Why Aspartame Isn't Scary

Options
1676870727389

Replies

  • Ruatine
    Ruatine Posts: 3,424 Member
    Options
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    From an earlier post referring to aspartame as sugar thought I'd take that as a teachable moment and do a little easy intro to biochem.

    Sugar are saccharides and are also known by their more scientific name of carbohydrates. Most scientific names have actual meaning and carbohydrate isn't an exception. All carbohydrates share the same basic chemical make up. They are carbon (carbo-) that is hydrated (-hydrate). So all carbohydrates (all sugars) have the molecular formula of carbon plus water times some number x so CxH2xOx.

    For example glucose is C6H12O6.

    This is aspartame.

    1200px-Aspartame.svg.png

    Also can be written as C14H18N2O5. Not a sugar. It has nitrogen, it has a lot more carbon than it has oxygen and fewer hydrogens than an equivalent sugar.

    How about maltose? C12H22O11. Yes, that is a sugar.

    How about starch. Starch is a bunch of sugars linked together and with each link a water molecule is subtracted. So starch has the formula of (C6H10O5)x which if you notice is just C6H12O6 minus one water for the linkage times the number of C6H12O6 molecules linked together.

    So now, in theory, you can answer for yourself if something is a sugar by just looking at its molecular formula.

    But yeah, all carbohydrates are sugar. Be they in the form of a potato or pasta or table sugar its going to end up the same after digestion. Something you'd never think if you just read online articles and CNN editorials which seem to act like sugar and carbohydrates are two completely different things for some reason.

    This is wonderful. I can't even express how much I love this post. Chemistry is beautiful.
  • jessiferrrb
    jessiferrrb Posts: 1,758 Member
    Options
    Apologies I didn't want to go against anyone but I do think common sense sometimes gets lost. Avoid what is bad for ya, or where you need to, limit it. Sugary stuff is quite simple. Limit it or stop it. I don't feel the need to drink 'updated drinks' because I know they are already bad for me. Why do I want to keep making the companies money when I can drink water? That's my opinion not saying it's anyone else's, sorry but some people don't even have water. I may have went a bit off topic but makes me angry to see money not spent on better things

    so, the whole point of this thread is that it isn't actually bad for you. and neither is sugar (taking into consideration context, dosage and user specific health concerns). what you say is common sense - that "updated drinks" are bad for you - is not actually correct.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    No because they have lots of sugar and sugar is bad for you

    Carbohydrates are essential for your survival, I would hardly refer to them as being "bad for you" anymore than I would refer to water as being bad for you because you can drown.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,401 MFP Moderator
    Options
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    No because they have lots of sugar and sugar is bad for you

    Carbohydrates are essential for your survival, I would hardly refer to them as being "bad for you" anymore than I would refer to water as being bad for you because you can drown.

    Pretty sure that was sarcasm.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    Options
    psuLemon wrote: »
    Aaron_K123 wrote: »
    No because they have lots of sugar and sugar is bad for you

    Carbohydrates are essential for your survival, I would hardly refer to them as being "bad for you" anymore than I would refer to water as being bad for you because you can drown.

    Pretty sure that was sarcasm.

    ...it can be hard to tell sometimes sadly.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    edited April 2017
    Options
    redacted to avoid redundancy