I treated myself to a cup of hot chocolate while preparing dinner last night. I picked up a box of of instant and added whole milk and coffee to perk up the flavor. About 2:30 this morning I was tossing and turning in agony. The last time I had such gastric distress was when DH gave me some ice cream made with Splenda.

I was up most of the night taking anything and everything we had for gas. I could not figure out what caused the problem - then I thought about the new thing I'd consumed - the instant cocoa!

I looked at the box and it contained sucralose! It was in the list of ingredients but not labeled sugar free - If it had that on the box I would have read the ingredients and put it back on the shelf.

Splenda is the brand name of sucralose. Have you had any adverse effects from it? I ask because you said you ate ice cream made with Splenda. Do you think you may have reacted to the bulking additives, since it's only 98% sucralose?

I have a link to MedicineNet.com for you about the pros and cons of sucralose?

http://www.medicinenet.com/art...sweeteners/page9.htm

Splenda or sucralose is now another thing that many are finding themselves sensative to and must avoid.

It really upset me, I knew from the one time I actually bought and tried a product with Spenda that I could not tolerate it. DH did not realize it was a problem when he fixed a dish of the sugar free ice cream for me. Following that disaster I have been very careful about sugar free products. That is why I was so ticked off with the hot chocolate mix - it did not state on the front or give a warning that it was a sugar free product.

So a word of warning to everyone who can tolerate Spenda and use it in baking and cooking - not everyone can and you should warn anyone that it is in a dish you are serving.

I've seen several articles lately that say to avoid anything that says sugar-free, light, reduced fat, etc....due to all the chemicals they add to still give the product the "sweet" taste.

I have gotten into the habit of reading nearly every label if I haven't purchased that particular product recently....just amazing what the manufacturer's seem to think we NEED in our foods...like HFCS!

We use stevia as a sweetener except in baking, that's pure CANE sugar in it!

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We use stevia as a sweetener except in baking, that's pure CANE sugar in it!

Are you sure about that? It is "natural" - as in extracted from the leaves of stevia plants but I think not the same chemically as cane sugar.

At Thanksgiving my DIL said they do not use artificial sweetners or mixes contaning them> Going to have to ask her why? Intresting thread.

It's actually the maltodextrin. Or maybe both. I've been intolerant/allergic to maltodextrin since 2005. Sucralose is made with maltodextrin, I believe. I have articles posted on FB group "Maltodextrin Intolerance Awareness."

The cure is to eat fresh & natural. No processed foods. You have to read every ingredient. And do be tested for gluten intolerance & celiac disease. I was recently diagnosed as partially gluten intolerant as well. Good luck with it.

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Originally posted by Bozie:

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We use stevia as a sweetener except in baking, that's pure CANE sugar in it!

Are you sure about that? It is "natural" - as in extracted from the leaves of stevia plants but I think not the same chemically as cane sugar.

I didn't mean that stevia was the same as sugar. Yes, what we use is an extract from the leaves. I also grow it & plan to try to make my own stevia syrup for sweetening.
If I'm baking, I use pure CANE sugar. If the package says "pure sugar" you are getting GMO'd beet sugar...no thank you, as long as I can avoid it!

Lately I use Stevia or Truvia in baking....in part to cut calories. I still use a small amount of sugar because it's necessary. I also add unsweetened applesauce in my oatmeal cookies for natural sweetness and moisture.

My daughter was having a treat with our 6yr old granddaughter and enjoying a new box of Swiss Miss Hot Choc. that was labeled--NEW IMPROVED and nothing else!

After drinking it she felt the yuck feeling she gets from artifical sweeteners and looked closely at the panel of ingredients and the ONLY difference was they added ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER to make it "improved"--is that cheaper than sugar? AND she does NOT want her daughter ingesting artificial sweeteners--many have been shown to have direct effects on nerve endings and the brain!