Should my newly diagnosed 3 year old drink Crystal Light as an alternative to Juice? I am worried about the Aspartame content.
What about the aspartame worries you? Studies have shown artificial sweeteners are safe to consume.
[quote user="Brandi12"]
Should my newly diagnosed 3 year old drink Crystal Light as an alternative to Juice? I am worried about the Aspartame content.
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I will say this: I'm preggo and type 1 and my OB was fine with me drinking Crystal Light, within reason. Doesn't want me drinking gallons a day, but a few glasses a day was OK with them. I've also been drinking it for 25 years and I'm fine :) Hope that helps!
I'd be more worried about BPA in plastic serving containers;) Crystal Lite should be fine! I drink so much Diet Coke (it fuels me to excellence), as does the rest of America, that I think we would all *know* if there was something to be worried about.
"But you don't have to take my word for it" : http://www.thechildrenshospital.org/wellness/info/parents/25823.aspx
So I agree with the poster below, as long as they aren't drinking gallons and gallons of it.... they'll be just fine!
And if you have any other questions (I imagine you've had to learn a lot really quickly for your young one) don't be afraid to ask!
Man, you gotta give up the Diet Coke.....
Coke Zero is infinitely (yes, infinitely, like dividing by zero) better than Diet Coke.
Interestingly enough, there's never been a well conducted research study that shows ANY health issues from aspartame or BPA. I was diagnosed with D in 1977 and have eaten artificial sweetners for over 30 years with no ill effects.
The BPA study that's caused such a stir was conducted by injecting the chemical into animals. More substantial studies using large test groups of people show there's no health issues related to BPA and that a negligible amount can enter the body by ingestion. The chemical has actually saved countless lives because it eliminates botulism in canned food containers lined with BPA.
The media is always quick to report initial research studies before they have been verified by other researchers. The research community at most universities and research centers get funding for new studies or ideas, but it's hard to get support to prove or disprove a finding, so sometimes information is released as fact that is, at best, a weak theory. The FDA is gun shy and tends to add fuel to peoples' fear. Canada is about to outlaw BPA based on all the hype, instead of the actual research.
Very good points have been made here. I have been drinking Crystal Lite and Walmart's competing brand of powdered drinks ever since aspartame was first introduced. No problem! I drink one aluminum can of diet soda each day too.
You know, you're right. My office only offers Diet Coke though.
And don't get me started on CHERRY Coke Zero.... Heavenly!
i'm a diet pepsi drinker myself, but i will admit cherry coke zero is quite delish.
Pepsi One was the first mainline soda to use the aspartame/Acesulfame potassium combination about a decade ago. I thought it was great, except for having to deal with Pepsi flavor (ha! yay, coke!). I was actually surprised it took Coke so long to come out with their Coke Zero, and so for me it was nice to have the coke flavor (not diet coke flavor) over pepsi.
Hasn't Pepsi Max taken over the old Pepsi One at this point? Something about that sweetener combination seems to leave a sweeter residue in your mouth, similar to just drinking sugary soda in the first place.
And of course, Pepsi Max has put their new spin on the old Coke/Pepsi ads from a generation ago :)
i dont think there is anything wrong with consuming the recommended amounts of sweeteners i prefer the taste of sucrolose to things with aspartame in it. . i use/bake with splenda all the time. its my fav sweetener to put in coffee.
one thing i do love with aspartame is diet coke with lime tho.. mmmmmm
I used to like "Pepsi One". Each serving had one carb. I have not seen any of that in probably 10 years. Does anybody out there still see that product?
My favorite soda is Dr Pepper. I also like Mt Dew. There is a brand called Polar that has fruit flavors (black cherry, grape, orange, etc.) all sweetened with Splenda.
Polar's great -- especially a one-liter bottle of ice cold diet BIRCH BEER! :)
Hey Brandi,
As soon as we came home with our daughter Cassie's T1D diagnosis, we nearly bought out the grocery store's whole supply of diet drinks, lite ice creams and sugar free treats. Several tummy aches later, we realized we'd gone overboard. The culprit? Aspartame and artificial sweeteners. We fell into the common misconception that people with diabetes can't eat regular food or drink sugary like juice (mainly because the hospital staff communicated that message to us since they deal with type 2 diabetes more than type 1). The most important thing to count are carbs, and you can adjust for sugary intake by: either giving insulin for it and/or not overindulging on the sweet stuff.
The funny thing is, Cassie drinks more juice AFTER the diabetes diagnosis than before. We find that it's a quick and convenient way to get her blood sugar levels up when she's low. It's really all in the timing.
So now we buy mostly "normal" ice cream and juice, etc. but we also have a good amount of sugar free choices when her blood sugars are high. We DO stay clear of regular sodas though- our whole family has gotten pretty fond of coke zero and caffeine free diet coke. Flavored seltzer waters like La Croix are another family favorite when you want something fizzy.
It's all about a balance and not going too far one way or the other. Good luck!
~ Red Maxwell
This is a good topic. I think I'll write about this on my daddybetes blog
I drink those drink mixes all the time. I even add more sweetener to mine. I have to get my sweet fix somewhere. I don't know how you all drink Coke Zero, that is nasty! lol. I only drink caffeine free sodas. Just a little caffeine keeps me up all night!
I give my 5 y/o Crystal light from time to time. We don't have it mixed up all the time, but it is easier in the summer, during picnics, etc. than watching what he is drinking so I can give insulin for it. I also though add WAY more water than it says to. I don't think it dilutes the taste too much. I don't personally like the aspartame taste but he doesn't seem to mind. As others have said, it is safe, but I'd still rather serve juice. I also just encourage our son to drink water in between meals. If that doesn't work, I just sprinkle a little Crystal light (he calls it orange salt. LOL) in his cup and just a tiny bit of flavor helps him think he's got something special going and drinks it right down. Other than that, we just serve juice/milk at meals and let him drink as much as he wants then and water in between.
I am a fan of organic, but after my daughter was diagnosed last year I have turned to using some products with aspartame. If you don't go overboard I think they are fine. tests do show they are safe. I also have tried making sugar free kool-aid with truvia (stevia is a natural low carb alternative to sugar). If you are one that likes natural products that might be one alternative. Not that kool-aid is really all that natural to begin with :) Also, we did not give up on juice altogether. Just moderation. If you are not afraid of a little artificial sweetner there are lower carb juices on the market. They would supply some vitamins as they do contain juice. Good luck finding your families balance. I know I cried the first time grocery shopping after my daughters dx last year (she was 6). It gets a little easier. A 37 yr old friend of mine with type 1 says that there are a lot more options out there then when she was dx in the 1980's, I guess we need to use them. My husband and I have lost a little weight also since adjusting our families diet.