Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

cell.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 92 posts

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#71

Post by Saris »

kreetx wrote: post #69
anon373839 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The funny thing about this question is that it doesn’t really matter, unless it does: Sugar harms your health in a whole host of well documented ways, but a little of it, infrequently, is fine. Aspartame has always been under a cloud of doubt, but is probably also just fine in small amounts. So really, you only need to be thinking about this if you’re having either of them as a regular part of your diet. And if that’…

My main question is, if I drink ~3 glasses of soft drinks per day, should I get the one with sugar or the one with aspartame. Currently, I get the one with aspartame with thinking that (1) given the amount of sugar in this amount, I'd be running 100% full of my daily sugar norm, and (2) there are no conclusive evidence of aspartame being actually bad. Would the sugary drink be a better choice? Another thing that irks…

3 glasses of soft drinks is an insane amount of sugar on a daily basis, so if you have to do it you're probably better off with the aspartame.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#72

Post by simonsarris »

eemil wrote: post #70

What's with the double standard, around sugar and artificial sweeteners? Artificial sweeteners do not need to be as safe as bottled water. They just need to be less harmful than sugar. Which they are, because sugar is unequivocally, very very bad for you.

> because sugar is unequivocally, very very bad for you.

So all fruit is bad for you? Lactose is unequivocally bad? Even for nursing infants? How deep does "unequivocally" go exactly?

I hope you really just mean "added sugar in soda-tier quantities" when you say sugar is "unequivocally, very very bad". But I think this kind of hyperbole is part of why food science has got an awful reputation. Even the most 'enlightened' sources (and there are plenty of competing enlightened sources right now) seem unable to stop the totalizing language.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#73

Post by rgrieselhuber »

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #32
mort96 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do! Problem is, those low sugar beverages are often low sugar thanks to aspartame

That’s not what health-oriented people mean when they say “low sugar” - that’s part of the marketing trick of these drink manufacturers. Low sugar means water, unsweetened tea, coffee without sugar, etc. Simply replacing sugar with toxic chemicals and calling it low sugar is insanity.

It's always the same three downvotes a few hours after any post that dares to question the industrial-scientific complex.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#74

Post by deinonychus »

rgrieselhuber wrote: post #73
rgrieselhuber wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That’s not what health-oriented people mean when they say “low sugar” - that’s part of the marketing trick of these drink manufacturers. Low sugar means water, unsweetened tea, coffee without sugar, etc. Simply replacing sugar with toxic chemicals and calling it low sugar is insanity.

It's always the same three downvotes a few hours after any post that dares to question the industrial-scientific complex.

What are you suggesting is happening?

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#75

Post by deinonychus »

lifeinthevoid wrote: post #15
morkalork wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I would really like a low sugar soft drink, not artificial but one with like 1/4 the amount of real sugar. It would probably taste fine, I don't get why everything needs 32g in it!

Kombucha can be low sugar and the acidity is quite nice.

Seconding this. Whenever I'm at the store I can't help but grab a bottle of Health-Ade. A third of the sugar and it's effervescent and tart in a way that makes it so refreshing.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#76

Post by deinonychus »

flocciput wrote: post #28
lenerdenator wrote: post #2

I know that they've gone back and forth on artificial sweeteners over the years, but honestly, one of the best things I've done recently is switch over to seltzer water. Triggers all of the chemical receptors in the brain by repeating the "ritual" of drinking canned pop, but it's just water, so it's actually good for you. Also half the cost.

I've found seltzer makes me sleepy or fatigued for some reason. Everyone I tell this to looks at me like I'm nuts but I swear it's real. I think it has something to do with the brain's expectation of calories and the subsequent lack.

I can imagine that. If I drink a lot of diet soda, I get a bit wired but also tired in a weird way. It's like my body expects some sugar to fuel the caffeine's stimulation.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#77

Post by niam »

simonsarris wrote: post #72
eemil wrote: post #70

What's with the double standard, around sugar and artificial sweeteners? Artificial sweeteners do not need to be as safe as bottled water. They just need to be less harmful than sugar. Which they are, because sugar is unequivocally, very very bad for you.

> because sugar is unequivocally, very very bad for you. So all fruit is bad for you? Lactose is unequivocally bad? Even for nursing infants? How deep does "unequivocally" go exactly? I hope you really just mean "added sugar in soda-tier quantities" when you say sugar is "unequivocally, very very bad". But I think this kind of hyperbole is part of why food science has got an awful reputation. Even the most 'enlighten…

One refrain seems to be that "added sugars" are bad but then that's not quite true afaik either, because sugar is sugar whether it's "added" or not.

To a first approximation, "sugar is bad for you" seems to be a succinct lie-to-children[1] default, from where exceptions can be established. Whole fruits with lots of sugars (as opposed to e.g fruit juices with a comparable amount) are purportedly less-bad because they're accompanied by enough fiber to slow digestion and make the sugar less bioavailable.

[1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lie-to-children

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#78

Post by rgrieselhuber »

deinonychus wrote: post #74
rgrieselhuber wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's always the same three downvotes a few hours after any post that dares to question the industrial-scientific complex.

What are you suggesting is happening?

Just an observation.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#79

Post by morkalork »

nnutter wrote: post #56
mort96 wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While certainly an option, just watering out a drink more isn't really what they're asking for. There's lots of other flavor compounds that you don't necessarily want watered out just because you want less sugar.

Diluted juice is still a useful suggestion as an alternative idea. I don’t get why people would down vote; that’s not what down vote is for. I like diluted juice quite a bit, 25-50% tastes fine, it’s akin to tea to me. It would be interesting if more beverage companies made a “add your own sweetener” version which is how unsweetened Kool-Aid drink mixes come. They have maltodextrin in them but say they are 0 calorie…

Oh this is where I'm at now, I've been buying juice and adding a little to soda water so it comes out like a light Fresca sort of drink. It would be nice to have that option when going out though.

Re: Aspartame aggravates atherosclerosis through insulin-triggered inflammation

#80

Post by jmulho »

morkalork wrote: post #14
edhelas wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just drink water or low sugar beverages.

I would really like a low sugar soft drink, not artificial but one with like 1/4 the amount of real sugar. It would probably taste fine, I don't get why everything needs 32g in it!

My favorite (besides water, coffee, tea) is sparkling water with some fruit juice and no added sweeteners, e.g. the brand “Spindrift”. It’s 35 calories. I prefer it to colas, juice, and sparkling juice. It is particularly refreshing when you are hot (from yard work, exercise, etc.) when other drinks can taste too sweet.
Post reply on HN