Where's the evidence re: aspartame, msg, carbs, gmo etc?

mmapags

The only evidence that really matters is how your body feels after you put something into it. After 18 months on MFP, 68 lbs down and constant attention to how my body feels at the gym 5-7 days a week - I know when I perform well, and why. It's all in the fuel.

Junk, additives, restaurant food, etc causes crappy performance for me. Whole foods, lots of lean proteins and lower simple carbs improve my performance.

It's hard to see this if you religiously follow a decent nutrition plan over a long period of time - it's the weeks when I fall off the wagon with food that this evidence becomes VERY clear - since I never decrease my workout level even when I'm not getting optimal nutrition.

I am a fairly healthy eater. Mostly nutrient dense whole foods. I will occasionally have food with MSG or sugary treats and eat in restaurants. BTW, eating in a restaurant doesn't mean junky food. But I rarely "fall of the wagon", meaning to me, go extended periods being off a good eating plan. What does "falling off the wagon" mean to you? I've never noticed any performance difference based on what I've described above. I do notice some performance and recovery difference when I don't manage my macros well.

mmapags

Pu_239 here is Alan's Response to your links you asked me to reference...

"Have that cheeky orthorexic bloke link a Paleo comparison trial that ACTUALLY MATCHES MACRONUTRITION. I didn't think so. Now tell him to go take a bath in a river or waterfall (which he does not use his car to arrive to). Such a waste of time & energy these folks are."

-Alan Aragon

so this is why all you Aragon disciples act so high and mighty and treat people like crap... that's the way HE operates too. yeah. not impressed.

Before you get too carried away going off about Alan and his response to PU you might want to be aware that Alan and PU "know" eachother via the internet have communicated in the past and are friendly as far as I can tell. Maybe you wanna climb down off that high horse now before you fall and get hurt?

^ proved my point.

And that point would be?? Are you so sensitive that when someone suggests you might be wrong about something and on a high horse that proves something to you? You always ask that people keep an open mind to the things you suggest. And many of those ideas are far more far fetched than what Alan writes about. Once again, as with yesterday, why do you attack, crticize and not practice what you preach?
BTW, I edited and added in to my original post if you are interested in taking a look.

chill out man. the only reason i commented on it, was because you posting that quote did nothing but attack Pu at a personal level - calling him a waste of time and energy. Now, Pu is more than capable of fighting his own battles, so I won't do it for him, but yesterday you were all high and mighty about raising the level of discourse and wanting us to be more respectful, and then in here you're doing the same old disrespectful crap. no one is a waste of time and energy, and if Aragon thinks people are, and you agree, then who's really the one not practicing what they preach?

back to aspartame. if you want to ingest it, go for it. if you don't, there's nothing wrong with you and you're no less intelligent or less informed than anyone else.

Well first, I'm very chill. You seem less so. I didn't post that quote from Aragon. Fitnessocial did. I just happened to quote you and that was in it. You seem to be looking for a scrap. I am attempting to raise the level of discourse with you. I am neither being disrespecful to PU not to you. What Alan thinks is his business. Did you ever consider that Alan was playfully busting PU chops? Based on their history, it looks that way to me. I could be wrong.

Why are you always looking for an argument.

CoachReddy

The only evidence that really matters is how your body feels after you put something into it. After 18 months on MFP, 68 lbs down and constant attention to how my body feels at the gym 5-7 days a week - I know when I perform well, and why. It's all in the fuel.

Junk, additives, restaurant food, etc causes crappy performance for me. Whole foods, lots of lean proteins and lower simple carbs improve my performance.

It's hard to see this if you religiously follow a decent nutrition plan over a long period of time - it's the weeks when I fall off the wagon with food that this evidence becomes VERY clear - since I never decrease my workout level even when I'm not getting optimal nutrition.

I've experienced the same thing. Honestly now after eating a couple slices of big, greasy, NY pizza I start feeling kind of gross. Doesn't mean I still don't eat it every now and again since it's the greatest thing on earth, but I definitely notice a drop in performance when I eat sub-par foods that don't fuel me as well. Aspartame and synthetic crap falls into that same category for me (well, not the greatest thing on earth part - but you get what i'm saying. lol) It's just not worth it.

Whether or not it's "scientifically safe" is irrelevant. It's also scientifically safe to eat a little soap now and again. Does that mean I do it willingly?

ruggedBear

The only evidence that really matters is how your body feels after you put something into it. After 18 months on MFP, 68 lbs down and constant attention to how my body feels at the gym 5-7 days a week - I know when I perform well, and why. It's all in the fuel.

Junk, additives, restaurant food, etc causes crappy performance for me. Whole foods, lots of lean proteins and lower simple carbs improve my performance.

It's hard to see this if you religiously follow a decent nutrition plan over a long period of time - it's the weeks when I fall off the wagon with food that this evidence becomes VERY clear - since I never decrease my workout level even when I'm not getting optimal nutrition.

I am a fairly healthy eater. Mostly nutrient dense whole foods. I will occasionally have food with MSG or sugary treats and eat in restaurants. BTW, eating in a restaurant doesn't mean junky food. But I rarely "fall of the wagon", meaning to me, go extended periods being off a good eating plan. What does "falling off the wagon" mean to you? I've never noticed any performance difference based on what I've described above. I do notice some performance and recovery difference when I don't manage my macros well.

Falling off the wagon to me is going 2-3 weeks without logging or thinking about what I eat. It means not saying no to the night-time ice cream, or getting a donut instead of 2 hard boiled eggs at the gas station in the morning. It means not doing the things I know will work, every meal, every day, with only occasional splurges. Part of that is that I am very near my goal weight, and slacked on tracking food, but did not slack on my workouts.

So with the workouts consistent, but the nutrition not, I started sleeping poorly, waking up stiff, feeling bloated all the time, etc - I made the correlation between how I was feeling and what I was putting into my body. After a week of being back "On the Wagon" - I have noticed a significant improvement in how I feel.

Re: Restaurant foods are not all junky - but who wants to order broiled fish when a Rueben is on the menu!

mmapags

The only evidence that really matters is how your body feels after you put something into it. After 18 months on MFP, 68 lbs down and constant attention to how my body feels at the gym 5-7 days a week - I know when I perform well, and why. It's all in the fuel.

Junk, additives, restaurant food, etc causes crappy performance for me. Whole foods, lots of lean proteins and lower simple carbs improve my performance.

It's hard to see this if you religiously follow a decent nutrition plan over a long period of time - it's the weeks when I fall off the wagon with food that this evidence becomes VERY clear - since I never decrease my workout level even when I'm not getting optimal nutrition.

I am a fairly healthy eater. Mostly nutrient dense whole foods. I will occasionally have food with MSG or sugary treats and eat in restaurants. BTW, eating in a restaurant doesn't mean junky food. But I rarely "fall of the wagon", meaning to me, go extended periods being off a good eating plan. What does "falling off the wagon" mean to you? I've never noticed any performance difference based on what I've described above. I do notice some performance and recovery difference when I don't manage my macros well.

Falling off the wagon to me is going 2-3 weeks without logging or thinking about what I eat. It means not saying no to the night-time ice cream, or getting a donut instead of 2 hard boiled eggs at the gas station in the morning. It means not doing the things I know will work, every meal, every day, with only occasional splurges. Part of that is that I am very near my goal weight, and slacked on tracking food, but did not slack on my workouts.

So with the workouts consistent, but the nutrition not, I started sleeping poorly, waking up stiff, feeling bloated all the time, etc - I made the correlation between how I was feeling and what I was putting into my body. After a week of being back "On the Wagon" - I have noticed a significant improvement in how I feel.

Re: Restaurant foods are not all junky - but who wants to order broiled fish when a Rueben is on the menu!

Lol, I hear you on the Reuben!! Those aren't the only 2 choices though.

I hear what you mean. I rarely go that far off plan for anything more than a day and even that is unusual. When I am at goal or bulking a little ice cream is likely included in my plan though. What you are saying maked sense.

NaBroski

Whether or not it's "scientifically safe" is irrelevant.

Actually that's the ONLY thing that is relevant to this thread. Way to miss the point.

The purpose of this thread is simple, if you think aspartame, msg, carbs, gmo foods, animal protein etc etc are bad for you, simply post a few links to the human studies that show it is bad for you. This is not for conspiracies on why there is no evidence something is harmful, simply present some of the current literature that shows that it is.

With all the people here who climb out the woodwork to tell people how bad something is, surely there is evidence that those people are basing their conclusions on.

magerum

Whether or not it's "scientifically safe" is irrelevant.

Actually that's the ONLY thing that is relevant to this thread. Way to miss the point.

The purpose of this thread is simple, if you think aspartame, msg, carbs, gmo foods, animal protein etc etc are bad for you, simply post a few links to the human studies that show it is bad for you. This is not for conspiracies on why there is no evidence something is harmful, simply present some of the current literature that shows that it is.

With all the people here who climb out the woodwork to tell people how bad something is, surely there is evidence that those people are basing their conclusions on.

Easy with the logic sir. :laugh:

Acg67

So do we have enough here to conclude most of the fear mongering over these substances are baseless, as nothing credible has been produced?

magerum

So do we have enough here to conclude most of the fear mongering over these substances are baseless, as nothing credible has been produced?

One would hope, but I'm guessing you're about to get a butt load of "no's".

SueInAz

Great topic! I have a sister who is always on me about GMOs and artificial sweeteners. I need to find some time to read a lot of these studies in-depth so I have more ammunition. Thanks!

e_trexler

As for me, there is no study, except, when I cut Coke Zero, diet drinks and Splenda out of my diet I stopped having migraines on non-storm days. Aspertame is bad *for me.* I cannot say definitively that it is bad for you.

ninerbuff

It's also scientifically safe to eat a little soap now and again. Does that mean I do it willingly?

Actually the 99.9% soap isn't one you like to consume. Just sayin'. Oh and science showed that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

vim_n_vigor

I'd agree but some of these guys preach eating ice cram everyday.

They do it because they are jerks. They know EXACTLY what they are doing when they brag about that. They are rubbing it in the faces of those who struggle to lose. They know that the majority of people here are hurt, are suffering, are overweight, or are obese, uneducated on health and nutrition, are sick, are depressed about their current condition and are wanting to change. Wanting to learn. They make sure YOU KNOW, THEY CAN and YOU CAN'T so what is wrong with YOU and how cool are they? It is very immature and very rude. It's as if they are in junior high. Like I said, they know what they are doing. Why do they think we care? What is the purpose of getting on MFP and saying, "look at my six pack and I eat ice cream every day." It's like me sitting outside of an AA meeting with a beer on a hot day and making slurping noises as I drink it, holding it up to the member saying, "I do this every day, but in moderation and I'm not an alcoholic". I CAN, you can't just making sure you all know. But hey, I do it in moderation and I STILL am not an alcoholic. " Or more in comparison would be to go to an AA forum online and post I drink wine every night with dinner and am not an alcoholic. Just childish! Just cruel and completely stupid.

Truth is they never really experienced obesity. They really had nothing to push through or fight for to be where they are at today.
Ask these people anything about the psychological aspect of weight loss. How do you take someone severely obese and get them in to shape? They wouldn't know where to begin. They never been there.

You have absolutely no idea about people's lives and what they have had to go through to get where they are. I can also name many people on here who where obese and who eat ice cream all the time...and I know you know they are here.

Question is, who will die first in the long run?

Telomeres have more to do with how long you live than anything.

Genetics.

General calorie restriction actually has a beneficial effect on telomere length. It's not about insulin, its about not eating too much, period.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/01/130123133852.htm

According to a study carried out by a team led by María Blasco, the director of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) and head of the Telomeres and Telomerase Group, a sustained lowering of food intake over time results in an increase of telomere length -- the ends of chromosomes -- in adult mice, which has a protective effect on the DNA and genetic material.

For every study there is a counter study... heh.

Well eating too much does increase free radicals which does decrease life span(enjoy your bulking cycles). HIgh levels of insulin also does decrease life span. Good example is type 2 diabetics, their life span is shorter if they have the disease compared to i they did not.

Tell that to my 93 year old grandmother who has had type 2 diabetes since her 20s. It has just been the last year or two where she is not getting around very well anymore, but shoot, 93!

altinker

I think people can make their own decisions about food and additives as there are animal studies that have been performed out there. About 20 years ago, I dated a guy that drank 24 cans of diet soda a day. He didn't drink water. I used to just take a sip from his can now and then, but it would equate to a can or two a day.

I remember doing some research at the time, and there was a forum somewhere that people were placing anecdotal stories about their experiences with what I call "Mystery Sweeteners." I remember a takeaway that they caused brain irregularities. This seemed to coincide with my experiences. At that time, I made a decision to stay away from mystery sweeteners.

I had personal issues with the aspartame used to sweeten the drinks. I would feel a buzzy feeling in my head and a lack of concentration. I stopped drinking diet soda (I'm not a soda drinker anyway), and my concentration levels returned. MSG gives me migraines. And, I prefer not to eat hydrogenated oils. I also shy away from things like Splenda and try to eat healthy.

And, how do I know this about msg and aspartame for me? Because I pay attention to my personal response to these additives. Now, I don't allow these things in my diet and try to shy away from new mystery sweeteners.

I can make my own decisions about what I choose to eat, thank you very much. Now Stevia is in a lot of things. I don't particularly love it and would prefer a touch of sugar instead, but I'll live with it even knowing that one day something might come out saying it is bad for you.

I don't think we can avoid GMO foods since they are so prevalent in food sources, but if I have a choice to buy something that is non-GMO, then I will buy it. I remember reading an article about protein synthesis in rats four generations from the parent rats being decreased due to GMO consumption. It's just something that I file away in my brain. The truth is that we don't really know the long-term effects on humans, but that doesn't mean that there are no harmful effects.

LiftAllThePizzas

It's also scientifically safe to eat a little soap now and again. Does that mean I do it willingly?

Actually the 99.9% soap isn't one you like to consume. Just sayin'. Oh and science showed that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I saw on Netflix where a kid went blind from soap poisoning. The movie was called A Christmas Story. Everyone should watch it.

Also, studies show that if you play with BB guns you'll shoot your eye out.

blu_meanie_ca

There is lots of evidence to support that aspartame is deadly. Some countries have actually banned it. Just google it.
Coca cola are lying on their website when they say it is safe. They send workers in protective clothing to mop up spillages of it
in their factories. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole, the evidence has been about for years, just look it up. Don't know about the rest.

googled it... nope, no one...

judydelo1

http://ntserver1.wsulibs.wsu.edu:3020/content/96/6/1249.full.pdf+html

This is from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Not sure if you guys can open this or not, as I'm signed in on a university server..but it's basically summed up by the last paragraph:

"These 3 studies add to a growing body of evidence on the adverse health effects of soft drinks; however, given the limited and conflicting data available, these findings can at the present time be considered only suggestive, not conclusive, but they warrant further investigation in other prospective studies with data on long-term intake of soft drinks, diet soft drinks, and aspartame."

Basically, we have little hard evidence of ill-effects of soda and artificial sweeteners (and that goes for some of this other stuff from the OP), however some studies are suggestive (and I know some studies say they are fine). More research is needed to have a definitive answer. Personally, I am not really interested in being a guinea pig, and I think that soda, diet or otherwise, is unnecessary junk food anyway. I'll stick to tea and water (and wine;)! ) I figure there's nothing wrong with good ol fashioned sugar in moderation (though I don't really eat sweets anyway).
Not to come off like a nutter, but it is worth understanding that many studies are paid for by the food companies themselves, so they have an interest in maintaining positive results. There are many contributing factors to the constantly growing obesity epidemic, I can't prove that artificial sweeteners and GMO's are a piece of the puzzle...but if I'm given the choice I'd rather eat natural food.

excellent post.

Love this post

CristinaL1983

It's also scientifically safe to eat a little soap now and again. Does that mean I do it willingly?

Actually the 99.9% soap isn't one you like to consume. Just sayin'. Oh and science showed that.

A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

I saw on Netflix where a kid went blind from soap poisoning. The movie was called A Christmas Story. Everyone should watch it.

Also, studies show that if you play with BB guns you'll shoot your eye out.

When I was little, my mom used to wash my mouth out with soap when I said things that weren't nice. One time, I had braces and the soap got caught in my braces. I couldn't stop blowing soap bubbles while I was crying. Even when she let me rinse my mouth out with water, I kept blowing soap bubbles. As an adult, my IQ test score was two points lower than the test I took as a child. Clear proof that eating even the smallest amounts of soap will cause permanent and irreversible brain damage.



[Don't mind the fact that a 2 point deviation is perfectly normal and that all IQ tests are scored on different scales. My story is true and irrefutable proof.]

geebusuk

As I said, after she stopped with the aspartame her symptoms immediately stopped getting worse. As I said, her symptoms had been getting worse each day at an alarming rate. Then when she stopped the aspartame the symptoms stopped getting any worse. And after a few months off of it she did start to make some improvements (as her nervous system began the task of trying to repair itself I would assume). ANd yes this is an anecdotal story. Did I say I am an expert? I began by saying that this happened to a friend and when I see others that I care about consuming a lot of sugar free stuff I feel compelled to share this story and information I have read regarding this stuff. Relax.

If your friend instead suffered the same from a peanut allergy, would you advice people not to eat peanuts?
It's quite possible I could suffer in the same way - I don't like peanuts, so wouldn't know if I was specifically allergic to them as I never eat them intentionally. However, I do consume food that has them in.

I am, I found out, intolerant to Casein (in powdered form, at least) - that doesn't mean I go around telling others not to have it - quite the opposite actually.

What if someone researched a link between 'natural products' and 'bad things', would they find one?
I'd bet they could find many just as conclusive as the ones being posted.

I always liked this, most of it is 'backed up' with 'research';
http://hellokinsella.posterous.com/the-daily-mail-list-of-things-that-give-you-c

melindanew

So do we have enough here to conclude most of the fear mongering over these substances are baseless, as nothing credible has been produced?

Yes, but correlation is equalling causation all over the place. It's like a correlation = causation tidal wave. Without the water, or you know the death and earthquakes and stuff.