Aspartame

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Pinknspooky
Pinknspooky Posts: 34 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Does anyone else have issues with this favourite artificial sweetner? I discovered I was allergic to it in a painful way when I started fitting after drinking a pint of orange cordial drink with it in several years ago - now if I have just a tiny amount it sends my body into melt down but I sometimes wonder if I am the only one!

what really annoys me is it is creeping into so many things especially the cheaper and allegedly healthy end of the market products so shopping has become a minefield - most low fat/fat free products are on my banned list and eating/drinking out is like playing russian roulette while I feel like I am judged by those around me for having the full fat version when overweight.

I do make most food from scratch but sometimes I would really like to be able to have a low fat yoghurt or even an ice pop and not risk waking up in A&E :grumble:

Replies

  • MD1978
    MD1978 Posts: 477 Member
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    I found it was a migrane trigger for me if I get to much
  • xSCiNTILLATEx79
    xSCiNTILLATEx79 Posts: 245 Member
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    I don't have that problem but I did cut it out of my diet completely. Its terrible for you - your better off to stay away and yea its definatly creeping into more stuff. Ive heard of people having really bad neurological issues from drinking too much of it. I was a crystal light junkie, and after stopping it I would get severe headaches. Crystal lights no better than soda (which I dont drink) so I had to stop. Its hard now, because I hate water, but a majority of our beverages have Aspertame in them.
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    "foods containing aspartame sold in the United States must state "Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine" on their product labels"

    "In the UK, foods that contain aspartame are legally required by the country's Food Standards Agency to list the chemical among the product's ingredients and carry the warning "Contains a source of phenylalanine" "
  • Sarah_Wins
    Sarah_Wins Posts: 936 Member
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    Boo! Hiss! (Aspartame)

    And it's in friggin everything!
  • SummerCedar
    SummerCedar Posts: 4 Member
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    It causes something to happen to my nervous system, and it makes me feel like I have spiders running up my neck. I used to drink 2-3 diet sodas a day, now even one sip will affect me for hours. It is not good stuff....
  • hollyk57
    hollyk57 Posts: 520 Member
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    Aspartame is the work of the devil. That stuff (which your right, hides in everything) makes me dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous, totally sick to my stomach, triggers migraines and makes me feel like I'm dying or totally out of it. I hate all artificial sweeteners and won't touch anything with them in the ingredients.
  • k011185
    k011185 Posts: 320 Member
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    It doesn't bother me at all, but my mother in law is horribly allergic to it. The smallest amount she gets nauseated and a serious migraine. A large amount, and it's into the hospital.
    It really is in so many things these days! I had them over for dinner and it was in the salad dressing! Wasn't a low carb or cal one either. (good thing I checked before serving!)
  • lsegatti
    lsegatti Posts: 77 Member
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    Most of these types of sweeteners are not good for any of us, those who are trying to lose weight and those who are not. Especially children who now get it in cereal, jello, pudding and tons of other foods. Please note that research has shown that those who drink diet soda with these sweeteners actually gain more weight than those who drink regular soda.

    Also, consider trying dannon nonfat yogurt, low in calories and high in protein. Add in your own fruit for the added flavor and taste of sugar that you might crave. I have switched to flavored seltzer water for when I need something bubbly and do not want the sugar.
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Some of you guys and girls may be allergic to it, but beyond that there is nothing wrong with it. Its no different from you being allergic to dairy or nuts and the side effects consuming them has on some people. Its simply two amino acids (protein).

    As for the last comment - please show me this info? A zero calorie drink cannot make you gain weight. It goes against the laws of physics (energy cannot be created, only transferred). Furthermore, Aspartame does not increase insulin release so cannot cause storage of food that you digest.

    Please explain, I'd love to know :)
  • Justkeepswimmin
    Justkeepswimmin Posts: 777 Member
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    I'm on the no asparatame no frekin way bandwagon as well. I don't believe substantial testing was done to prove it's NOT bad for you and I do believe there is enough reason to doubt the process with which it got approved through the FDA. Massively sketchy.

    Regardless - I have an allergy as well - it's not fun. I do find lots of non high fructose yogurt without asparatame...mostly I drink water and unsweetened tea but you can get crystal lite pure which has some sugar and splenda. Maybe once every other month I have a stevia soda.

    I don't think a zero calorie drink makes you gain weight, I think that when you're drinking flavored drinks you do tend to eat more...out of the complimenting flavors - not the aspartame causing weight gain.
  • Marcelynh
    Marcelynh Posts: 974 Member
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    Matt_Wild. There have been studies done that link it to weight gain and increased insulin production. This article: http://www.naturalnews.com/035070_diet_soda_weight_loss_aspartame.html has links to scientific studies done about this. More and more information is coming out concerning artificial sweeteners and it's not very good. Chemicals are chemicals.
  • tuppencehapenny
    tuppencehapenny Posts: 7
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    I just can't bear the taste of the stuff - eugh!

    I'm lucky that I don't care much for fizzy drinks, but I always get real sugar ribena and squash. I'd much rather actually enjoy the taste of the occasional ribena and drink plain water the rest of the time.

    To avoid aspartame-filled diet yoghurt you could buy plain yoghurt and add a spoonful of (real) jam. You've probably already thought of this, but I thought I'd throw it in all the same!
  • Matt_Wild
    Matt_Wild Posts: 2,673 Member
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    Seriously? Look at the website you got that off.

    All that link shows is that that obese people drink diet soda (not that the diet drink causes it). As for diabetes, again I'm not a mouse and I don't consume corn oil and we are not told about what the feed is or contains.

    Genuine studies please.

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0898656898000175

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0026049587901065

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938493901397

    http://www.ajcn.org/content/65/3/737.short

    http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/003193849190321E

    The list goes on and on and on and on....
  • rlzkor
    rlzkor Posts: 3
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    lol Aspartame has been thoroughly studied and is safe for human consumption.
  • mitchipooo
    mitchipooo Posts: 85 Member
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    Aspartame is nasty stuff, many people are allergic and have other reactions to it, just like they do to dairy, nuts, strawberries, etc. However those things are natural, aspartame is anything but natural. If you look into the history it's sketchy how it ever received FDA approval. I'll try and find the info and post it.
  • LesterBlackstone
    LesterBlackstone Posts: 291 Member
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    Matt_Wild. There have been studies done that link it to weight gain and increased insulin production. This article: http://www.naturalnews.com/035070_diet_soda_weight_loss_aspartame.html has links to scientific studies done about this.

    Natural news is a hippie alarmist website - not a scientific journal (nor are their "sources").


    If you look at the actual literature (full text, not just abstracts) the only thing they prove is that it's dangerous to have supraphysiological amounts of aspartame injected directly into your brain (if you happen to be a rat).

    More and more information is coming out concerning artificial sweeteners and it's not very good. Chemicals are chemicals.

    Everything is chemicals.
  • LesterBlackstone
    LesterBlackstone Posts: 291 Member
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    how it ever received FDA approval.

    Perhaps because it's among the most highly studied substances on the planet?

    Aspartame may well turn out to be the most thoroughly
    studied food additive ever approved by the US Food and
    Drug Administration (FDA) in terms oftotal numbers of
    studies conducted before approval.


    http://www.ajcn.org/content/46/1/204.full.pdf+html
  • Sarauk2sf
    Sarauk2sf Posts: 28,072 Member
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    Tagging for the links to the articles (the scientifc ones)

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