Aspartame - What you don't know CAN hurt you.
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True. The issue that lies here is the blanket statement that it's bad...........period. And that's not the case.Everybody and everyone's body is different. I personally don't use aspartame and haven't for over 10 years because it was causing me to have migranes. No migranes since I stopped! However, I don't eat tomatoes either because they make me break out in terrible hives......tomatoes are good for most people, just NOT me. I am allergic to them. My daughter is allergic to shellfish, she can't eat it. Just saying.....we all have to do what is right for us. PERIOD.0 -
There are a few things I feel I should point out as a biochemist... to quote Ben Goldacre, "I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that." (I want a t-shirt saying this.)I think EVERYONE should read this. The ingredients that companies put in their foods are not always the healthiest. In most cases, they load up with chemicals that could very possibly be dangerous, but are allowed because of money and greed.
http://organichealthadviser.com/archives/aspartame-dangers
"Millions of Americans gobble down diet sodas, artificial sweeteners and thousands of other products that contain huge amounts of aspartame and never even imagine that they could literally be destroying their health. Aspartame was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist for G.D. Searle & Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug. It is the most common sweetening additive being used in over 6,000 consumer foods, beverages, multivitamins, frozen desserts, cereals, pharmaceutical products, and artificial sweeteners sold worldwide.
Aspartame contains three very insidious components: methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. All three of these chemicals have each been shown to either stimulate brain cells to death, severely disrupt hormone balances in the brain or act as a dangerous nerve poison.
'Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death.
Let me quickly put this into perspective: phenylalanine and aspartic acid (also aspartate) are amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Phenylalanine (though not aspartate) is an essential component of our diet, because they're needed to make proteins and we cannot make phenylalanine from scratch. People with phenylketonuria should avoid phenylalanine as much as possible because they can't metabolise it, but people without this genetic condition are OK. Phenylalanine is naturally found in mothers' breast milk. Aspartate is another building block of proteins and is involved in essential processes such as producing urea (to make urine).
Methanol IS toxic. A toxic dose can be as little as 10 ml (7.9 mg) - a fatal dose would be around 120 ml. However, although I am not claiming to understand the metabolism of aspartame fully (I am not well-read on this matter), I would expect this toxic dose to be only fatal if delivered in one go. Aspartame (as has been discussed in other posts) stays in the body for a relatively long time. It is metabolised to form methanol on a timescale of hours. This will make the actual dose of methanol per hour very minimal indeed.A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.
Pharmaceutical companies have to list every single side effect reported from their clinical trials. They are often not related to the drug being tested. You'll get a similar list from the placebo group (i.e. people who have been given nothing, but pretending it is aspartame). Also, my medication has "sudden death" listed on the side effects list... people still take the drug though!According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame: Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.'
OK, I'm not really going to go into this one because I haven't read the original research. Hopefully someone's done a meta-analysis on aspartame somewhere. They should have by now...And did you know that aspartame is 10 percent methanol? Methanol (also known as wood alcohol) is a very deadly poison.
'Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.'
We've talked about methanol already! Take-home message: the dose of methanol is spread over several hours or days.So if you want to be healthy you have to watch out for yourself and your family. Don't count on the FDA to help you."
The above is just a few tid bits I thought were extremely important. If you consume any artificial sweeteners, like Splenda, please take a look. It’s no joke. I have talked to people who had several major health problems from this stuff. They couldn’t figure out why at first, but when they found this out and stopped consumption, they miraculously improved health wise.
I have thrown out everything with Aspartame and will no longer buy anything that has this. It is honestly way better to consume regular natural sugars even though it may be slightly more calories. The best thing, though, is to avoid processed things for the most part and eat as many natural things as possible.
For a natural sweetener to add to drinks that is zero calories, try Stevia or any other form of it. Look it up. The stevia plant has several healthy and great qualities to it.
Just for the record, I've cut aspartame out of my diet completely. From my experiences only, I think they make me hungrier in the long run, so I eat more to compensate. This may not be true, let alone true for everyone. I just don't miss out because I don't crave those types of drink anymore.
I am not attacking you per se, I'm attacking the article for giving a VERY one-sided view, not discussing any of the overwhelming population of studies which are in aspartame's benefit, and generally not approaching this from a scientific basis. It's obviously been written to scare!
If anyone's interested in scientific stuff, add me as a friend
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Wow, I killed the thread. :laugh:0
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I mentioned in the beginning the article was biased, and you verify that. FEAR paralyzes people so using scare tactics is a common way to get peoples attention. Unless people see both sides of the debate and actual peer viewed data backing their facts, to make a decision based on a single article that claims aspartame is "bad" is having tunnel vision.I am not attacking you per se, I'm attacking the article for giving a VERY one-sided view, not discussing any of the overwhelming population of studies which are in aspartame's benefit, and generally not approaching this from a scientific basis. It's obviously been written to scare!
If anyone's interested in scientific stuff, add me as a friend0 -
We ingest chemicals daily. In fact everything in our body is a chemical reaction including thought. I think that people under estimate how efficient our bodies are.My sister is a bio-chemist and in 2001 she read in The British Medical Journal (a non-biased resource) about a study of Aspartame which revealed it stayed in the body a long time after it is consumed. Any artificial chemical that lingers in your insides can be up to no good. I have not touchd a food product containing that stuff since 2001 and I don't let my kids near the "no sugar added" foods either as they all contain it.
Better safe than sorry.
And if it's so bad..................where are the dead bodies?
I'm sure there are plenty of dead bodies. It's just that they may have died as a result of health issues caused by the Aspartame. Aspartame can cause diabetes if consumed over a long period of time. Plenty of people die from diabetes. What about all of the other things I listed above. It's the kind of thing that someone would have to do blood work and tons of other tests to find out and prove. There are tons of other drugs and chemicals that do the exact same thing. Some of which have sufficient evidence and some of which don't because industries don't allow it for greed.
There is a difference between you think and there are.
Again people spouting off stupid crap because someone said so. I should really make a news website and start shouting water is bad for you. I'm sure there are more suckers like you out there.
It dilutes the stomach acid so you can't digest properly
It can dissolve sodium in your body.
It can dissolve potassium in your body.
And there are far more death caused by water than aspartame.
Therefore, you should avoid water. ITS BAD FOR YOU0 -
There is a difference between you think and there are.
Again people spouting off stupid crap because someone said so. I should really make a news website and start shouting water is bad for you. I'm sure there are more suckers like you out there.
It dilutes the stomach acid so you can't digest properly
It can dissolve sodium in your body.
It can dissolve potassium in your body.
And there are far more death caused by water than aspartame.
Therefore, you should avoid water. ITS BAD FOR YOU
Have you read up on dihydrogen monoxide? That stuff really can kill. It's really bad if you simply inhale it (it can kill) in its liquid form, and long exposure to solid dihydrogen monoxide can cause tissue damage. Gaseous dihydrogen monoxide can cause severe burns too.
:laugh:0 -
Not to mention if it's shot through a hose at high PSI, it could strip off your fence, or concrete. If you get it in your hair, it removes natural oils.Have you read up on dihydrogen monoxide? That stuff really can kill. It's really bad if you simply inhale it (it can kill) in its liquid form, and long exposure to solid dihydrogen monoxide can cause tissue damage. Gaseous dihydrogen monoxide can cause severe burns too.
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Don't forget that air is bad for you too. If you breathe too much of it you'll hyperventilate.
We ingest chemicals daily. In fact everything in our body is a chemical reaction including thought. I think that people under estimate how efficient our bodies are.My sister is a bio-chemist and in 2001 she read in The British Medical Journal (a non-biased resource) about a study of Aspartame which revealed it stayed in the body a long time after it is consumed. Any artificial chemical that lingers in your insides can be up to no good. I have not touchd a food product containing that stuff since 2001 and I don't let my kids near the "no sugar added" foods either as they all contain it.
Better safe than sorry.
And if it's so bad..................where are the dead bodies?
I'm sure there are plenty of dead bodies. It's just that they may have died as a result of health issues caused by the Aspartame. Aspartame can cause diabetes if consumed over a long period of time. Plenty of people die from diabetes. What about all of the other things I listed above. It's the kind of thing that someone would have to do blood work and tons of other tests to find out and prove. There are tons of other drugs and chemicals that do the exact same thing. Some of which have sufficient evidence and some of which don't because industries don't allow it for greed.
There is a difference between you think and there are.
Again people spouting off stupid crap because someone said so. I should really make a news website and start shouting water is bad for you. I'm sure there are more suckers like you out there.
It dilutes the stomach acid so you can't digest properly
It can dissolve sodium in your body.
It can dissolve potassium in your body.
And there are far more death caused by water than aspartame.
Therefore, you should avoid water. ITS BAD FOR YOU
I guess I should also mentioned that some of the scientific studies referenced by OP as showing negative effects of aspartame were conducted on rats. While I don't discount their relevance completely, they don't have nearly the impact on me that studies done on humans do.0 -
I just love how the author calls aspartic acid and phenylalanine "insidious" ....uummm they are just amino acids found in much larger amounts in pretty much any protein than in aspartame ( and phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that we need because our bodies can't make it)
As for the methanol, it is NOT an ingredient in aspartame. It is actually a chemical that forms from the metabolism of aspartame. And the amount of methanol that forms from drinking a diet soda with aspartame is less than the amount that is naturally found in fruit juices, and some fruits leaving the level of formic acid and formaldehyde much less than toxicity levels.
Can't say that I can take this article seriously...at all
Love this! And as far as diet sodas go, I limit myself to one a day and consume tons of water as well. I think moderation is always key. BTW...when certain chemicals are together, they react differently then they would by themselves. I hope we all have taken chemistry and should know this by now.0 -
Double post
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Everybody and everyone's body is different. I personally don't use aspartame and haven't for over 10 years because it was causing me to have migranes. No migranes since I stopped! However, I don't eat tomatoes either because they make me break out in terrible hives......tomatoes are good for most people, just NOT me. I am allergic to them. My daughter is allergic to shellfish, she can't eat it. Just saying.....we all have to do what is right for us. PERIOD.
THIS! Makes sense 0 -
I'm going to start with this comment. Millions of people around the world can become very ill and die just from inhaling air that contain molecules of peanuts. Should we avoid and ban peanuts because they can be responsible for killing millions of people? I had a friend in high school who nearly died because a person at the other end of the lunch table was eating peanuts with lunch (this was 15 years ago, before schools started restricting nut products.) So let's ban peanuts.It's true that some people may not have any bad side affects from aspartame their entire lives, but there are a lot more who have negative side affects.
Also, methanol is not an ingredient in aspartame. It's created while the body is metabolizing the aspartame. And because aspartame is metabolized very slowly, and because the human body eliminates methanol very quickly, you can eat a metric ton of aspartame all at once and a lethal level of methanol will NEVER have time to build up. Formaldehyde is also very quickly metabolized by the human body into formic acid, which is also quickly metabolized and eliminated by the body. In other words, all of the "evil, bad" stuff that people are so afraid of with aspartame are completely harmless in reality.
Over 100 different countries around the world have conducted THOUSANDS of studies on aspartame, and they have all come to the conclusion that aspartame is safe for human consumption. I'll take the word of 100 different countries over a random, uninformed fear mongering internet article any day.0 -
I'm going to start with this comment. Millions of people around the world can become very ill and die just from inhaling air that contain molecules of peanuts. Should we avoid and ban peanuts because they can be responsible for killing millions of people? I had a friend in high school who nearly died because a person at the other end of the lunch table was eating peanuts with lunch (this was 15 years ago, before schools started restricting nut products.) So let's ban peanuts.It's true that some people may not have any bad side affects from aspartame their entire lives, but there are a lot more who have negative side affects.
Also, methanol is not an ingredient in aspartame. It's created while the body is metabolizing the aspartame. And because aspartame is metabolized very slowly, and because the human body eliminates methanol very quickly, you can eat a metric ton of aspartame all at once and a lethal level of methanol will NEVER have time to build up. Formaldehyde is also very quickly metabolized by the human body into formic acid, which is also quickly metabolized and eliminated by the body. In other words, all of the "evil, bad" stuff that people are so afraid of with aspartame are completely harmless in reality.
Over 100 different countries around the world have conducted THOUSANDS of studies on aspartame, and they have all come to the conclusion that aspartame is safe for human consumption. I'll take the word of 100 different countries over a random, uninformed fear mongering internet article any day.
This deserves a [golf clap]. Well said.0 -
*takes a dramatic bow*0
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I mostly agree with the author. I have used diet drink for 60 years. I have chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, joint pain, chronic migraines that started in 1978, and the list goes on. Several months ago I started reading the labels and only buying beverages sweetened with sucralose. I can't stand the taste of stevia. But a week ago I took my granddaughter to Magic Mountain, and drank Diet Coke all night at the Fright Fest. My chronic migraine has had a horrible extra kick to it, where I have to inject myself with Sumatriptan. It only take a little of the edge off. My head has hurt 24/7, with varying levels of pain since the migraines started. Beautiful rainbow auras. The loud ringing in my right ear makes the pain worse. Aspartame is not harmless. It is insidious because it is in so many products. Manufacturers don't want to pay the higher price for the better product - sucralose - that doesn't make as many people sick. Aspartame is poison.0
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I LOVE splenda / equal. Can't stand sweet n low.0
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The bolded parts are two unsupported diagnoses. Your personal experience won't help us understand the actual mechanisms to your condition. Only peer reviewed studies will do that.I mostly agree with the author. I have used diet drink for 60 years. I have chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, joint pain, chronic migraines that started in 1978, and the list goes on. Several months ago I started reading the labels and only buying beverages sweetened with sucralose. I can't stand the taste of stevia. But a week ago I took my granddaughter to Magic Mountain, and drank Diet Coke all night at the Fright Fest. My chronic migraine has had a horrible extra kick to it, where I have to inject myself with Sumatriptan. It only take a little of the edge off. My head has hurt 24/7, with varying levels of pain since the migraines started. Beautiful rainbow auras. The loud ringing in my right ear makes the pain worse. Aspartame is not harmless. It is insidious because it is in so many products. Manufacturers don't want to pay the higher price for the better product - sucralose - that doesn't make as many people sick. Aspartame is poison.
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Aspartame and sucralose over excites your cells until they blow. This is a very real problem.
The world chooses to be in denial because this kind of truth isn.t convenient for their lifestyle. However, people are also confused for the sole reason that the FDA will threaten articles that speak out about the dangers, like jailing doctors or paying people to keep the truth on the down low. Artificial sweeteners is put into the common coco-cola and promotes weight loss, targeted a general taker for the average consumer. This is what makes it dangerous. It is available everywhere and seems to fit our lifestyles more than desirably.0 -
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My Splenda is just fine. I've used it a long time, gone without it a decent amount of time, and saw no point in staying away, and came back to using it in my tea and coffee.
I sure hate the clowns who love to jump on the fear-wagon and trash this stuff. It's a clearly better alternative than the sugary crap available.
You get chemicals all the time from all sorts of sources, and you're not dead. Stop with the alarmism.0 -
Aspartame and sucralose over excites your cells until they blow. This is a very real problem.
The world chooses to be in denial because this kind of truth isn.t convenient for their lifestyle. However, people are also confused for the sole reason that the FDA will threaten articles that speak out about the dangers, like jailing doctors or paying people to keep the truth on the down low. Artificial sweeteners is put into the common coco-cola and promotes weight loss, targeted a general taker for the average consumer. This is what makes it dangerous. It is available everywhere and seems to fit our lifestyles more than desirably.
Ah, the conspiracy theory (*)
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amandarenee31 wrote: »
A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.
That's why half the population are stumbling around not knowing where they are while gasping for breath and speaking funny.
Nice fear mongering right there!
So far the only only side effect I have is feeling full and therefore losing weight.
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jeez someone rezzed this thread again????? must have been in support of the walking dead season premiere.0
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savanahspring wrote: »I just love how the author calls aspartic acid and phenylalanine "insidious" ....uummm they are just amino acids found in much larger amounts in pretty much any protein than in aspartame ( and phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that we need because our bodies can't make it)
As for the methanol, it is NOT an ingredient in aspartame. It is actually a chemical that forms from the metabolism of aspartame. And the amount of methanol that forms from drinking a diet soda with aspartame is less than the amount that is naturally found in fruit juices, and some fruits leaving the level of formic acid and formaldehyde much less than toxicity levels.
Can't say that I can take this article seriously...at all
+1
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Thank you for all the breakdowns of products that are in aspartame.
I have a diet soda maybe once a week at most, when I'm in the mood.
I don't consume artificial sweeteners besides that- not because I think the're "bad" - but because I don't like how they taste. Usually too bitter and too sweet for my liking.
If you like them, good for you - enjoy them.0
This discussion has been closed.
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