'DIET' & 'LOW FAT' items:

Options
this is only for those interested in reading possible "propaganda" or as i like to call it "information" but to each his own.

please leave me no comments about how i pushed my beliefs on you; i'm not.
just stop reading now, go ahead.... stop.
i'm not trying tell people how to live their lives or what they should and should not consume, i merely offering some reading material.

with that said, i'm also not going to stifle my inclination to share what i consider important information.

i'm sure lots of people on this website eat all natural and i'm sure that plenty also use 'diet', 'low fat', or 'sugar substitutes'

for those interested i have attached an article from this link ( http://majortrend.tv/2318/aspartame-sweet-killer-it-puts-the-die-in-diet-soda/ ) regarding information on FDA products that are deemed safe but cause us daily trouble and most of the time you may not even know what your consuming. and even i sometimes reach for a packet of splenda, but if you must, you just may want to be sure it's in moderation.

so here goes, the article on aspartame:



"Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener, used in over 6000 products. The food industry claims that aspartame helps in losing weight, but why is obesity then becoming such an ever increasing problem?
Aspartame is a very sweet chemical, responsible for a host of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, brain diseases, migraines, ADHD, etc.

Aspartame breaks down into three toxic components:

1. Methanol.
This is poisonous alcohol. In the body, methanol breaks down into formaldehyde, which is a poison.
2. Phenylalanine.
This decreases the amount serotonin in your brain, which leads to mood swings (depressions) and an increased appetite! That is why aspartame is one of the main causes for the current obesity epidemic.
3. Aspartic acid.
This is a neurological toxin comparable to MSG.

The US Department of Health has recorded 92 (!) symptoms following complaints about aspartame. In fact, over 80% of all complaints filed with FDA are related to aspartame consumption!

Some of the brand names for aspartame:
AminoSweet, NutraSweet, Equal, NatraTaste, Canderel, Spoonful, Equal-Measure, etc.

Aspartame is used in any of the following products:
Sugarfree, Light, Diet, Zero (Coke, Sprite & Fanta), Coke 007, Pepsi Max, Crystal Clear, Low-Calorie, Crystal Light, No Sugar Added, Smint, Stimorol Ice, Stimorol Fusion, Freedent, Mentos, Sportlife, etc.

Do no longer believe the lies of the food industry and the ‘main stream’ media. Contrary to what so-called ‘health experts’ claim, aspartame is NOT safe!

In fact, aspartame is a sweet poison developed to make people sick so the pharmaceutical industry can sell expensive medication to ‘treat’ the chronic diseases that are caused by it’s use.

Avoid this toxic chemical for 60 days and discover how your health will improve dramatically!

Shocking aspartame documentary ‘Sweet Misery’:

Other artificial sweeteners that you should avoid:
Acesulfame K (E950), Cyclamate (E952), Isomalt (E953), Saccharin (E954), Sucralose or Splenda (E955), Alitame (E956), Neohesperidine (E959), Neotame (E961), Salt of Aspartame-Acesulfame (E962), Maltitol (E965), Lactitol (E966), Sorbitol (E420), Mannitol (E421), Glycerol (E422).

According to a research review conducted by South African scientists from the University of Pretoria and the University of Limpopo and published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, high intake of the artificial sweetener aspartame may lead to the degeneration of brain cells and various mental disorders.

Sweet misery

The researchers also noted that aspartame appears to cause excessive signaling of nerve cells, and nerve cell damage or even death. By disrupting the functioning of the cells’ mitochondria, or energy source, aspartame leads to a cascade of effects on the whole system.

“The energy systems for certain required enzyme reactions become compromised, thus indirectly leading to the inability of enzymes to function optimally,” the researchers wrote.

Same face, different name

Previous research was reviewed and it was found that aspartame, marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, Canderal and Tropicana Slim, leads to both direct and indirect changes in the brain when consumed in high quantities. It was found that the chemical can disrupt amino acid metabolism and structure, degrade nucleic acids, and interfere with the function of nerve cells and hormonal systems. It also appears to change the concentration of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.

Aspartame is used in more than 6,000 products around the world. It has been controversial since its introduction, with a number of studies linking it to cancer and neurological and behavioral disorders. Side effects have been reported by many people including headaches, insomnia and even seizures from aspartame consumption.

The FDA and the European Food Safety Agency (EFSA), however, continue to insist that the sweetener is safe.

You can’t imagine how hard soft drinks sweetened with Aspartame are on your body.
A must-see for anybody with a sweet tooth, this exposé reveals the dangers of Aspartame consumption.

Americans constantly obsess over the latest diet fads and skinny trends, yet we’re one of the unhealthiest nations on the planet.

According to the US Surgeon General, obesity plagues more than 30% of Americans, killing over 300,000 people every year! Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are also all on the rise, with one of the main culprits in this disturbing trend being sugar. Almost 20% of our daily calorie intake comes from refined white sugar. That works out to about 150 pounds of sugar per year!


Consumed in small amounts, sugar actually helps your metabolism and supplies a quick boost of energy. In excess, sugar adds nothing but empty calories to your body. Many people have recognized this and now opt for sugar free alternatives, allowing for the rise of the artificial sugar industry. The most prevalent artificial sugar in our food supply today is called aspartame, which is also recognized as NutraSweet or Equal. Aspartame has made its way into more than 6,000 products including almost all diet sodas, chewing gum, frozen desserts, yogurt, and even vitamins and cough drops.
200 times sweeter than sugar, aspartame is a combination of two amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine.

Even though the safety of aspartame has been affirmed by the Food and Drug Administration 26 times in the past 23 years, the FDA has received more complaints about adverse reactions to aspartame than any other food ingredient in the agency’s history. In fact, at least 30% of the US population is sensitive to even moderate doses of aspartame and may suffer several symptoms. Immediate reactions include severe headaches, dizziness, attention difficulties, memory loss, throat swelling, and seizures.

Aspartame, the artificial sweetener found in many diet sodas and used as an ‘alternative’ sweetener, has been found recently to have detrimental – specifically, cancerous – effects.

** Aspartame Sweet Killer It puts the DIE in Diet Soda ** "

Replies

  • flimflamfloz
    flimflamfloz Posts: 1,980 Member
    Options
    I drink diet coke from time to time, I'd say about once a day/once every two days on average.

    Do you know at what point/quantities aspartame becomes dangerous?

    As, same with everything, an excess of [insert thing here] can kill you... So really, my question is: are small quantities of aspartame dangerous, or is one can of diet coke a day OK (which is what I think)?

    This is a real question, as it would be fairly easy for me to give up on diet coke, I just use it as a "stomach" filler (since it is only 1 cal)...
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Options
    I always hated diet sodas, then I read up on it and came to the same conclusion. They are very bad for you and trick your body, making you crave sweets and carbs, at the same time, make you less able to process them. That's just the 'diet buster' side of it... add in cancer and brain issues and it's just not worth it to save the calories. Unfortunately we live in a time where companies want to appeal to our wants, not our needs, and they want to do it as inexpensively as possible. To those hooked on 'diet' food and drinks containing artificial sweetener - unfortunately, nothing is "free" in life, everything comes with consequences. Whether you realize it right now or later on, what we put in our body takes a toll. It's up to us to try to eat as healthily as possible, which is increasingly difficult, even with the vast amounts of food available in the US....

    Wish I had the money to buy all-natural foods, but I try to make smart choices and do what I can, while not obsessing over it. If I can buy organic and it's reasonable at the grocery store, I do. But we all really need to take a stand in endorsing our farmers and local food producers so that we can make sure we still have a source to go to instead of the national producers who really take far less care in their procedure and the health and quality of their final product. :(
  • donworybhapy18
    Options
    Intereresting. I just added that documentary to my Netflix queue.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    Options
    I think the general consensus from the large amount of actual scientific research is that aspartame is safe in 'general use' quantities. Ie not 4 litres of diet coke per day.
  • auroranflash
    auroranflash Posts: 3,569 Member
    Options
    To those hooked on 'diet' food and drinks containing artificial sweetener - unfortunately, nothing is "free" in life, everything comes with consequences.

    To specify, I meant... either you get calories, or fake sugar filled with toxins. :/
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Options
    Wait wait wait.. let me get this straight. A combination of two natural amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.. which are naturally occuring and already present in our bodies in large quanties (every muscle fiber) is poisonous and will kill us?

    *ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING*

    PT Barnum was right................................
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options
    I think the general consensus from the large amount of actual scientific research is that aspartame is safe in 'general use' quantities. Ie not 4 litres of diet coke per day.

    wellllllll. on that note the FDA has also been saying for the last 60 years that the arsenic in chicken feed gets *ahem* digested and exits their systems before we consume any of the poison, HOWEVER, they FINALLY just admitted that they were lying. all. these. years.

    p.s. that chicken feed excrement gets added as filler to food for cows. so unless we are buying from our local organic farmers, we should all know that we just might be eating second hand chicken ****. thanks FDA. thanks for nothing.
  • LilMissFoodie
    LilMissFoodie Posts: 612 Member
    Options
    I think the general consensus from the large amount of actual scientific research is that aspartame is safe in 'general use' quantities. Ie not 4 litres of diet coke per day.

    wellllllll. on that note the FDA has also been saying for the last 60 years that the arsenic in chicken feed gets *ahem* digested and exits their systems before we consume any of the poison, HOWEVER, they FINALLY just admitted that they were lying. all. these. years.

    p.s. that chicken feed excrement gets added as filler to food for cows. so unless we are buying from our local organic farmers, we should all know that we just might be eating second hand chicken ****. thanks FDA. thanks for nothing.

    I'm not speaking of the FDA. I'm speaking of the actual scientific articles which I have looked at indepth as part of my job (registered dietitian). Have you read them all?
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options
    Wait wait wait.. let me get this straight. A combination of two natural amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.. which are naturally occuring and already present in our bodies in large quanties (every muscle fiber) is poisonous and will kill us?

    *ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING*

    PT Barnum was right................................

    well i didnt force you to read.
    but since i'm a big fan of information i'd love to know more about PT Barnum.
    also, if you could respond with a little less of the "i'm laughing at you cause i know more than you" attitude, i'd really appreciate it.
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options
    I think the general consensus from the large amount of actual scientific research is that aspartame is safe in 'general use' quantities. Ie not 4 litres of diet coke per day.

    wellllllll. on that note the FDA has also been saying for the last 60 years that the arsenic in chicken feed gets *ahem* digested and exits their systems before we consume any of the poison, HOWEVER, they FINALLY just admitted that they were lying. all. these. years.

    p.s. that chicken feed excrement gets added as filler to food for cows. so unless we are buying from our local organic farmers, we should all know that we just might be eating second hand chicken ****. thanks FDA. thanks for nothing.

    I'm not speaking of the FDA. I'm speaking of the actual scientific articles which I have looked at indepth as part of my job (registered dietitian). Have you read them all?

    no. i do not claim to have read ALL scientific food related articles. not even close.
  • Gayafrench
    Options

    "Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener, used in over 6000 products. The food industry claims that aspartame helps in losing weight, but why is obesity then becoming such an ever increasing problem?
    Aspartame is a very sweet chemical, responsible for a host of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, brain diseases, migraines, ADHD, etc.

    No to comment on the danger of aspartame or not (too many conflicting research with inconsistent results), your claim for aspartame being a cause of obesity is absolutely unproven and not argumented and commented in any important or serious research. the problem is not the can of diet coke that people drink at lunch but that they use that can to rinse the 1500 calories double burger they have just eaten.
  • ambeer2
    ambeer2 Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    I think this is good information. In general, it's best to eat a whole-grain, plant-based diet, but that's not always what's most convenient or the cheapest. I've been trying to make the transition, though, and I rarely drink diet soda anymore. I fill up on water, and on days I actually crave a soda, I have a real one. I still do like the occasional Splenda here and there (I'll take it if I'm out with coffee and my only other options are Equal and Nutrasweet or regular white refined sugar, but I hardly drink coffee anymore either), but I much prefer Sugar in the Raw.

    I'd suggest trying to cut out diet soda intake altogether, then see how you feel after a few days, a few weeks. However, I did notice in that article you posted that it mentioned artificial sweeteners in "almost all" diet sodas. Are there any diet sodas that don't have artificial sweeteners? If so, I'd like to know. I do enjoy my occasional "bubbly," but I find myself reaching more for sparkling water like La Croix, in that case. I wouldn't mind having other options.
  • EricNCSU
    EricNCSU Posts: 699 Member
    Options
    Wait wait wait.. let me get this straight. A combination of two natural amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.. which are naturally occuring and already present in our bodies in large quanties (every muscle fiber) is poisonous and will kill us?

    *ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING*

    PT Barnum was right................................

    well i didnt force you to read.
    but since i'm a big fan of information i'd love to know more about PT Barnum.
    also, if you could respond with a little less of the "i'm laughing at you cause i know more than you" attitude, i'd really appreciate it.

    I'm not laughing at you.. I'm laughing at the trashy tabloid article with no scientific basis that's not fit to wipe your butt with.

    "A sucker is born every second" - PT Barnum
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options

    "Aspartame (E951) is an artificial sweetener, used in over 6000 products. The food industry claims that aspartame helps in losing weight, but why is obesity then becoming such an ever increasing problem?
    Aspartame is a very sweet chemical, responsible for a host of health problems such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, brain diseases, migraines, ADHD, etc.

    your claim for aspartame being a cause of obesity is absolutely unproven and not argumented and commented in any important or serious research. the problem is not the can of diet coke that people drink at lunch but that they use that can to rinse the 1500 calories double burger they have just eaten.

    it's not my claim. it's an article that i personally found interesting because when i was young my doctor said that i was allergic to aspartame since every time i consumed something that contained it my body would reject it about 5-10 minutes later.

    reading this made me feel that perhaps WE as humans are just not supposed to consume things like that.

    but as i said in my prelude to what i knew would be controversial i'm not trying to tell anyone how to be, i'm not trying to hate on anybody and i posted it for those who were interested. period.
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options
    Wait wait wait.. let me get this straight. A combination of two natural amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine.. which are naturally occuring and already present in our bodies in large quanties (every muscle fiber) is poisonous and will kill us?

    *ROLLING ON THE FLOOR LAUGHING*

    PT Barnum was right................................

    well i didnt force you to read.
    but since i'm a big fan of information i'd love to know more about PT Barnum.
    also, if you could respond with a little less of the "i'm laughing at you cause i know more than you" attitude, i'd really appreciate it.

    I'm not laughing at you.. I'm laughing at the trashy tabloid article with no scientific basis that's not fit to wipe your butt with.

    "A sucker is born every second" - PT Barnum

    in my preamble i mentioned that some would feel this was propaganda. i'm not sure what more i could have done there. i dont mind people having opinions different from my own, i just wish they'd be expressed in a more constructive debate driven way.
  • rockabyesarojane
    Options

    Do you know at what point/quantities aspartame becomes dangerous?


    Cant say that i do. sadly.

    although i have noticed that when my father gets on his diet kicks around the holidays he drinks lots of diet drinks and things like crystal light to make his water taste like juice and his short term memory always seems to be affected during those times. naturally; that is an isolated incident without further research or scientific basis, but it's proof enough for me... aside from my own body rejecting anything that contains aspartame even when i was a small child.

    i dont know if you find that helpful or not. but i'll keep my fingers crossed. :)