diet pepsi drinkers beware: aspartame....

ttmuzzy13
ttmuzzy13 Posts: 13 Member
edited September 25 in Food and Nutrition
i would just like to say that I personally will no longer buy or consume any product with Aspartame in it. Meaning there goes my Yoplait light yogurts (mainly)

I found out over the weekend that my 41 year old brother switched to diet pepsi about 2 years ago. for the past 2 years his leg wouldn't quit shaking... recently it moved to his arm/hand. He has been back and forth to doctors, specialists, neurologists, getting MRI's of his brain, leg, and spine, getting bloodwork done all to NO AVAIL.

so he calls me this weekend and tells me out of the blue he figured out that the only thing in his life that he has done differently was switch from regular pepsi, to diet pepsi. he did some research and found that ASPARTAME is the root of all evil. look it up for more details.

needless to say, he quit cold turkey. by day 3 he said the tremors are still there, but are not as severe as they were.
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Replies

  • sugarbeans
    sugarbeans Posts: 676 Member
    My mom switched from regular pop to diet due to her diabetes... She has recently figured out that she gets Restless leg syndrome from it. (or it irritates it more), her IBS acts up and she constantly had headaches after an hour after her intake of pop. Normally I would say that it was complications due to her diabetes however she has now quit drinking pop altogether and the symptoms have almost completely vanished or the intensity has dropped drastically where it is manageable.

    Reading up on Aspartame and finding out some stuff I have been trying to cut it out of my life, if I want pop I will have a glass of regular and try to keep it out of the house.
  • abra526
    abra526 Posts: 213 Member
    I had some health issues after switching exclusively to diet coke. Before, I had always had regular coke or drpepper, never diet. I was drinking up to 4 cans of diet coke per day. I started having respiratory issues and passing out at work with no warning. After every test imaginable (brain scans, heart ultrasounds, blood work, you name it), they found NOTHING. Finally, i decided to cut out diet coke...almost. I immediately felt better. Nowadays, I will allow myself one diet pop every few days. If I'm really craving pop, I will pre-plan my caloric intake to allow myself a regular coke. I've never had an issue with splenda or stevia, but I'm staying away from aspartame as much as possible!
  • Noctuary
    Noctuary Posts: 255
    I've been drinking diet dr pepper for over a year. Only side effect? Lower bg numbers.
  • JJHudgens
    JJHudgens Posts: 96 Member
    Wow, this is good info. I've heard a lot about aspartame, and how bad it is for you. I've had a restless leg for the last few years now. It comes and goes. I had thought maybe a mineral deficiency. I haven't had too many doctor trips for it, yet have tried a few things. I have not tried deleting aspartame from my diet though. I do not feel I intake a ton of the stuff, but maybe it's just enough to have this "twitch" of mine continue from time to time. My leg hasn't been all that restless, but funny- just tonight, the twitch is back. I had a coffee after dinner, and one Splenda was put in it. Hmmm, interesting. Can't help but think of the correlation. Thanks for this post!
  • husker_gal
    husker_gal Posts: 462 Member
    aspartame can also lead to aspartame poisoning which can lead to infertility, symptoms similar to MS...etc and all of those are irreversible! VERY scarey! I don't drink diet drinks or eat anything with aspartame in it and I try to stay away from all artificial sweeteners because of this.
  • delilah514
    delilah514 Posts: 126 Member
    Fake sugar sucks! I gave it up years ago. Gives me anxiety.
  • reggie0126
    reggie0126 Posts: 17
    dr oz says if you drink diet pop you are more likely to have a stroke.idrank my last bottle of diet pepsi ,i use to drink a 12 pack of can diet pepsi a day ised to itch all over id scrached till my skin would bleed plus i had trouble sleeping ay nite now that i cdo drink all the pop i no longer itch and i sllep at nite
  • katierg
    katierg Posts: 42
    Any good trainer will also tell you that artificial sweeteners are BAD BAD BAD! They, even though artificial, still spike your insulin levels (diabetic or not) and cause your body to go into fat storing mode. Even though they may use less food energy (low-cal), they keep you from burning fat and in effect, keep you from losing any weight in addition to the negative side-effects listed above. My father has always been severely allergic to aspartame and more recently has developed an allergy to saccharin (which is banned in Canada due to it's prominent link with bladder cancer). Others to watch out for in your ingredient lists..

    Xylitol, Lactotil, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, sorbitol, stevia, sodium cyclamate.

    Just because it's sugar free doesn't mean it's healthy. Natural is the way to go. Everything in moderation.
  • GinjaNinja1
    GinjaNinja1 Posts: 19 Member
    I straight up suggest cutting out cola's all together. I rarely drink cola unless it's a rare Rum and Coke.
    I made this suggestion to a friend who would normally drink 2-3 cans a day. Just by cutting out the cola from her diet, she lost 20 lbs in 2 months. She did not change anything else in her diet or excercise any more than normal.

    Soda's are terrible for the body!
  • Mightytaco84
    Mightytaco84 Posts: 76 Member
    So, the doctors he went to couldn't figure out what was wrong with him, so he diagnosis himself? Diet Coke also has aspartame. Diet Rite is the most popular drink that does not use it.
  • amberlineilene
    amberlineilene Posts: 153
    don't drink so much soda..
  • katierg
    katierg Posts: 42
    The last thing you want to do is DRINK your calories. Especially if you're goal is to watch your intake. There is almost no way to control how much you put in when you are constantly drinking flavored beverages/soda/juice. I always try to cut the juice and eat my fruit, take in mostly water and after a workout have a protein shake (every ingredient carefully measured). The only exception I find to this guideline is milk or soy milk.
  • DaniNei
    DaniNei Posts: 132 Member
    I cut out all aspartame from my diet several years ago. Just make sure you know the other names that it goes by too. Most products won't come out and directly say aspartame on their product labels. They even use aspartame in chewing gum.
  • tigertchr23
    tigertchr23 Posts: 418 Member
    I have never had a good experience with aspartame. It makes me feel sick and I either get light headed or a headache. I have tried to switch to raw cane sugar or Stevia as much as possible. They are starting to come out with more products using Stevia or Truvia (Vitamin Water Zero/Steaz Teas/Zevia) but they are not wide spread yet.

    Good post!:smile:
  • ginaiboo
    ginaiboo Posts: 2
    My mom always told me that it is HORRIBLE on ones eye site! makes you go blind?
  • ToniRee
    ToniRee Posts: 13
    Two of my cousins and I are all allergic to all sugar substitutes, so I only eat real sugar if I must and only drink water and milk (skim). We have diabetics in the family, so they make sugar free desserts for family get-togethers. I always bring something that I know that I can eat. The reaction I get to it is pretty bad, and does not go away until it's gone all the way through my system. I find anything artificial to be poison to the body. The reactions I would get would include the worst migraine ever, as well as vomiting, and blurry vision. Once I read a story about aspartame that made sense with some of my reactions. The story was a study showing that it gives rats brain cancer. It would also explain peoples twitches, as the nerves were probably affected. I always try to encourage people not to use the substitutes, but no one ever listens.
  • Noctuary
    Noctuary Posts: 255
    I'm waiting for the ultimate conclusion: Aspartame cause zombies.
  • katierg
    katierg Posts: 42
    Zombies with multiple forms of cancer. :ohwell:
    I'm waiting for the ultimate conclusion: Aspartame cause zombies.
  • Noctuary
    Noctuary Posts: 255
    Zombies with multiple forms of cancer. :ohwell:
    I'm waiting for the ultimate conclusion: Aspartame cause zombies.

    Yup. They also will be the cause of the apocalypse.
  • kewdevelopments
    kewdevelopments Posts: 4
    Anecdote = science for non-scientists.

    In any case "restless leg syndrome" is not a real condition...
  • xomakaxo
    xomakaxo Posts: 86 Member
    Many studies have been done on the use of fake sugars. Aspartame was reported as having the most side effects in case studies, including severe migraines. Some studies associated the ingestion of fake sugars (including saccharin) to cancers and shrinking of testicles-- in lab rats. However, be wary of studies like this that compare rats to humans. We have very different ways of processing foods and chemicals, natural or unnatural. Something that causes cancer or shrinking balls in rats may not necessarily cause the same in humans (their cancer was caused by the formation of crystals because of chems in their bodies that we don't have).

    It is labeled in the ingredients as ASPARTAME, and usually will also have a warning directly below the ingredients list that says "Warning: Contains PHENYLKETONEURICS". If it is included in the food, it must be on the label, in the ingredients list. They can't just leave it out.

    On the other hand, Stevia is a naturally-derived (it's a leaf from a shrub) sweetener now being used (mainly in low-calorie drinks). Since it's WAY sweeter than sugar, much less is needed. Diabetics can even use it. It can be called Stevia, PureVia, Truvia, or other names. Studies have been done on it, and some cultures have used stevia for centuries, with no bad side effects.
  • PrincessLynn2010
    PrincessLynn2010 Posts: 49 Member
    I have a bad case of restless leg syndome, myself. I didn't even think to link it to aspartame.

    Does anyone know if losing weight while drinking diet soda is more difficult?
  • albragg
    albragg Posts: 55
    I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.
  • JackboyE
    JackboyE Posts: 32 Member
    so he calls me this weekend and tells me out of the blue he figured out that the only thing in his life that he has done differently was switch from regular pepsi, to diet pepsi. he did some research and found that ASPARTAME is the root of all evil. look it up for more details.

    You say he figured it out? Is he a doctor specialising in artificial sweeteners? My point being, you can't just go by what people say. I've read articles on artificial sweeteners but I've never read anything on pubmed.

    I drink pepsi max and I have no troubles (headache etc) and I agree with the person who said how rats are incredibly different to humans.

    I think it's nice that you've shared a story about what has happened to him but you can't assume that what happened to him will happen to all drinkers :P
  • bmontgomery87
    bmontgomery87 Posts: 1,260 Member
    If you're super concerned over your health just avoid soda in general. problem solved.
  • Isa25
    Isa25 Posts: 46
    I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.

    Feel the SAME exact way.
  • TammyLanham
    TammyLanham Posts: 109 Member
    We once had a rat problem (due to a neighbor's hoarding issues) and we called the exterminator. He told us there wasn't much he could do for us but suggested we empty either the blue packets or the pink packets into a paper plate on the floor & they would consume it & be dead within days. It fries their blood vessels from the inside out. Did it & so did several of our neighbors ... rats were gone within the week. That was enough to convince me to stay away from aspartame.

    Honestly, I drink water all day long and lots of it. I will have one 4 oz. glass of orange juice about 1x a week and that's all I drink. When I'm playing in tournaments or athletic competitions, I drink a powerade or gatorade. That's usually about once a month.
  • ttmuzzy13
    ttmuzzy13 Posts: 13 Member
    UPDATE: today is wednesday, he said he stopped drinking it on saturday morning. I talked to him last night and he said his leg and arm/hand are still shaking pretty bad, but he said they're not AS severe as they were.

    It's not so much as diagnosing himself as it is changing what he started 2 years ago when the tremors/shaking started. The only thing he changed was he went on a diet and started drinking diet pepsi. Doctors never even thought to ask him about his drink/food intake. He said he just woke up saturday morning and the light bulb went off.

    only time will tell, but I believe my brother is DEAD ON with this aspartame causing his shaking. He was almost diagnosed MS but all the test results proved false.

    I'll definitely keep this post updated probably in another 30 days to see where his health is. ;) I'm praying he's right about the diet soda causing his problems.
    so he calls me this weekend and tells me out of the blue he figured out that the only thing in his life that he has done differently was switch from regular pepsi, to diet pepsi. he did some research and found that ASPARTAME is the root of all evil. look it up for more details.

    You say he figured it out? Is he a doctor specialising in artificial sweeteners? My point being, you can't just go by what people say. I've read articles on artificial sweeteners but I've never read anything on pubmed.

    I drink pepsi max and I have no troubles (headache etc) and I agree with the person who said how rats are incredibly different to humans.

    I think it's nice that you've shared a story about what has happened to him but you can't assume that what happened to him will happen to all drinkers :P
  • JackboyE
    JackboyE Posts: 32 Member
    I think everyone needs to think carefully and do legitimate research before jumping to conclusions. I'm not sure where I stand on aspartame. But please do remember that anecdotal evidence is not very strong and circumstantial at best.

    I didn't see this post! 100% agree, people listen to people and it's really scientific research from qualified people you need to listen to!

    @Thread starter - Hope your brother is okay and I hope it's an easy fix (such as cutting out the artificial sugars as he has suggested).
  • dandydalek
    dandydalek Posts: 158 Member
    Anecdote = science for non-scientists.

    In any case "restless leg syndrome" is not a real condition...

    Oh, I'm sorry. You're right. Obviously you know way more than the MILLIONS of people who suffer from it. Thanks for clearing that up.
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