Artificial Sweeteners/Asparteme & headaches?

bellanoelle
bellanoelle Posts: 105 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does any one know if the artificial sweeteners have been linked to severe headaches? I have been having severe migraines for quiite a while, all the time drinking Diet Coke, Diet teas, etc......I have cut much of the diet pop out of my daily routine and my headaches are almost non-existant. I don't believe it is the lack of caffiene....I'm a coffee drinker in the mornings. Any thougths on the artificial sweeteners? I will say that after cutting out Diet Coke, my cravings for sweets has been cut drastically. Thanks for the help!

Replies

  • THExNEKOxCHAN
    THExNEKOxCHAN Posts: 134 Member
    My thoughts on artificial sweeteners? The sooner you disappear them from your diet, the better you'll probably feel. The only sweeteners you should be using are raw honey and pure maple syrup.
  • thefewsteps
    thefewsteps Posts: 201 Member
    Ive found asparteme is the worst for me. Sucrose isn't as bad - I like a brand called waist watchers thats sweetened with Splenda that doesn't give me any side effects. Mio works for me too.
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Yes they are TERRIBLE for you. And there's research that shows that headaches are a side effect, yes.

    I suggest cutting them out ASAP. They are poisons for your body.
  • traccie2
    traccie2 Posts: 28 Member
    I have a friend who gets headaches from artificial sweeteners.
  • justzoot
    justzoot Posts: 15 Member
    I get nasty headaches from Aspartame/Nutrasweet, but have no reaction to stevia, Splenda or Saccharine. Always have, ever since it was first introduced.

    Some people can consume them with no problems. Some people can't. If they give you a headache, or otherwise don't work for your body, don't use them.
  • islandjumper
    islandjumper Posts: 369 Member
    I get bad reactions from artificial sweeteners as well. There are all kinds of nasty side effects linked to them. Try stevia as a no-cal sweetener...it's all natural.
  • issyfit
    issyfit Posts: 1,077 Member
    If you search aspartame migraines or headaches you will find a lot of studies connecting them. Stevia seems to be the safer choice.
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    since this will get bombarded by folks who will corroberate the OP, aspartame does nothing to me. No headaches or anything.

    I am absolutely fine will taking in up to 3 quarts of crystal light and 2 diet sodas per day.
  • 10kaday
    10kaday Posts: 177
    Yep... stop drinking diet sodas. Focus on unsweet tea and just good ol' water. Learn to love the bitter taste of unsweet tea and unsweetened coffee.
  • Lsteedly85
    Lsteedly85 Posts: 76 Member
    Yes!! You'll find that it is in a lot of things too... like some cold medicines, vitamins, gum, jello, pudding, ohh the list goes on. If you opt for using a sweetener I always go with Stevia, secondary Truvia. :)
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    If you're having migraines I suggest seeing a neurologist. He/she will most likely suggest keeping a log to pin down possible triggers. Mine are weather, stress, and hormone related. Good luck. :flowerforyou:
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Yes they are TERRIBLE for you. And there's research that shows that headaches are a side effect, yes.

    I suggest cutting them out ASAP. They are poisons for your body.

    O really?? Show me how they are poisons for your body.
  • i_dont_want_2_be_fat_anymore
    i_dont_want_2_be_fat_anymore Posts: 171 Member
    Whenever i ingest anything that has asparteme in it, within 20 minutes a pretty bad headache sets in for me. I avoid asparteme like the plague...
  • weight4wishes
    weight4wishes Posts: 7
    Sweeteners come in many different names... Sucralose (Splenda), Aspartame, ACE-K and you should avoid them all. For those that say they've been using them for years with no side effects, I will challenge that. The problem is that you often don't realize you are having a problem. Example, we accept that disease strikes people without warning... simply at random and without explanation. There is a cause for every single disease and illness and it can usually be traced to a nutritional deficiency or an environmental stressor.

    Headaches are one of the most common side effects of these chemicals. Here is a quick little piece for you to read...
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/02/15/artificial-sweetners-diet-nutrition.html

    Normally, I don't pay much attention to "news reports" but I know this one to be based on science so I don't mind posting it. If you wish, I can send you clinical studies that all prove the debilitating effects of artificial sweeteners.

    Move towards a clean diet and you'll be amazed at the results.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Sweeteners come in many different names... Sucralose (Splenda), Aspartame, ACE-K and you should avoid them all. For those that say they've been using them for years with no side effects, I will challenge that. The problem is that you often don't realize you are having a problem. Example, we accept that disease strikes people without warning... simply at random and without explanation. There is a cause for every single disease and illness and it can usually be traced to a nutritional deficiency or an environmental stressor.

    Headaches are one of the most common side effects of these chemicals. Here is a quick little piece for you to read...
    http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/story/2013/02/15/artificial-sweetners-diet-nutrition.html

    Normally, I don't pay much attention to "news reports" but I know this one to be based on science so I don't mind posting it. If you wish, I can send you clinical studies that all prove the debilitating effects of artificial sweeteners.

    Move towards a clean diet and you'll be amazed at the results.

    Looks like a lot of anecdotal rubbish to me.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    Some people have bad reactions to wheat or sugar does that mean all wheat or sugar is bad in general? If you have a bad reaction to some thing then its best to avoid it, but it doesn't necessarily mean that its bad in general.
  • Shock_Wave
    Shock_Wave Posts: 1,573 Member
    "Also, with the exception of aspartame, all of the sweeteners listed below cannot be broken down by the body. They pass through our systems without being digested so they provide no extra calories."

    "As with anything, do not go overboard when your using artificial sweeteners."

    Size Up Your Sweetener Options
    Don’t know which little packet to choose? Here’s a quick primer on the big three—plus the newcomers stevia and agave nectar. All of them are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, but they do vary in flavor and uses, so you may find you need to do a taste test of your own.

    Saccharin
    Brands: Sweet’N Low and Sweet Twin
    Sweetness: 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar
    Taste: Some people report a bitter aftertaste.
    Safety: First produced in 1879, saccharin is the oldest of the artificial sweeteners. In 1970, a study in rats found that the sugar substitute was associated with bladder tumor growth, resulting in an eat-at-your-own-risk warning on the pink package. Years later, however, the warning was revoked as more than 30 human studies reported no saccharin-tumor connection.
    How to cook with it: The Sweet’N Low brand sells packets as well as a bulk version for baking, a liquid formula, and a brown sugar blend. When baking, replace 1 cup of sugar with 24 packets, 2 tablespoons of saccharin liquid, or 1 cup of brown sugar saccharin.


    Aspartame
    Brands: Equal, NutraSweet, Natra Taste
    Sweetness: 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar
    Taste: There’s no aftertaste associated with aspartame, though some say it has an unnatural flavor.
    Safety: Search the Web for aspartame’s side effects and you’ll find stories about its purported link to cancer, dementia, headaches, and depression. Most scientists (as well as the American Diabetes Association) maintain that the powder is a safe alternative to sugar for people with diabetes. One caveat: Aspartame contains phenylalanine, which can be harmful to people with the rare disease phenylketonuria and should be avoided by them.
    How to cook with it: High temperatures can diminish aspartame’s sweetness, so even though some brands (like Equal) sell bulk versions, most chefs avoid
    baking with them.


    Sucralose
    Brand: Splenda
    Sweetness: 600 times sweeter than sugar
    Taste: Though some sugar purists say an aftertaste lingers, most sweetener fans maintain Splenda is the most natural tasting of all.
    Safety: Since Splenda is the newest artificial sweetener to hit the market, there are fewer long-term studies of it than of saccharin and aspartame. That said, the FDA says that Splenda is safe.
    How to cook with it: Splenda sells various baking products, including a granular version that measures cup for cup with sugar. If you use the half sugar blend or half brown sugar blend, replace a cup of sugar with a half cup of the blend.



    Stevia
    Brands: Truvia, PureVia, SweetLeaf, Stevia in the Raw, Sun Crystals sugar-stevia blend
    Sweetness: 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar
    Taste: Some people say the sweetener derived from the whole leaf of the stevia plant leaves behind a licorice taste. Brands that use a purified portion of the leaf known as rebaudioside A have less of an aftertaste.
    Safety: Stevia has been used as a sweetener in Japan for years, but the FDA had previously banned its use because of reports of reproductive problems in lab animals. In late 2008, the FDA approved the purified part of the stevia leaf for American consumption. Look for that form—rebaudioside A—in the list of ingredients when purchasing stevia.
    How to cook with it: Each stevia brand recommends its own sugar-to-stevia ratio (so check your brand’s Web site), and some brands sell the sweetener in liquid or bulk form. A good start is to replace a cup of sugar with 24 packets of stevia.


    Agave Nectar
    Brands: Wholesome Sweeteners, Madhava, and Volcanic Nectar, among others
    Sweetness: Somewhat sweeter than sugar, so use between a quarter and an eighth less agave nectar than if you were cooking with regular sugar.
    Taste: The lighter, golden version tastes syrupy while the darker, amber variety has a more intense honey flavor.
    Safety: Agave nectar isn’t carbohydrate or calorie free—it has the same amount of calories and carbs as sugar. But since it’s a food with a low glycemic index, the syrup won’t raise your blood glucose levels as much as sugar or honey do. Plus, it’s sweeter than sugar, so you’ll use less.
    How to cook with it: Sweetening with agave nectar is simple if you’re swirling it into coffee. Things get more complicated when you start baking with the syrup. To adjust a recipe, replace each cup of sugar with two-thirds to three-quarters cup of agave nectar, then reduce all other liquids in the recipe by a quarter. Lower your oven temperature by 25 degrees to prevent burning, and shorten the cooking time on cookies by 3 to 5 minutes and cakes by 7 to 10 minutes.


    http://forecast.diabetes.org/magazine/food-thought/size-your-sweetener-options?page=1

    http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/artificial-sweeteners/?keymatch=aspartame
  • lrichelle
    lrichelle Posts: 54 Member
    If you're having migraines I suggest seeing a neurologist. He/she will most likely suggest keeping a log to pin down possible triggers. Mine are weather, stress, and hormone related. Good luck. :flowerforyou:

    Agree. I saw a neurologist for a few years for my migraines. He definitely recommended avoiding anything with aspartame, but I discovered through my log that aspartame was not a trigger for me. My triggers are also weather and hormone related.
  • bellanoelle
    bellanoelle Posts: 105 Member
    Thank you everyone....I knew you would have some answers for me!
  • Seajolly
    Seajolly Posts: 1,435 Member
    Yes they are TERRIBLE for you. And there's research that shows that headaches are a side effect, yes.

    I suggest cutting them out ASAP. They are poisons for your body.

    O really?? Show me how they are poisons for your body.

    You're joking, right?

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030
    http://www.earthclinic.com/CURES/aspartame.html
    http://www.lovethetruth.com/truth_about_aspartame.htm
  • jvolpegulley
    jvolpegulley Posts: 15
    I have a problem with Nutrasweet....it makes me very congested. I stopped all sweeteners and anything with added sugar. Im trying to watch my sugar intake. The chemicals in diet sodas and artificial sweeteners are hard on your liver. Give your liver a break from all the toxins and cut them from your healthy eating plan :smile:

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