I just heard that you shouldn't use Splenda because it raises your
blood sugar. Is that true? What about other artifical sweetners?
Thanks

Hi Blufford,

As mentioned in the comment below, Splenda does not raise one's blood
sugar levels and should not affect control of blood glucose or
insulin.  This is due to its unique chemical structure that makes it
not recognized as a sugar to be metabolized, even though it is sweet
like sugar.

An excellent source of material can be found at:
[ http://www.ific.org/publications/brochures/sucralosebroch.cfm ]
Published by the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation.

From that page:
"Can people with diabetes use sucralose?
Yes. Clinical studies have shown that sucralose can be safely consumed
by people with diabetes. Sucralose is not recognized by the body as
sugar or as a carbohydrate. It is not metabolized by the body for
energy and does not affect blood glucose levels. Sucralose has no
effect on blood glucose utilization, carbohydrate metabolism or
insulin production. Products sweetened with sucralose provide
good-tasting, lower-calorie alternatives for people with diabetes who
are interested in reducing their caloric or sugar intake. As with any
nutritional concerns, people with diabetes should consult their doctor
or diabetes healthcare professional for advice on an individualized
dietary plan."

Additionally:
"What is sucralose made of?
Sucralose is derived from sugar through a patented, multi-step process
that selectively substitutes three chlorine atoms for three
hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule. The tightly bound
chlorine atoms create a molecular structure that is exceptionally
stable.

Is sucralose safe?
Sucralose has an excellent safety profile. More than 100 scientific
studies conducted over a 20-year period demonstrate that sucralose is
safe for use as a sweetening ingredient. The data from the studies
were independently evaluated by international experts in a variety of
scientific disciplines, including toxicology, oncology, teratology,
neurology, hematology, pediatrics and nutrition. Importantly,
comprehensive toxicology studies, designed to meet the highest
scientific standards, have clearly demonstrated that sucralose is not
carcinogenic."

Regarding other artificial sweeteners, the four most popular do not
alter blood-glucose levels and are approved by the American Diabetes
Association.  They are:
Saccharin 
Aspartame (NutraSweet) 
Acesulfame potassium (Sunett) 
Sucralose (Splenda) 
A discussion of these is found at:
[ http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=AN00348 ]

I trust this information will be sufficient for understanding these
chemicals' impact on diabetes.  If you need a clarification, however,
please request one before rating this answer.  Thank you for bringing
your question to Google Answers!

Regards,
Andrewxmp

Thanks, I was afraid I was going to have to drink my coffee without any sweetner.

This may be of interest:

"People with Diabetes can Enjoy the Great Sugar-Like Taste of SPLENDAŽ
No Calorie Sweetener! Sucralose, or SPLENDAŽ Brand Sweetener, the no
calorie sweetening ingredient in SPLENDAŽ No Calorie Sweetener, is not
a carbohydrate and has been shown in studies to have no effect on
blood glucose control or insulin levels."

http://www.splenda.com/page.jhtml?id=splenda/diabetes/main.inc

Splenda is putting one more chemicals in your body at a time when we
really don?t any more.  I use Stevia extract, a natural sweetener
without the side effects of aspertine, no interaction with the blood
and no calories. Check out Dr. Mercola at http://www.mercola.com/blog
at the bottom of the page look in archives.

Hardhat is making the usual mistaken assumption that "natural" is
better than artificial.  That somehow a "natural" ingredient must have
some sort of better effect because it comes from nature.  This
assumption is not always correct.  A good example is almond extract. 
Natural almond extract contains cyanide whereas the "evil" artifical
almond extract does not.  Most food companies use the artificial
almond extract (where they need almond extract)  because they don't
want to poisin their customers!

Scubajim- That is an AWESOME example I need to remember to tell a few people...