat and drink to live, not live to eat and drink. Complex carbs, proteins, healthy fats, the right sugars at the right time etc. And making healthy choices and healthy changes are so important. Blessings, PK
Thanks for confirming what I’ve been thinking for the past six years. I had gastric bypass seven years ago and lost 110 lbs. The weight loss stopped when I started consuming diet coke. I’ve made this statement to several friends over the years and they look at me like I’m nuts. How can a diet coke stop your weight loss? I could not answer that question, but I felt very strongly about it. Thanks for giving me the explanation!! I have kept the 110 lbs. Off for seven years now, but it has been a constant battle. I very rarely have a diet coke and try to stay away from artificially sweeten products. I have been taking bio-identical thyroid and progesteron for the past two and half years both of which are working very well for me. People gain and loose weight for different reasons…it is very complex!! I tried very hard for years to get the weight off and it would not budge even after walking ten miles a day for months while also doing yoga and meditation. Dr. Hyman thank you for having the Passion to do what you do.
Thank you for this very important information on artificial sweeteners. However, since I have depended on them for 48 years, it is going to a major adjustment that I am not sure how to make.
I am a morbidly obese 54 year old, who has been consuming artificial sweeteners as a child. I have had a weight problem all of my life (since infancy), which is why my folks bought me “diet” sodas as a child. I have been drinking “diet” sodas since Tab and Fresca were introduced when I was in elementary school. Although I don’t drink soda much any more, I do drink artificially sweetened tea, lemonade, and jamaica, when I get tired of drinking plain water. My normal body temperature is 97.8, and have been diagnosed with hypothyroidism. I lost 85 lbs on a medically followed liquid diet a few years ago and the weight came right back on when I transitioned to solid food, mostly because I cannot maintain portion control; I am always hungry. And, I crave sweets constantly. The only diets that seem to work for me are low-carb diets, when I have to wean myself from sugar. Drinks sweetened and gelatin with artificial sweeteners are the only things that seem to keep me sane on these diets.
Considering that Dr. Hyman has asked for feedback, and all these people have done so, I would really appreciate that Dr. Hyman answer our questions.
Thank you.
Hello Ellen, thank you for your comment. We cannot advise you over the Internet regarding your questions. It seems as if it would benefit you to review a diet plan with your physician and have them monitor you to ensure your best results.
Wishing you health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
I have a weight problem but have managed to keep my weight down for many years. I never have focused to much on sugar. I’ve always used raw sugar, organic honey or organic agave nectar as a sweetener but keep them limited. This has worked for me. I am a nutrition consultant and wellness coach so would like your opinion on agave nectar. In the article, you objected to stevia but it is a natural plant. I know anything with los is taboo but I always recommend agave, organic honey or stevia. What do I recommend to diabetics or pre-diabetics who should not use sugar? There are so many studies and different recommendations that go either way. It gets really confusing sometimes. Please enlighten me.
Thank you
Dear Dee,
Sweeteners of any kind spike insulin which can lead to a host of problems including insulin resistance and all of its effects. Stay away from sweeteners of any kind as they typically do more damage than good.
Wishing You Good Health!
Hello Dr. Hyman,
I am a big fan of yours as your book “The Ultra Mind Solution” changed my life. I never was one to eat any artificial sweeteners at any point in my life. I kind of always had a bent toward nutrition, even as a teen, and am basically seff taught on a lot. Your book explained everything that I have had “hunches” on for years, not being able to explain since I am not a doctor. My whole story is too lengthy for here, but I did want to make three comments on both your article and the comments made here.
1. When I went on your six week detox suggestions by eliminating several things, including sugar, dairy and gluten, I found that when it comes to sugar in general, it makes me sleepy, overall tired, gives me headaches, makes me hungry, and causes anal itching. So sweet in and of itself (not fruit) causes a person to eat more, thus more calories.
2. Regarding obesity. When I set out to follow the guidelines in your book, it was to feel better and free from about 20 symptoms. I had figured at that point that the extra weight I had (45 lbs) just came with the territory of age (45). However, much to my delight, two weeks into the program I started having significant weight loss. By the end of the 6 weeks, I had lost the extra 45 pounds. It stays off with no effort so long as I keep away from those foods I found that I am allergic to and maintain a wholefoods diet. In your book you say that if you focus on a total whole foods diet, you can eat as much as you want and your body with adjust to the weight it is supposed to be. I found that to be true.
3. I do use Agave (as well as raw honey), but I only use organic, raw Agave. My research has found that to use other Agave is no different than any other sweetener. Apparently, the process used to make both “regular” Agave and the organic, raw kind are very different. The process makes it poison. For this reason I also only use raw, unbleached organic sugar. I would appreciate a detailed narrative on your opinion of Agave and the processes. You don’t mention it in your book. Thanks.
Hi Faith, thank you for your comment. We cannot comment on the manufacturing process of agave to tell you if one method is better than another, it is not something we have researched.
Wishing you health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
Dear Dr. Hyman,
I have just perused your report on artificial sweeteners. I agree 99.9%
My one gripe (NOT with you.) is any message containing the phrase, “Just like you.” I stop reading right there. There IS NO one JUST like me. God sees to that!
Twins are NOT JUST LIKE one another. Now on to my REAL comment. None of these commentors seem to recognize the fact that there is a great variety in people, so I’m making this comment to explain my experiences. 14 years ago I got a sliver under my fingernail and could not remove it. It was old wood and the next morning it was obvious that it had become infected. I went to a local “walk in” doctor who removed the sliver AND tested my blood glucose. He informed me that I was diabetic. I am the youngest of a large generation and know of no others in the family that have diabetes. He referred me to an endocrinologist who performed a multitude of tests and then prescribed glucophage, plus some others things I don’t recall. I recall that the glucophage had stopped working and I was on some kind of substitute. That was one FANTASTIC doctor, but unfortunately for me, he closed his practice and I had to find a new doctor. I found a new doctor who seemed very good at his profession. I later learned that the endocrinologist is one of his patients.
Before my first appointment with the new doctor, I had a dull stomachache. I didn’t think too much about it until I constantly had it and 3 weeks had gone by. I went to the emergency room and was given some (ineffective) pills and told to return in 3 days if they didn’t work. They didn’t. I went back on a Saturday and they had a different doctor on duty who listened to my “tale of woe” and then announced that he was admitting me to the hospital. After being admitted, I was put on insulin, I imagine that it was to better control the diabetes. They performed a CAT scan and announced that there would be a necessary surgery the next day. After the surgery the surgeon came in to see me and said that I had a rare condition called portal vein thrombosis and that he had removed 15″ of my small intestine BUT he was not sure that he got it all and wanted my permission to go back and see if further work was needed. Another CAT scan. Sure enough, on Thursday he “went back in” and removed ANOTHER 18″ of small intesine. I was in the hospital for 4 1/2 weeks, the last 10 days because I contracted peritonitis and they wanted to be SURE that I was rid of that. I must say right here that the medical personnel that “waited” on me were first class and first rate human beings.
As a result of the peritonitis I had an abdominal hernia and subsequently went in for surgery to reinforce my abdomen with a large piece of pigskin. After the first two surgeries, I made a fine recovery – six weeks after surgery I went to my primary care doctor and when he came to the examining room door he said, “My God!, you look good!.
Since that time I gained weight and NOTHING that I/we did prevented it. I DID manage to STOP it. Since then, I purchased “30 Day Diabetes Cure” by Dr Stefan Ripich. It worked for me! The first 4 pounds was from my eyeballs! Hey, this is an 8 1/2 x 11 book of 318 pages! I still haven’t finished reading it! After a big introduction, he divides the remainder into 3 – 30 day periods. Peeking ahead at the first period, I saw that one thing, which it was easy to do, was to eliminate specific items from your diet. I got rid of all ARTIFICIAL sweeteners and stick strictly with Stevia – and I am NOT talking about products that intimate that they are stevia. Friends, look at the labels and you will see different items added. I use 100% Stevia! The second thing I did was to eliminate processed foods – NO TV type dinners, etc. Several contacts have said that when you go to the grocery store, you should stick to the aisles that form the perimeter of the store and STAY AWAY from the internal aisles. This is pretty easy to do. If you want some reinforcement – sometime when you have plenty of time, go down some of those internal aisles.. In the canned vegetables/fruit aisle look at the labels. You will note that almost EVERYTHING has HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP in it. Avoid these like the plague. There some exceptions – beets, carrots, etc. that simply list ‘sugar’ on the labels. I believe that this is the natural sugar contained in the vegetable and not added sugar. I eat some of these occasionally with no negative effects. You are warned about corn. I eat fresh corn on the cob – OK. Now when you get to the salad dressing aisle you are going to find LOTS of those dressings also contain HFCS. I have resorted to making my own mayonnaise and ranch dressing from that maynnaise. SEE, there ARE alternatives. Another thing about canned items. Canners use (sometimes) cans that are coated on the inside with a chemical coating which reportedly is NOT good for you. Luckily, we have SOME vegetables canned within 200 miles of where I live that DO NOT use these coated cans. NOTE: Hunt Foods have come out with ketchup wih NO HFCS. The label reveals to you that they use more sugar – I’d rather have THAT!
At any rate, with a lot of other happenings in my life, I couldn’t stick to this program with the temerity of a dog holding on to a bone, but I DID manage to lose 20 pounds over several months – hey that’s better than nothing. When things calmed down (just before Labor Day) I didn’t even have to TRY – i lost 10 pounds without even trying. First noticed that my trousers were getting bigger – had to drop 2 sizes AND wear a belt. Since then, I have dropped another 5 pounds – AND, this was ALL without exercise. You see, I had hurt my right leg and could not stand for very long, let alone walk. Was a chore going to the mailbox. NOW here is the BIG news – not many things you read will tell you that if you use INSULIN, you will gain weight AND find it very difficult to lose weight. Well, I forgot to take my insulin one night only to find the next morning that it didn’t make much difference. So, I gradually reduced the insulin (BUT keep checking my glucose) so that I only use it when necessary. THAT, Friends, is when the weight started slipping off!!! And I am continuing this procedure until the fat is gone and I don’t have to use insulin. AND I NOW FEEL BETTER! Remembering that wonderful endocrinologist I recall the things he said:
It’s not your fault
I would like you to keep your glucose at 140 or lower, but nobody can ever do that. As long as you keep it under 200, you will be doing fine.
Well, friends, I keep my glucose under 140 pretty regularly and once in a great while I’ll use s small dose of insulin to lower my reading. I’m not worrying about any ill effects – heck I’ve made it to 81 !!!
Well, I just wanted to relate my experience and maybe let you recall your own experiences and see if there are any similarities – remember, there is NO ONE JUST LIKE YOU .
Recently, in retrospect, I was thinking that MAYBE the diagnosis of diabetes was somewhat wrong – MAYBE the onset of the condition that led to the portal vein thrombosis was indicated by diabetic-type signals. Just a thought for the ‘meds’ to consider.
Thank you Dr. Hyman, for a most interesting report
Will
I find this information to be very important. However, I believe that moderation is the key to – keeping calories under control in general, and also in how many artificial sweeteners a person consumes. I have seen people who drank 2 diet sodas a day have success in weight loss. With portion control.
Also, Stevia should not be in the same category as other sweeteners which are artificial. You did not mention High fructose corn syrup, which became popular at about the same time Americans (and children in particular) became more Obese in this country.
I have only seen success in weight loss (as a 60 year old) when I practice portion control and stay away from white flour products and Sugar. Eat small portions of whole grain foods only, no rice, and foods sweetened with Stevia and some Agave syrup – in moderation. Eat mostly lean meats, vegetables, fruit and non-processed foods.
Hello Dr. Hyman,
I’ve been teaching for YEARS to stay away from chemical sweetners. I’ve taught that sugar is far better to use than these toxic substances, but have always recommended stevia for years and years.
My 4 questions are: 1) Why do you group the herb stevia into the category of the other chemical sweetners? 2) Do you believe the processing of this herb or the herb itself causes a potential problem? 3) Is there a particular ‘type’ of stevia you are speaking of to stay away from, such as the leaf or extract of it? 4) Do you believe Stevia’s processing or the herb itself causes belly fat?
Thanks for the clarification and your reasoning.
Marilyn
Dr. Hyman,
Thank you for the information. Like many of your followers, I am confused about AGAVE. At Canyon Ranch they first talked about using it because of the low GI rating, but now there seems to be some negative reports. What’s the scoop??
Hi nancy,
Thank you for writing in regarding Agave. While it is a lower glycemic sugar, a sugar is still a sugar… We recommend cutting down and in many cases eliminating all sugars not coming from fruits and sweet vegetables as it triggers the craving cycle and pushes insulin resistance. So the confusion is understandable as many people think it is a “free” sugar when it certainly is NOT! Hope this clarifies things for you. Remember this adage- the dose makes the poison!
In good health
I don’t have an addictive problem when I use JustLikeSugar. I make healthy dark chocolates (recipe I sent they posted on their website); I eat one piece daily without craving more, more and more… I also use it for delicious spicy rooibos iced tea, home made ice cream, sorbets, flourless brownies and anything else I want sweetened. It is expensive, but I think worth the splurge. I don’t want to be overindulged into sweets, so I am pleased that I have no problem controlling my intake of sweets using this product. I suggest checking it out. Note: I reap no financial gain for recommending this product. I am just a grateful beneficiary for its rewards in assisting my ability to maintain and improve my healthy lifestyle.
Do you use artificially sweetened products? stevia & xylitol
How have they affected your weight? not sure
What sweet treats do you indulge in? one organic fruit a day, chew xylitol gum, stevia with rice sweetener in high fiber cereal. I’m prediabetic, so I try to eat a lot of fiber with any sweet.
Has this finding taken you by surprise? yes
Very interesting article…but what about diabetics and sugar?? I was told by my nutritionist it’s about the total carbs allowed a day, which sugar comes under.
To all the folks talking about sodas – people, ALL sodas are bad for you, with regular sugar, fake sugar, whatever… you need to elminate sodas altogether and be drinking water, not any kind of soda no way no how, with and without your meals, no question.
Dear Dr. Hyman,
What about the sugar alcohol sweeteners that are in B12 methylcobalamin sublinguals for which I currently have been prescribed to take 3 5000 mcg tablets per day? Although small amounts undoubtedly, what does one do to avoid the reactions you described in your article?
Susan
Hello Susan, thank you for your comment. You might write to the manufacturer of the B12 you are taking to find out just what level of sweeteners they contain to make a determination about them.
Wishing you good health,
Dr. Hyman Staff
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I have hypoglycemia and I use Xylitol. Is that considered a dangerous artificial sweetener? Since I cannot use sugar I bake with apple or apple concentrate. Not all things can take the apple such as coffee or tea because it changes the taste so I use Xylitol. How bad is it?
Dear Diane,
Sweeteners of any kind—including xylitol—spike insulin. Over the long terms this can lead to a host of problems including insulin resistance and all of its effects. My recommendation is to stay away from sweeteners of any kind. They typically do more damage than good. Once you’re off of them you will find your cravings disappear.
Wishing You Good Health!
Hello Dr. Hyman,
I am diabetic and have a hard time with sugar. I was switching to stevia from truvia and want to know what I should use in my coffee or drinks that I need sweetened. I drink water most of the time but like to have something different sometimes. I like coffee in the morning and cant drink it without sugar or sweeteners..Thanks, Joyce
I lost thirty pounds easily by eliminating ice cream, desserts, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, deep fried stuff, most bread (no white bread or white rice), all corn products. All the above spike my blood sugar. I also walk and jog some, not as much as I should. I eat lots of veggies, very little beef…. I just cannot have foods that are not good for me in the house as I have very little self control when they are handy. I live alone, so I know it helps not having someone here that doesn’t follow my food preferences. Your partner and/or family must cooperate or it’s a losing battle. Oh yea, try glucomannon. It definitely makes me feel full and helps keep me from eating more especially in the evenings. I’m type II diabetic and weigh 130. No an obesity problem my case. Hope this helps someone.
Thank you for the information on stevia. I had heard about the link between artificial sweeteners and weight gain, but thought stevia was not included. Thanks for the information.
A few years back I stopped drinking diet sodas. I usually drank one every day unless I was in a restaurant where they keep giving you refills. I decided to give them up for a healthier life since I read so many bad things about diet soda. I couldn’t switch to regular soda because I have a corn allergy. Wow, what a great decision. I stopped getting nightmares!
keep in mind too that what we are saying about sugar sweetened pop really the majority is sweetened with corn syrup not sugar. Mexican coke is sweetened with real cane sugar. Our sodas in the past were sweetened with real sugar but in the late 50′s early 60′s when we did not have such a rampant obesity issue it was switched. 2 reasons we subsidies the corn industry and corn syrup is cheap and easier to use. I read an article where the inventors of corn syrup said they were sorry they discovered it. The doctor is right our bodies know what sugar is for hundreds of years our bodies processed it. Most sugar is made from sugar beets and is still a manufactured product. I think that sugar cane is about as natural as you can get. Also Diabetics, (and everyone) NutraSweet is the worst thing you can put in your body. It is a neuroamino acid and it can go to the brain and linked to tumors. Before that, it causes an insulin reaction in the body to store any fat consumed. It can turn into a damaging form of alcohol. I keep reading about splenda being bad and has significant chlorine in it which is not good for the body. I understand the doctor’s recommendation about stevia being new for the body.
I, too am curious about why stevia is included in the “artificial group.” Wouldn’t it be recognized by the body as a natural food (fiber)?
Thanks!
Dear Karen,
Generally speaking, I recommend you avoid all sweeteners. Stevia, and other natural sweeteners can also be problematic due to their affects on insulin. Even the thought of something sweet spikes your insulin levels a bit. Eating sweet foods of any kind—even natural sweeteners like Stevia—have a much more dramatic effect.
Wishing You Good Health!
What specifically is bad about stevia? I don’t use it but had been thinking about it because it’s being touted by several natural health web sites and blogs as a natural sweetener that is low glycemic and doesn’t raise blood glucose.
What is Dr. Hyman’s position on agave nectar? It’s in one of his recipes. But everything I’ve read is either one way or the other — it’s a grea natural sweetener that doesn’t raise blood glucose or it’s the worst sweetener you can use that poisons your system.
Dr. Hyman always offers well-researched, easy to understand info. I’d like to know his stance on agave nectar and what specifically is bad about stevia.
Thanks.
isn’t it wonderful when research proves you right?! i’ve been saying this for years and watching it happening with friends & family. as a person with celiac disease i decided years ago to forgo ALL artificial sweetners. as a label reader i also decided to forgo any ingredients that i can’t identify as “real/natural” food!
I am a type 2 diabetic allergic to artificial sweeterners. Drs always say eat a “healthy balanced diet”. What is a healthy balanced diet with portion control for a diabetic trying to lose weight? I have consulted a nutritionist & a dietician…once they learn of the artificial sweetener allergy I am basically rushed out of the office more confused than i was to start with. These professionals feel its artificial sweeterners or nothing. They too need info regarding these issues.
Glad to see drs are beginning to see the detriments of artificial sweeterners and the effect they have on citizens of this country, Please continue your studies and publishing the results.
I LOVE diet coke and have tried many times to stop drinking it. I just love the taste. The longest I went without drinking it was 2 weeks and did find that my craving for sweets was diminished and if I did have a sweet during that time, I didn’t want as much as I had been consuming because it tasted SO sweet. However, I am drinking it again and I know I need to go off. Is Splenda also off limits? I drink a lot of water but like something with a taste to it with dinner. I need to lose about 50 pounds.
Dear Dr. Hyman,
Very interesting but sad news to me! Following your detox diet, I have only slowly begun to add things back into my diet. My one splurge is a daily Fresca (aspartame and acesulfame) which I usually drink with or after lunch. I noticed that it immediately makes me feel very full, but some days I also have a strong urge for something sweet a short time later. Even more interesting, I think, is that after an initial loss of about ten pounds, my weight has not changed for weeks (although I think I still have about ten more to go) and I have suspected hypothyroidism because I am cold most of the time and still don’t have a great energy level although I am exercising regularly. I guess I owe myself the experiment…thank you for the insight!
I must respectfully disagree with claims that artificial sweeteners cause obesity, as I know many individuals who use artificial sweeteners, and who are in excellent health, and able to maintain a very acceptable body weight. I think that sometimes people experience cravings as their brain strives to keep their degree of body fat at a certain level. I would have to suspect that an error had occurred in the study, whereby the rats gaining the weight had been fed the yogurt sweetened with sugar. My personal experience has been the opposite of the findings reported in your article. I find that foods sweetened with sugar trigger a craving for more sugar. This effect is ameliorated to some extent relative to the amount of protein and fiber that accompany the sugar in any given food. Regis Philbin , seen recently promoting Sweet n Low, is able to maintain a healthy weight. Furthermore, it is my opinion that the body will endeavor to keep it’s body fat at a set level, and will slow the metabolism to accomplish this result with persons who become quite thin.
Thank you for some new and thought-provoking information. It seems to be the norm for thin people to ‘run a bit cool’. It’s difficult to determine whether that is the result of a slower metabolism, or lesser personal insulation.
Dear Dr hyman ,
i’m a huge fan (also in size), u changed my life in many ways and saved me from many deseases only by writing the book “ultra metabolism” my good colesterol rised and the bad one got lower,my fatty liver is losing fat.
However i do have difficulties , in implementing all that is written in ur great book “ultra metabolism”, im just busy and spoiled i guess.
i have sleeping problems and i cant wake up in time , so i dont have time to fix a good meal, i need more tim to sleep , so i have less time to live.
i don’t have enough the time to fix my self salads which will be enough for every day, and i don’t know what to eat in the morning.
im used to eat some hole weat bread and 5% cheeze with it , to get my proteins,cause without them i find it hard to think (i need to think at my job)
but i heard u saying that milk is not very good for us. i realy need something refreshing , full of protein in the morning, and tuna is out , because of heavy metals.
i dont want to take protein shake because i think my kidneys have problem ,found proteins and micro hemtoria in my urin.
i weigh 130 , but i have huge mussles ,just went back to the gym a month ago , and my hunger got more serious ,im working on mussles, trying to burn those fats without success, because my metabolism got very slow in the past few years (6 years of ba bad metabolism) , i had fatty liver,becuase of theis metabolism, which showed good improvment after using ur methods , but i need the sweets sometimes, and i break.
does the fatty liver make my metabolism worse ? is it a cycle ?
any food recomendation , tips and explanation to my situation , a busy guy that every meal gets him fat , with no time in life will be appreciated greatly.
thanks for everything u do for us.
ben.
Greetings Dr. Hyman,
Thank you for your very helpful blog. I always learn something new. My granddaughter (age 5) has had bladder frequently problems especially at night for the last year. She has been checked out for type 1 diabetes and urinary tract infections. Both negative. Since I have frequency probelms whenever I inadvertently consume anything with artificial sugar and recently had this problem after eating a desert with stevia. I am wondering if you have heard anything about stevia causing bladder irritations especially in children. My granddaughter has been using stevia for at least a year. I’m old enough to remember when certain aritifical sugars were removed from the market as detrimenta to health. In your opinion, is stevia safe for children?
I consume A LOT of artificial sweeteners (Equal, Splenda). But I also get in at least one hour of daily, high-impact exercise. The bottom line: Despite the artifical sweeteners, I don’t gain weight. These sweeteners satisfy my appetite. They don’t seem to make me hungry or slow down my metabolism. And despite suffering from hypothyroidism (for which I take medication), I stay at 98 lbs. (5’3″) and follow an otherwise healthy, mostly vegetarian diet. The moral of the story? Go out and exercise HARD, and you can eat what you like (within reason).
I found it misleading that the article begins with the claim that artificial sweeteners cause obesity without a doubt, but by the end of the second paragraph this claim is contradicted with the admission that despite compelling evidence, we cannot be certain that arificial sweeteners cause obesity. I appreciate your attempt to clear up the confusion surrounding artificial sweeteners, but this uncertainty about your mission statement works against you. How can readers be sure of your claim if you aren’t?
I started drinking diet soda when I got my braces on my teeth around age 11. My orthodontist said sugar sodas were bad with braces and that diet sodas would be ok. Then I got in the habit of drinking diet soda and I really don’t like the sugary sweetness of regular soda.
I have heard the correlation between artificial sweetners and weight gain before, but I believed it was more likely that it was the cheeseburgers or cheese cake that I consumed with the diet soda that caused my weight gain.
I do not like coffee or tea. And I get sort of bored with plain water. How do I make myself like plain water as a drink all the time? The thought of never drinking soda again and “just drinking water” all the time forever makes me feel kind of sad. How do I change this attitude?
Hey Zoe!
Thank you for your interest in Dr. Hyman’s work. We hear you on the soda thing and hope some of these ideas speak to you:
1. Seltzer with a lemon or lime or some crushed berries (1/4 cup)
2. Green Tea- has a strong, unique flavor which besides offering interest to the palette helps deter cravings O know you said you do not like tea but have you tried high quality types? Making a ritual out of tea can help too. Some tea companies cna help you enjoy the entire process of making tea by providing props for transforming it into a ritual- ornamental tea pot, mug, loose aromatic teas etc.
3. Water with lemon- warm or room temp. This is soothing and replaces the need to be soothed by soda
4. Kombucha tea- has a carbonated feel without the sugar
5. Boutique-y fizzy waters such as “Hint” waters found at local natural markets.
In good health!
Lizzy
Nutrition Coaching Program
Thanks very much for this insight. I have what is be4st described as an addiction to diet soda. As a Type 2 diabetic with severe insulin resistance, I have always believed that diet soda did not have any dietary effect. Evidence would show otherwise, that despite substantial changes in my diet, I have not lost one pound, When I originally started my nutritional changes, I had eliminated diet soda and seemed to see some progress in breaking through the insulin resistance.
Now having backslid to former consumption levels – 3 to 4 liters a day, my insulin resistance has returned. This is not conjecture but is based on trends analysis from data recorded by my insulin pump.
I have consumed my last diet soda based on the reading above, because for the first time, someone as demonstrably shown that there are deliterious effects to artificial sweetener consumption.
I’ll let you know how thuis works for me.
Please do Richard, we would be interested to hear how you do!
In good health,
Lizzy
Nutrition Coaching Program
I was not the least surprised by this article. I was diagnosed Type-2 diabetic about six years ago and was put on a very strict diet of less than 20% of the calories that I had been consuming previously. Figured I would lose a lot of weight but actually gained more weight. Could not understand how that was possible… of course I had switched several liters per day of HFCS sodas to diet sodas.