Is Splenda bad for your diet?

By Heather Fuhr

I have a question about diet.. well more exactly about green tea,,for the past month I have been drinking green tea 3 to 5 times a day with 2 packets of splenda in each serving, I do know there is no calorie or sugar, but am I hurting my diet by doing this.. I heard from a friend that it does effect the way my body stores fat, by raising my insulin levels should I not have this in my diet??? Currently I am still trying to shed the last 10 pounds that to have my abs show, please your advice would greatly be appreciated.... thank you!!!

Answer: This is a very interesting question. Green tea is emerging as potentially very beneficial to health. Although much more research still needs to be done to fully understand how this tea may benefit human health, research to date shows that green tea may contain components that help reduce the incidence of some cancers, protect against oxidative stress, and influence body weight (i.e. weight loss). Some research shows that green tea can enhance insulin sensitivity in the body and lower blood glucose. Both of these effects are beneficial to health. In fact, a recent review on the health effects of green tea reported that consumption of green tea may help reduce or prevent the appearance of atherosclerotic plaque and thereby help reduce heart disease risk. Further, research shows that green tea may help lower bad cholesterol, further helping to reduce health risk. So while, the jury is still out about the exact health benefits of consuming green tea, the research thus far, does not support consumption leading to excess body fat storage, and in fact, possibly the opposite. As long as your total energy (calorie) intake daily is safely (about 250-500 calories) below your energy expenditure, you should be able to shed those last 10 pounds. Bottom line - watch you calorie intake and enjoy your green tea without worry that it is leading to excess body fat storage.

Heather has been racing in the sport of triathlon for the past 17 years. Throughout her career she has specialized in Ironman distance racing. With 15 Ironman victories to her credit she is second only to the great Paula Newby Fraser on the all time Ironman Win List. Included in those 15 Ironman victories is a World Championship title at the 1997 Ironman World Triathlon Championships in Kona, Hawaii.