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Does the word aspartame ring a bell? How about Splenda? Those are the names of two artificial sweetners that are used in drinks. By putting these sweetners in drinks, people can consume less calories than would be present if sugar was used. Thus, you have diet drinks.

However, there have been controversies over the use of artificial sweetners. Not only have aspartame and Splenda been accused of causing health problems, but other artificial sweetners have too. For aspartame, the results of various studies over the sweetner have ended up in contradictions. Some studies claim to have found no adverse effects from its consumption. Others say it causes brain problems.

Now enter the Christian into the equation. Even though we are not yet sure, there is a possibility that aspartame-containing diet drinks are harmful to our health. Should we Christians be drinking such drinks if they are even potentially hurtful to us? Let me say this: I have been drinking diet drinks for a long time now, and I seem to have no obvious side effects from them (perhaps they are just sneaking up on me?). I am willing to take the risk. But is God willing that I should take the risk? Would He want me to stop drinking such things?

Brother,

I don't drink sodas, the only time I use Splenda, is in my iced tea. Being a diabetic, I have to avoid sugar.

Mat 6:25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?


There are many that cannot use natural sugars. Yes these things may cause health problems so may strawberries or peanuts depending on your own body. Splenda is actually a product made from natural sugars. It is a portion of that sugar and not the entire substance that we know as sugar. Those that have problems with aspartame causing problems with the brain already have the problem and it is amplified or brought out with the use of aspartame. Cane sugar is harmful to some people also.

       I heard Aspertaime can cause seizures,and I ALREADY have a
    seizure problem !!!! I use Sweet and Low for my coffee and iced
    tea.



                     Yours in Yeshua,
                     curious

That is in conjunction with the "brain problem" that was mentioned earlier. It is a good idea to avoid foods that will cause problems. One of my brothers cannot eat anything with corn products in it. This things cause him to get pretty sick. It doesn't mean that they are bad for everybody. Aspartame if I remember right is derived from a substance found in beef. This does not neccessarily mean that beef is bad for you. A person might be able to eat the beef due to the amounts that you get from it is so miniscule while that same person may not be able to consume any aspartame because of the higher concentration.

An example here is another brother of mine. He can eat some raw onions say in a salad but if he trys to eat a whole onion he breaks out in a severe rash and gets sick to his stomach.

I have heard the reports on Aspartame and Sweet & Low.  Pat Robertson has done a number of reports on Aspartame.  And there is a warning on the Sweet & Low package about it causing cancer in lab rats.  But I have never read or seen a negative report on Splenda (a product made from sugar).  So that is what my wife and I use in place of sugar and we are seeing more and more of it in restaurants.  Is it possible you are mistaken about Splenda?  If not, could you please post the info?

Do a goggle search on splenda health problems and you can find a lot of information on it. Remember though to take into consideration who it is that is posting this information and why they are doing it.

I figured that this verse was speaking of our needs. That it was telling us not to worry about what you will eat because God will provide food, and not to worry about what you will wear because God will provide clothes. It doesn't seem to speak of eating or drinking certain things, though I may be mistaken. Also, if our body is the Temple of God, then we shouldn't consume things that defile or degrade it.

Yes that is the main idea behind that verse. However in the those days there was a tendency also teach that you can or cannot eat certain things. This verse also eludes to that. This does not however mean that we should disregard what is bad for us and eat it anyway. If it is posionous to our bodies we should not eat it.