how do people feel about aspartame?

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  • JustJennie1
    JustJennie1 Posts: 3,749 Member
    It's nasty tasting. I stay away from that crap and Splenda yuck.
  • BunkyBumBum
    BunkyBumBum Posts: 157 Member
    My experience, take it or leave it.

    My mother developed liver cancer at and died at 40 years old. She drank Diet Coke almost exclusively. When she was seeing specialists at the University of Michigan one of the doctors told us that he believed that the diet coke and the amount of it she drank is what caused the liver cancer. He said it was just his opinion and he could be wrong, but he thought that her liver was getting hit with all the junk in diet coke and was never getting anything else (water, anything!) to flush it out, so it just kept going through her liver and her liver was constantly working to filter all that crap out of her blood.

    It could have been anything, and I'm not saying that I believe what he said 100%, BUT it made me think enough to realize that I needed to cut back diet soda, and when I did drink it I should also be sure to drink plenty of water.

    So, choose to believe whatever you want, do your own research and make up your own minds. But, as a biologist and as someone whose mother died of liver cancer at a young age, I looked into it enough to steer me away from diet soda. Do I drink it? Sometimes. I have it when I'm out and craving something bubbly, but I do not keep it in the house because the temptation to drink it is just too much and it seems stupid to risk it.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    When I need to take vitamins (which is rare) I that ones that come from food sources and not a lab.
    So say someone is obese and lacking in vitamins and you suggest they get them from food sources, and those food sources they need them from put them calorie surplus each day. Would that still be your suggestion or would vitamins from a bottle be better? This it NOT an unusual case BTW. Happens in VLCD all the time.

    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

    veggies won't put you at a calorie surplus, and if they do, it's because you ate too much food that was vitamin-deficient.
    You're taking into consideration that they are eating just a vegetable diet alone. However, not many like feeling full all the time.
    It's not likely, but if they like to eat protein and carbs too, then would it be likely that they opt for vitamins they can take orally? Again, it's not discouraged by dieticians.

    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
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    Doesn't it bother anyone that almost every manufacturer study says aspartame is completely safe, while almost every independent study say it is not?

    It's clear American health is going down hill. Is it aspartame? MSG? Propylene glycol?

    No one knows for sure, but it's obviously something in our diets now.
    Really? Which studies? And really, American health is going downhill for the number one factor.............weight. No medical organization will dispute that weight is the number one risk factor for health.

    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
  • 3nchantress
    3nchantress Posts: 41
    It's a poison.
  • slimmingteacher
    slimmingteacher Posts: 157
    i went into holland and barrett (health shop) to buy some and the woman said not to biy it as its a very high cause of cancer! so avoid everyone
  • slimmingteacher
    slimmingteacher Posts: 157
    try truvia which is made from a herb only or stevia
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

    See for yourself.

    I may read it if it were from someone other than Mercola... not the most respected person around.
  • arcticfox04
    arcticfox04 Posts: 1,011 Member
    I get bad headaches from it. I avoid it but seems everything has it in it without me knowing it.
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    i went into holland and barrett (health shop) to buy some and the woman said not to biy it as its a very high cause of cancer! so avoid everyone

    There has yet to be real proof published of this statement.

    Everything has been said to cause cancer.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,343 Member
    i went into holland and barrett (health shop) to buy some and the woman said not to biy it as its a very high cause of cancer! so avoid everyone

    There has yet to be real proof published of this statement.

    Everything has been said to cause cancer.
    But...but...the lady in Holland and Barrett said so!!!11!1!eleventy!!11!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    When I need to take vitamins (which is rare) I that ones that come from food sources and not a lab.
    So say someone is obese and lacking in vitamins and you suggest they get them from food sources, and those food sources they need them from put them calorie surplus each day. Would that still be your suggestion or would vitamins from a bottle be better? This it NOT an unusual case BTW. Happens in VLCD all the time.

    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

    Considering your qualifications, from one professional to another.....do you not consider the health of your clients to be more important? Any obese client should be focusing their diet on nutritionally dense foods, including vegetables etc.. and this certainly wouldn't be difficult on VLCD either.
    Lots of obese clients don't like vegetables. Probably why it may have contributed to their obesity. Sorry, but it's not easy getting them to convert over and it would make more sense that the at the very least get in their essential micros even if it's in vitamin pill form than not getting it all.
    Put these people on VLCD, and it would even be less of chance.

    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
  • leahnanderson
    leahnanderson Posts: 3
    I do not buy anything with Aspartame in it. Id rather have a little bit of real sugar than consume artificial sugar. The stuff is nasty and apparently pretty bad for us. Its in so many products - ugh. I found a light lemonade I like but found out that it contains Splenda which I try to avoid as well.

    I really believe Aspartame is poison! My mother in law consumes diet soda daily and wish I could convince her to stop? Old habits die hard though
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    never killed anyone.. prove me wrong?

    Tell that to the rats in this study. Over 60% of the female rats and over 20% of the males developed grotesque tumors.

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/04/09/victoria-innessbrowns-aspartame-experiment.aspx

    PLease see responses about Mercola... not a good source.

    And are you a rat? If not, nothing to worry about.

    .
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,031 Member
    From a politics point of view take a look at this link that also notes studies done on humans showing negative effects of aspartame that were indendantly funded. Also note further down where it states that FDA were caught removing data to reach the desired outcome in this regard. Note that I haven't looked into these studies, I may well do in following days out of pure interest, I'm also not stating it's dangerous but that we should always question what we are told.

    http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/april2006/050406goodforyou.htm

    I skimmed the article and clicked some of the links. None of them are to actual studies. Where are these studies that show problems?


    As I noted....I haven't looked into them. You'd have to do the ground work yourself :)

    Edit: he also linked to this http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles/april2005/130405aspartamelink.htm
    Burden of proof is on the person that claims it, not the opposition. There are tons of anti chemical organizations out there, but not a lot of independent clinical studies to back the claims they make.

    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
  • smantha32
    smantha32 Posts: 6,990 Member
    It caused my daughter and I massive headaches. My husband nearly died from aspartame toxicity. So no it is not safe.

    Splenda is not better either.

    I'm also one of the people who is hyper sensitive to it.
    It even caused weeping sores on my body. I can't consume it at ALL.
  • amyplaysflute
    amyplaysflute Posts: 91 Member
    I avoid it when I can but I don't care if I eat it occasionally.
  • suzyquackers
    suzyquackers Posts: 7 Member
    As a cancer survivor in a high risk group I try to stay away from anything even questionable, and artificial sweeteners definitely fall in the questionable category.
  • veganpancakes
    veganpancakes Posts: 10
    makes my tummy sick
    I used to be addicted to diet sodas

    also, it's tested on animals so I definitely won't buy stuff with it.
  • Pimpmonkey
    Pimpmonkey Posts: 566
    I've never been able to get past the taste long enough to down anything that has it in it. My family thinks I'm crazy but I can taste it a mile away.
  • roadruna007
    roadruna007 Posts: 1
    I have no concerns over aspartame for myself.

    I have no concerns over other people using aspartame provided that they don't have any personal aversion to it and they don't have PKU (inability to metabolize phenylalanine).

    Aspartame immediately breaks down into aspartic acid and phenylalanine and neither of these are harmful, and both of these items are found in regular food sources.

    Now if I happened to get my information from documentaries instead of actual research, I would probably fear aspartame. That comment is not directed at you.
    truth
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    My Weight Loss Doctor only wants us to use agrave. He says the others are bad for you.


    Ugh... misinformation kills me. Agave is worse than HFCS in a lot of respects-- at least the agave we buy in stores.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-jonny-bowden/debunking-the-blue-agave_b_450144.html
  • Olivia1977
    Olivia1977 Posts: 84 Member
    It causes bladder spasms and can wear out your bladder. I learned that the hard way by having to pee constantly until I cut 99% of it out of my diet. I still chew sugar-free gum but can't drink diet soda or drink mixes anymore. It makes me sad because I love diet soda and such!!!!! I switched to flavored seltzer water. It was hard to get use to at first but it is a good alternative if you crave the carbonation!
  • sally_jeffswife
    sally_jeffswife Posts: 766 Member
    I have heard that its only bad for you if it is stored over 90 degrees F. I prefer the pop that says Zero after it over the Diet ones. It doesn't really bother me when I have diet ones except they make me really thirsty, pee alot and crave sugar. The Coke Zero is a good one for me that doesn't do that. I prefer Mio Water even better.
  • Proyecto_AN
    Proyecto_AN Posts: 387
    I like it... 2 doses in my coffee, everyday.
  • LATeagno
    LATeagno Posts: 620 Member
    I avoid it when I can but I don't care if I eat it occasionally.

    This for me too. In baking and cooking I use natural sweeteners (xylitol, erythritol or stevia), but in my morning coffee I have saccharin. I have a few packets a day of this and I think I'm OK. :)

    I think the only aspartame I ingest is in the form of breath mints and diet soda, which I consume rarely but not never. :)
  • aguethler
    aguethler Posts: 26 Member
    I have Aspartame very very occasionally, mostly in sugar free gum. While I agree that Dr. Mercola is a quack, I think we need to be very cautious about the large variety of chemical ( "natural" and artificial) that we are putting into our bodies on a daily basis. We are mixing all these chemicals together in our stomachs in the presence of a strong acid, and many things that start out being non harmful may have interactions that make them quite different. For me the answer is just keeping my diet as unprocessed as is possible for me within the constraints of my life with four kids. Yes we eat processed food, but I look for things with fewer ingredients, fewer preservatives, and I skip the fake sugar. Fake sugars were not invented for dieters, they were invented for diabetics for whom the side effects were less problematic than the possibility of death from too much glucose. For those without this issue it is better to eat natural sugars and just teach yourself to be happy with smaller amounts.

    Lots of people indicated that Aspartame has been proven to be safe, but has it been proven to be safe in combination with food colorings, preservatives, medications, supplements you might be taking, other flavorings and food additives. Has it been proven to be non harmful to the beneficial gut bacteria living in your body? A bigger question for me is has it been proven to be safe on both developing and adult cells. I am EXTREMELY cautious when in comes to my children and my fetuses when I am pregnant, they have fast growing cells and cells that are still turning their gene expression on and off. Many of these chemicals are not fully tested on all stages of life (because well, we don't want to test on children and pregnant people just in case). I have a unfounded suspicion that something that is endemic in modern diets like artificial sweeteners will be linked autism and ADHD through fetal brain development.
  • aguethler
    aguethler Posts: 26 Member
    How about Harvard for a good source?

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    How about Harvard for a good source?

    http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/artificial-sweeteners-sugar-free-but-at-what-cost-201207165030

    Nothing in that article even suggests that aspartame is bad for you.
  • Time2Recognize
    Time2Recognize Posts: 14
    Personally, if I'm going to have something sweet or that I want to have sweetened, I just go straight for honey, fruit or brown sugar (though I try to limit that because I find I wind up increasing the amount I use as my taste buds adjust if I use it in my tea everyday). I'd rather stick with the natural, because there is virtually no risk in that having any harm done to me with the exception of pesticide/herbicide/or fungicide residues, which is why I aim for as much organic as I can week to week. I am not interested in trying to trick my body into having something it's not. If I am craving something a little sweet, what's wrong with giving my body a little of that? Granted my sweet tooth is limited to tea with a fair spoonful of honey in it, or an entire box of strawberries (or blackberries if i am lucky) never been one for cakes and cookies.

    Also If/when I have kids I would pay serious attention to what ingredients are in the food I feed them also because I don't want to have to question: "I heard this was ok, but now I hear its not..." Or "that research article three months ago said there was no problem but a new study from another country finds issue with that additive". My worst fear is raising a child who develops a problem that otherwise could have been unlikely to happen if I had avoided some strange lab made ingredient. In general if an illness or health problem is avoidable I would like to steer clear! There's no question in fruit and veg, or nuts and seeds. Life is complicated enough! I don't want to worry about every last ingredient I can't pronounce/never heard of on the back of a box.

    Anyway, all in all we are a creature on this planet for the simple reason that it has everything we need to thrive and survive. We cultivated many plants long ago and the diversity in that is more than satisfying to me. Mostly raw fruit, veg, nuts seeds, roots, some cooked grain and meat here and there can't do you wrong if you're getting the nutrients you need. I don't see the point in artificial anything, be it sweetener, coloring, or other additives. I like real food haha!

    Plus that stuff tastes like utter chemical nastiness. Each to his/her own

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