What is the difference between Splenda and Equal? Please address carb count, impact on blood sugar, and the like.

Is there a limit on how much of either one can/should have each day?

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Equal is aspartame, which Dr. Atkins though could stall weight loss. He recommended avoiding products sweetened with Equal. However, in the real world, many people find they continue to lose weight when consuming Equal. It is one of those YMMV (your miliage may vary) products. Equal loses it's sweetness when heated to high temperatures, so it is not very good for cooking. Few people have trouble digesting Equal, some find it has a funny taste.

Splenda is sucralose, a derivitive of sugar. It retains sweetness when cooked. Few people report digestive upset after eating Splenda; and, to most people, it tastes just like sugar.

A packet of Equal or Splenda both run about 1 carb due to fillers added for bulk. Pourable Splenda, sold in boxes or bags like sugar, has a different carb count than the packets because of the amount of filler used to make it measure like sugar. Liquid Splenda has no carbs.

I wouldn't say either one was an unlimited food, but I don't know about specific recommended limits. Some LC doctors (e.g., Dr. Heller, Carb Addicts Diet), believe that the taste of anything sweet can trigger food cravings - even if it is a very low carb product. I believe Dr. Heller recommended avoiding all alternative sweeteners.

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~~~Teelbee
Back to GOAL!!!
start weight: 176/goal range: 137-134/now: 138
Reached goal in Aug. 2003 - 4rd year of maintenance.

What she said. You may just want to do some personal-reaction experiments with both and see how you react to each. Like Equal one week, Splenda the next.

I use all Splenda, but I will drink a diet soda sweetened with Equal on occasion. I like the liquid Splenda (available online only, as far as I know)....I bought 2- 8 0z. bottles in January and I still have some left! I use it in everything I make to drink: lemonade and green tea.

Everyone is different, so hopefully you can find out what works for you!

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i usually like splenda because, to me, it tastes the best, but sometimes use other sweetners because of the cost. i couldn't add anything to the fine explanations you've already gotten about the other diffeneces, as i found them informative myself!

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I agree with goddess the other posts were very informative. Glad to read them as well.

I favor Equal but have splenda at home that I use for everything. I had to make myself switch since I knew splenda was better for you. The big thing I found is the difference in cola products. But that is because I am so very use to the same flavor so when I tried Coke and Pepsi sweetened with spelnda I found them to taste more like the real thing which was too sweet. I've drank diet Coke and diet Pepsi for years not because of the calories but the taste. While Diet Rite (flavored drinks not cola) tastes great to me because I don't have a mindset to what it would taste like with Equal instead.

I buy splenda in the large bags, not the baking kind, I think there are a few kinds but since I only get this kind it's all I know. I get it at Costco and the price is about $10 for two large bags. The same size bags in the grocery store are $8 a piece so the savings are big.

I love it now in my iced tea and with melted chocolate on strawberries. Eventually I will get use to it in my pepsi because I know I should.

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Noël


Worry doesn't empty tomorrow of its sorrows, it empties today of its strengths.