Aspartame?

[snowathlete]

Anyone know much about Aspartame?

I used to (until about a month ago) have quite alot of it, diet coke in particular. I prefered it over coke because coke tasted too sugary and it was no good for dieting.

My wife has frequently told me that its a bad additive that has a bad rep. and that it can make some people very ill. Reading up a bit more on the net lately it seems that there are some claims that its linked to illnesses like ME/CFS. I dont know enough about it to know if this is true or not. But i certainly have ingested alot of it in the past.

Thoughts?Opinions?

 

[Sallysblooms]

My doctor doesn't want me to use it. I had a nurtritionist that said the same. It is an excitotoxin like MSG. Too much is bad for the brain.


http://aspartame.mercola.com/

 

[Andrew]

Aspertame damages your immune system.

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

 

[Sushi]

I don't have the time to look up studies, but there is evidence that it is a neurotoxin. In my own experience, I found it related to really bad headaches if I had too much.

Best,
Sushi

 

[anniekim]

It gives me diarrhoea so can't use it. I think it probably is dodgy and not to be consumed too often even if you can tolerate it. However, as it to being a possible cause of M.E, I highly doubt it. On the internet there are a million things that are purported to be the cause of M.E, all highly speculative and should be taken with a pinch of salt, although I appreciate I am clueless so who knows...

 

[Andrew]

The documentary alleges that the FDA found that it was harmful, but passed it anyway, then the FDA officials who let it pass quit the FDA and went to work for the company that makes it, where they were paid very high salaries.

 

[alex3619]

The information on aspartame is contraversial. Its thought to be mildly toxic at most. For most people it is probably either nontoxic or very slightly toxic. This ignores subsets in the population who may have extreme toxic reactions, or prolonged severe reactions from continued consumption. I know there is a lot of data that implicates aspartame in illness, but there is not much data that is conclusive. However, there is also not much funding to research this. On the precautionary principle I suggest limiting consumption, or avoiding it entirely if you can - I have recently done this myself but have not noticed any improvement as a result.

Bye, Alex

 

[Nielk]

To be safe, I have stayed away from it for years. Why risk it? We have enough trouble as it is and our bodies are definitely more sensitive than most.
One thing is for sure; it is not beneficial. If you need the sweet taste I would use Stevia. I just got used to not using any sweeteners and it wasn't such a big deal.

 

[maddietod]

25 years ago my then-2 year old son drank an aspartame soda, and lost bladder control. It happened the 2 other times he had it as well, so nobody in my family has used aspartame since then.

 

[Nielk]

25 years ago my then-2 year old son drank an aspartame soda, and lost bladder control. It happened the 2 other times he had it as well, so nobody in my family has used aspartame since then.

Wow. that's amazing. Such an immediate adverse reaction! At least you were able to attrubute it to the aspartame.

 

[SOC]

I never could tolerate aspartame. I have all the problems listed at the Mercola site. I've also been told by a top ME/CFS doctor not to use it because it's a excitotoxin like MSG. I suspect that glutamate is not our friend.

 

[wdb]

I thought this video was very interesting if you are interested in artificial sweeteners

[video=youtube;VUo2XW0z218]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VUo2XW0z218[/video]

 

[mellster]

I never tolerated Aspartame either, it made my stomach growl and leave with a slightly unwell feeling - so I have been avoiding it consequently. I believe that real sugar is better than almost all alternatives.

 

[Valentijn]

Aspartame (aspartate) and glutamate act on the same receptors in the brain (NMDA receptors). High glutamate is a likely problem for people with ME/CFS, and is an excitotoxin. Aspartate isn't as excitatory as glutamate, but it makes sense that even a little extra activation is bad when there's already too much going on.

 

[Rand56]

You might as well include Splenda in the conversation too along with aspartame and far as being an excitotoxin. I stay away from both. For any of you that don't know...Splenda is actually sucralose. You have to be careful because sometimes you will not see "Splenda" listed on the front box cover of a particular food but you will see it listed on the ingredient list as "sucralose". It's the same thing. So make sure you real labels if you are unsure. Lots of protein powders have sucralose in them too. Some don't like my Rice Protein powder that I do.

 

[mellster]

It's true what Alex said that the studies are controversial (personally I think it's baaad) but there is some evidence of toxicity and it doesn't go well with me so I avoid it entirely. I think good ole can sugar is healthiest but if you need replacement you could try stevia or xylitol.

 

[topaz]

With ME we should stay away from as many toxins as we can avoid and try to eat clean.

Yes, the message is mixed, but it is an artificial substance that the body has to deal with and eliminate and why subject our already taxed bodies to an additional burden or if unable to be eliminated, to additional accumulated toxins.

If you need the sugar, use sugar, honey, agave or whatever and then try to gradually wean yourself off by decreasing the amount of sugar slowly over an extended period of time.

If you drink softdrinks for a "treat", then mineral or soda water might just do the trick as its half the equation - its bubbly and fizzy and cold. You can add a slice of lemon or lime to the mineral water. I find this works for me as a substitute. Plus it helps hydrate instead of dehydrate.

You may also have slight withdrawal from coke as it contains caffeine.