Artificial Sweeteners... bad.. too bad or ok?

How bad are the artificial sweeteners.

I really try no to consume sugar especially in my liquids. I usually drink my coffee with 1.5 packages of splenda (everyday). And ocassionaly I have a second cup of coffee or sweet tea, but with splenda too. Is this bad???? If I want to add sugar to my fruit or my juices, I also use splenda. Ok too much useles information.

The point is I consume everyday about 2 little package of splenda. Should I quit. I really don't want to use granulated or even brown sugar. I think I have it in my fruits and sometimes when I treat myself in my favorites sweets, so it is not I don't consume at all, but I don't need more. Too much cals so less food to eat.

If you should quit, then I am in serious trouble, because I go through tons of those little packets in a day.  I don't even want to count, seriously.  I have read that Splenda isn't dangerous, and that if it were dangerous, you'd have to consume massive quantities of it for it to harm your body (yes, even more than I consume.)  I don't think that two packets a day will hurt you at all.

My feeling is; if it doesn't bother your stomach, don't worry about it. I had to give it up because it was giving me stomach aches but otherwise, hang on to your little packages.

I also am in trouble if it is bad for you as I have diabetes and always buy it by the box or bag as it is cheaper than the packets. I use splenda just like sugar in all my recipes including cookies, pies cakes and stuff like that. I even used it in my amish friendship cake and it still fermented like sugar does.

to barker71 - what's an amish friendship cake and why does the sugar need to ferment?  that sounds very interesting to me!  would you mind sharing your recipe?

thank you!

regarding Splenda - I don't use it but I do use Sweet n Low every day - I can buy a box of 1500 packets at Sams Club for less than $10.00.  Can't use it for baking but I use it in my coffee, my oatmeal and my homemade yogurt. 

I tried the blue stuff once and ended up with muscle aches that took almost a month to get rid of.  Went online 2 weeks after the aches started - decided to google it - wow.  That was the only thing I did differently and it took nearly a month after I quit using that stuff before the muscle aches finally went away.  I have tried splenda but I think I am spoiled with the sweet n low. 

I respect people who choose not to use artificial sweetner.  Ive not read anything substantial enough to back off them personally and am thankful not to have bad physical reactions to them. 

In addition to caloric concerns, Im very hunger sensitive to increases and drops in blood sugar levels so artificicial sweetner is a great help there and I can leave hunger up to digestion and not a plunge in my sugar level.  Realizing this varies by person but it does affect me.

I have heard that research is showing that artificial sweetners like splenda may have the same effect on your brain as sugar so although you are not taking in calories, your body may react the same way.  I also read a report in a magazine saying they believe splenda may cause memory loss.  I also eat splenda on my cereal and in my coffee so I'm keeping my eye on the reports.  I know my memory is terrible but I think that's probably from a hard college life. 

I'll have to get the recipe to you later as I have not brought my recipe books to my apartment since moving here in August. Friendship bread (cake) is kind of a sweetbread. You make or recieve the batter and you add ingredients for one or two weeks I cannot remember now how long but you use a gallon zip bag to make it in and do not refrigerate. On the last day you divide it into four portions and give them to your friends and keep enough to make the bread. I had been given so many starters that as did my friends that we hated hearing that someone had some and nicknamed it enemy bread. The starter can be frozen and then when you want to use it you let it sit for twenty four hours before starting it. I have used spenda in all my baking and not had any ill effects with it. I even made zuccini brownies using splenda and gluten free flour mix and they turned out pretty good.

i've stopped consuming artificial sweetners all together and i've noticed i've felt quite a bit better even when i've made no changes but that...

There's always Stevia. It's an all-natural sweetener. My boyfriend uses it exclusively, and he's a big coffee drinker and uses it to sweeten other foods as well. Before he started using Stevia, he would use 4 to 5 sugar packets in EVERY cup of coffee, on his cereal, etc. (and he wondered why he couldn't lose weight even though he exercised and ran every day!!). He tried artifical sweeteners but wasn't crazy about them (except he liked Splenda). He's very much into nutrition and natural / organic foods, so for him Stevia is perfect. You probably have to buy it at a health food store.

From reading through the posts it looks like those that use Splenda, etc. think it's fine. I've never bothered with an artificial sweetner. I used to have about 1 teaspoon sugar in my morning coffee, but managed to wean myself off it. When I want a sweetner I use a tiny bit of pure maple syrup or honey (mostly on nonfat plain yogurt). I wouldn't hesitate to use real sugar (preferably cane) in a recipe. The one exception would be diet drinks. I've never been a fan of regular soda, and prefer the diet stuff when I have it--once or twice a week.