ASPARTAME really dangerous ??

Question

Some of energy (soft) drink in my country using this sweetener agent for their product. Is that really dangerous?

Answer 1

An safe alternative to Aspartame is stevia. It is natural and in my opinion tastes better. You can pick it up at any health food store and all you need is a couple tiny drops to sweeten your desserts, tea or coffeee.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Aspartame Side Effects
The components of aspartame can lead to a number of health problems, as you have read. Side effects can occur gradually, can be immediate, or can be acute reactions. According to Lendon Smith, M.D. there is an enormous population suffering from side effects associated with aspartame, yet have no idea why drugs, supplements and herbs don’t relieve their symptoms. Then, there are users who don’t ‘appear’ to suffer immediate reactions at all. Even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Answer 4

Aspartame can be dangerous I have heard. However, I work for a Chiropractor and from what I've learned working there, you are better off going with a natural alternative. Sugar in the Raw is all natural sugar cane, not altered by man like regular white sugar or aspartame products.

Once you try Sugar in the Raw, you will notice that you will not get the "high" and the "crash" cycle you get with artificial sweenters/regular sugar.

Answer 5

YES - some of the WORST meals to position into your frame! It lowers pH phases, depletes nutrients, explanations melanoma, results hormones ultimately, triggers meals cravings, and so on...! Instead of utilizing aspartame, use stevia to sweeten matters up. Stevia is a NATURAL and HEALTHY sweetener! :) Suggestion: freshly squeeze a million-two lemons in a pitcher of water. upload somewhat stevia and few ice-cubes. upload a straw and you've got a nice (healthful) replacement on your vitamin pop/sodas. this drink tastes identical to a fresh lemonade - simply so much fitter than the consistent lemonades that you'll be able to traditionally purchase in grocery retail outlets. lemons even lift your pH degree, when you consider that they're very alkalizing! yup, lemons ARE alkalizing (actually, some of the maximum alkalizing meals now we have on this planet!!)

Answer 6

As far as my health goes I only drink Mountain Spring water and found some awsome drops for flavor called SweetLeaf ... really like the Vanilla Creme but have several... Cinnamon, Apricot, Grape, They have many to choose from!

Answer 7

Hello,I am a herb specialist ,and from reports that I have read about this product.It can cause a plague of neurological diseases.
Things like changes in the brain chemistry,seizures,blindness,just to name a few.Do some research.I distribute some great alternatives if your interested.For more info. My web site is http://www.mynsp.com/hope4you
Lee

Answer 8

Yes it is and tastes awful too. You could choose soft drinks with sugar but better drink water. It's the best.

Answer 9

Only if you can consume the equivalent of your body weight

Answer 10

For more than 20 years people have been using an artificial sweetener called aspartame as a substitute for sugar. Most products that make claims like "low calorie" or "diet" on their labels feature aspartame as a key ingredient. This is because aspartame is about 180 to 200 times as sweet as sugar, but its proponents claim it is devoid of any undesirable effects, such as weight gain. However, this may not be the case after all. In fact, the history of the use of aspartame is filled with controversy and allegations questioning its safety as a food additive.

Aspartame was discovered unintentionally in 1965, when chemist James Schlatter of the G.D. Searle Company found he had developed an anti-ulcer drug, which also happened to taste very sweet. The company seized upon the idea that this new substance might be a useful alternative to the non-sugar sweeteners of the day, cyclamate and saccharin, whose safety had come into question. This began the first of a multitude of studies on aspartame’s effects on humans, a body of research in dispute even today.

In 1969, Dr. Harold Waisman approached Searle to conduct one of the first experiments with aspartame. He found that some infant monkeys suffered seizures when fed aspartame. Searle commissioned other studies which showed more positive results, and they pushed ahead for approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) beginning in 1973. In 1974 aspartame was approved for use in a restricted number of foods. Two scientists filed objections based on a study that found the sweetener caused holes in the brains of mice.

As a result, Searle’s research was investigated by the FDA and found to be inaccurate and "manipulated." It was found that Waisman’s initial study was not included in the company’s original application. Searle’s patent was revoked. In 1977 a grand jury was to consider laying charges against the company, but the action was stalled when U.S. Attorney Samuel Skinner quit to take a job with Searle’s law firm Sidley and Austin. His replacement did not continue the action before the statute of limitations ran out later that year.

That same year Searle hired Washington insider Donald Rumsfeld as CEO (currently ex-U.S. Secretary of Defence). He had connections to U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who appointed Arthur Hayes FDA Commissioner in 1981. The appointment turned out to be a positive step for the company, which had become a G.D. Searle subsidiary called NutraSweet.

In the meantime, the FDA had established a Public Board of Inquiry to further study aspartame. They examined the tests and again questioned aspartame’s safety. Hayes, however, decided to overrule the board in 1981, and to approve aspartame for use in all dry foods. It was also approved in Canada later that year.

In 1983, Commissioner Hayes also approved it as a sweetener in carbonated beverages, despite calls by the National Soft Drink Association for further testing. Soon after, Hayes resigned to take a consulting position with G.D. Searle’s public relations firm, Burston Marsteller. In her 1999 book Sweet Poison, Janet Starr Hull reported that "between 1979 and 1982, four more FDA officials associated with the approval of aspartame accepted jobs with NutraSweet companies."

NutraSweet was sold to chemical giant Monsanto in 1985, which guided the product through more contentious senate hearings. Aspartame gradually gained widespread approval, (1992 – cereals and fillings, 1993 – candies, fruit juices and baked goods, 1996 – all food products). Health Canada has generally followed up with its own approvals shortly after the U.S. In 2000, J.W. Childs, an investment firm, purchased the company from Monsanto.

Disagreements concerning the safety of aspartame in food are based on the perceived effects of aspartame’s component ingredients. It is made up of 50 per cent phenylalanine, 40 per cent aspartic acid, and 10 per cent methanol, after a fermentation process. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids found naturally in foods, (phenylalanine can be found in milk and bananas), but in this case are produced in the lab. Methanol is an alcohol made from wood.

Scientific opinion and hundreds of studies are split on the nature of the body’s reaction when the sweetener’s ingredients are broken down. The body normally incorporates amino acids in large groups, allowing for their absorption. Some studies, including one by Dr. Louis Elsas, have shown that when phenylalanine enters the brain by itself, it can block the production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter that helps to regulate mood, potentially leading to depression and other disorders.

Yet on its Web site, (www.nutrasweet.com), the NutraSweet Company refers to other studies which "indicate that aspartame is not associated with any changes in mood, cognition or behaviour, including memory loss."

Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inherited disorder prevalent in North America. It leaves a person unable to break down phenylalanine. There is agreement that this condition makes aspartame unsafe for those afflicted. In the U.S. all food products containing aspartame must be labelled to warn phenylketonurics.

There is a similar debate about methanol’s effect on the brain. The body processes methanol and breaks it down into formaldehyde – a toxin – and then formic acid. NutraSweet maintains that "many foods provide several times more methanol than do aspartame-sweetened foods" and that "the body can easily metabolize small amounts." Critics say this ignores the fact that when methanol is present in natural foods, it is always accompanied by ethanol in higher amounts, which acts as a counterbalance to methanol toxicity. However, if methanol (and therefore aspartame) is heated above 30 degrees Celsius, it becomes formaldehyde even before it is consumed. NutraSweet says the only negative result is the loss of sweetness, while some research indicates that this direct formaldehyde consumption is even more toxic.

Aspartame has been promoted particularly as a diet aid and as a sugar substitute for diabetics. Some dispute the accuracy of such claims. It has been shown to actually increase appetite in some users, and can sometimes result in overall weight gain. When something sweet hits the tongue, a message goes to the hypothalamus, and the brain prepares the body to receive sugar by telling the pancreas to release insulin. When that sweetness is aspartame, no sugar arrives, so the insulin lowers the body’s blood sugar. Insulin inhibits the breakdown of fat reserves. When it does not combine with sugar, it may also cause cravings for carbohydrates.

Dr. H.J. Roberts has reported numerous complications in diabetics, that he suggests are linked to aspartame. Potentially, low blood sugar can lead to headaches, hyperactivity in children, seizures, depression, or even disease or death. NutraSweet responds aggressively to all allegations, maintaining the products help with weight control "because they are often lower in calories than the same type of products made with sugar or syrups." NutraSweet is also deemed safe for diabetics. "It has allowed them a larger variety of dietary choices and the continued enjoyment of sweet foods as a part of their meal plan." The Canadian Diabetes Association defers to Health Canada’s approval of artificial sweeteners when discussing their safety.

NutraSweet is adamant about attempting to refute evidence brought against aspartame in its various forms, which include Equal, Sugar Twin, Sweet’n’Low, Spoonful and Benevia. In 1990, British newspaper The Guardian was sued by NutraSweet for "libel and malicious falsehoods" after they published a pair of articles that accused the company of faking laboratory tests and falsifying scientific reports in the late 1970s. As a result, The Guardian retracted the allegations and paid a settlement to NutraSweet.

Due to accounts of pilots having seizures in the cockpit, as well as other troubling symptoms, the U.S. Air Force and Navy magazines, as well as airline industry publications, have published articles warning of the potential dangers of aspartame consumption before and during flight.

Health food advocates question the need for the debates surrounding aspartame. They point to another sweetener, stevia, as a safe alternative. The leaves of this wild plant, native to Paraguay, have been used for centuries to increase sweetness. Today, its use is especially common in Japan. In Canada stevia can only be found in health food stores. Health Canada allows it to be sold strictly as a dietary supplement, even though CBC’s Web site reported that Agriculture Canada is growing the crop in Ontario: "There have already been 900 stevia studies. Nineteen of them indicated problems according to the Food and Drug Administration."

These issues are becoming more and more significant. It is estimated that more than 400 million people in more than 100 countries use the over 5,000 products which contain aspartame. As well, NutraSweet has developed a similar sweetener called neotame, 8,000 times sweeter than sugar, which is currently before the FDA for general-use approval. Aspartame’s critics will be keeping a close eye on the process.