Coca-Cola Zero / Pepsi Zero

[thestrangequark]

My mom used to use aspartame & now uses Splenda, for everything. Is aspartame the same as Splenda?

No, they are not the same. Splenda is not yet shown to have any negative side effects, but there are two important things to not regarding this product: 1. The adds always remind us that Splenda is "made from sugar." This does not make it any more natural than aspartame or saccharine. 2. Splenda has not been around long enough to know if there are any long-term effects on health.

Try stevia instead!

my mom is diabetic.

I'm diabetic as well (type 1 though, not type 2 -- I don't know which your mom is). Stevia is a very good choice for diabetics, especially type 2 diabetics, because it increases insulin sensitivity and has been used for centuries as a traditional treatment for type 2 diabetes in South America. It has a unique flavor that can take some getting used to -- it's actually much sweeter than sugar. I really like it though, and use it every day.

I wonder how much stevia costs compared to the Splenda. Theres also another natural sugar substitute called Truvia. I have to check those out for her when I go grocery shopping next time... but if they are too pricey she's not gonna want to switch.

Truvia is a sweetener that is made from stevia and another "natural" sugar alcohol (it's arguable as to how natural the product actually is, but it is vastly preferable to aspartame). Truvia tastes pretty good, but it is expensive, and some people can be sensitive to erythritol, the other ingredient in Truvia, causing nausea. I am one of these people, and I will tell you, it is THE WORST NAUSEA IN THE WORLD. But most people are fine with it.

The price of stevia varies depending on what form it is in. There are the new brand sweeteners containing stevia like Truvia and Purevia, which are expensive. However, you can also buy it as a pure liquid extract (recommended if you want to say, sweeten coffee or tea), and as a powder. The cheapest way to get stevia, of course, is to buy a plant. I used to have one (until my roommate's cat ate it), and would simply brew a small leaf in with my tea. You could also make your own extract from it, but that'd be a lot of effort for some people.

 

[ByrdMan]

Coke Zero tastes NOTHING like regular Coke, and it tastes horrible mixed with Jack. Pass.

 

[cultcross]

 

[ManOnTheWave]

So, what was the deal with that special Pepsi over the summer, that had the "natural" sugar instead of what I assume is glucose or fructose?

Any benefits of this? Or just different taste? I tried 1 or 2 cans, but I drink Cherry Pepsi exclusively, so it was hard to make a determination.

There were no health benefits. For a period of time, Pepsi Throwback and Mountain Dew Throwback were on sale. Instead of high-fructose corn syrup, these beverages utilized real, actual cane sugar for their flavoring.

You do know they're coming back, right?

Then I can open that case I have squirreled away. Pepsi Throwback made me realize why I don't drink much soda anymore. Modern sweeteners are generally awful.

 

[melancholymecha]

No, they are not the same. Splenda is not yet shown to have any negative side effects, but there are two important things to not regarding this product: 1. The adds always remind us that Splenda is "made from sugar." This does not make it any more natural than aspartame or saccharine. 2. Splenda has not been around long enough to know if there are any long-term effects on health.

Try stevia instead!

my mom is diabetic.

I'm diabetic as well (type 1 though, not type 2 -- I don't know which your mom is). Stevia is a very good choice for diabetics, especially type 2 diabetics, because it increases insulin sensitivity and has been used for centuries as a traditional treatment for type 2 diabetes in South America. It has a unique flavor that can take some getting used to -- it's actually much sweeter than sugar. I really like it though, and use it every day.

I wonder how much stevia costs compared to the Splenda. Theres also another natural sugar substitute called Truvia. I have to check those out for her when I go grocery shopping next time... but if they are too pricey she's not gonna want to switch.

Truvia is a sweetener that is made from stevia and another "natural" sugar alcohol (it's arguable as to how natural the product actually is, but it is vastly preferable to aspartame). Truvia tastes pretty good, but it is expensive, and some people can be sensitive to erythritol, the other ingredient in Truvia, causing nausea. I am one of these people, and I will tell you, it is THE WORST NAUSEA IN THE WORLD. But most people are fine with it.

The price of stevia varies depending on what form it is in. There are the new brand sweeteners containing stevia like Truvia and Purevia, which are expensive. However, you can also buy it as a pure liquid extract (recommended if you want to say, sweeten coffee or tea), and as a powder. The cheapest way to get stevia, of course, is to buy a plant. I used to have one (until my roommate's cat ate it), and would simply brew a small leaf in with my tea. You could also make your own extract from it, but that'd be a lot of effort for some people.

my mom is type 2. I just bought her a box of Purevia that was on sale were we shop today, a bit pricier than the Splenda. I figure it wouldnt hurt to try it out. I might try it too since I use a lot of regular sugar in my coffee...they also had- I think it was "raw" Stevia, was a bit cheaper than Truvia or Purevia but wasnt sure if it was the liquid form & didnt know if I should try it. The Purevia was on sale so just decided to pick that instead.