Is Aspartame really THAT bad?

mrshickey
mrshickey Posts: 239
edited September 30 in Food and Nutrition
I eat sugar free yoghurts. I drink sugar free drinks. In fact, I would choose the sugar free version of any product, even sugar. Needless to say---- all contain aspartame. I've had what could be considered as an irrational 'fear' of sugar due to so many of my relatives (on both mom and dad's side) who have diabetes so I always opt for the sugar free version.

However, my brothers best friend is an 'anti-aspartame warrior', telling me that its poison and giving me loads of conspiracy theories!!!

What do you think? Is it really THAT bad?
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Replies

  • Atlantique
    Atlantique Posts: 2,484 Member
    No, it's not that bad.
  • javablondie
    javablondie Posts: 411 Member
    Latest Purdue research states it adds to weight gain. I trust Purdue over any marketing bunk.

    http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4271246&page=1

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=2554

    "Davidson & Swithers: Let us describe one of our studies. Rats are fed yogurt along with their usual rat chow and water. The basic idea is that one group of rats gets a diet in which sweet taste predicts an increase in calories; they get yogurt sweetened with glucose. The other group of rats gets a diet in which sweet taste does not predict an increase in calories; they get yogurt sweetened with saccharin. Even though the saccharin-sweetened yogurt group actually got fewer calories from their yogurt, they gained more weight than the group fed yogurt sweetened with glucose (Swithers & Davidson, 2008; Swithers, Baker, & Davidson, 2009). At the end of 5 weeks of study, the saccharin-fed rats had also gotten significantly fatter than the glucose-fed rats."

    Let's face it, the modern American diet is failing a bunch of us or else we'd be much more fit. Diet this and that has been the rage for decades - diet drinks, low-fat everything. I'm trying something else. I'd rather drink water than ever touch a diet drink. Low-fat yogurt and the like, I pass it by. I'm going for the real deal or skipping it. No more engineered "food".
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
    If you have adverse reactions to it (headaches, upset stomach, etc.) don't use it. If you don't have adverse reactions, enjoy. :smile:
  • pitbullmama
    pitbullmama Posts: 454 Member
    Yes it can be (living proof)
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
    Yes it can be (living proof)

    living proof? what do u mean?
  • CakeFit21
    CakeFit21 Posts: 2,521 Member
    No, it's not that bad.

    Lol, I think it is.
    Uh-oh we disagree...
    Is this where we start insulting each other???
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    No, it's not that bad.

    Ditto.

    Aspartame was the first ever artificial sweetener and was heavily backed by the American Diabetes Association. When studies were done to assess the safety of the sweetener, they were done in rats and physiologically relevant doses weren't used. They would use such a high gram/kilogram ratio of aspartame to rat bodyweight that it would be equivalent to a human ingesting several 2-liters a day. When some of the rats developed bladder cancer, aspartame was taken off the market. However, the ADA lobbied to have it put back on shelves because it was so popular with diabetics. So the FDA brought it back but added a warning label to the packet. Decades later, no humans have developed bladder cancer...in fact, there are no studies to replicate any of the previous studies' findings. Rats are highly prone to cancer, especially in the genitals and mammary glands, so there was no way to actually apply a cause. The warning labels have been taken off the packets now, but people still love a good scare tactic!
  • jtcleveland
    jtcleveland Posts: 57
    YES

    http://www.facebook.com/notes/food-matters/is-artificial-sweetener-poisoning-you/10150328235650871
  • KourtneyP83
    KourtneyP83 Posts: 319
    I have heard other people say its not good but I don't really know frankly. I've heard other people say it gave them headaches, but I've never experienced it myself. If it doesn't bother you then I wouldn't worry about it :)
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    I should also add that it CAN be dangerous if you have phenylketonuria, and shouldn't be used in baking as heat will denature the two amino acids that make up the aspartame compound. Phenylketonuria is an allergy to phenyalanine, one of the amino acids in aspartame. All infants are now tested for this disease and must avoid not only aspartame, but most foods containing protein. Hope that helps!
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
    I say everything in moderation but maybe if your worried about it start seeking other alternatives and ask the anti-aspartame guy what alternatives there are to still get that sweet taste you like that obviously doesnt have real sugar, about the only time I have it is when I drink unsweetened tea I put splenda or sweet in low in it and that is only like once a week if that
  • lesle1
    lesle1 Posts: 354 Member
    I talked to my doctor about it. She said my body can't metabolize it. I was having problems keeping up with my running and feeling sluggish. She blames the aspartame. She said aspartame is really bad for anybody and that all sodas are.
  • JeffIhry
    JeffIhry Posts: 1
    Yes it is.

    Use Truvia or Purvia.
  • pitbullmama
    pitbullmama Posts: 454 Member
    Yes it can be (living proof)

    living proof? what do u mean?
    I am livng proof that it can be that bad. I suffered with headaches that would last for wks on end before doc's narowwed down my symptoms to food related. Cut out the aspartame and my heachache stopped within 72 hours. Not saying I wont have a crystal light now and again but no diet soft drinks, yogurt.... wherever it replaces sugar on a regular basis.
  • Kelly50054
    Kelly50054 Posts: 141
    Yes, its the worst! Maybe try Stevia. It's all natural and tastes better than aspartame!

    http://products.mercola.com/sweet-deception/
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    YOU WILL GET SUPER-AIDS FROM ASPARTAME! THAT'S RIGHT NOT JUST AIDS, BUT SUPER-AIDS!
  • Antares84
    Antares84 Posts: 7
    judge for yourself:

    http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/sweet-misery-a-poisoned-world/

    http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/sweet-remedy/
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    Dr. Mercola is FOLLOWING ME.

    Did you know that the FDA, Better Business Bureau, and the US Patent Office have all had to address his false claims and faulty productS?
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
    YES

    http://www.facebook.com/notes/food-matters/is-artificial-sweetener-poisoning-you/10150328235650871

    I've just read and its pretty scary
  • Jenncoc86
    Jenncoc86 Posts: 203 Member
    check out the doc, sweet misery ,it is worse than you can imagine!!!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Aspartame is made from amino acids. It's not that bad for you. It basically breaks down into proteins, and can break down into methanol, but the body eliminates it much faster than would ever cause a problem. It was originally created while working on anti-ulcer medication (not pesticides as people like the conspiracy theorists like to try and scare people with.)

    Yes, some people can have adverse reactions to it, but some people can also have adverse reactions to sunlight, bread, vegetables, and nuts.

    EDIT, skimming that Facebook post, Methanol is NOT an ingredient in aspartame. When aspartame is metabolized, there's a small chance of creating methanol as a by product in a very small amount, small enough that the human body just eliminates it without issue. I honestly stopped reading at that point, because I can only imagine if they start the article lying, it will just continue lying.
  • mrshickey
    mrshickey Posts: 239
    YOU WILL GET SUPERAIDS FROM ASPARTAME! THAT'S RIGHT NOT JUST AIDS, BUT SUPERAIDS!


    hahahahah 'superaids???'
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    YOU WILL GET SUPERAIDS FROM ASPARTAME! THAT'S RIGHT NOT JUST AIDS, BUT SUPERAIDS!


    hahahahah 'superaids???'

    super-aids* Sorry.
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    YES

    http://www.facebook.com/notes/food-matters/is-artificial-sweetener-poisoning-you/10150328235650871

    Aspartame doesn't contain methanol. Methanol is what's formed if you cook the aspartame, but unless you ingest a lot of it, nothing is going to happen. You're at greater risk drinking moonshine. Then you go to the hospital and they feed you ethanol and you're better. (Seriously).
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    check out the doc, sweet misery ,it is worse than you can imagine!!!!

    I know! The super-aids is unstoppable!
  • laurad8911
    laurad8911 Posts: 99
    regardless of cancer or anything else, all artificial sweeteners have been shown to mess up brain chemistry around food because you taste sweetness and your body things it is getting calories but then it gets no calories so the hormones that are released to start digestion go to waste and your body loses its sensitivity to sweetness, better put...we naturally have a sugar "limit" where we feel satisfied after eating usually a small amount of something sweet, when we continually eat sweet things that have no sugar we think we are tricking our body but our body knows there are no calories and we start to become desensitized to sweetness, so then when you do eat something sweet you tend to overeat and over eat. artificial sweeteners are also thought to be linked to insulin sensitivity....again because your body does not get the sugar increase it expects.

    in my opinion it is ALWAYS better to eat the real stuff and learn to be in touch with your appetite and it then becomes easier not to over eat and what not because you feel satisfied.

    our bodies are way smarter than we give them credit for. there's no use trying to trick them with artificial sweeteners period, let alone all the other unknown risk of pumping those chemicals into your body day in and day out in my opinion.
  • Articeluvsmemphis
    Articeluvsmemphis Posts: 1,987 Member
    YOU WILL GET SUPER-AIDS FROM ASPARTAME! THAT'S RIGHT NOT JUST AIDS, BUT SUPER-AIDS!

    My word, lmbo :laugh:
  • songbyrdsweet
    songbyrdsweet Posts: 5,691 Member
    OH, and guess what else was made on accident?

    PENICILLIN!

    So I guess we all want syphilis instead? Or do we stick with the good stuff that was made...*on accident*. (gasp)
  • Sonchie
    Sonchie Posts: 259 Member
    Havent you heard? Everything will kill ya!
    I choose to be thin and full of energy until I die from the aspartame poisoning. I use splenda more though.
  • Schwiggity
    Schwiggity Posts: 1,449 Member
    regardless of cancer or anything else, all artificial sweeteners have been shown to mess up brain chemistry around food because you taste sweetness and your body things it is getting calories but then it gets no calories so the hormones that are released to start digestion go to waste and your body loses its sensitivity to sweetness, better put...we naturally have a sugar "limit" where we feel satisfied after eating usually a small amount of something sweet, when we continually eat sweet things that have no sugar we think we are tricking our body but our body knows there are no calories and we start to become desensitized to sweetness, so then when you do eat something sweet you tend to overeat and over eat. artificial sweeteners are also thought to be linked to insulin sensitivity....again because your body does not get the sugar increase it expects.

    in my opinion it is ALWAYS better to eat the real stuff and learn to be in touch with your appetite and it then becomes easier not to over eat and what not because you feel satisfied.

    our bodies are way smarter than we give them credit for. there's no use trying to trick them with artificial sweeteners period, let alone all the other unknown risk of pumping those chemicals into your body day in and day out in my opinion.

    THAT'S NOT THE ASPARTAME! IT'S THE SUPER-AIDS YOU GET FROM INGESTING ASPARTAME!
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