How bad is aspartame to your health?

Question

the stuff they put in diet soda

Answer 1

I am an MD. I believe it is totally safe, with one or two provisos. When it was first introduced back in the 1980s, it was known that if it was left for extended periods dissolved in water in high temperatures, it could self destruct, with one of the breakdown products being methanol or methyl alcohol or wood alcohol. This is a deadly poison, which can cause brain damage, nerve damage, seizures, blindness, and death. So when the FDA first approved it, it was only allowed to be sold as a powder, which meant that the consumer had to stir it into the drink or other food just before consumption, preventing the possibility of any methanol formation. However, the Searle corporation was able to show that it was not a serious risk even to sell it already dissolved into products, such as diet soda. However, if your bottled soda is left out on a loading dock in the sun on a hot summer's day for weeks at a time, some methanol may indeed form.
Unless methanol forms, however, there is zero risk, in my opinion, and no one has ever shown any other health risk to normal people. It is made of two amino acids, aspartamine and phenylalanine, stuck together, and therefore it is simply a simple protein, and as such, is "natural" and is not a "chemical". Aspartamine and phenylalanine are both essential building blocks of life, and ALL of your body's proteins contain these two amino acids. Therefore it has no cancer risk and no toxin risk, (except for the methanol degradation problem.) For the tiny fraction of humanity that cannot metabolize phenylalanine, it is toxic, but you would know from birth if you had this disease (called phenylketonuria). So go ahead and use Aspartame without fear.

Answer 2

Some people say it does and some say it doesn't, Aspartame is actually just another name for Equal, Sweet N' Low ect. I stay away from anything that contains aspartame as it's been researched to cause cancer. You can read more about it at the link below.

Answer 3

Back in the 1980's research was done and found it messes up your metabolism and can cause one to gain more weight than if they drank sugar sodas. Then the fact it is a synthetic material makes it bad for your body. It also has been linked to cancer. Look it up on the Internet and you will be SHOCKED

Answer 4

well untill yooutlaw alcohol, caffiene, nicotine, adecitimidophen, etc then aspartame is as bad. if you take all those thing then i would say watch out!

Answer 5

NOT HARMFUL.

The following websites expose and debunk the LIES that are out on the internet:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp
http://www.acsh.org/publications/pubID.1316/pub_detail.asp
http://www.webmd.com/content/Article/102/106833.htm
http://www.aspartamearchives.org/dangers-of-aspartame.htm

Answer 6

it increases the difficulty of diet dependent diabetics in regulating the blood glucose level.

Answer 7

Well, it turns to formaldehyde at 96 degrees fahrenheit. Your body temperature is on average 98.6 degrees fahrenheit. Drink the stuff if you want, but I try to avoid it.

Answer 8

no-one knows!!
some investigations say that it does not harm
others say that it provokes cancer.

if you want to avoid fat, you might start eating Greek olive oil! its the best! have something green at your meals, avoid fast food and have some exercises.

Answer 9

Found this links. Hope it helps!
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-adf9.html
http://www.sweetpoison.com/aspartame-side-effects.html

Answer 10

somebody at work was saying you could use it to kill fire ants.
don't know if it's true or an urban legend.