Are sugar free products safe?

Question

lately i've been hearing negative stories about aspartame (used in most sugar free drinks inc. diet coke/ pepsi max)
There are claims that it can cause all manner of problems to your health including headaches, blindness.... and it has even been linked to cancer.(there are apparently nearly 100 side effects)
what do you think?
have you experienced this?
do you believe it?

Answer 1

http://www.321recipes.com/aspartame.html

My daughter has been diagnosed as having an intolerance to aspartame. Since she was 14 months she had terrible, uncontrollable tantrums that were said to be 'normal'. By the time she was nearly four she would completely fly off the handle everytime I said no or anything else she did not agree with. She would have such fierce rages it was actually quite scarey and there was no calming her, she could just not control herself. She didn't sleep very well, constantly was unwell and no one would help. I thought it may be food related and investigated myself, trying everything from additives, e numbers etc. Heard about aspartame and tried taking that out of her diet. Within days she was calmer, more rational and suddenly I had this amazing, calm and 'normal' daughter. The doctor agreed with me when i took all the info to her. The one thing containing aspartame she had a lot of was sugar free juice, basically her body was just overloading on it and she couldn't process this chemical. We now have no products in our house that contain artificial sweetner. Aspartame is contained in everyday foods but if you read the quote from the link above it explains why it does not have the effect that that pure aspartame used as a sweetner does. It does not have this effect on everybody, I presume it is just the bod's capabilities of processing it, but from my experience I am completely against anything with artificial sweetner in it.

Quote from link above:

The multi-billion dollar aspartame industry would like you believe that "aspartame kills" is an "urban legend" and that you'd have to drink 100 cans of diet soda a day to be harmed by aspartame. This is just simply not true. Their main claim is that the 3 components of aspartame are found in many natural foods and are therefore safe. This is kind of like saying carbon monoxide is safe because all it contains is carbon & oxygen, the same components of carbon dioxide. Methanol (wood alcohol), which makes up 10% of aspartame and is highly toxic (adult minimum lethal dose is 2 teaspoons), is also found in some fruits & vegetables like tomatoes. However, methanol is never found in natural foods without ethanol & pectin, its "antidotes" if you will (detailed facts below). Ethanol & pectin prevent methanol from being metabolized into formaldehyde (embalming fluid) & formic acid (same chemical as fire ant venom), both deadly toxins. An ethanol drip is even the standard emergency room treatment for methanol poisoning. Aspartame contains no ethanol or pectin, therefore the methanol is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, the other 2 components of aspartame, are amino acids found in natural foods but always as part of long chains of many different amino acids to form complex protein molecules that take humans 12 hours to gradually break down & assimilate. According to the doctors below, when consumed by themselves these 2 amino acids require no digestion and quickly enter the brain & central nervous system at abnormally high levels, overstimulating brain cells to death and causing many other health problems

Answer 2

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Answer 3

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Answer 4

I'm not diabetic, but my 27 year brother has been for 20 years. These stories have been around for 10 years or so. Having grown up in the same house as my brother, we ate and drank everything he did - diet coke, sugar free gum etc etc etc. I maintain the same eating habits now and I do understand your concern.

Yes, there are POSSIBLE side effects to aspartame. However, if it was this dangerous, it would have been banned - no matter what the commercial effects were, the PR would have been worse. Science is a scary thing - every time you open a newspaper you read that everything from burnt toast to green potatoes to breathing is going to kill you.

I believe that as long as you consume everything in moderation, you will be fine. I have never had a single one of these side effects and I doubt I ever will - I think you'd have to live on a steady diet of the stuff to suffer from these.

Answer 5

As a diabetic of 15 years, I promise you I have done a lot of checking on artificial sweeteners.

I personally think that all the bad press that aspartame (Equal) and Splenda get comes from "The natural sugar consortium" or some such entity that has a vested interest in raw sugar. The government has done numerous tests, and as recently as last month gave an "all clear" on all artificial sweeteners currently being marketed.

I have no problems of any kind healthwise as a result of constant and HEAVY use of both Equal and Splenda. I usually drink four cups of coffee and a six-pack or so of diet Pepsi every day. My wife bakes for me using Splenda.

To me and many other diabetics that I know, these products are a Godsend, and I'd hate to have to live without them. The days of that terrible tasting pink packet stuff are thankfully over!

Answer 6

You can be sensitive to anything! I am sensitive to MSG. I have been diabetic for 10 years and have had no problems related to aspartame that I didn't have before I started on the stuff. Now that MSG, that is something that I stay away from. And these days, it's like 75% of everything that we eat, drink, look at, touch or breath has been linked to cancer. I believe that there are probably some people who react badly to it, but that does not mean that everyone should stay away from it. Think about it like this, my son is really allergic to milk and eggs and I get asthma attacks around smoke and air fresheners, but that doesn't mean that everyone does and it doesn't mean that everyone should stay away from those things.

Answer 7

Many common natural remedies are claimed to have blood sugar lowering properties that make them useful for people with or at high risk of diabetes. Learn here https://tr.im/MHtYq

A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show potential links between herbal therapies and improved blood glucose control, which has led to an increase in people with diabetes using these more 'natural' ingredients to help manage their condition.

Answer 8

I avoid anything that is sugar - free. It dry's my mouth out to the point that i can hardly swallow. I hate the aftertaste as well. I would rather eat something made with proper sugar and enjoy it now and again than use any sugar-free product. Hate the stuff. It also gives me a headache.

Answer 9

My son has had diabetes since he was 4, and I must say I prefer to give him fruit, herbal tea etc. with as little added artificial sweetener as possible, although my husband piles it on for him.

I am not diabetic, but am trying to watch my weight.....I have a tendency to IBS, and am not the only one with this problem to find that it is triggered by most artificial sweeteners, especially Sorbitol or similar, as used in a lot of sugar-free sweets - one of those will have me running to the loo for hours!!

Answer 10

Yeh I have heard some pretty bad stories too. I think it could help minimise things like the chances of cancer but that's just me. Sugerfree gum etc. usually has other things to make up for it but I tend to buy gum that doesn't say sugar free. Coke and things like fizzy drinks I have heard can effect cancer chances too AND my main worry ..Makeup :)!