diet pepsi drinkers beware: aspartame....

The sheer amount of panic over the one story of this one time aspartame caused me to see blue spots or when rats died on the spot from just seeing the blue and yellow packets....
herd mentality in action.

Gosh, what did you have for lunch, a heaping bowl of smartass stew?

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.

well here is my little story my great grandma drank diet soda from the day it hit the market till the day she died at 104.She never had any of these problem.grapes are toxic to dogs so i guess we shouldnt eat those either lol

http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/CancerCauses/OtherCarcinogens/AtHome/aspartame


Does aspartame cause cancer?
Researchers use 2 main types of studies to try to determine if a substance or exposure causes cancer. (A substance that causes cancer or helps cancer grow is called a carcinogen.)

In studies done in the lab, animals are exposed to a substance (often in very large doses) to see if it causes tumors or other health problems. It's not always clear if the results from these types of studies will apply to humans, but lab studies are the best way to find out if a substance has the potential to cause cancer in humans before widespread exposure occurs.

Another type of study looks at cancer rates in different groups of people. Such a study might compare the cancer rate in a group exposed to a substance versus the rate in a group not exposed to it, or compare it to what the expected cancer rate would be in the general population. But studies in people can sometimes be hard to interpret, because there may be other factors affecting the results that are hard to account for.

In most cases neither type of study provides definitive evidence on its own, so researchers usually look at both lab-based and human studies if they are available.

Studies done in the lab
Many studies have looked for health effects in lab animals fed aspartame, often in doses higher than 4,000 mg/kg per day over their lifetimes. These studies have not found any health problems that are consistently linked with aspartame.

Two studies published by a group of Italian researchers suggested that very high doses of aspartame might increase the risk of some blood-related cancers (leukemias and lymphomas) in rats. However, both the FDA and the EFSA have called these results into question, citing a lack of some important data in the published studies and other concerns.

Studies in people
Most studies in people have not found that aspartame use is linked to an increased risk of cancer.

One early study suggested that an increased rate of brain tumors in the US during the 1980s might have been related to aspartame use. However, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the increase in brain tumor rates actually began back in the early 1970s, well before aspartame was in use. And most of the increase was seen in people age 70 and older, a group that was not exposed to the highest doses of aspartame, which might also make this link less likely. Other studies have not found an increase in brain tumors related to aspartame use.

In the largest study of this issue, researchers from the NCI looked at cancer rates in more than 500,000 older adults. The study found that, compared to people who did not drink aspartame-containing beverages, those who did drink them did not have an increased risk of lymphomas, leukemias, or brain tumors.

What expert agencies say
Expert agencies in the United States and elsewhere that have evaluated aspartame have found it safe for use.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates the use of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners in the United States. In 2007, the FDA stated:

Considering results from the large number of studies on aspartame's safety, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies, a recently reported large epidemiology study with negative associations between the use of aspartame and the occurrence of tumors, and negative findings from a series of three transgenic mouse assays, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses the safety of sweeteners such as aspartame in the European Union. According to a 2009 report from its Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources Added to Food:

Overall, the Panel concluded, on the basis of all the evidence currently available… that there is no indication of any genotoxic or carcinogenic potential of aspartame and that there is no reason to revise the previously established ADI for aspartame of 40 mg/kg [body weight].

Though research into a possible link between aspartame and cancer continues, these agencies agree that studies done so far have not found such a link.

Does aspartame cause any other health problems?
Complaints of various health issues have circulated since aspartame first appeared on the market in the 1980s. But for most people, no health problems have clearly been linked to aspartame use.

Phenylketonuria (PKU)
Phenylketonuria is a rare genetic disorder (present at birth) in which the body can't break down phenylalanine, an amino acid found in many foods. Levels of phenylalanine can build up in the blood, which prevents other important chemicals from getting to the brain. Unless phenylalanine intake is severely limited, children with PKU suffer from abnormal brain development.

PKU is usually detected in babies by a routine blood test shortly after birth. People with PKU need to follow a phenylalanine-restricted diet. This is especially important in children, whose brains are still developing.

Because phenylalanine is a component of aspartame, it's important that people with PKU limit their intake of aspartame-containing foods and drinks.

Other health complaints
Claims have been made that aspartame is related to health effects ranging from mild problems such as headache, dizziness, digestive symptoms, and changes in mood, to more serious health issues such as Alzheimer disease, birth defects, diabetes, Gulf War syndrome, attention deficit disorders, Parkinson disease, lupus, multiple sclerosis, and seizures. However, studies done to date have not found any consistent evidence of harm. Research into the safety of aspartame continues.

Should I limit my exposure to aspartame?
Aside from the possible effects in people with phenylketonuria, there are no health problems that have been consistently linked to aspartame use. Research on artificial sweeteners, including aspartame, continues today.

For people who want to avoid aspartame, the easiest way to do this is to check the labels before buying or eating foods or drinks. If aspartame is in the product it will be listed in the ingredients. NutraSweet® and Equal® are brand names for aspartame, so these can be avoided as well.

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PS. My Pepsi Max is really YUMMY and my legs feel fine. Nice and Rested.

I have never had any visible adverse effects from Splenda or aspertame in general. That doesn't mean others don't. I've been a Diet soda drinker for years.

But I recently found out that I LOVE sparkling water. I seldom drink any pop anymore, as I've replaced it almost exclusively with Perrier, La Croix, and Mendota. Best decision ever and NO aftertaste or chemicals!

i can drink abour 2-3 litres of pepsi max a day and i'm fine