The Aspartame Thread

Cambrendle

I personally have to avoid Aspartame. I discovered by trial and error, I started to developed literally blinding headaches (could not actually see anything), and then what was later diagnosed as a temporary fine motor paralysis (a type of seizure). I was unable to talk, no matter how hard I tried, I was semi-aware of what was going on around me, if someone would ask me a question I had an answer but couldn't speak it, I could only grunt... I couldn't walk, couldn't move my fingers, my tongue felt way too large for my mouth, I had trouble swallowing. I basically just laid or sat in one spot drooling on myself until it passed, sometimes it would take hours to pass.

I placed on seizure medication, and even with therapeutic medication levels I had several repeat episodes. Finally sitting down with my doctor, submitting to many EEG and CT and MRI brain scans (all normal) and then combing through my food and drinks, my doctor advised I was most likely reacting to the aspartame, a severe allergic reaction, and to avoid it and see if anything changes. Avoiding aspartame in all foods and drinks (reading every label) has earned me no more episodes - and I'm off the seizure medications.

ETA: I know my reaction is not typical of what other people may experience, but it happened, so it's possible.

jmcdaniel0

MaryHm1: "I found some reports that linked aspartame and panic attacks."
Can you pass along those reports, please?

NinerBuff: I never understood why liquid from sources including things like aspartame (or juice or whatever else) don't "count" as liquid. Clearly, MaryHm1 exists on only Diet Dr. Pepper for years and didn't shrivel up. What is the basis of the objection to not drinking pure water?

It's not the aspartame, but the caffeine (unless you drink decaffeinated) in diet soda that can cause dehydration. There are exceptions to every rule and situation, but being on the more logical side, an ample amount of pure water will help to offset this issue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

and an ample amount of water is what?

Recommended is 8 cups or 64 oz a day.

Prettylittlelotus

personally I stay away from most items that I know have aspartame in them - not always possible but I try - though my problem is if I have it say in diet soda (which is what I typically see it in) then I usually end up with a major Migrane - so for me I stay away other people I know use it and do ok (for now)

This. I am pretty sure I'm allergic to it. Besides the fact that it tastes like sweet chemical throw up.

fatzombiegirl

Aspartame gives me migraines. At one point, when I was drinking 2-3 Diet Dr. Peppers a day, I had migraines 5-6 days of the week, every week. I gave up the aspartame about 6 years ago and the migraines occur only every couple of months now.

No sci evidence, but my doctor told me he thinks it causes plaque build-up in the brain.

IveLanded

It's simple for me: Food is fuel.. Why put something (very questionable) in your body that's not even fuel? It's tantamount to chewing plastic or anything else that not going to do anything good for your body.. At the VERY BEST, aspartame is not going to do much harm.. at its worst, who knows? What possible gain is there from even taking the chance? I'll take water, sugar, and the other substances our body runs on, and not waste my time or money on things I can't use that may actually be detrimental.

I agree with this, although I don't abstain from drinking diet soda. The benefit I get from diet soda is that it acts as an appetite suppressant for me, and occasionally I need the caffeine boost. It's nice that I'm not having to add calories to my day in order to get those benefits, and that's really all I can say about it. It is a bunch of chemicals, and even if it's been "proven" to be safe, it just doesn't make a lot of sense to me that it is especially healthy. The whole notion that the FDA approves and so therefore it's safe is laughable to me....the FDA is largely bought by lobbyists and they have historically approved all sorts of dangerous things.

I think it is what it is. It's certainly not "good" and it doesn't really seem to be something that contributes to health and wellness. And it certainly doesn't give me any fuel to do my work outs and be healthier. But I'm aware of that, and take that into consideration when I feel the need for a soda.

threnners

I avoid the stuff like the plague. A couple of years ago I had horrific muscle pains in my chest wall and legs, and chronic headaches.. I drank diet coke and ate aspartame sweetened stuff. I gave up the diet drinks and the aspartame, boom, all maladies resolved.

KittieLea

I avoid the stuff like the plague. A couple of years ago I had horrific muscle pains in my chest wall and legs, and chronic headaches.. I drank diet coke and ate aspartame sweetened stuff. I gave up the diet drinks and the aspartame, boom, all maladies resolved.

I was the same way! I drank a huge diet coke every morning and would soon get a headache a few hours later. I was also experiencing shortness of breath, even when I was just standing around at work, not doing anything strenuous. I quit drinking all diet drinks and consuming anything that contained aspartame in January of this year. I haven't experienced a daily headache nor shortness of breath since. If eating or drinking something makes you feel that bad, use common sense. It can't be beneficial for your body.

carld256

I'm a diabetic and drink aspartame sweetened tea. I've never had any sort of reaction to it, so I drink it and don't worry about it.

CoderGal

People could say the same thing about bfs :laugh:

Why put something (very questionable) in your body that's not even fuel? It's tantamount to chewing plastic or anything else that not going to do anything good for your body.

Eve23

My husband has been diabetic for 30 years, so it was natural that we would use aspartame sweeteners in our everyday lives and thus our kids also did. I was raised using sugar or honey as our main sweeteners and didn't really think about it. However when our daughter was young and just beginning in school, they would call us because she was having migraines. This went on for several years, I was having the same problem. During this time my husband could not gain weight and was losing weight. His blood sugars were not staying stable and he was having a lot of pain. When it was becoming so bad that he would be off work more than he was working I started working hard to figure out the problem. Doctors were clueless at the time.

I came across a sight on aspartame while researching and read up on it. We had a great deal of the symptoms noted by others and a few extra. My husband was down to 95 pounds and could barely walk. I showed it to him and he made the choice to stop using it as well as our whole family. He went through severe withdrawls for about a month and it takes 6 weeks to completely get out of your system. My daughter and I quit having severe migraines. My husband began to gain weight, pain decreased and he was tasting foods he had not tasted in years. Most importantly his blood sugars stabilized and he has not had any more issues with blood sugars for 10 years.

Quite frankly it is a poison. Aspartame poisoning can happen and it can kill you. Forgive my frankness but in my experience it is true. We do not use anything artificial in my house. Our sweeteners are sugar or agave or honey. And sorry but one more thing, Splenda is not a good substitute as it takes 5 gallons of chlorine to create a pound of Splenda.

Best of luck everyone.

DANCERPURPLE

bump thanks for this awesome post!!!

lori__lynn

I drink nothing but Diet Coke all day - no water.

Shame on me, I know. But I hate the taste of water.

Charliebarleymo

Is it possible that some of the migraines that are attributed to the aspartame are actually due to the caffeine in the drink?

bionicrooster

I see no reason to avoid something when there is no evidence it will hurt you. Other than the misinformation spread by Betty Martini and populated across the internet but well meaning people, there is no real evidence of aspartame causing health issues that I know of. I started drinking about a liter of diet coke just about everyday starting in January and have had zero ill effects. In fact it has been beneficial to me, as a bacardi and diet coke has alot fewer calories than a beer :-)

bionicrooster

Is it possible that some of the migraines that are attributed to the aspartame are actually due to the caffeine in the drink?

I think its very likely.

tigersword

MaryHm1: "I found some reports that linked aspartame and panic attacks."
Can you pass along those reports, please?

NinerBuff: I never understood why liquid from sources including things like aspartame (or juice or whatever else) don't "count" as liquid. Clearly, MaryHm1 exists on only Diet Dr. Pepper for years and didn't shrivel up. What is the basis of the objection to not drinking pure water?

It's not the aspartame, but the caffeine (unless you drink decaffeinated) in diet soda that can cause dehydration. There are exceptions to every rule and situation, but being on the more logical side, an ample amount of pure water will help to offset this issue.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

There is not nearly enough caffeine in soda to even begin dehydrating someone, particularly compared to the actual amount of water in the soda. If you could somehow consume 10 cans of caffeinated diet soda (or regular soda) without actually consuming any of the water in the soda, then you might be dehydrating yourself.

bionicrooster

"Quite frankly it is a poison. Aspartame poisoning can happen and it can kill you. Forgive my frankness but in my experience it is true. "

Do you have any data or reports / studies to back this up?

mdj1501

personally I stay away from most items that I know have aspartame in them - not always possible but I try - though my problem is if I have it say in diet soda (which is what I typically see it in) then I usually end up with a major Migrane - so for me I stay away other people I know use it and do ok (for now)

I end up with horrible bladder infections if I drink diet soda... I usually avoid them but will have on one occasion, then remember why I dont. lol. At any rate... not sure if it is the aspartame or not?? Regular soda doesn't cause me the same problem.

tigersword

Is it possible that some of the migraines that are attributed to the aspartame are actually due to the caffeine in the drink?

Likely. Also likely is an allergic reaction. It's funny how when millions of people have severe allergic reactions to peanut, peanuts are still fine for everyone else to eat, but once one person complains of a headache from aspartame, it's suddenly poisonous for everyone else.

Sidesteal

I have an opinion on this:

First of all, whether or not something is beneficial seems like an almost orthorexic way to approach your food decisions. There's another element that should be considered when deciding what to eat or drink, and that's pleasure.

I'm not suggesting that people eat or drink with no regard to their health, far from it. But I AM suggesting that viewing food exclusively as a source of energy seems unhealthy.

There's a massive difference between something that "isn't harmful at low dosages" and something that "is beneficial". There's no harm in consuming reasonable dosages of things that are not beneficial.

Until someone has evidence that aspartame, or any other food ingredient, is harmful at even the lowest possible dose, then I wouldn't worry about it assuming you're not chugging a case of diet pop a day.

To me this is common sense.

EDIT: I have no idea what dosage threshold of aspartame (if any) is harmful, but it seems awfully unreasonable to suggest that 1 sip of diet soda will kill me.