Should I eliminate aspartame from my life? My Doctor says yes!

campjackson
campjackson Posts: 15 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hello Everyone!
I just got back from seeing my cardiologist with a glowing report that I am praising the Lord for giving me my health back. During our conversation, my Doctor noted that I had lost weight. I told her that I had been on Nutri System...and that I really LOVE the frozen food plan! She said that Nutri System was a good way to lose weight...but that I needed to watch the labels to make sure that there were no Aspartame in the ingredients. She went on to say that Aspartame usage will result in very slow weight loss...or NONE at all...and that I should stop the Diet Coke as it was full of Aspartame. Right then and there...I swore off "pop" for ever!

But when I got home...I noticed that almost all the diet foods and drinks have Aspartame in them. Now I am wondering what I am going to eat. And I need a second opinion. Any help would be so appreciated! Roland
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Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
    I don't touch Aspartame but it won't stop weight loss, there are some theories that it can slow it down. But common sense must tell you that as you HAVE lost weight whilst drinking it.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    edited May 2015
    Huh? I wonder how she figures it will "slow" or "stop weight loss". My average weight loss per week typically falls between 1-1.5lbs per week (not what I'd consider slow seeing as I only have about 7.5lbs to go). I drink way more diet pop then I should. I use sweeteners in my cooking.


    Aspartame gives my mom migraines, but doesn't cause any issues for me or my younger brother. For this reason my mom avoids aspartame, but I don't have any reason to avoid it.
  • flaminica
    flaminica Posts: 304 Member
    I'm pretty sure aspartame can't alter the laws of physics. The pop-culture studies linking it to weight gain are correlative rather than causative and are questionable at best, spurious at worst.
  • isulo_kura
    isulo_kura Posts: 818 Member
    get a new Doctor one who understands science would be useful.
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    I don't consume aspartame or MSG because both of those make me feel like crap, not exactly sure why.

    There have been studies about aspartame and weight gain, and I've seen it blown way out of proportion. For example, here's an article titled "Artificial Sweeteners Cause Greater Weight Gain than Sugar, Yet Another Study Reveals"

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx

    It states that aspartame makes you fat............. Then you look at the study they reference and the study is done on rats, no humans, and states:

    "It has been suggested that the use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) can lead to weight gain, but evidence regarding their real effect in body weight and satiety is still inconclusive."

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666312004138


    I see a lot of doctors get lazy and read these articles, but not the actual research and give a bunch of false information to their patients.
  • besee_2000
    besee_2000 Posts: 365 Member
    edited May 2015
    When at family get together I'll have a Diet Coke and grew up on Equal as a kid. I mostly avoid it though. Studies have been coming out that those that have diets with artificial sweeteners affect the body similar to sugar. You may not be getting the calories but sugar does more than have calories. It is being linked to metabolic syndrome, cancer in high doses, diabetes, and as we learn more about our gut ecosystem, malnutrition and brain wiring.

    Google studies on artificial sweeteners and make your own educated decision.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    edited May 2015
    sounds like your doctor is full of *kitten* regarding weight loss

    literally the only thing that matters for weight loss, aside from medical issues, is the number of calories you consume vs the number of calories your body uses (CICO)
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  • flamingblades
    flamingblades Posts: 311 Member
    I believe Diet Pepsi uses Splenda. It is best to ditch soda pop all together, but my mom used to drink Diet Pepsi to avoid Aspartame. She had cancer and didn't want to make it worse with Aspartame.
  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    flamingblades wrote: »
    I believe Diet Pepsi uses Splenda. It is best to ditch soda pop all together, but my mom used to drink Diet Pepsi to avoid Aspartame. She had cancer and didn't want to make it worse with Aspartame.

    there's no reason to ditch soda unless you just want to stop drinking it.

    don't restrict yourself unnecessarily. eat and drink what you like and count your calories properly.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    The only thing I have seen is that the brain's response to that "sweet" (not getting technical or scientific here) reacts the same as real sugar, but it does note interfere with insulin, etc...

    You went to your doctor (a cardiologist no doubt) and she talks about aspartame and your weight loss and not aspartame and your heart health.... urggggghhh..
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  • ahkennett
    ahkennett Posts: 15 Member
    Most doctors know little, if anything, more about nutrition and weight loss than the average lay person who has done a bit of research. In other words, their knowledge is largely crap.

    If you want sound medical advice on these matters, stick to a RD (remembering that anyone can call themselves a 'nutritionist').
  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited May 2015
    campjackson wrote: »
    Hello Everyone!
    I just got back from seeing my cardiologist with a glowing report that I am praising the Lord for giving me my health back. During our conversation, my Doctor noted that I had lost weight. I told her that I had been on Nutri System...and that I really LOVE the frozen food plan! She said that Nutri System was a good way to lose weight...but that I needed to watch the labels to make sure that there were no Aspartame in the ingredients. She went on to say that Aspartame usage will result in very slow weight loss...or NONE at all...and that I should stop the Diet Coke as it was full of Aspartame. Right then and there...I swore off "pop" for ever!

    But when I got home...I noticed that almost all the diet foods and drinks have Aspartame in them. Now I am wondering what I am going to eat. And I need a second opinion. Any help would be so appreciated! Roland

    If I had a doctor tell me something that I know isn't true, I'd be finding a new doctor. I've lost almost 60lbs while drinking diet sodas and eating foods with artificial sweeteners I've also been successfully maintaining the loss for over two years now, while still drinking diet soda etc. I'm also in excellent health.

    And this doesn't even make sense-you've lost weight while drinking diet soda, she congratulates you on your loss, and then tells you that you should change something because it will cause you to not lose weight?! Um, do you realize how ridiculous that sounds? Obviously aspartame hasn't been affecting your weight loss. Seriously, I'd be looking for a new doctor sheesh.
  • senecarr
    senecarr Posts: 5,377 Member
    If I wasn't on my phone, I'd link you to examine.com about it. The short of it is that there are no double blind studies showing aspartame affecting weight. Every single "study" claiming weight gain is placebo or correlation (imagine, overweight people more likely to eat diet foods, incredible).
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  • Sarasmaintaining
    Sarasmaintaining Posts: 1,027 Member
    edited May 2015
    ="Caitwn;32699965"]While I agree that the physician is misinformed about Aspartame and weight loss (I personally prefer not to consume diet sodas for other reasons) I wouldn't be so quick to advise the poster to find a new physician. She's his cardiologist, not his nutritionist, and he seems to have a good relationship with her. I think it's more important to offer good sources of information so that he can make his own decisions and discuss what he's learned with his physician later. If she acts like a complete jerk and refuses to dialogue with him, that's another issue. But I don't see that switching physicians is a reasonable suggestion at this point. Just sayin.

    Have to disagree, I have no problem firing doctors if they spout off nonsense as 'truth'. Been there, done that, have no problem doing it again in the future if the need arises. Especially if said nonsense goes against what is obviously happening ie. cut xyz out of your diet because it will cause you to not lose weight....in spite of the fact that you're actually losing weight while consuming xyz,. Really? That doctor would have lost all credibility with me and I wouldn't be able to trust her anymore. I just can't wrap my head around this one :p
  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    ^^^ Yup, I've fired many a doctor and endocrinologist. No regrets.
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  • FitForL1fe
    FitForL1fe Posts: 1,872 Member
    galgenstrick wrote: »
    ^^^ Yup, I've fired many a doctor and endocrinologist. No regrets.

    tumblr_inline_njis0bqJ9t1t3ksul.jpg
  • sixxpoint
    sixxpoint Posts: 3,529 Member
    Some things I trust Doctor's for; other things I dont --> Mainly when it comes to Nutrition, unless the Doctor has some sort of previous sports medicine/fitness training experience or substantial studies in Biochem.

    Stevia is the same sort of processed food, and it is possibly even worse than them all!!

    Everything in moderation. If you're not consuming pounds of it per week, then you likely have nothing to worry about.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    edited May 2015
    I know it's not scientific, but my gut feeling tells me to stay away from aspartame. I've never drunk a diet soda in my life. I bought a huge bottle of cranberry juice a few months ago, and noticed when I got home it had aspartame in it, I poured it down the sink. I just cant do it....
    I'm sure it's been in stuff that I've consumed before. I just make sure and read food labels more closely these days..
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member

    galgenstrick wrote: »
    I don't consume aspartame or MSG because both of those make me feel like crap, not exactly sure why.

    There have been studies about aspartame and weight gain, and I've seen it blown way out of proportion. For example, here's an article titled "Artificial Sweeteners Cause Greater Weight Gain than Sugar, Yet Another Study Reveals"

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx

    It states that aspartame makes you fat............. Then you look at the study they reference and the study is done on rats, no humans, and states:

    "It has been suggested that the use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) can lead to weight gain, but evidence regarding their real effect in body weight and satiety is still inconclusive."

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666312004138


    I see a lot of doctors get lazy and read these articles, but not the actual research and give a bunch of false information to their patients.

    You cited Mercola (a quack who fails peer review) and a pay to publish journal with dubious peer review ... then complain that doctors don't read the actual research. Priceless.
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    People have been trying to prove that aspartame is the devil since the eighties, without success. There's really no concrete evidence that it's in any way harmful for human consumption. Not that I'm a fan (I don't care for the taste), but it's not as bad as people make it out to be. As I understand it, the one biggest downfall of artificial sweeteners is that it doesn't help with our 'sweet tooth'. What I mean by that is that it can be hard to switch from "junk food" to "healthy food" because the average diet is so chock-full of sugar or salt that, when we eat something that's good for us, it tends to taste bland. The more you eat healthy foods, the more sensitive your taste buds become to salt and sugar (which is why you might notice that, after eating well for a while, foods you used to crave suddenly taste WAY too salty or sweet, to the point where it's almost unappetizing). On the other hand, if your foods are all sweetened artificially, you're continuing to teach your body that sweet = good, which makes you more likely to crave sugary junk and seek it out.

    I'd personally be really suspicious of a doctor that told me not to eat aspartame at all because, as a health care professional, I expect them to make recommendations based on facts. Of course, I don't know your personal medical history, so the doctor may be saying that based on reasons we're not aware of....
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but don't coca cola et al use bucket loads of aspartame in their products? ?
    Are research facilities going to go up against these Billion dollar companies and tell the public that their products are dangerous or harmful...
  • MercuryBlue
    MercuryBlue Posts: 886 Member
    That's the
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but don't coca cola et al use bucket loads of aspartame in their products? ?
    Are research facilities going to go up against these Billion dollar companies and tell the public that their products are dangerous or harmful...


    That's the exact same logic anti-vaxxers use, and it's the reason why kids are dying in first-world countries of preventable diseases. If the science isn't there to support it, I don't believe it. In this case, it's not even a matter of "we don't know because there haven't been enough studies done"; to the contrary, people have actively been studying the effects of aspartame for over three decades now and STILL haven't found it to be harmful. If that's not convincing enough, I don't know what is.

    Besides, people have been talking about how Coca Cola and the like is bad for you for decades; it's hardly being sold as a health product (unless you count all the Vitamin Water BS) . There's no hush-hush secret agenda there. These companies sell diet products as a calorie-free alternative to their sugar-filled products, so they can appeal to a wider customer base. It's as simple as that. When the conspiracy theorists say "aspartame is bad!" and they get bad press, they just start making their diet products with Splenda instead. If production cost goes up as a result, they just raise their prices.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
    christinev297 wrote: »
    Call me a conspiracy theorist, but don't coca cola et al use bucket loads of aspartame in their products? ?
    Are research facilities going to go up against these Billion dollar companies and tell the public that their products are dangerous or harmful...

    Make sure you wear a home made AFDB (aluminum foil deflector beanie). The ones you can buy allow the satellites to monitor your thoughts.

    As mentioned already, decades of study into aspartame have failed to find it harmful. Even the EU couldn't find a reason to label it dangerous.

    Science 1, Conspiracies 0

  • galgenstrick
    galgenstrick Posts: 2,086 Member
    edited May 2015
    brianpperkins wrote: »
    galgenstrick wrote: »
    I don't consume aspartame or MSG because both of those make me feel like crap, not exactly sure why.

    There have been studies about aspartame and weight gain, and I've seen it blown way out of proportion. For example, here's an article titled "Artificial Sweeteners Cause Greater Weight Gain than Sugar, Yet Another Study Reveals"

    http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2012/12/04/saccharin-aspartame-dangers.aspx

    It states that aspartame makes you fat............. Then you look at the study they reference and the study is done on rats, no humans, and states:

    "It has been suggested that the use of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) can lead to weight gain, but evidence regarding their real effect in body weight and satiety is still inconclusive."

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666312004138


    I see a lot of doctors get lazy and read these articles, but not the actual research and give a bunch of false information to their patients.

    You cited Mercola (a quack who fails peer review) and a pay to publish journal with dubious peer review ... then complain that doctors don't read the actual research. Priceless.

    That's what my post said. Did you even read it? Mercola posted an article claiming that aspartame made you fat based on a poorly conducted rat study that was inconclusive, and that some doctors spread that information. Your comprehension skills are laughable.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    I'm definitely not anti vaccinations! More harm than good (if any) comes from not vaccinating our kids.
    In fact, our government is bringing in a law that if welfare recipients don't vaccinate their children, then their benefits will be slashed to a pittance!
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