I want to be an Asterisk*

In this post, Roni asked us do we use Artificial sweetners.   My answer is Yes.

I use a small amount in my coffee, I use it to sweeten my tea and a little on my cereal.  I drink one diet soda a day.

I remember when I read this article on MSNBC last week (Lab Study Ties Artificial Sweeteners to Weight Gain), I shook my head in disbelief.  The first thing I noticed was the use of Saccarin   Researchers have been dogging saccarin for as long as I can remember.  I remember the warnings on cans of TAB when I was younger, saying it was known to cause cancer in lab rats (which, last I looked, I didn’t have pink eyes and a tail). 

This article on FDA’s website was very interesting even though it is from 1999.  I have decided that I am not going to let this controvery deter me from enjoying a glass of tea or soda and sweeting my cereal.  I think if you go to McDonalds and order a Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Large Fries and a Diet Coke, and are using the Diet Coke to keep your calories down to not feel guilty about the calories and fat in the meal, maybe that is the target group this study refers.  I don’t use sweetener for that reason.  I just happen to like my food to have a small amount of sweet.

 Thanks for the question, Roni.

Cigarettes have been proven to cause cancer (as we all know) and they still continue to be sold to the public.  Salt in foods causes high blood pressure.  In my opionion, more people will die next year from products containing peanuts, than from gaining weight from saccarin.