Evil Aspartame

Studiousone75

I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi with aspartame in it in the mid-1990s and ended up with:

crankiness and unrelenting depression
chronic fatigue
unwellness feeling in the body with no energy
aching joints
heart palpitations

I went to the doctor to check out the problem and one thing he did was to submit my blood samples for a battery of tests. One of the results showed a level of antinuclear antibodies of someone having full-blown lupus. Antinuclear antibodies are evidence of an autoimmune disease and they attack the person's own body.

http://arthritis.webmd.com/antinuclear-antibodies-ana

I did research on the Internet and found articles associating aspartame with the ANA situation. I quit Diet Pepsi and avoided all aspartame wherever I could. It took three years before I felt well and like I used to be. The ANA levels were tested a few times over several years, and it went down in half by the end of the first three years and decreased some more after that. I no longer have ANA tested after it went closer to normal.

Just because Monsanto says it is safe doesn't mean it's safe for everyone. Sunnyside1213 does have a valid point!

NikoM5

Really glad you got better (seriously) but you can't link your problems to aspartame based on vague association. There's no scientific reason Aspartame would cause those kinds of problems.

Studiousone75

Just because scientists didn't find scientific evidence that aspartame would cause the problems listed doesn't mean that it would never cause such problems in a smaill minority of people.

I can feel the effects of aspartame in a single diet drink even now. What's so hard about acknowledging the possibility that some people like me can't tolerate aspartame? I think scientists could find the scientific evidence for me if I chose to undergo a study consuming it, but I really don't want to repeat the experience.

Warchortle

Hippies think chemicals are bad then they want a drug to make their allergies go away.

emcclore

this feed wow!

ajball90

100% of people who have used oxygen have DIED.
the EXACT SAME statistic holds true for people who have ingested WATER.

dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Haahah ^^^

pennydreadful270

Gives me a gippy tummy.

Supern0va81

Sugar-free = good for weight Ioss

When the sugar is taken out, artificial (chemical) sweeteners are put in.

Not only are these harmful to your health, but studies have shown that they make you crave carbohydrates and actually make you eat MORE--which increases the number on your scale!

Here is just a partial list of the health effects of Aspartame (aka Equal or NutraSweet):

Eyes:
-Blindness in one or both eyes
-Decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as blurring, flashes, tunnel vision
-Eye pain; Dry eyes/decreased tears

Nerves:
-Seizures
-Headaches/migraines
-Dizziness
-Confusion/memory loss
-Severe drowsiness and sleepiness
-Numbness of the arms and legs
-Slurring of speech
-Tremors/trembling

Psychological/Psychiatric:
-Severe depression
-Irritability/agitation
-Anxiety/phobias (fears)
-Personality changes

Chest:
-Heart palpitations/rapid heart beat
-Shortness of breath
-High blood pressure

Digestive:
-Nausea
-Diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
-Stomach pain/pain while swallowing

Skin and Allergies:
-Itching without a rash; Hives

Endocrine and Metabolic:
-Loss of control of diabetes
-Thinning or loss of hair
-Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
-Severe PMS symptoms

The most severe effects of aspartame poisoning are:
-Death
-Irreversible brain damage
-Birth defects, including mental retardation
-Ulcers
-Aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
-Hyperactivity in children
-Severe depression
-Aggressive behavior
-Suicidal tendencies
-Cancer

I am taking an unbiased perspective but to anyone reading this, referencing your information sources when you post this information would support your claims, unless you are talking from evidenced first hand experience.

sijomial

On the flip side.... The avoidance of aspartame has been scientifically linked with phobias.

Here's my source:

www.ireaditontheinterwebzsoitmustbetrue.com

Wynterbourne

Oh, scary aspartame! What about Dihydrogen Monoxide:


- is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
- contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
- may cause severe burns.
- is fatal if inhaled.
- contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
- accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
- may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
- has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

- as an industrial solvent and coolant.
- in nuclear power plants.
- in the production of Styrofoam.
- as a fire retardant.
- in many forms of cruel animal research.
- in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
- as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

Bravo!

Supern0va81

On the flip side.... The avoidance of aspartame has been scientifically linked with phobias.

Here's my source:

www.ireaditontheinterwebzsoitmustbetrue.com

:laugh:

MrsBobaFett

Gives me migraines when I drink it now. I used to drink so much Pepsi Max, a least a bottle a day!

Supern0va81

Anyone drink sugary drinks day in day out and have no fillings? Y'no just sayin...

snowbike

I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi with aspartame in it in the mid-1990s and ended up with:

crankiness and unrelenting depression
chronic fatigue
unwellness feeling in the body with no energy
aching joints
heart palpitations

I went to the doctor to check out the problem and one thing he did was to submit my blood samples for a battery of tests. One of the results showed a level of antinuclear antibodies of someone having full-blown lupus. Antinuclear antibodies are evidence of an autoimmune disease and they attack the person's own body.

http://arthritis.webmd.com/antinuclear-antibodies-ana

I did research on the Internet and found articles associating aspartame with the ANA situation. I quit Diet Pepsi and avoided all aspartame wherever I could. It took three years before I felt well and like I used to be. The ANA levels were tested a few times over several years, and it went down in half by the end of the first three years and decreased some more after that. I no longer have ANA tested after it went closer to normal.

Just because Monsanto says it is safe doesn't mean it's safe for everyone. Sunnyside1213 does have a valid point!

Did you not check out the effect of caffeine on lumpus?
All those symptoms are well documented symptoms of caffeine addiction.

_Zardoz_

I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi with aspartame in it in the mid-1990s and ended up with

You probably did a lot of other things so why are they not the cause?

did research on the Internet and found articles associating aspartame with the ANA situation.

As we all know everything on the internet is correct and no one ever has an axe to grind or any sort of bias.

paperpudding

Aspaartame can cause mental retardation - even in moderate doses.......

......for people with the rare disease PKU.
This is a simple fact, easily googled by anyone.

I agree some individuals may get migraines etc - just as some people get hives from tomatoes.

Those individuals should avoid it.

But this doenst mean everyone has to avoid it - - just like not everyone has to avoid tomatoes.

The rest of us can drink it in moderate sensibe amounts without any problems whatsoever.

I drink a few glasses of it a week and have no intention of stopping this.

4_Lisa

Just because scientists didn't find scientific evidence that aspartame would cause the problems listed doesn't mean that it would never cause such problems in a smaill minority of people.

I can feel the effects of aspartame in a single diet drink even now. What's so hard about acknowledging the possibility that some people like me can't tolerate aspartame? I think scientists could find the scientific evidence for me if I chose to undergo a study consuming it, but I really don't want to repeat the experience.

That's true, but at the same time no one is trying to say dairy products poison you based on the handful of people who can't tolerate it either...

dawnna76

We avoid it as much as possible but not cause I think it's some evil doer. It's just we avoid food additives and dyes becuase of issues my children have and generally foods that have dyes also have aspertame and vise versa. But I have been known to much enjoy a diet soda ow and again

michelleAFFL

I watched a documentary called Hungry for Change and it talks a lot about this stuff.. a real eye opener.. thanks for helping spread the dangers of this awful additive!

TR0berts

I watched a mockumentary called Hungry for Change and it talks a lot about this stuff.. a real eye opener.. thanks for helping spread the dangers of this awful additive!

Fixed that for you.

TR0berts

That's true, but at the same time no one is trying to say dairy products poison you based on the handful of people who can't tolerate it either...

You apparently haven't spent much time in the MFP forums. Every week - or so it seems - there's an anti-dairy thread. Based solely on that premise.

monicarcaro

Oh, scary aspartame! What about Dihydrogen Monoxide:


- is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
- contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
- may cause severe burns.
- is fatal if inhaled.
- contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
- accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
- may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
- has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:

- as an industrial solvent and coolant.
- in nuclear power plants.
- in the production of Styrofoam.
- as a fire retardant.
- in many forms of cruel animal research.
- in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
- as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

HOLY CRAP! I can't believe what I just read. I'm going to everythign in my power to get this horrible substance out of my house. My family and my health is at stake here!

Wow! this is so scary! Now theres the real threat OP. You should make a post and tell everyone to avoid this insidious substance. I've heard Monsanto uses it in ALL of their farms and production plants.

are you serious? dihydrogen monoxide is water.

therefore - i'm pretttttyyyyy sure that the 'evil Monsanto' is not the only company to use it - and if they are (which they're not) I'd like you to point me in the direction of where you found that glorious piece of information about dihydrogen monoxide.

xinit0

are you serious? dihydrogen monoxide is water.

therefore - i'm pretttttyyyyy sure that the 'evil Monsanto' is not the only company to use it - and if they are (which they're not) I'd like you to point me in the direction of where you found that glorious piece of information about dihydrogen monoxide.

It's an old joke, spoilsport.

Studiousone75

I drank a lot of Diet Pepsi with aspartame in it in the mid-1990s and ended up with

You probably did a lot of other things so why are they not the cause?

did research on the Internet and found articles associating aspartame with the ANA situation.

As we all know everything on the internet is correct and no one ever has an axe to grind or any sort of bias.

Diet Pepsi and anything else with aspartame were the only things eliminated from my diet to enable seeing if they might be the cause or not. I think judging from the fact that I started feeling better after cutting out these things having it that it might be at least partially due to the aspartame.

I know not to believe everything on the Internet but thought it did not hurt to check this alleged connection between ANA and aspartame by eliminating the alleged culprits from my diet to see if it would help. I also read real-life stories of people who drank diet drinks with aspartame in great amounts and ran into the high ANA levels situation and what they did regarding it. They stopped drinking the stuff and got better. I stopped the diet drinks and got better. I think this is worth checking out scientifically to see if it is truly the aspartame or not.

On the other hand, I did not have problems drinking regular sodas with cane sugar or HFCS.

Studiousone75

Did you not check out the effect of caffeine on lumpus?
All those symptoms are well documented symptoms of caffeine addiction.

I have not checked the effect of caffeine on lupus. I do not have lupus, either then or now, just a very scary situation of having very elevated ANA levels similar to a person with lupus. I still drink caffeine but it is not giving me the effects that drinking Diet Pepsi did. My doctors did not know what to think of the ANA situation and regarded it as a concern.

Still, it's an interesting thought to try researching the effects of caffeine on people.

jonnythan

Will my lumpus be affected by caffeine?

NikoM5

Will my lumpus be affected by caffeine?

Lupus + caffeine gives a lot of hits on Google. It's worth looking into. Check it out.

authorrjnoel

Good to know. I didn't realize it was so bad. I seldom use it but do buy things that are sugar free. Thanks!

KevDaniel

I think it boils down to we are all humans, we indulge from time to time.

That could be smoking, caffeine, alcohol, fatty foods, aspartame, or other. So artificial sweeteners are not the best thing to put in your body as they man made synthetic chemicals. So sure avoiding everything may be your best bet. Also avoid sun overexposure, not breathing the air if you live in city, etc.. so do your best and enjoy your life sometimes.

raw_meal

I saw a few posts on where's the evidence, here is a list of a few studies on aspartame, there are about 68 total in the list. (see end for link). I avoid it and I avoid Nutrasweet. I had a major reaction (symptoms headache and nausea) to Nutrasweet twice in the 80s (it was new product promoting Nutrasweet called Sun Flakes)

Health Problem: Brain damage/Cognitive skills disruption/Retardation/Neurochemical changes in the brain/Behavioral and Mood Changes/Problems
Year Published: 1970
Full Reference: Brain Damage in Infant Mice Following Oral Intake of Glutamate, Aspartate, or Cysteine; Nature 1970;227-609-610
Funded By: Washington University
Conclusion/Findings: Irreversible degenerative changes and acute neuronal necrosis
Hyperlink to Study http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v227/n5258/pdf/227609b0.pdf
Year Published: 2008
Full Reference: Direct and Indirect Cellular Effects of Aspartame on the Brain. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2008) 62, 451-462; P. Humphries, E. Pretorius, and H. Naude
Funded By: Not known
Conclusion/Findings: Excessive aspartame ingestion might cause certain mental disorders, as well as compromised learning and emotional functioning
Hyperlink to Study: http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/aspartamebrain.pdf
Year Published: 2007
Full Reference: Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning During Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats, Morando Soffritti, Fiorella Belpoggi, Eva Tibaldi, Davide Degli Esposti, Michelina Lauriola; Environmental Health Perspectives, 115(9) Sep 2007; 115:1293-1297. doi:10.1289/ehp.10271.
Funded By: Not known
Conclusion/Findings: Carcinogenicity proven a second time; with effects increased when exposure to aspartame begins during fetal life.
Hyperlink to Study: http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info:doi/10.1289/ehp.10271
Year Published: 1984
Full Reference: Effects of Aspartame and Glucose on Rat Brain Amino Acids and Serotonin. Yokogoshi H, Roberst CH, Caballero B, Wurtman RJ. American Journal of clinical Nutrition. 1984 July, 40(1):1-7
Funded By: MIT
Conclusion/Findings: High aspartame doses can generate major neurochemical changes in rats, especially when consumed along with carbohydrate-containing foods
Hyperlink to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6204522
Year Published: 1984
Full Reference: Revelance of Animal Studies to Human Safety. Olney, JW. Neurobehavioral Toxicology and Teratology. 1984; 6:455-462
Funded By: MIT
Conclusion/Findings: Excitotoxins, as used in foods today, may produce blood elevations high enough to cause damage to the nervous system of young children, damage which is not detectable at the time of occurrence but which may give rise to subtle disturbances in neuroendocrine function in adolescence and/or adulthood.
Hyperlink to Study: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6152304

See http://aspartame.mercola.com/sites/aspartame/studies.aspx for entire list.