Aspertame

juanpegler
juanpegler Posts: 92 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi Everyone.
Just a quick question.
Has anybody had any bad experience with Aspertame?
I see there are lots of bad things written about it on the net. then again, I dont trust these sites unless I can see its some official health website. I do trust you all though :) So what is the verdict?

Replies

  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
    I haven't.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    I'm so allergic! My chest and back break out in hard welts! and I can taste it immediately, then I look at the ingredients and it is buried somewhere in the middle. I just stay away from any "diet" anything. Just not worth it.
  • stephygetsfitt
    stephygetsfitt Posts: 38
    I am allergic to many things including Aspartame. I used to consume a small amount every time I'd chew Wintermint Orbit Gum (♥) and started noticing weird heart pain. I felt like I had a brick on my chest and then my heart felt like it was getting stabbed with a needle. I was like wtf! I couldn't figure out why I was feeling this way.

    Then I started noticing I'd get weird headaches. After about a year I finally related some of those things to what I was eating and the ingredients in them. Now I don't eat any Aspartame product or artificial sweetners for years now and haven't had that feeling since.

    I've read lots of scary stuff on the internet about since then and I am SO happy I don't eat that nasty stuff anymore!
    ♥
  • FrankieBenjamin
    FrankieBenjamin Posts: 61 Member
    I did slimming world about 10 years ago. Switched all sugar products to fake sweetner products, was fine at first, but after a while became very sensitive - looked it up nad realised I was suffering from a lot of side effects - blurred vision, tinitus, mood swings (really didnt feel myself and became quite agressive etc), thirsty cant remember them all, but as soon as I realised what it was I cut them out and went back to normal. Decided I would rather be fat than mad! Couldnt touch it for around a year without symptoms coming back immediately as I was very sensitive. Anyways I can have some products now with sweetener in, but really try to limit my intake as I dont want to feel that way again - especailly the mood aspects. In moderation its ok, but becareful,
  • juanpegler
    juanpegler Posts: 92 Member
    Good to know. Staying away.

    Thanks for all the replies.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,252 Member
    Just reading this thread is giving me a headache.....
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    I'm intolerant to it, same symptoms as for lactose intolerance. I avoid it. My mum and gran have the same issue with it, so it's possibly genetic.

    However, that doesn't mean it's unsafe for everyone. There's a ton of scaremongering about aspartame on the internet. Some people don't tolerate it well, most people clearly don't have a problem otherwise no-one would buy stuff that contains it because people generally avoid foods and drinks that make them ill.

    I don't think there's any point avoiding it if it's not causing any problems for you. Should everyone avoid peanuts just because some people are allergic to peanuts? A severe peanut allergy is potentially deadly. But the vast majority of people eat them without problems.
  • mrsamanda86
    mrsamanda86 Posts: 869 Member
    Sounds like anyone who isn't allergic to it gets along just fine. I don't go looking for it to eat/drink with, but it's in some of the things I like and haven't ever noticed any ill effects from it. Most of the studies showing ill effects are from amounts that you would never actually consume. Kind of like dogs not being able to eat chocolate, they would basically have to eat their body weight in chocolate for the ill effects.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    I've never read anything that convinced me that aspartame/artificial sweeteners are bad for the average person to consume in moderation.

    If you have certain health issues it should be avoided. For example, people with PKU have to avoid it completely because it contains phenylalanine. But they also have to avoid natural sources of Phe, which include meat, dairy, and starches.

    Some people find that it makes them crave other sweet foods. If it causes problems with adherence to your calorie goal, then limiting or eliminating it might be wise.

    Most of the scary studies involve consuming massive quantities, far beyond what the average person would consume. The dose makes the poison and just about anything can be harmful in enormous quantities, even water.

    TL;DR: If you don't have a health issue and it doesn't cause cravings, enjoy artificial sweeteners in moderation and in the context of a balanced diet.
  • ElusivePete
    ElusivePete Posts: 50 Member
    I've consumed quite a lot of aspartame (and many other sweeteners) for many years, and it's never caused me any problems.

    My fiance and her mother seem to get minor headaches though from something in certain sweetener-containing products. Not sure if it's actually from the sweeteners themselves or not. Could be all sorts of things.
  • Ophidion
    Ophidion Posts: 2,065 Member
    It stole my girlfriend and finished the cake I was saving for a snack.
  • nikilis
    nikilis Posts: 2,305 Member
    its more addictive than crystal meth, when you add it to crystal meth, cause it tastes sweet too.

    definitely will quell your sweet craving, and replace it with a much deeper, bugs on your skin, sell your grans TV kinda craving.
  • ekz13
    ekz13 Posts: 725 Member
    Splenda, Equal, S&L, etc... no issues..
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,300 Member
    Was just starting to think these Aspertame is the evil enemy! Threads had faded away.

    New Evil Enemy Sugar threads have taken over - and nobody is answering Aspertame threads with 'Natural sugar is better '
    answers any more.

    Anyway Op, I drink a few glasses of diet coke a week - hasn't caused me any side effects at all.
  • GingerLolita
    GingerLolita Posts: 738 Member
    I've given up artificial sweeteners recently, using real sugar or honey if I need to. Because sweetness is no longer calorie-free for me, I'm more inclined to leave things unsweetened. As a result, I've started craving sweet things less - and therefore sweet things are more satisfying when I have them!
  • npayne90
    npayne90 Posts: 83 Member
    I was a diet coke junkie, got severe headaches etc, gave it up, and headaches vanished, I feel really great.
  • ttknowles01
    ttknowles01 Posts: 255 Member
    I've never read anything that convinced me that aspartame/artificial sweeteners are bad for the average person to consume in moderation.

    If you have certain health issues it should be avoided. For example, people with PKU have to avoid it completely because it contains phenylalanine. But they also have to avoid natural sources of Phe, which include meat, dairy, and starches.

    Some people find that it makes them crave other sweet foods. If it causes problems with adherence to your calorie goal, then limiting or eliminating it might be wise.

    Most of the scary studies involve consuming massive quantities, far beyond what the average person would consume. The dose makes the poison and just about anything can be harmful in enormous quantities, even water.

    TL;DR: If you don't have a health issue and it doesn't cause cravings, enjoy artificial sweeteners in moderation and in the context of a balanced diet.

    ^^^^ This...I have not had any issues with it
  • bluesunset2015
    bluesunset2015 Posts: 120
    I've heard that aspartame and any other kind of artificial sweetener is worse than sugar, so go figure :P
  • midwestmixtape
    midwestmixtape Posts: 66 Member
    Unless you have adverse reactions (rare), artificial sweeteners are something you just crap out without any effect on your health, like swallowing gum.

    Some studies have alleged that it affects your insulin levels / metabolism, but other studies have found the opposite. Jury is out on that as far as I know.
  • talprofs
    talprofs Posts: 5 Member
    You have already stated in this thread that you have decided to stay away from Aspertame as an artificial sweetner based on the the replies by other posters.

    The controversersy about Aspertame really kicked off in 2006 in the wake of an Italian study as to whether Aspertame was a carcinogen and induced the growth of cancerous tumours in rats, as then reported in The New York Times:
    http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/business/yourmoney/12sweet.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

    The European Union health agencies, I believe take a dim view of Aspertame (often marketed as NutraSweet), but you can find the full SP from the European Safety Agency here:
    http://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/faqs/faqaspartame.htm

    Curiously, I also understand that the official position of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) is that "There is no clear evidence that the artificial sweeteners available commercially in the United States are associated with cancer risk in humans.":
    http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/artificial-sweeteners

    I have little doubt that the final word has yet to be said on the risks/benefits associated with Aspertame and other aritificial sweeteners.

    I am a simple layman and take an equally simple view that 'natural' is better than 'artificial' in terms of being healthy and life-enhancing.

    For this reason, I try to eat as little refined sugar as possible (there is a hughe quantity in processed foods sold in the UK, where I live), and I do not, as a rule add sugar to my food -- the sole exception being if I drink Italian espresso coffee, to which I occasionally add half-a-teaspoonful of raw, brown, cane sugar.

    talprofs
  • kenzietate
    kenzietate Posts: 399 Member
    I don't know if I am intolerant to it or allergic to it because I have never gotten that far! The taste is so bad to me that I can't get past the first tiny sip. But it isn't limited to aspartame for me. It is any sweetener that isn't cane sugar or honey. I know that my mom gets really bad head aches from diet sodas.
  • icyeyes317
    icyeyes317 Posts: 226 Member
    I am incredibly intolerant to aspartame, as well as other artificial sweeteners. It is a severe migraine trigger for me, makes my mouth feel funny, and makes me kinda dizzy. I avoid anything with the word "diet" in it, because they use artificial sweeteners.
  • cjcolorado
    cjcolorado Posts: 49 Member
    I don't tolerate it well in larger amounts (that is, the amount in diet soda)--I get nauseated and a low, throbbing headache. While I don't have the same reaction to Splenda, as it's processed differently, I can taste it immediately--it tastes like chlorine to me. I later learned that it is processed using chlorine, which might explain it. If I want sweet, I stick with plain old sugar or honey. I have read a handful of studies that address the nature of artificial sweeteners piqueing one's taste for sweet foods or more food, in general, which can be challenging when one is limiting calories.
  • Athijade
    Athijade Posts: 3,300 Member
    I can not have it due to the fact that it is known to aggravate a condition I have. I actually have to stay away from all artificial sweeteners for the same reason (and a lot of other foods). I use either regular sugar or honey when I need to sweeten things up.

    That said, unless you have an intolerance to it or a medical condition that makes it so you shouldn't consume it, it will not harm you.

    Oh, I also can't stand the taste of it.

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