Why Aspartame Isn't Scary
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Just bumping this old thread. Nothing to see here.0
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Just bumping this old thread. Nothing to see here.0
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Eff it. I'm bumping this one, too. Because reasons.0
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Aaron_K123 wrote: »In case it is relevant my background is a Ph.D. in molecular biology with a focus on protein biochemistry. 9 years of research experience with 5 years of infectious disease drug development research part of which is performing toxicology assays on potential drugs. In my opinion there is no evidence or reason to suspect mechanistically that aspartame is toxic or carcinogenic.
I do NOT think that expertise or background is proof that someone is correct so I invite anyone and everyone who is interested to look into this yourself. I just mention it because I know I will likely be asked.
Thank you for the information, I love these topics, bio, Chem and patho. Just beats watching a new mini series on TV!! I'm going to look into it myself and deepen my understanding. Keep it coming!0 -
daily bump0
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And bump.0
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Well, I suffered for 5-6 years with neuropathy in my feet until a friend suggested it might be aspartame. I didn't believe it because I used so little. However, when I quit as a trial, I started having withdrawal symptoms that were unbelievable! Needless to say, I never used it again. Still have problems with the neuropathy (damaged nerves don't come back easily), but now have a medication that helps with it. Also, after quitting aspartame, my cholesterol dropped another 15 points.
Aspartame is not a natural substance, and chemists don't know enough about how the human body works to say for sure how anything will affect it. So, if you don't have reactions from it and want to use it, OK. But serious problems can take years to develop. If you start having difficulties of any kind, try giving up the artificial sweeteners and see if it helps.1 -
wanttobefit300 wrote: »Well, I suffered for 5-6 years with neuropathy in my feet until a friend suggested it might be aspartame. I didn't believe it because I used so little. However, when I quit as a trial, I started having withdrawal symptoms that were unbelievable! Needless to say, I never used it again. Still have problems with the neuropathy (damaged nerves don't come back easily), but now have a medication that helps with it. Also, after quitting aspartame, my cholesterol dropped another 15 points.
Aspartame is not a natural substance, and chemists don't know enough about how the human body works to say for sure how anything will affect it. So, if you don't have reactions from it and want to use it, OK. But serious problems can take years to develop. If you start having difficulties of any kind, try giving up the artificial sweeteners and see if it helps.
So, you quit aspartame because you thought it might be causing your neuropathy, and still had neuropathy after you quit. But you still think the neuropathy was caused by the aspartame? Okay.
Did you even read the OP? Aspartame is nothing more than aspartate and phenylalanine. Two completely natural amino acids found in proteins.2 -
Meh no matter the issue...I think aspartame tastes like crap anyways and makes me bloated like I'm pregnant. Hate the stuff.0
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wanttobefit300 wrote: »Well, I suffered for 5-6 years with neuropathy in my feet until a friend suggested it might be aspartame. I didn't believe it because I used so little. However, when I quit as a trial, I started having withdrawal symptoms that were unbelievable! Needless to say, I never used it again. Still have problems with the neuropathy (damaged nerves don't come back easily), but now have a medication that helps with it. Also, after quitting aspartame, my cholesterol dropped another 15 points.
.
I fail to see the logic behind stopping a substance to help something else, and then when you stop said substance, the "something else" is still there...yet, still blame said substance.
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Why would anyone want to ingest something that needs a defense like that?
I've seen this same argument used by people who avoid flu shots. Oddly, the fiercer the defending arguments become, the more entrenched people become about the supposed dangers. I asked our safety rep why there was barely any mention of the supposed link between immunization and Aspberger's and he said "The more you repeat it, even if it is false, the more people give it credence."
So, even if Aspartame is harmless, saying "it's not toxic!" will continue to perpetuate the false belief that something must be wrong.
It's a shame, as it is a kind way to bring sweetness without calories in to the diabetic's and dieter's regimen.
Immunization too. It has got to be one of the most natural ways to combat disease, alerting our own antibodies to defend. Say, as compared to antibiotics or chemo drugs.0 -
This was very informative, thanks! I try and limit my aspartame intake because I was advised by my dietician that, like caffeine, if consumed with food it impairs the bodies ability to absorb calcium and iron. Having been diagnosed with Coeliac disease 5 years ago I was severely anaemic and there was some concern for my bone density so it made sense to avoid both. I started drinking naturally caffeine free tea (peppermint or redbush) and limited diet soft drinks until at least one hour after eating.
Curious if anyone knows if there's any truth to what I was told? My iron levels certainly improved much more quickly after making the change but not sure whether cutting back on caffeine/aspartame was the reason? I never cut either out entirely, just stopped drinking them with meals.
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I hear Swedes are terrified of sharks.
https://www.ted.com/talks/hans_and_ola_rosling_how_not_to_be_ignorant_about_the_world?language=en0 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »In case it is relevant my background is a Ph.D. in molecular....
I do NOT think that expertise or background is proof that someone is correct so I invite anyone and everyone who is interested to look into this yourself. I just mention it because I know I will likely be asked.
This...is why science is great. People who will ask to be proved wrong instead of just accepting ideas as they are. Thank you for that curiosity sir.1 -
azulvioleta6 wrote: »I ended up in the hospital several times before my doctors figured out that aspartame was making my brain swell. I have serious neurological issues and this is a VERY BAD THING for me. Obviously not everybody has a reaction to it, but for some of us, it absolutely is not safe to consume.
I will get a migraine-like headache if I even eat one stick on Nutri-sweetened gum.
Thanks for this post, I got sick of all the people saying "omg I'll start drinking diet Pepsi now!" I'll just stick to drinking water as I think the OP has been paid to post here ha!
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It's a little scary because sucralose is so much better, but it will work in a pinch.0
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Ah the tin foil hats and thinly veiled personal attacks are out.
This remains one of the best posts ever.1 -
That picture was scary as hell though...
I personally don't like the taste of fake sugars. Any of them. I just opt for water when given the chance now lol.1 -
I always wonder why people who drink diet sodas and get headaches or whatever specifically attribute it to the aspartame. There are a lot of other ingredients. Perhaps it's one of them. That being said I do know that some people can be allergic to aspartame. But I also know someone allergic to chicken. And I know people who get headaches from coffee. Just because a food is bad for one person doesn't mean it is bad for all people.0
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A lot of people drink coffee in the morning...........................for me it's a Diet Pepsi.
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This thread entertained me for an entire morning of Jury Duty. So thank you for that. Now off to get a diet coke :-)0
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I would want some actual sources for what you're saying. And with sources I obviously don't mean blog posts.
Occam's razor would suggest they would have gotten it regardless.They have no clue why a person consuming aspartame ended up with migraines, seizures or brain tumors (just to name a few) after some time consuming it!
What Occam's razor would have suggested had I told you that most side effects reversed once they stop consuming aspartame? Clearly, that it was caused by aspartame, the simplest hypotheses!
Well, I have my own story with aspartame and cyclamate but I guess is not good enough for you.
So, you can google: site:fda.gov aspartame reported cases recovery after stop consuming
This is an excerpt of one of many documents reported to the FDA:
"A 16-year-old girl (Case III-2) had recurrent seizures that
baffled several neurologists. Her convulsions stopped after
avaoiding aspartame products. An attack was then reproduced
within three hours following rechallenge with one small serving
of an aspartame pudding.
[This paragraph epitomizes the 1200 case reports that are the
foundation of this text.]"
This is the link to that doc: http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dailys/02/aug02/080602/98f-0052-sup0005-vol5.txt
Can I just point out these reactions can also be caused with what people would quote to be 'natural or whole foods' adverse reactions to food are most definitely not uncommon, peanut allergies can cause seizures anaphylactic shock and death but you wouldn't refer to peanuts as toxic. Many people are intolerant or allergic to lactose but again dairy is not discussed regularly as toxic. Raw tomatoes have been found to have carcinogens in them but again are not wholly avoided by the population due to this. Ever accidentally burnt your toast? carcinogenic, hope you don't BBQ or grill, any black bits are carcinogenic. I can carry on if you like there are so many examples in the world of substances used or eaten on a daily basis that are either toxic or carcinogenic.
At the end of the day yes there will be people in the world that develop adverse reactions to Aspartame just like there are people that get adverse reactions to peanuts, lactose, egg, strawberries, gluten and many more it is the beauty and maybe the curse of diversity of the human species.1 -
perseverance14 wrote: »
I believe a molecule is removed from sucrose to make sucralose, and the process to do it uses chlorine. That said, I like splenda.Side question so what does science say about Splenda? Is the a derivative of chlorine and sugar? I love Coke Zero and Splenda but have heard mixed reports.
Honestly don't kniw a thing about Splenda but knowing what kind if rigor it takes to get FDA approval I personally would trust in its safety until I saw convincing evidence that it was somehow unsafe.
Not knowing anything about it not sure what you mean about chlorine and sugar.
Potable water treatment also uses chlorine in the sanitation process...
Just because something is there doesn't mean it's inherently dangerous.
Of course, that doesn't mean it isn't... Just that you have to look at each individual case.0 -
There has been a study done that shows artificial sweeteners affect the bacteria in your gut. Which in turns may result in an increase absorption and resulting in weight gains and decreased production of a hormone that suppresses appetite
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Been a year since I've been on this site but for whatever reason decided to check back in. Hi again Myfitnesspal community.
Got a good chuckle to see that the accusations of me being a paid shill haven't died down yet. Honestly I wish there was a way to get paid for posting things you believe on public community forums on the internet but I have this thing in the back of my mind that tells me that job probably doesn't actually exist.0 -
Aaron_K123 wrote: »Been a year since I've been on this site but for whatever reason decided to check back in. Hi again Myfitnesspal community.
Got a good chuckle to see that the accusations of me being a paid shill haven't died down yet. Honestly I wish there was a way to get paid for posting things you believe on public community forums on the internet but I have this thing in the back of my mind that tells me that job probably doesn't actually exist.
We wish you'd come back! A lot of derp in the forums these days. We need more logical people to balance everything out. 0 -
There has been a study done that shows artificial sweeteners affect the bacteria in your gut. Which in turns may result in an increase absorption and resulting in weight gains and decreased production of a hormone that suppresses appetite
Do you have a link for the study in question? I'd be suprised as to how milligram quantities of amino acids would have a large scale affect on our commensal gut flora.
I googled and found this:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25313461
Is this the study you are refering to?
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I don't not have a link I read it in my Scientific America that I have. But I didn't even think about how much was consumed0
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I will definitely try and find out more about the study. I personally do not like artificial sweeteners because of taste but I'm a firm believer in everything is okay in moderation0
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