Evil Aspartame

13

Replies

  • Studiousone75
    Studiousone75 Posts: 23 Member
    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
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    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
    Studiousone75 Posts: 23 Member
    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
    Warchortle Posts: 2,197 Member
    Hippies think chemicals are bad then they want a drug to make their allergies go away.
  • emcclore
    emcclore Posts: 38
    this feed wow!
  • ajball90
    ajball90 Posts: 211 Member
    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
    pennydreadful270 Posts: 266 Member
    Gives me a gippy tummy.
  • Supern0va81
    Supern0va81 Posts: 168 Member
    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
    sijomial Posts: 19,809 Member
    On the flip side.... The avoidance of aspartame has been scientifically linked with phobias.

    Here's my source:

    www.ireaditontheinterwebzsoitmustbetrue.com
  • Wynterbourne
    Wynterbourne Posts: 2,235 Member
    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
    Supern0va81 Posts: 168 Member
    On the flip side.... The avoidance of aspartame has been scientifically linked with phobias.

    Here's my source:

    www.ireaditontheinterwebzsoitmustbetrue.com

    :laugh:
  • MrsBobaFett
    MrsBobaFett Posts: 802 Member
    Gives me migraines when I drink it now. I used to drink so much Pepsi Max, a least a bottle a day!
  • Supern0va81
    Supern0va81 Posts: 168 Member
    Anyone drink sugary drinks day in day out and have no fillings? Y'no just sayin...
  • snowbike
    snowbike Posts: 153 Member
    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_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
    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
    paperpudding Posts: 9,302 Member
    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
    4_Lisa Posts: 362 Member
    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
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    :smile: 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
    michelleAFFL Posts: 3 Member
    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
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
    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
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member

    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.
  • 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
    xinit0 Posts: 310 Member
    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
    Studiousone75 Posts: 23 Member
    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
    Studiousone75 Posts: 23 Member
    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
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Will my lumpus be affected by caffeine?
  • NikoM5
    NikoM5 Posts: 488 Member
    Will my lumpus be affected by caffeine?

    Lupus + caffeine gives a lot of hits on Google. It's worth looking into. Check it out.
  • 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
    KevDaniel Posts: 449 Member
    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
    raw_meal Posts: 96 Member
    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.