diet pepsi drinkers beware: aspartame....

xomakaxo

Many studies have been done on the use of fake sugars. Aspartame was reported as having the most side effects in case studies, including severe migraines. Some studies associated the ingestion of fake sugars (including saccharin) to cancers and shrinking of testicles-- in lab rats. However, be wary of studies like this that compare rats to humans. We have very different ways of processing foods and chemicals, natural or unnatural. Something that causes cancer or shrinking balls in rats may not necessarily cause the same in humans (their cancer was caused by the formation of crystals because of chems in their bodies that we don't have).

It is labeled in the ingredients as ASPARTAME, and usually will also have a warning directly below the ingredients list that says "Warning: Contains PHENYLKETONEURICS". If it is included in the food, it must be on the label, in the ingredients list. They can't just leave it out.

On the other hand, Stevia is a naturally-derived (it's a leaf from a shrub) sweetener now being used (mainly in low-calorie drinks). Since it's WAY sweeter than sugar, much less is needed. Diabetics can even use it. It can be called Stevia, PureVia, Truvia, or other names. Studies have been done on it, and some cultures have used stevia for centuries, with no bad side effects.

PrincessLynn2010

I have a bad case of restless leg syndome, myself. I didn't even think to link it to aspartame.

Does anyone know if losing weight while drinking diet soda is more difficult?

albragg

I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.

JackboyE

so he calls me this weekend and tells me out of the blue he figured out that the only thing in his life that he has done differently was switch from regular pepsi, to diet pepsi. he did some research and found that ASPARTAME is the root of all evil. look it up for more details.

You say he figured it out? Is he a doctor specialising in artificial sweeteners? My point being, you can't just go by what people say. I've read articles on artificial sweeteners but I've never read anything on pubmed.

I drink pepsi max and I have no troubles (headache etc) and I agree with the person who said how rats are incredibly different to humans.

I think it's nice that you've shared a story about what has happened to him but you can't assume that what happened to him will happen to all drinkers :P

bmontgomery87

If you're super concerned over your health just avoid soda in general. problem solved.

Isa25

I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.

Feel the SAME exact way.

TammyLanham

We once had a rat problem (due to a neighbor's hoarding issues) and we called the exterminator. He told us there wasn't much he could do for us but suggested we empty either the blue packets or the pink packets into a paper plate on the floor & they would consume it & be dead within days. It fries their blood vessels from the inside out. Did it & so did several of our neighbors ... rats were gone within the week. That was enough to convince me to stay away from aspartame.

Honestly, I drink water all day long and lots of it. I will have one 4 oz. glass of orange juice about 1x a week and that's all I drink. When I'm playing in tournaments or athletic competitions, I drink a powerade or gatorade. That's usually about once a month.

ttmuzzy13

UPDATE: today is wednesday, he said he stopped drinking it on saturday morning. I talked to him last night and he said his leg and arm/hand are still shaking pretty bad, but he said they're not AS severe as they were.

It's not so much as diagnosing himself as it is changing what he started 2 years ago when the tremors/shaking started. The only thing he changed was he went on a diet and started drinking diet pepsi. Doctors never even thought to ask him about his drink/food intake. He said he just woke up saturday morning and the light bulb went off.

only time will tell, but I believe my brother is DEAD ON with this aspartame causing his shaking. He was almost diagnosed MS but all the test results proved false.

I'll definitely keep this post updated probably in another 30 days to see where his health is. I'm praying he's right about the diet soda causing his problems.

so he calls me this weekend and tells me out of the blue he figured out that the only thing in his life that he has done differently was switch from regular pepsi, to diet pepsi. he did some research and found that ASPARTAME is the root of all evil. look it up for more details.

You say he figured it out? Is he a doctor specialising in artificial sweeteners? My point being, you can't just go by what people say. I've read articles on artificial sweeteners but I've never read anything on pubmed.

I drink pepsi max and I have no troubles (headache etc) and I agree with the person who said how rats are incredibly different to humans.

I think it's nice that you've shared a story about what has happened to him but you can't assume that what happened to him will happen to all drinkers :P

JackboyE

I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.

I didn't see this post! 100% agree, people listen to people and it's really scientific research from qualified people you need to listen to!

@Thread starter - Hope your brother is okay and I hope it's an easy fix (such as cutting out the artificial sugars as he has suggested).

dandydalek

Anecdote = science for non-scientists.

In any case "restless leg syndrome" is not a real condition...

Oh, I'm sorry. You're right. Obviously you know way more than the MILLIONS of people who suffer from it. Thanks for clearing that up.

Noctuary

The sheer amount of panic over the one story of this one time aspartame caused me to see blue spots or when rats died on the spot from just seeing the blue and yellow packets....
herd mentality in action.

lillylilly112

The sheer amount of panic over the one story of this one time aspartame caused me to see blue spots or when rats died on the spot from just seeing the blue and yellow packets....
herd mentality in action.

Gosh, what did you have for lunch, a heaping bowl of smartass stew?

Noctuary

The sheer amount of panic over the one story of this one time aspartame caused me to see blue spots or when rats died on the spot from just seeing the blue and yellow packets....
herd mentality in action.

Gosh, what did you have for lunch, a heaping bowl of smartass stew?

I had a Diet Dr Pepper.

FearAnLoathing

We once had a rat problem (due to a neighbor's hoarding issues) and we called the exterminator. He told us there wasn't much he could do for us but suggested we empty either the blue packets or the pink packets into a paper plate on the floor & they would consume it & be dead within days. It fries their blood vessels from the inside out. Did it & so did several of our neighbors ... rats were gone within the week. That was enough to convince me to stay away from aspartame.

Honestly, I drink water all day long and lots of it. I will have one 4 oz. glass of orange juice about 1x a week and that's all I drink. When I'm playing in tournaments or athletic competitions, I drink a powerade or gatorade. That's usually about once a month.

well here is my little story my great grandma drank diet soda from the day it hit the market till the day she died at 104.She never had any of these problem.grapes are toxic to dogs so i guess we shouldnt eat those either lol

FearAnLoathing

The sheer amount of panic over the one story of this one time aspartame caused me to see blue spots or when rats died on the spot from just seeing the blue and yellow packets....
herd mentality in action.

Gosh, what did you have for lunch, a heaping bowl of smartass stew?

I had a Diet Dr Pepper.

lmao!!!!!

FearAnLoathing

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/aspartame


Does aspartame cause cancer?
Researchers use 2 main types of studies to try to determine if a substance or exposure causes cancer. (A substance that causes cancer or helps cancer grow is called a carcinogen.)

In studies done in the lab, animals are exposed to a substance (often in very large doses) to see if it causes tumors or other health problems. It's not always clear if the results from these types of studies will apply to humans, but lab studies are the best way to find out if a substance has the potential to cause cancer in humans before widespread exposure occurs.

Another type of study looks at cancer rates in different groups of people. Such a study might compare the cancer rate in a group exposed to a substance versus the rate in a group not exposed to it, or compare it to what the expected cancer rate would be in the general population. But studies in people can sometimes be hard to interpret, because there may be other factors affecting the results that are hard to account for.

In most cases neither type of study provides definitive evidence on its own, so researchers usually look at both lab-based and human studies if they are available.

Studies done in the lab
Many studies have looked for health effects in lab animals fed aspartame, often in doses higher than 4,000 mg/kg per day over their lifetimes. These studies have not found any health problems that are consistently linked with aspartame.

Two studies published by a group of Italian researchers suggested that very high doses of aspartame might increase the risk of some blood-related cancers (leukemias and lymphomas) in rats. However, both the FDA and the EFSA have called these results into question, citing a lack of some important data in the published studies and other concerns.

Studies in people
Most studies in people have not found that aspartame use is linked to an increased risk of cancer.

One early study suggested that an increased rate of brain tumors in the US during the 1980s might have been related to aspartame use. However, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the increase in brain tumor rates actually began back in the early 1970s, well before aspartame was in use. And most of the increase was seen in people age 70 and older, a group that was not exposed to the highest doses of aspartame, which might also make this link less likely. Other studies have not found an increase in brain tumors related to aspartame use.

In the largest study of this issue, researchers from the NCI looked at cancer rates in more than 500,000 older adults. The study found that, compared to people who did not drink aspartame-containing beverages, those who did drink them did not have an increased risk of lymphomas, leukemias, or brain tumors.

What expert agencies say
Expert agencies in the United States and elsewhere that have evaluated aspartame have found it safe for use.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the use of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in the United States. In 2007, the FDA stated:

Considering results from the large number of studies on aspartame's safety, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies, a recently reported large epidemiology study with negative associations between the use of aspartame and the occurrence of tumors, and negative findings from a series of three transgenic mouse assays, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses the safety of sweeteners such as aspartame in the European Union. According to a 2009 report from its Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food:

Overall, the Panel concluded, on the basis of all the evidence currently available… that there is no indication of any genotoxic or carcinogenic potential of aspartame and that there is no reason to revise the previously established ADI for aspartame of 40 mg/kg [body weight].

Though research into a possible link between aspartame and cancer continues, these agencies agree that studies done so far have not found such a link.

Does aspartame cause any other health problems?
Complaints of various health issues have circulated since aspartame first appeared on the market in the 1980s. But for most people, no health problems have clearly been linked to aspartame use.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Phenylketonuria is a rare genetic disorder (present at birth) in which the body can't break down phenylalanine, an amino acid found in many foods. Levels of phenylalanine can build up in the blood, which prevents other important chemicals from getting to the brain. Unless phenylalanine intake is severely limited, children with PKU suffer from abnormal brain development.

PKU is usually detected in babies by a routine blood test shortly after birth. People with PKU need to follow a phenylalanine-restricted diet. This is especially important in children, whose brains are still developing.

Because phenylalanine is a component of aspartame, it's important that people with PKU limit their intake of aspartame-containing foods and drinks.

Other health complaints
Claims have been made that aspartame is related to health effects ranging from mild problems such as headache, dizziness, digestive symptoms, and changes in mood, to more serious health issues such as Alzheimer disease, birth defects, diabetes, Gulf War syndrome, attention deficit disorders, Parkinson disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and seizures. However, studies done to date have not found any consistent evidence of harm. Research into the safety of aspartame continues.

Should I limit my exposure to aspartame?
Aside from the possible effects in people with phenylketonuria, there are no health problems that have been consistently linked to aspartame use. Research on artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, continues today.

For people who want to avoid aspartame, the easiest way to do this is to check the labels before buying or eating foods or drinks. If aspartame is in the product it will be listed in the ingredients. NutraSweet® and Equal® are brand names for aspartame, so these can be avoided as well.

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SiltyPigeon

This one time... My brother had an allergic reaction to strawberries. So, Strawberries are the DEVIL. YOU SHOULD ALL STOP EATING STRAWBERRIES FOREVER!!!!!

SiltyPigeon

PS. My Pepsi Max is really YUMMY and my legs feel fine. Nice and Rested.

mlafrance7

Aspartame is horrible for you. One of my best friends is a natural nutritionist and we were just taking about the bad effects that aspartame has on the body. She was saying that even though scientist know how bad it is they refuse to take it off the market or at least control it like they have with trans fats.

obradovichm

I have never had any visible adverse effects from Splenda or aspertame in general. That doesn't mean others don't. I've been a Diet soda drinker for years.

But I recently found out that I LOVE sparkling water. I seldom drink any pop anymore, as I've replaced it almost exclusively with Perrier, La Croix, and Mendota. Best decision ever and NO aftertaste or chemicals!