Aspartame

♥Faerie♥
♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
edited September 20 in Food and Nutrition
What are everyone's thoughts on Aspartame? Do you try to avoid it, or not worry about it? I have recently noticed that a lot of things I consumed have this in it, and have decided to cut it out of my diet completely. Have not had much time to notice if it makes a difference in my overall health, but have heard so many bad things about this.:grumble:

Also, since doing this, of course I can't drink coke zero or pepsi max, which are my faves! So I have started drinking a can of sodium free seltzer water with lemon juice for lunch, just to have that fizz... :drinker: it has no calories, but is this a good choice? Is there anything bad about seltzer water?

Replies

  • famv5
    famv5 Posts: 27 Member
    I'm not sure about seltzer water because I'm just a plain water drinker but I do avoid aspartame or any of those artificial sweeteners. Even most of the sugarfree gums that I "used" to chew I noticed had sorbitol or another fake sweetener. It's really in so many things that you may not even realize it but I try as best I can to avoid it. :smile:
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    <--- Aspartame-Free Girl I very very rarely get sick with a cold or anything, never get headaches unless I'm really sleep-deprived (and then a nap fixes it), don't suffer from allergies (when I used to wake up every morning feeling like I had a cold being so stuffed up with ichy eyes and the whole 9 yards....), my skin is not so dry, and... without going into details... I have excellent digestive health :blushing: Not all of those are from eliminating aspartame. But those are the results I got from switching to a more natural whole clean way of eating and drinking.

    To good health! :drinker:
  • epoeraven
    epoeraven Posts: 458 Member
    I am allergic to it so I do avoid it. It is not a "Can't Breathe" allergy but I get POUNDING headaches whenever I eat anything with it in it. I thought I had migraines until the doctors figured it out.
  • cwvanek
    cwvanek Posts: 111
    I don't consume any aspartame at all. It's crazy everything you can find artificial sweeteners in. Flavored waters, chewing gums, jellies.

    I always read the labels to make sure there isn't anything icky in there.
  • jules1984
    jules1984 Posts: 439 Member
    Anytime something says sugarfree, no sugar, low sugar, or no sugar added, they ALMOST ALWAYS contain splenda, aspartame, or sorbital so get really good at reading labels. I personally avoid them because they taste really bad and/or make my stomach upset.

    Also, I've read that if you consume a lot of artificially sweetened things they are so sweet that your palate gets a little - dull. You need much more sugar and much sweeter things to satisfy yourself. If you cut out your diet sodas for awhile and have ONE regular soda I guarantee it will be so sweet you'll think you're having desert. HFCS isn't good either though, stick with real plain ol' sugar. :smile:
  • jessmomof3
    jessmomof3 Posts: 4,590 Member
    <--- Aspartame-Free Girl I very very rarely get sick with a cold or anything, never get headaches unless I'm really sleep-deprived (and then a nap fixes it), don't suffer from allergies (when I used to wake up every morning feeling like I had a cold being so stuffed up with ichy eyes and the whole 9 yards....), my skin is not so dry, and... without going into details... I have excellent digestive health :blushing: Not all of those are from eliminating aspartame. But those are the results I got from switching to a more natural whole clean way of eating and drinking.

    To good health! :drinker:

    Yeah, what she said. I found that aspartame is a migraine trigger for me. I used to drink Diet Coke and dealt w/ constant headaches. I gave it up almost 4 years ago now and was completely amazed at how my headaches diminished! Clean eating is the key for me to stay healthy and not deal w/ a constant headache!
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
    I suffer from the worst migraines, and have just figured out that this may be one of the causes, I really hope banning aspartame from my diet helps eliminate some of my attacks!
  • wks7777
    wks7777 Posts: 230
    diet pepsi=aspertame?!?!...if so im trying to quit...should i take up coffee?? i need the caffiene and hunger suppressant that water just doesnt cut it for sometimes!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I just started going to a new internal medicine doctor and one of the first questions she asked me was how much soda/diet soda I drink. I've been drinking diet soda for at least 18 years--figured that 0 calories was better than the empty 100+ calories in regular soda. I was down to just one of the 12 oz. mini bottles of diet coke per day, but the doctor said to cut that out, too. I protested as I really am addicted to caffeine--she said she would rather that I have another cup of coffee or tea per day than the diet soda. She said that the aspartame contributes to belly fat. She was born and raised in Germany, and seeing as how their obesity rates are less than 1/2 of ours here in the US, I figure she knows of which she speaks...
  • wks7777
    wks7777 Posts: 230
    well no wonder i have such a gut! i drink about 5 cans of diet pepsi a day!
    I just started going to a new internal medicine doctor and one of the first questions she asked me was how much soda/diet soda I drink. I've been drinking diet soda for at least 18 years--figured that 0 calories was better than the empty 100+ calories in regular soda. I was down to just one of the 12 oz. mini bottles of diet coke per day, but the doctor said to cut that out, too. I protested as I really am addicted to caffeine--she said she would rather that I have another cup of coffee or tea per day than the diet soda. She said that the aspartame contributes to belly fat. She was born and raised in Germany, and seeing as how their obesity rates are less than 1/2 of ours here in the US, I figure she knows of which she speaks...
  • MadWorld
    MadWorld Posts: 200
    I try to avoid aspartame too. It seems to make me crave more sweets. I stick with the natural sweeteners... stevia in the raw, honey, etc. There are lots of other alternatives out there, it's just a matter of finding the right one for your taste buds.

    I've read tea has great health benefits, so you might try switching that out for a caffeine fix. Coffee also has some health benefits-- in moderation. It's your preference, really.
  • ♥Faerie♥
    ♥Faerie♥ Posts: 14,053 Member
    well no wonder i have such a gut! i drink about 5 cans of diet pepsi a day!
    I just started going to a new internal medicine doctor and one of the first questions she asked me was how much soda/diet soda I drink. I've been drinking diet soda for at least 18 years--figured that 0 calories was better than the empty 100+ calories in regular soda. I was down to just one of the 12 oz. mini bottles of diet coke per day, but the doctor said to cut that out, too. I protested as I really am addicted to caffeine--she said she would rather that I have another cup of coffee or tea per day than the diet soda. She said that the aspartame contributes to belly fat. She was born and raised in Germany, and seeing as how their obesity rates are less than 1/2 of ours here in the US, I figure she knows of which she speaks...

    Yes, it did make a difference there, since I have stopped drinking diet soda, I have lost 2 pounds. Did not even make the connection until I read these posts!
  • cwvanek
    cwvanek Posts: 111
    diet pepsi=aspertame?!?!...if so im trying to quit...should i take up coffee?? i need the caffiene and hunger suppressant that water just doesnt cut it for sometimes!

    Try green tea. I've heard it's good for the metabolism too.
  • XFitMojoMom
    XFitMojoMom Posts: 3,255 Member
    Seltzer usually contains sodium, so you will want to watch how much of it you do drink.

    I have a coke zero every day, or second day. Usually if the urge for wine hits me.
    for your caffeine kick - why not try Oolong tea?
    Oolong Tea Benefits have been quite well-known for generations of people in the Orient but has only been lately taken cognizance by people in the West.

    Oolong Tea, also sometimes spelled as Wu Long Tea, comes from the camellia sinensis plant that is the source of all true teas. However, oolong tea undergoes some degree of oxidation or fermentation that consequently places it between the green and black tea varieties. Oolong tea ranges from 10% to 70% oxidation.

    The semi-oxidized oolong tea has a taste closer to that of green tea, though it does not have the distinctive grassy tang of green tea. Oolong tea has a dark brownish color.

    Oolong tea can be consumed directly after production. The most common type of this kind is the pu-erh tea. However, many also opt to let the oolong tea undergo longer aging time to make it more gentle on the stomach.

    Many of the health benefits of oolong tea are similar to those of green tea. Though the degree of oxidation somewhat trims down some of its health benefits, oolong tea is nevertheless still one of the healthiest beverage you can enjoy as it also contains the polyphenols that act as antioxidants against free radicals in the body.

    Some of oolong tea health benefits are as follows:

    Oolong Tea may help reduce cholesterol build-up in the bloodstream.

    Oolong Tea may help burn fat and thus, may contribute to slimming.

    Oolong Tea can help prevent heart ailments.

    Oolong Tea can be used for treatment of digestive disorders.

    Oolong Tea can promote longevity by stimulating bodily functions and strengthening the immune system.

    Oolong Tea may promote healthier and stronger bones, protecting people from such diseases as osteoporosis.

    Oolong Tea can also fight against tooth decay.
  • PureAndHealthy
    PureAndHealthy Posts: 539
    Coffee and tea both have health benefits, but tea has a few more... especially green tea. Coffee is my most used caffeinator of choice with some vanilla soymilk and stevia. Just be sure not to sweeten with Equal/Splenda/SweetnLow or you might as well be drinking the diet soda. Oh and there are actually some calorie-free sodas in health food stores that are sweetened with xylitol or stevia or a combination of the 2 if you really must have a soda.
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