# Does one get used to the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 22, 2009, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523 "2009-11-22T15:04:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/21 "2009-11-24T15:45:22Z")
The taste (and aftertaste) of the fake stuff never bothered me, but I’m not a big sugar fan. I don’t even know if I could figure out which was which (real sugar or any of the fakes) with a blind taste test. I don’t eat either anymore anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Umbriel2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/4af34b/32.png) [@Umbriel2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Umbriel2)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/22 "2009-11-24T17:02:14Z")
I always detested saccharine, but have never noticed anything to distinguish Splenda from sugar in terms of taste. Our family has made lemonade from bottled juice using Splenda, but find it too “smooth” – seeming too much like lemon Kool-aid or some similar mix. Nowadays we use a 5:1-or-so mix of Splenda to sugar, diminishing the calories while giving the lemonade what seems to us more like the appropriate “texture”. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/23 "2009-11-24T17:15:51Z")
I agree with the different taste buds. Just look at how different people react to “spicy” foods. I hate the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners, too, and it ruins my whole coffee mug. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/24 "2009-11-24T18:32:33Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I cannot stand artificial sweeteners. A drink of diet soda turns my stomach a bit. Which is frustrating because I get migraines and try to have some caffeine to try to stop an attack from becoming full-force, and I don’t like coffee, so I ingest tons of wasted calories on regular Mountain Dew. And my bf only drinks diet and I can never steal a sip of his drink. Have you tried Coke Zero? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/25 "2009-11-24T19:15:41Z")
I’ve never tried caffeine pills or Coke Zero. I don’t like regular Coke though. Coke’s better than Pepsi but I only drink those if it’s my only option and I’m thirsty. By caffeine pills do you mean like No-Doz? Someone gave me one in high school and for an hour or two people were asking me what was wrong cause I wouldn’t shut up. Soda does not do that to me. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/26 "2009-11-24T20:30:33Z")
> [@myskepticsight](#): > > I’ve never tried caffeine pills or Coke Zero. I don’t like regular Coke though. Coke’s better than Pepsi but I only drink those if it’s my only option and I’m thirsty. > > By caffeine pills do you mean like No-Doz? Someone gave me one in high school and for an hour or two people were asking me what was wrong cause I wouldn’t shut up. Soda does not do that to me. What about coffee? A single No-Doze (and most other caffeine pills) has 200mg of caffeine, roughly the same as a (largish) cup of coffee. A cola has closer to 35 to 50mg. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2009, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/27 "2009-11-24T23:16:50Z")
I don’t mind artificial sweeteners in drinks. In fact, I can’t drink regular soda anymore; it’s like drinking a can of maple syrup. But every time I’ve tried baking with Splenda, the results have been less than spectacular. Frequently bordering on inedible. So, I’ll stick with “natural” ingredients there… ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/28 "2009-11-25T02:14:43Z")
Diet soda tastes (to me) like industrial waste. I can’t drink it-plain soda water is better. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/29 "2009-11-25T02:20:59Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#): > > It was much easier for me to adapt to Splenda and aspartame after I gave up sugar almost entirely (less than one sugared item a month). This was my experience as well. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my first pregnancy. As a first-time mom I had also given up caffeine completely, so my beverage choices after that were limited to water or unsweetened herbal tea. I also gave up sugary treats completely. After about two months of this, I finally caved and ordered a Diet Coke with my dinner one night, and oh man, it was like the best thing in the world. I am someone who had previously thought that artificial sweeteners were gross and had a terrible aftertaste, btw. I’ve been using artificial sweeteners for going on 8 years now, and am completely used to it. Although I don’t tend to use them in baked goods, much. Just in my coffee and tea, and diet soda pop. Maybe it’s more noticeable in baked goods? ---
**Author:** ![myskepticsight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@myskepticsight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/myskepticsight)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/30 "2009-11-25T02:32:32Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > What about coffee? A single No-Doze (and most other caffeine pills) has 200mg of caffeine, roughly the same as a (largish) cup of coffee. A cola has closer to 35 to 50mg. I actually had an attack today while at school and got a mocha out of the machine. I kinda hate coffee but the mocha wasn’t bad and my headache is mostly gone. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/31 "2009-11-25T03:15:39Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I guess you can. I have had diet pepsi for so long I prefer it to regular. Exactly.In fact after about a month, sugared soda starts to taste weird. Note, in order to experience this, you must give up sugared soda **100%** for that time. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2009, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523/32 "2009-11-25T19:18:33Z")
I agree with the different taste buds theory. My husband without meaning oto bought some yogurts that were sweetened with nutrasweet or splenda. I took one bite and knew instnatly and asked him not to get that brand/style again. He said he didn’t notice any difference. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-one-get-used-to-the-aftertaste-of-artificial-sweeteners/518523.md?page=1)