There is a thread in the TDC where we’ve been discussing water intake. As all good threads go, the discussion branched out. We started debating the pro’s and con’s of AS beverages and I wrote the following post, but since it’s off the thread topic, I thought I might find more responses in the General Low Carb forum.

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I'm confused about the whole sweetener / insulin response issue. I read in a lot of places that aspartame "tricks" your mind into believing it's sweet, it's not 'truly' sweet. I don't believe this.

All tastes, whether 'real' or 'fake' sweet / salty / bitter / sour is interpreted by our brains, right? Our tongue only collects data, it's not the determining factor whether something is real or not.

Wouldn't *any* sweet thing, including stevia, produce a bit of insulin response, but once our GI tract realizes there isn't any need to back up that initial IR with more insulin (since there are no carbs to process), it shuts down? And wouldn't it vary by individual how big a spike is created in the first place?

I'd appreciate any comments and opinions on this issue. Thanks!


PS - I know aspartame has other potential health risks, but this question really addresses the Insulin Response to sweets without carbs.