Why Do Artificial Sweeteners Exist?

[beforewisdom]

According to this, a teaspoon of table sugar is only about 11 calories:
http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/sweets/5592/2

I *might* use 2 teaspoons of sugar in very strong tea or other things.

Why is there a need for artificial, "low calorie" sweeteners?

[blinki]

The sweetners my gran uses is something silly like 0.1 calorie per sweetner which is a big difference percentage wise but not really. I figure it just makes folk feel healthier about it

[Talyn]

based on the amount of diet coke/coke zero i drink whilst cutting, i am VERY glad they exist.

are they necessary though? no, of course not

[xrodolfox]

This seems a completely strange question.

Artificial sweeteners exist because people pay money to consume them. This is because currently, the economy is dominated by market capitalism, and businesses get a profit form selling consumers products.

Artificial sweeteners exist in the market because people want to eat sweet foods while also not consuming so many calories that they get ill (immediately).

I personally avoid all artificial sweeteners religiously. I wish they would disappear due to the ill health effects on the masses from their consumption. However, I can understand their appeal given that I *love* love love sweets. I have straight up beet sugar or vegan ice cream regularly, or very sweet bananas with sugar, or dates, when I want sweets.

I can't stand spicy foods, but I love sweets. It seems really strange to ask "why do people want sweets when I don't want any". I dislike tea, but when I do I put in at least 5 to 10 spoonfuls of sugar in it. To each their own.

The market works in insane. (part of the reason I don't favor it universally)

[Fallen_Horse]

I *might* use 2 teaspoons of sugar in very strong tea or other things.

You obviously don't drink tea like some people do.

Seriously though, people want to be able to eat whatever they feel like, and with fewer consequences. Speaking as a recent college graduate in the US, most kids these days will pop back 3-4 sodas a day, if not more. This is either 300-400 calories, or 3-5 calories, depending on whether you drink regular or diet. With a culture obsessed with weight loss and being thin, it's not too surprising that people choose the diet versions...

[beforewisdom]

This seems a completely strange question.

Your answer seems completely strange, so we have a matched set

Artificial sweeteners exist because people pay money to consume them. This is because currently, the economy is dominated by market capitalism, and businesses get a profit form selling consumers products.

Yah, I may be going out on a limb here, but I would say that most of the population of VF is educated well enough to understand the basics of a market economy. Constantly reminding people of that, could be mistakenly perceived as being pretentious, boorish, etc. As the Beatles sang " if you go around carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you aren't going to make it with anyone, any how...."


My question, put another way, is basically, why do people buy those artificial sweeteners when regular sugar is already low enough in calories not to be an issues with weight management.....with moderate use?

[kallefs]

Diabetes.

[vCLaW]

Or avoiding the effects of sugar on your teeth. Even if its only a few grams of sugar, it can be affecting you teeth for up to an hour. So not very good to be eating/drinking sugary things between meals.

[sergio]

I also think is basically about selling something pretending it's healthier, so people can feel a little better.

Diabetes could be the most logical cause, but I'm afraid reality is quite different. For years I worked serving breakfasts at a coffehouse/bar, I remember how much I laughed about a lot of people asking for sweetener for their coffe... and eating two doughnuts at the same time.

[fredrikw]

I don't know why you make it this complicated. It exists because people like to eat and drink sweet stuff without the added calories. Comparing teaspoons is only relevant if that's how people eat sugar, look at soft drinks instead and the calories will add up quite quickly. One regular 50cl bottle is about 200kcal, compared with most diet/light/zero drinks which contains almost no calories at all.

[xrodolfox]

Artificial sweeteners exist because people pay money to consume them. This is because currently, the economy is dominated by market capitalism, and businesses get a profit form selling consumers products.

Yah, I may be going out on a limb here, but I would say that most of the population of VF is educated well enough to understand the basics of a market economy. Constantly reminding people of that, could be mistakenly perceived as being pretentious, boorish, etc. As the Beatles sang " if you go around carrying pictures of Chairman Mao, you aren't going to make it with anyone, any how...."

I knew I would sound boorish and pretentious. That's because, well, that was the question originally asked: [i]Why do artificial sweeteners exist?" I answered it. So could've anyone else.

My question, put another way, is basically, why do people buy those artificial sweeteners when regular sugar is already low enough in calories not to be an issues with weight management.....with moderate use?

^That is a MUCH more interesting question, and not at all the question originally asked.

I don't know the answer to your new question at all. But it's an interesting question. There's lots of strange habit that make no sense at all... like why people drink soda. Or alcohol. Or a lot of stuff that's really pointless and expensive. Meh.

[Fallen_Horse]

.....with moderate use?

Have you HEARD of America?

[Konstantin]

In the film Super Size Me and book ('Don't Eat This Book') there was some shocking stuff about how much sugar the guy consumed living off McDonald's for a month. It was something like 500g a day. When there's quantities like that it makes sense to look at cutting calories, although there is a more obvious solution that introducing sweeteners: drink water and eat real food.

I'm like Xrodolfox, I don't care how much sugar I eat. If I get a weight problem maybe I'll change but in reasonable quantities sugar is just high GI carbs and i'll use the calories.

[sergio]

it makes sense to look at cutting calories, although there is a more obvious solution that introducing sweeteners: drink water and eat real food.

I thought this was the point of the thread, questioning use of sweeteners when better and straight solutions exist. It's obvious people use them to save calories, but sometimes remedy is worse than malady (look at the aspartame!).

[ninearms]

Aspartame is awesome. Pepsi Max > all other colas.