Why Aspartame Isn't Scary

Unknown

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Aaron_K123

I don't have much opinion on the migraine thing because I don't really consider it relevent. My issue, again, is with people taking their personal experience of getting headaches or what they read on the internet somewhere as proof that aspartame is somehow toxic when it is not. Aspartame triggering migraines is not a problem with aspartame anymore than cheese causing migraines is a problem with cheese. If you experience pain when doing X then don't do X, but that doesn't mean that X is bad for everyone nor should you decry X publically as being somehow bad in general terms.

I am not saying mainecasey did that, she just stated it caused migraines for her to which my response is to shrug basically. I don't mean to sound harsh but I just don't find that particularly informative. Its like if I came on a thread about how peanuts are not toxic and stated that if I ate peanuts I'd die because I am allergic. Well...okay, but does that then make peanuts toxic? No, not really...it just means that I personally should not injest peanuts.

Do I think aspartame could cause migraines? I don't know, sure maybe I have no clue to be honest. When people say it does I tend to just let that go because I see no reason to argue that point as whether or not it does really has no relevance.

Unknown

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Aaron_K123

I don't have much opinion on the migraine thing because I don't really consider it relevent. My issue, again, is with people taking their personal experience of getting headaches or what they read on the internet somewhere as proof that aspartame is somehow toxic when it is not. Aspartame triggering migraines is not a problem with aspartame anymore than cheese causing migraines is a problem with cheese. If you experience pain when doing X then don't do X, but that doesn't mean that X is bad for everyone nor should you decry X publically as being somehow bad in general terms.

I am not saying mainecasey did that, she just stated it caused migraines for her to which my response is to shrug basically. I don't mean to sound harsh but I just don't find that particularly informative. Its like if I came on a thread about how peanuts are not toxic and stated that if I ate peanuts I'd die because I am allergic. Well...okay, but does that then make peanuts toxic? No, not really...it just means that I personally should not injest peanuts.

Do I think aspartame could cause migraines? I don't know, sure maybe I have no clue to be honest. When people say it does I tend to just let that go because I see no reason to argue that point as whether or not it does really has no relevance.

I do fully agree with the line in bold obviously. Can I say that aspartame gives me migraines? No, because I'm pretty damn sure I've had plenty of things out the with it in it and have had no problems. Now will I have crystal light again? Nope, not because I believe the aspartame gave me headache per se but more because "I had a bunch of headaches last time I tried crystal light".

Yeah and that makes you sane. Whenever one encounters a situation like that they have to weigh the desire to find the actual cause of a problem against the sheer amount of time and effort required to even attempt to do so with no guarantee of success. 99% of the time people, including myself, are just going to shrug and decide its easier just to avoid that thing that they don't need anyways and move on. Honestly I wouldn't expect otherwise. Where my eyes start to roll is when they turn that into an internet crusade demanding that everyone recognize how that thing is bad in general.

sweetnsassy4evr

Wow ... this thread is getting pretty long ... but I'll add my 2 cents ...

I have never been a "dieter" or a "diet" drinker but about 10 years ago I decided I drank way too much Dr. Pepper and, because I have hypo-glycemia and it messed with my blood sugar, I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper. Within 2 months my memory had gotten so bad that not only could I not remember a conversation the day before (or even earlier that day) I couldn't remember even seeing the person. I have always had an amazing memory (remembering entire conversations that happened the year before). I didn't attribute it to the soda and honestly had no idea what was happening. Then I got an email warning of the possible side effects of aspertame. I don't always buy into all of the hype but since that made sense to me because one of the possible effects was memory loss I decided to stop drinking the Diet Dr. Pepper. I noticed an improvement immediately.
Although it may not effect everyone the same, there have been countless individuals who have had severe and even dibilitating side effects of aspertame. To tell others that it is safe seems a bit irrisponsible and negligent in my opinion. Just because you don't notice ill effects from something does not mean that it isn't causing your body harm or that those side effects won't surface later in life.

Unknown

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melindafritz1976

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

melindafritz1976

side effects

---

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

melindafritz1976

more side effects

---

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

These are not allergies or sensitivities, but diseases and disease syndromes. Aspartame poisoning is commonly misdiagnosed because aspartame symptoms mock textbook ‘disease’ symptoms, such as Grave’s Disease.

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning.

Ever gone to the doctor with real, physical symptoms, but he/she can’t find the cause? Well, it’s probably your diet, your environment, or both.

melindafritz1976

Begin with detoxifying your body of all residual chemical toxins from aspartame's chemical make up of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and their toxic by-products, and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try the Aspartame Detoxification Program, and within 30 days your symptoms should disappear.

Steps:

Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

melindafritz1976

What can you do about aspartame side effects?

Set an example by changing your diet.

Tell everyone you know.
Talk to the schools and day care centers. Offer to speak at parent-teachers meetings.
Contact your local, state, and Federal government representatives.
If you see someone with a diet drink, ask if they have had any of the typical aspartame side effects.
Spread the word at your work.
Distribute the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot's Hotline
Tell your doctor about the scientific research available proving the negative side effects of aspartame.
Register a complaint with the FDA, the FAA, the NutraSweet Company about aspartame poisoning.
Return all food products with aspartame, opened or unopened, to your grocer. Tell him/her the products make you sick. The grocer can return them to the manufacturer for a store refund. The manufacturer should get the message. So, will the grocer.
Spread the word on computer networks.
Publish articles in newsletters at your church, place of work, or neighborhood association.
Set a personal example for health and wellness.

stackhsc

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

so will living in general.

the last time i checked there were no conclusive studies pointing to proven harm

Aaron_K123

Wow ... this thread is getting pretty long ... but I'll add my 2 cents ...

I have never been a "dieter" or a "diet" drinker but about 10 years ago I decided I drank way too much Dr. Pepper and, because I have hypo-glycemia and it messed with my blood sugar, I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper. Within 2 months my memory had gotten so bad that not only could I not remember a conversation the day before (or even earlier that day) I couldn't remember even seeing the person. I have always had an amazing memory (remembering entire conversations that happened the year before). I didn't attribute it to the soda and honestly had no idea what was happening. Then I got an email warning of the possible side effects of aspertame. I don't always buy into all of the hype but since that made sense to me because one of the possible effects was memory loss I decided to stop drinking the Diet Dr. Pepper. I noticed an improvement immediately.
Although it may not effect everyone the same, there have been countless individuals who have had severe and even dibilitating side effects of aspertame. To tell others that it is safe seems a bit irrisponsible and negligent in my opinion. Just because you don't notice ill effects from something does not mean that it isn't causing your body harm or that those side effects won't surface later in life.

So telling an anecdote based on personal experience and self-diagnosis is legitimate but explaining the actual metabolic breakdown products of aspartame and the studies that have been done in the clinic is irresponsible. Okay.

Aaron_K123

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

Citation?

Given that that was a blatant copy paste it wasn't that hard to find. Here is her source:

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

I will leave it to everyone to judge its legitamcy.

stackhsc

[/quote]


http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

I will leave it to everyone to judge its legitamcy.
[/quote]

^ ROFLMAO, thats the best site name ever lol

paperpudding

Wow ... this thread is getting pretty long ... but I'll add my 2 cents ...

I have never been a "dieter" or a "diet" drinker but about 10 years ago I decided I drank way too much Dr. Pepper and, because I have hypo-glycemia and it messed with my blood sugar, I switched to Diet Dr. Pepper. Within 2 months my memory had gotten so bad that not only could I not remember a conversation the day before (or even earlier that day) I couldn't remember even seeing the person. I have always had an amazing memory (remembering entire conversations that happened the year before). I didn't attribute it to the soda and honestly had no idea what was happening. Then I got an email warning of the possible side effects of aspertame. I don't always buy into all of the hype but since that made sense to me because one of the possible effects was memory loss I decided to stop drinking the Diet Dr. Pepper. I noticed an improvement immediately.
Although it may not effect everyone the same, there have been countless individuals who have had severe and even dibilitating side effects of aspertame. To tell others that it is safe seems a bit irrisponsible and negligent in my opinion. Just because you don't notice ill effects from something does not mean that it isn't causing your body harm or that those side effects won't surface later in life.

Now that is just silly.
I accept that aspartame can have undesired effects for some people.
If people say it gives them migraines or makes them feel hungrier, I believe them. It doesn't do that to me but it is credible that it does it to some others and yes, those people would be sensible to avoid it.

But going from perfect memory to Alzheimer's type memory loss and back again in 2 months from it - sorry, but, No, that is not real. :laugh:

To address your last sentences - there is no reason not to tell others it is safe, it is not at all irresponsible or negligent to do so, given, you know, that it is safe
Also when you don't notice ill effects from something and there is no evidence that the something causes ill effects then there is no reason to think it is causing harm or will cause harm in the future - because, you know, evidence and lack of evidence.

paperpudding

Begin with detoxifying your body of all residual chemical toxins from aspartame's chemical make up of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and their toxic by-products, and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try the Aspartame Detoxification Program, and within 30 days your symptoms should disappear.

Steps:

Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

On dear, an aspartame detox program :laugh:

Well, since I don't have any symptoms and I am happy with myself already and I like cooked food and my life is in control - I think I will pass, thank you.

Unknown

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Sarauk2sf

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

Citation?

Given that that was a blatant copy paste it wasn't that hard to find. Here is her source:

http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

I will leave it to everyone to judge its legitamcy.

Totes legit!

I like the way she gives citations for her claims...oh, wait! Maybe we can find them if we buy the book she authored and is promoting.

I sure hope she also tells people to avoid meat, fish and dairy as these are high in those unnatural toxinzz aspartic acid and the essential amino acid, phenylalanine she refers to as well as tomato juice as that's pretty high in methanol.!!!!

I did follow a bunch of links in that site...all to pages within her website...one of which included a statement that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has come to the same conclusions as the FDA (because apparently anything from the FDA is suspect!). From the EFSA site:

"The sweetener aspartame and its breakdown products have been a matter of extensive investigation for more than 30 years including experimental animal studies, clinical research, intake and epidemiological studies and post-marketing surveillance. It has been found to be safe and authorised for human consumption for many years and in many countries following thorough safety assessments."

Not sure how that supports the claims she makes!

Aaron_K123

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays.

So aspartame does all these very specific things like lowering the levels of various neurotransmitters and the amount of "amino acids in the blood" and yet somehow this cannot be detected by lab tests. Question. If this cannot be detected then by what method was the litany of changes to the body aspartame causes determined in the first place? I mean if aspartame caused lowering levels of serotonin for example...there are lab tests for that. Here is one here.

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003562.htm

So why can this not be detected by lab tests I am confused. This would be a very easy and safe experiment to conduct and publish on. Get a test group. Use an out-of-box lab test to check their serotonin levels, administer aspartame in a laboratory setting and continually monitor seratonine levels of repeated administrations. Publish. So...where is it? Oh right its there but it isn't detectable apparently.

Psuedoscience isn't really that hard to detect. I honestly wish people who copy-pasted this sort of drivel would stick around and explain why they believe it is valid but they never do. They copy-paste verbatim from conspiracy site of the day and then walk off.

It "sounds surreal" for a reason. Sometimes things are unbelievable because they shouldn't be believed.

melaniebester

To the people who are saying "oh i had side effects to Aspartame therefore you shouldn't have it either"

1. I'm allergic to lavender, I'm not running around screaming at people telling them lavender will kill them
2. Yes, some people do have reactions to aspartame, a good friend of mine is very allergic to it, but this occurs with so many different things that it's not a basis for suggesting nobody should consume a product.

Reading the science behind this made me so happy. Honestly, diet drinks are the only thing that keep me able to deal with how strict my diet is- craving? Have a pepsi max, and everything feels better.

Thank you so much for sharing!

Branstin

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

How long do I have to live since I have consumed aspartame since I was 17 years old?

Branstin

[

Although it may not effect everyone the same, there have been countless individuals who have had severe and even dibilitating side effects of aspertame. To tell others that it is safe seems a bit irrisponsible and negligent in my opinion. Just because you don't notice ill effects from something does not mean that it isn't causing your body harm or that those side effects won't surface later in life.

For every individual who has sensitivity to aspartame, there are hundreds or people who consume it just fine. It is very irresponsible to spread around some lame scare tactics because of personal experience. The last sentence of your post could apply to any of the foods you currently consume on a daily basis and deemed safe.

Branstin

Begin with detoxifying your body of all residual chemical toxins from aspartame's chemical make up of phenylalanine, aspartic acid and methanol and their toxic by-products, and see if any adverse health symptoms remain. Try the Aspartame Detoxification Program, and within 30 days your symptoms should disappear.

Steps:

Remove all sugar-free products with aspartame from your diet.
Learn to 'read' your body. Begin recording any health changes.
Get a hair analysis.
Be happy with yourself.
Detoxify.
Restore depleted nutrients.
Exercise and get plenty of rest.
Eat 75% raw foods at every meal.
Drink water, water, water.
Get control of your life.

You criticized aspartame but suggested people do something that could land them in the hospital.

extra_medium

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

How long do I have to live since I have consumed aspartame since I was 17 years old?

You would have lived 437 years had you not consumed the aspartame, that's the thing.

Branstin

aspartame will kill you
There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption. It seems surreal, but true.

How long do I have to live since I have consumed aspartame since I was 17 years old?

You would have lived 437 years had you not consumed the aspartame, that's the thing.

Ok, so I will stop consuming aspartame and live another 403 years.

Unforgotten13

I just don't really like putting anything with the word "artificial" in my body, including the extremely processed white sugar. No aspartame cannot be proven to have bad health effects, but in a lot of cases when humans take something from nature (such as coca) and pervert it by refining and/or concentrating it chemically(such as cocaine), it generally has negative effects. And you may not have any negative impact from one can of soda, or even several in a day, but over a long period of time, even a low level exposure to something harmful (not that aspartame necessarily is or isn't) can potentially cause health effects.

And saying it is not toxic doesn't mean it's good for you, or okay to have in excess. Look what overuse of sugar can do, or overuse of white flour. Not technically toxic, but your body still doesn't like them.

*whiny voice* B-but it occurs in fruiiiiit....

Yes but in its natural form. The lab version of anything is almost never a perfect replica of what nature creates. Close, but not perfect.

All this is just opinion. I personally believe that unnatural substances aren't good for you because your body was not made to use them. Your body, a part of nature, can tell the difference. Even the taste is off. When was the last time you drank a glass of fresh squeezed grape or orange juice (both higher in methanol after breakdown than your average diet coke) and noticed the aftertaste that's in all diet drinks, and a lot of diet foods? Or ANY fruit or fresh squeezed unsweetened fruit juice you can think of?(This is not saying that the aftertaste is dangerous, merely that it signifies a difference between the artificial and natural) Scientifically, there may not be a known difference yet, but I trust my body saying there is a difference.

And yes, I am encouraging people to avoid this artificial junk (and any artificial junk they possibly can). You want "diet" sweeteners? How about you go buy a stevia plant and use that?

stevencloser

richardheath

I just don't really like putting anything with the word "artificial" in my body, including the extremely processed white sugar.

Processed white sugar is not artificial. You can chose to put it in your body or not, but at least don't it for a false reason.

No aspartame cannot be proven to have bad health effects,

So if you can't prove it has bad effects, this'll be the end of your post, right? Oh... wrong :-(

but in a lot of cases when humans take something from nature (such as coca) and pervert it by refining and/or concentrating it chemically(such as cocaine), it generally has negative effects.

Compounds such as that have effects on the body whether they are refined or not. Humans have a tendency to seek them out, and make them work "better" though. But cocaine refined from coca leaves is still 100% natural.

And you may not have any negative impact from one can of soda, or even several in a day, but over a long period of time, even a low level exposure to something harmful (not that aspartame necessarily is or isn't) can potentially cause health effects.

Yes, it could. But there is no evidence that it does.

And saying it is not toxic doesn't mean it's good for you, or okay to have in excess. Look what overuse of sugar can do, or overuse of white flour. Not technically toxic, but your body still doesn't like them.

Define "overuse".

*whiny voice* B-but it occurs in fruiiiiit....

What, aspartame occurs in fruit? Don't think so. Or are you conflating a bunch of crap together to make some nebulous point?

Yes but in its natural form. The lab version of anything is almost never a perfect replica of what nature creates. Close, but not perfect.

Absolute baloney. Lab produced glucose (for example) is 100% identical to glucose from nature. The same. Not close. Perfect.

All this is just opinion.

And all of it is quite wrong. Opinions don't trump facts.

I personally believe that unnatural substances aren't good for you because your body was not made to use them.

Our bodies were not "made" to use anything. We evolved to be able to get nutrients from a wide variety of sources.

Your body, a part of nature, can tell the difference. Even the taste is off. When was the last time you drank a glass of fresh squeezed grape or orange juice (both higher in methanol after breakdown than your average diet coke) and noticed the aftertaste that's in all diet drinks, and a lot of diet foods? Or ANY fruit or fresh squeezed unsweetened fruit juice you can think of?(This is not saying that the aftertaste is dangerous, merely that it signifies a difference between the artificial and natural) Scientifically, there may not be a known difference yet, but I trust my body saying there is a difference.

Humans are part of nature, ergo anything we make is also part of nature. Unless you are saying we have supernatural powers?

And Brussels Sprouts are natural, but taste disgusting. Are they toxic too by your definition?

And yes, I am encouraging people to avoid this artificial junk (and any artificial junk they possibly can). You want "diet" sweeteners? How about you go buy a stevia plant and use that?

Don't want aspartame? Fine, don't eat/drink it. But please don't push your naturalistic fallacies on others.

paperpudding

And yes, I am encouraging people to avoid this artificial junk (and any artificial junk they possibly can). You want "diet" sweeteners? How about you go buy a stevia plant and use that?

Rest of your post has already been covered - but just pointing out that this growing your own stevia plant and using it as a sweetener will not work for most people.

I don't sweeten tea or coffee with anything and most of my other drinks are plain water.
However, sometimes I am out somewhere and I buy a soft drink, in a bar or a restaurant, for example.
Or I have diet coke or Pepsi Max as a mixer with alcohol.

Is not practical for me to carry around my little stevia plant for these occasions, and anyway I want a soft drink, not a flavoured tea or water,and I want a ready made one not to mix stevia into my drink at the table or the sports arena.

Aspartame does not give me any ill effects, there is no evidence to suggest any future ill effects so I will keep drinking it.

PS: I wonder if this human body, which was designed to be so natural,was designed to use the Internet.
I mean,the Internet does not appear anywhere in nature and yet, Unforgotten13, here you are using it :indifferent: