Aspartame... is it really that bad?
Options
Replies
-
I don't consume much soda or other products with aspartame, but once in a while I have a Coke Zero and it makes me feel FANTASTIC! So I think it must be really good for you.
But Diet Coke never made me feel that great, so I think really products with the word "Zero" in the title are what's good for you.0 -
I took a nutrition class a couple of years ago, and the teacher, in discussing research on sugar substitutes (all of them) said that our bodies react to ALL of these products just as if we were eating sugar. Of course, they don't have the same calories, but if your body is going to go into insulin response mode, you may as well have sugar. But, if you want to lose weight, you would know you cannot drink sugary drinks all day and lose weight, right?
For me the key has been to NOT drink sweetened drinks between meals/snacks. If I am thirsty, I drink water. If I am hungry, that means I need to look at my food plan and see what isn't working.
My body needs time to process the food I have eaten and to rest.. That is why I eat my meals; then, I don't eat until it is time to eat again. For me, that is about every three hours. If I continue to sip ANY beverage besides water, then my body thinks I am still eating and that whole process of responding to food intake continues. According to the instructor of our nutrition course, sugar substitutes have the same effect on your body as drinking a drink with sugar, despite the fact that they don't have calories.
That is the primary reason that I don't use sugar substitutes, whether they are healthy ones or artificial ones. But then, I also have to face reality: I cannot consume sweetened drinks all day without paying a price for it. Water is the best choice.
This theory has never held up to scientific scrutiny.0 -
I actually feel really smart because I know the names and structures of all these compounds being spoken of, yay school!
As for whether or not aspartame is bad for you, I do not know. I do know that the more I stick to purely water the leaner I am, whether that is actually the lack of fluids other than water or some other confounding variable I do not know. That being said, I drink 1 diet cream soda everyday and it hasn't impacted my ability to maintain my weight.0 -
I'm quite aware that it was not 'data driven info'... but I still welcomed it because as I stated in the first post, I was fine with opinions, personal experience or advice from medical professionals. It's great that you are so well informed, but the self righteous part isn't so great. What is I was politely trying to say is that you were being a jerk and it was uncalled for. If you don't like it or don't agree, move on. Don't drag the rest of us down with your negative attitude.
Just because you haven't had any negative side effects doesn't mean it is healthy. It also doesn't invalidate her opinion and experience. I appreciate your reply and how you examined the flip side of the argument... but you seem rather combative with this person and I don't really feel that is necessary.There are many threads that discuss aspartame, splenda, and other artificial sweeteners. You an also google it and find the many reasons artificial sweeteners are not good for you.
Whatever I type here will be attacked by all of those who don't agree with my statement and I don't feel like going back and forth on the subject. I have read many threads discussing similar issues and whoever doesn't agree with the majority gets hammered, specially if the person believes in natural / organic way of life.
Finally, I believe that an autoinmune disease I have is linked to diet sodas I drank in the past. Never had them before coming to the United States and then got hooked on diet coke. A few years later, I got a rare autoinmune disease that doctors don't know much about. I was told that I would have to let it progress and there wasn't much that could be done. I went online and started looking for answers and reading. I decided to clean up my act, eliminate processed foods, eliminate diet coke and eat just natural/organic. Disease stopped progressing and it is dormant. Drs have no idea why but told me to continue doing whatever I am doing.
I can mention many names that explain the reasons but those names are hated in this message board.
The OP asked if it is really that bad for you and I answered: Yes, it is bad for you.
This is all I would say about this.
Ahh, it's bad for YOU. Doesn't mean it's bad for me. In fact, it's not bad for me. I drink 6-8 cans of diet coke a day and have for 20 years at least. I'm 50 years old, weight 165 pounds and am very healthy. I have a bad shoulder and some lower back pain from injuries. I never get sick except an occasional cold. Haven't had flu in at least 25 years. Haven't taken 2 days off in a row from work for sickness since I can't remember. Clearly, aspartame is not bad for ME.
So, let's stick to reality. Aspartame is bad for people who have sensitivity to it. As nuts are to my niece. so, nuts are bad for everybody? no, bad for her. not bad for me.
I'm combative of people who post "it's bad for you" across the board. I never said it was HEALTHY. There's a huge difference between something being healthy or not healthy and it being bad for you. Ice cream is not healthy but it's not bad for you. Unless you have a sensitivity to lactose or eat too much of it. If people want to give anecdotal evidence of their experience with something like aspartame, take it for what it is, anecdotal evidence, not data driven info.
That's why so many people have been posting about wearing hats whent they work out and water and mustard being bad for you, etc. Because using correlations between things as if they are cause and effect and using singular anecdotal info is next to useless.
My own experience offsets her experience if we go with single user info. So, net zero. The links she posted have been discredited by many research studies over the past 30 or 40 years.
Same thread, different day......0 -
Well, folks, we're four pages in and let's see how the debate is going:
Team "It Aint no Thing" has provided several medical studies and some pretty solid science-based articles to back up their assertions.
That may be true, Bob, but Team "It Gives You Migraines!" is going to bury their fact-based arguments with so many anecdotes and "stuff that they heard from this one guy the other day but I can't remember where but I'm pretty sure he took a science class in seventh grade" that it'll give you a headache!
Can we agree that one team might be lacking a certain credibility that the other is looking for? C'mon team migraine, I want peer reviewed articles!0 -
"I'm quite aware that it was not 'data driven info'... but I still welcomed it because as I stated in the first post, I was fine with opinions, personal experience or advice from medical professionals. It's great that you are so well informed, but the self righteous part isn't so great. What is I was politely trying to say is that you were being a jerk and it was uncalled for. If you don't like it or don't agree, move on. Don't drag the rest of us down with your negative attitude."
It's interesting that for somebody who opened this thread with a "tell me what you think", all of your subsequent posts seem to heavily lean to the "anti aspartame" side. I'm self righteous in answering your initial request with as much or as little fact based info as the anti's? OK. You've almost fawned over the links provided by the anti side but have ignored (at least as far as not responding) to the info and links provided by the pro aspartame people.
Troll much?0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.
How about your hygienist? In my 10 yrs post qualification only 1 dentist I have worked with has ever mentioned it to a patient. Obviously I can't see your mouth, so can not pass opinion on you personally0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.
How about your hygienist? In my 10 yrs post qualification only 1 dentist I have worked with has ever mentioned it to a patient. Obviously I can't see your mouth, so can not pass opinion on you personally
wouldn't my dentist notice if my teeth were badly damaged? I'd not use a dentist that didn't know or didn't tell me of damage to my teeth. He readily tells me that soda is staining my teeth. So, he'd warn me about stains but not about serious damage?0 -
Why expose yourself to a carcinogen? There is cancer all over and stuff like this causes it.
Take the sugar, in moderation, and you'll be OK.
The sugar-fee thing is just advertizing, and all about putting a buck in someone else's pocket.0 -
<<Why expose yourself to a carcinogen?>>
I live in a city. I'll have to stop breathing to avoid exposing myself to carcinogens.
Of course, the whole science thing has yet to link aspartame to cancers in true medical studies. But then, they've only had 40 years......0 -
Why expose yourself to a carcinogen? There is cancer all over and stuff like this causes it.
What part of this didn't you understand?0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinjking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.
How about your hygienist? In my 10 yrs post qualification only 1 dentist I have worked with has ever mentioned it to a patient. Obviously I can't see your mouth, so can not pass opinion on you personally
wouldn't my dentist notice if my teeth were badly damaged? I'd not use a dentist that didn't know or didn't tell me of damage to my teeth. He readily tells me that soda is staining my teeth. So, he'd warn me about stains but not about serious damage?
I don't know your dentist, so its not my place to say. The problem with diagnosing erosion is that erosion thins the enamel, so is not as obvious as a cavity. The evidence is that carbonated drinks are extremely acidic and that it causes acid erosion on enamel if heavily consumed . The worst case I've seen was a 9yr old child drinking 2 litres diet coke a day who had lost most of his tooth enamel. I know it happens because I see the evidence everyday as people drink more and more soft drinks.0 -
I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinjking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.
How about your hygienist? In my 10 yrs post qualification only 1 dentist I have worked with has ever mentioned it to a patient. Obviously I can't see your mouth, so can not pass opinion on you personally
wouldn't my dentist notice if my teeth were badly damaged? I'd not use a dentist that didn't know or didn't tell me of damage to my teeth. He readily tells me that soda is staining my teeth. So, he'd warn me about stains but not about serious damage?
I don't know your dentist, so its not my place to say. The problem with diagnosing erosion is that erosion thins the enamel, so is not as obvious as a cavity. The evidence is that carbonated drinks are extremely acidic and that it causes acid erosion on enamel if heavily consumed . The worst case I've seen was a 9yr old child drinking 2 litres diet coke a day who had lost most of his tooth enamel. I know it happens because I see the evidence everyday as people drink more and more soft drinks.
Again, if you, a hygienist sees it and recognizes it, 1) wouldn't my hygienist see and recognize it and 2) wouldn't my dentist see and recognize it? Especially since you say this is well known problem with soda drinkers and the entire dentist office is well aware of my 6-8 cans per day habit. I've used 3 dentists regularly (meaning for 4 or 5 years) in the past 15 years. Surely 1 of them or 1 of the hygienists would have seen the issue and told me, wouldn't you think? What are the odds that I'd have 3 incompetent dentists and a bunch of incompetent hygienists over the past 15 years or so?0 -
I heard breathing Oxygen causes cancer. Is this true?Why expose yourself to a carcinogen? There is cancer all over and stuff like this causes it.
What part of this didn't you understand?0 -
I heard breathing Oxygen causes cancer. Is this true?Why expose yourself to a carcinogen? There is cancer all over and stuff like this causes it.
What part of this didn't you understand?
Everyone who's ever had cancer breathed oxygen. It must be true.0 -
It's just like poison to ur body!0
-
Soda is no more acidic than citrus fruits and juices.0
-
Well go and ask at your next examination, I'm not arguing or calling your dentist incompetent, just pointing out facts about acid erosion with regard to carbonated drinks as is part of the topic of the general conversation.I have a real sensitivity to aspartame now due to drinking quite a bit when I was younger. Now I have digestive problems when I have anything with aspartame in it.
The main issue that I have with it is that it tricks your body into thinjking that insulin has entered your blood stream, but when it looks for it, it cannot find it.
My dentist was horrified when I told her I had more than 2 cans of pop a week.......Forget about the aspartame, it's more about the acid in the soda - it wears away your dental enamel faster than anything.
THANK YOU!!
I'm always amazed when I read these posts especially replies such as "I drink 6 cans of diet coke a day, and I'm fine" because the chances are that your teeth are badly damaged and you don't realise it. As a dental hygienist I see this problem every single day, teeth badly eroded from acid in carbonated drinks, fruit juice and sports drinks. Avoid them for the sake of your teeth!
if my teeth are badly damaged, not only do I not know it but the dentist I see 2x a year also doesn't seem to know it either.
How about your hygienist? In my 10 yrs post qualification only 1 dentist I have worked with has ever mentioned it to a patient. Obviously I can't see your mouth, so can not pass opinion on you personally
wouldn't my dentist notice if my teeth were badly damaged? I'd not use a dentist that didn't know or didn't tell me of damage to my teeth. He readily tells me that soda is staining my teeth. So, he'd warn me about stains but not about serious damage?
I don't know your dentist, so its not my place to say. The problem with diagnosing erosion is that erosion thins the enamel, so is not as obvious as a cavity. The evidence is that carbonated drinks are extremely acidic and that it causes acid erosion on enamel if heavily consumed . The worst case I've seen was a 9yr old child drinking 2 litres diet coke a day who had lost most of his tooth enamel. I know it happens because I see the evidence everyday as people drink more and more soft drinks.
Again, if you, a hygienist sees it and recognizes it, 1) wouldn't my hygienist see and recognize it and 2) wouldn't my dentist see and recognize it? Especially since you say this is well known problem with soda drinkers and the entire dentist office is well aware of my 6-8 cans per day habit. I've used 3 dentists regularly (meaning for 4 or 5 years) in the past 15 years. Surely 1 of them or 1 of the hygienists would have seen the issue and told me, wouldn't you think? What are the odds that I'd have 3 incompetent dentists and a bunch of incompetent hygienists over the past 15 years or so?0
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 392K Introduce Yourself
- 43.6K Getting Started
- 259.8K Health and Weight Loss
- 175.7K Food and Nutrition
- 47.4K Recipes
- 232.3K Fitness and Exercise
- 403 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.4K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.5K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 152.8K Motivation and Support
- 7.9K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.3K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 3.4K MyFitnessPal Information
- 23 News and Announcements
- 999 Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.4K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions