Hi all .
Iam a new member (1st post), and would like to comment on the Aspartame question - "should I shouldn't I ?".
A few months ago, Iwas an innocent and unsuspecting consumer of aspartame, from the very many products which contain it, including practically everything labelled "diet / low Cal./ sugar free etc.". I can relate to the experience of the members reacting to the Muller light products, - these were what got my attention, I was having one almost daily. I did not have headaches, but suffered unexplained, gradually increasing stomache pains and dizzyness,disturbed sleep pattern and joint pains. A friend of mine who has type 2 diabeties mailed me an article on aspartame - I did some research, and neither of us has touched ANYTHING containing aspartame since.
Within 2 weeks of stopping, my symptoms above had completely dissappeared, I was not before this, aware of the problems my friend had - he was consuming a 1 lt. bottle of diet coke per day, and was suffering , mainly shaking , pins and needles / numbness in his fingers, sweating and poor sleeping - I believe his BS levels were going haywire also. Like me he has no more symptoms since "coming off "aspartame.
In short, the results of my research, after many many Hours of trolling through through the internet, reading the "for and against aspartame" arguments is, the fact that 10% of aspartame is the dangerous chemical METHANOL. Methanol in the body, immediately turns into the even more dangerous chemical, FORMALDEYHDE. I concluded that, whatever the arguements, no one should be consciously, or in most cases unconsciously, consuming these chemicals wrapped up in aspastame.
The Aspartame industry makes much of the fact, that aspartame is the most tested food product on the market, and uses this to justify it's "safety". This is very true but the contrary argument to all the testing, must be, that if it is safe, why does it require such intensive testing??
Aspartame has been approved for use as a food product in the US for 28 yrs. and in the UK for 26yrs !!. that is how long the controversy has been going on between the aspartame billion dollar industry, and independant scientists who argue that it is not safe. - why are we now in the UK just becoming aware of it?.
Everyone's body reacts differently to the consumption of aspartame, some are highly sensitive to it and can reject it immediatly, some can have no reaction over several years- this is seen in your member posts here. The reason is that the human body has no way of excreting (getting rid of ) the chemical Formaldehyde so even very small amounts build up over time it could be 10yrs to very resistant people, I recon that I am reasonably resistant - I was on the Muller lights for only about 2 months.
This is a huge subject and I have just scraped the surface, however you should know, that at least 5 Uk supermarket chains, have banned the use of aspartame in their "own label" product ranges and are pressurising their suppliers of "Branded" products to do the same - one of the companies ASDA, is currrently being sued by the manufacturer of aspartame Ajinomoto, for suggesting that aspartame is a "nasty" - ASDA deserve our full support.
NOTE :
There are many sugar substitutes on the market but ONLY ASPARTAME contains METHANOL.
If anyone wants to know more of the aspartame background EG why do our doctors and the medical profession only have a sketchy knowledge of the risks from aspartame? - what the current position is in the US today, what is the future for the UK/EU. I will be happy to provide comments.
Cheers,
Jimmac