Why Aspartame Isn't Scary

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  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,071 Member
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    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    You can say all you want not to be afraid of it but ever since I quit it I haven't had a single migraine. I used to get them frequently

    I don't think anyone is denying that some people may be sensitive to it or have reactions to it. But that doesn't make it harmful to everyone else.
    I know people who get reactions from seafood, kiwi fruit, oranges, peanuts, dairy products, gluten. .......... That does not mean everyone else should avoid those things.

  • redraidergirl2009
    redraidergirl2009 Posts: 2,560 Member
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    paperpudding wrote: »
    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    You can say all you want not to be afraid of it but ever since I quit it I haven't had a single migraine. I used to get them frequently

    I don't think anyone is denying that some people may be sensitive to it or have reactions to it. But that doesn't make it harmful to everyone else.
    I know people who get reactions from seafood, kiwi fruit, oranges, peanuts, dairy products, gluten. .......... That does not mean everyone else should avoid those things.

    But it's in no way healthy or beneficial to the body...seafood and kiwi is unless you're allergic/sensitive
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    paperpudding wrote: »
    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    You can say all you want not to be afraid of it but ever since I quit it I haven't had a single migraine. I used to get them frequently

    I don't think anyone is denying that some people may be sensitive to it or have reactions to it. But that doesn't make it harmful to everyone else.
    I know people who get reactions from seafood, kiwi fruit, oranges, peanuts, dairy products, gluten. .......... That does not mean everyone else should avoid those things.

    But it's in no way healthy or beneficial to the body...seafood and kiwi is unless you're allergic/sensitive

    diet soda is 99% water.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited January 2016
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    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    paperpudding wrote: »
    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    You can say all you want not to be afraid of it but ever since I quit it I haven't had a single migraine. I used to get them frequently

    I don't think anyone is denying that some people may be sensitive to it or have reactions to it. But that doesn't make it harmful to everyone else.
    I know people who get reactions from seafood, kiwi fruit, oranges, peanuts, dairy products, gluten. .......... That does not mean everyone else should avoid those things.

    But it's in no way healthy or beneficial to the body...seafood and kiwi is unless you're allergic/sensitive

    Personally I don't take issue with anyone who wants to be so purist with their diet that they avoid anything that is not "of benefit to the body". I have found though that that is not so easily defined and if you attempt that seriously you are either fooling yourself or you are going to have a road to frustration. Being healthy does not require that you avoid absolutely everything that is not of immediate nutritional benefit.

    That said the only thing I really take issue with are people who make the false claim that aspartame is somehow toxic or carcinogenic. It isn't. If you want to avoid it on some sort of "clean eating" principle then okay. Realize however that it is not that you are "right" and others are "wrong" it is just that you feel that an approach to dieting whereby you avoid anything that is not "of benefit" is what works for you. If that actually works for you then great, if you struggle with it then you might want to seriously consider if there is a legitimate reason to be putting so much effort into something like that when it doesn't have any real effect on the outcome of your health.

    As for the nutritional benefit of aspartame it breaks down into phenylalanine, aspartate and methanol so its nutritional benefit is equivalent to getting those from any other source in that amount. The amount is so low that it basically amounts to very little which is why it only has a couple of calories in something the size of a soda. Its basically easily ignored. Neither of benefit nor of drawback. In my opinion going out of your way to either avoid it or obtain it makes no sense as neither will really have any effect on your diet or health.
  • schibsted750
    schibsted750 Posts: 355 Member
    edited January 2016
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    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    edited January 2016
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    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?

    Why would D-aspartate cause neurological damage? D-aspartate is just one of the 20 amino acids present in all proteins. There is significantly more D-aspartate in a chicken breast than there is in a can of diet soda.

    I did a google search just to see if I could figure out what you were getting at and I found neurological issues with N-methyl-D-aspartatic acid but that is a different compound.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-Methyl-D-aspartic_acid
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?

    Why would D-aspartate cause neurological damage? D-aspartate is just one of the 20 amino acids present in all proteins. There is significantly more D-aspartate in a chicken breast than there is in a can of diet soda.

    If I remember correctly from when I read up in it, this originated in some chain E-Mail back in the day. Funny how that still floats around together with the "it was supposed to be Rat poison" myth.
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
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    stevencloser wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?

    Why would D-aspartate cause neurological damage? D-aspartate is just one of the 20 amino acids present in all proteins. There is significantly more D-aspartate in a chicken breast than there is in a can of diet soda.

    If I remember correctly from when I read up in it, this originated in some chain E-Mail back in the day. Funny how that still floats around together with the "it was supposed to be Rat poison" myth.

    Broscience never dies.
  • schibsted750
    schibsted750 Posts: 355 Member
    edited January 2016
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    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?

    Why would D-aspartate cause neurological damage? D-aspartate is just one of the 20 amino acids present in all proteins. There is significantly more D-aspartate in a chicken breast than there is in a can of diet soda.

    I did a google search just to see if I could figure out what you were getting at and I found neurological issues with N-methyl-D-aspartatic acid but that is a different compound.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/N-Methyl-D-aspartic_acid

    Alright, thanks. What about the claim that hydrolyzing whey protein converts these amino acids from their safe form to an excitotoxic form? I'm guessing there's no truth to that, either.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,670 Member
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    dougfarrar1 wrote: »
    If you are a biochemist, you should know that a properly conducted scientific study holds WAY more credibility that your own "logic" as a scientist. What you wrote is a hypothesis. Unfortunately, the actual research on aspartame shows it is harmful. https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=aspartame+journal+articles&btnG=&hl=en&as_sdt=0,10&as_vis=1
    To whom? Those with issues like PKU or intolerance to it? Or are you speaking about just general public?

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • KareninLux
    KareninLux Posts: 1,413 Member
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    Great thread - thanks for all the scientific info. Have to re-read it again to make sure I understood but your explanation seems very comprehensive!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,670 Member
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    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?
    Drink enough water and it can become toxic to the body. Dosage matters and it seems there needs to be a high high high dosage. Like 2 or more cases of diet soda a day for consumption.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
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  • schibsted750
    schibsted750 Posts: 355 Member
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    I see. I've heard that the original work on the excitotoxicity of MSG was a rat study, I assume they used insanely high doses.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
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    KareninLux wrote: »
    Great thread - thanks for all the scientific info. Have to re-read it again to make sure I understood but your explanation seems very comprehensive!

    I still pop on now and again, let me know if you have any questions happy to try to answer to best of my ability.
  • brower47
    brower47 Posts: 16,356 Member
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    stevencloser wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    schibsted750 wrote: »
    What about the excitotoxicity of aspartic acid? Won't aspartame be metabolized into D-Aspartate?

    Why would D-aspartate cause neurological damage? D-aspartate is just one of the 20 amino acids present in all proteins. There is significantly more D-aspartate in a chicken breast than there is in a can of diet soda.

    If I remember correctly from when I read up in it, this originated in some chain E-Mail back in the day. Funny how that still floats around together with the "it was supposed to be Rat poison" myth.

    "Falsehood flies, and the Truth comes limping after it; so that when Men come to be undeceiv’d, it is too late; the Jest is over, and the Tale has had its Effect…"

    -Jonathan Swift
  • Ms_GiveAHoot
    Ms_GiveAHoot Posts: 13 Member
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    rose313 wrote: »
    Oh wow! Very informative. I had been wondering about aspartame myself. A guy I know said he cut out aspartame and sucralose and what he calls "fake sugars" and claimed to lose 40 pounds in a month. (He was about 290.) I didn't tell him this, but I think he lost that weight because he cut way down on calories, but he attributed the loss to the cutting out of fake sugars instead.

    So you are saying he cut his calories because the decrease of "fake sugars"? If so, haven't ever looked at the calories on a diet coke? It's 0 calories because of the "fake sugars" used. Fake sugars are not a contributing factor of a high calorie diet.

    I definitely noticed when diet coke was a part of my diet (contains aspartame) even with my recommended water intake, I had ton of cravings. After cutting out "fake sugars", I don't have cravings like that anymore.
  • paperpudding
    paperpudding Posts: 9,071 Member
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    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    paperpudding wrote: »
    redraidergirl2009 wrote: »
    You can say all you want not to be afraid of it but ever since I quit it I haven't had a single migraine. I used to get them frequently

    I don't think anyone is denying that some people may be sensitive to it or have reactions to it. But that doesn't make it harmful to everyone else.
    I know people who get reactions from seafood, kiwi fruit, oranges, peanuts, dairy products, gluten. .......... That does not mean everyone else should avoid those things.

    But it's in no way healthy or beneficial to the body...seafood and kiwi is unless you're allergic/sensitive

    True - diet sodas are not healthy or nutritionally beneficial the way seafood and kiwi fruit and other common allergens I mentioned are. It isn't unhealthy or detrimental either.

    And??

    My original statement about there being no reason for everybody to avoid aspartame because some people have an allergy/ sensitivity to it any more than everyone should avoid seafood, kiwi fruit etc because some people have an allergy/ sensitivity to them still stands.

  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    edited January 2016
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    schibsted750 wrote: »
    I see. I've heard that the original work on the excitotoxicity of MSG was a rat study, I assume they used insanely high doses.

    Yes they did. Something like up to 4 grams per kg/bodyweight. So for a human that would be insanely high amounts. To contrast, 8 oz of diet coke has .1 gram of aspartame.
  • GiseleSwanson
    GiseleSwanson Posts: 2 Member
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    wow cant believe you have so much time to discuss aspartame, basically it tastes like *kitten* any way , so why don't you use a little honey and concentrate on the bee problem
  • forwardmoving
    forwardmoving Posts: 96 Member
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    GiseleSwanson wrote: »
    wow cant believe you have so much time to discuss aspartame, basically it tastes like *kitten* any way , so why don't you use a little honey and concentrate on the bee problem

    Welcome to MFP!
    I can tell you will really like it here :smiley:

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