Aspartame

[Cobra3164]

Hello, I seem very active on first night but I thought I would raise this and see what you think. Aspartame an artificial sugar about 200 times as intense as sugar used in a lot of diet products as well as diabetic products. This is my opinion from research I have done, aspartame seems to have come in on a majority of food products and appears to be safe. I dont quite think that is true when metabolised aspartame can break down leaving substances such as methanol an formaldehide both of which are toxic to us, although they are in small quantities over time these can build in the body causing such things as neural damage as well as many other illnesses.

Just recently diagnosed and having to switch to sugar free things that I like I noticed that on the majority of products they contain aspartame. If you look on the net you will see many contradicting articles saying this is safe and that there is no proof, while proof at the moment is absent this is only over a short term, long term manufacturers dont have a clue but it seems logical that if the toxins released by aspartame build up in the body the it will have a detrimental effect on health. Also for UK citizens our government have indicated it is safe for use in the UK, then my question is why is it banned in the US now and the manufacturer of a certain very popular drink no longer can put it in their products in the US, but have put it in all their products consumed in the UK even drinks sweetened with corn syrup for those normal soda drinkers still use aspartame. I think I know why bluntly IT IS CHEAP and while they say there is no problem with aspartame, they have no proof and refuse to contribute to those who want to research to if this product is safe. That is a contradiction in itself if they are so sure, then there is no threat. I have stopped consuming aspartame, its just too suspect, and really a lot of foodstuff producers dont really care what goes into their products a long as it tastes nice and sells well.

Your opinion is valued.

Simon aka Cobra3164

 

[BioHaZarD]

I drink stuff with aspartame in it, no effects on me, however if it was on a drip 24h I would think maybe it could have an effect, you would have to consume a lot. Some people have bad effects with it though.

 

[arcaic]

What leads you to think it's banned in the US?

I can't find anything that suggests it is.

Andy

 

[Mushroom]

Yes, you are right. Aspartmane is probably not the best thing to have. I think the key is not to try and replace the sugar with artificial. Just better to get used to less sugary foods. My one concession is Diet Coke but it is not the sweetness - I like the bubbles. Drink much more sparkling and still water. I had heard it was banned in the US, too.

 

[Snodger]

It's not banned in the US as a whole, but some individual states have proposed a ban.

 

[Indy51]

I think we are exposed to way to many chemical products in our environment that we are not even aware of and have no control over, so I see no reason to load myself up with yet another chemical that I do have a choice about whether to ingest it or not. I'm learning to adjust without sugar/sweet substances quite well - I'm also intolerant of sugar alcohols because of IBS issues. Best to avoid them all, IMO.

 

[paragliderpete]

Hi I'm a pilot and it's well documented the problems aspertame can cause, In particular confusion, reduced mental capacity, and blurred vision . Whilst at the moment it is not banned, it is advisory that aspertame is not consumed prior to flying. It seems to be yet another substance that is proved to cause problems , but the facts are being buried to suite major business interests.

 

[Giverny]

It's not banned in the US as a whole, but some individual states have proposed a ban.

Not to mention that prior to 1983, it has an incredibly murky history.

 

[Indy51]

This documentary is well worth watching and doesn't seem as 'internet alarmist' as some of the stuff you see:

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/sweet-mi ... ned-world/

 

[phoenix]

There are lot's of threads on Aspartame on this forum, some rather acrimonious.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy (at the moment since these articles are always liable to be changed)
throws some light on the source of some negative info on the internet.

You'll find similar controversies about almost all other sweeteners. There are a few that are allowed in some countries and not others.

My answer for anyone who is worried is not to sweeten hot drinks like tea and coffee (doesn't take long to find that they are horrid when sweetened). If you need to use sweeteners, vary the types (any toxicity is dose dependent . Personally, the only thing I find I use sweetener for nowadays is for sharp fruits like rhubarb and redcurrants. I might drink the odd diet coke in summer, but usually find it far too sweet.

 

[izzzi]

Aspartame to my knowledge contains 9.7% methanol (wood alcohol) which is a poisonous substance.

Can anyone on this forum give a good reason why we need aspartame.

Roy.

 

[phoenix]

I can't give you a reason as to why we need aspartame because we patently don't need any sort of sweetener. (except when hypo and then an artificial one wouldn't work very well. Nevertheless the ability to sweeten some foods enables very many people to enjoy their food and cut out sucrose. They serve a useful purpose.
You'll find methanol in all sorts of foods including fruit, nuts, brussel sprouts and human breast milk.
If you want detail about the amount of methanol metabolised and detectable after ingestion (in adults and children), this is a detailed report from the UK COMMITTEE ON TOXICITY OF CHEMICALS IN FOOD,

Volunteer studies indicate that exposure to aspartame at levels approximating
the ADI, does not result in measurable changes in blood or urinary methanol or
formate concentrations.

http://cot.food.gov.uk/pdfs/cotstatemen ... evjuly.pdf

 

[knighton62]

I am a type2 diabetic and i also suffer from bipolar and a chronic sleep disorder amongst other things.Overtime i have changed my diet and when i was placed under the care of a sleep consultant they advised me to cut out all sweetners especially aspartme as it only aggrivated my situation.Since then my mental health team have given me further advice and shown me studies where actually a person hbc1a has gone up when drinking diet coke as it encouraged the person to eat more than when they drank straight coke.I now look on the back of labels including water to see what's in it.I now quench my thirst with iced cucumber,tomatoes and peices of fruit along side.

 

[Daibell]

Hi. There are always prophets of doom with regard to artificial sweetners based on the usual snake-oil myths. Did you know that horseradish sauce is quite poisonous and so is rhubarb. These foods would be banned if introduced now and so would many other foods. Many foods contain 'poisons' but in sensibly small quantities are no problem for the body so I will carry on having aspartame, sucralose, sacharin etc.

 

[volorg]

Hi I try and avoid these because they are artificial. It annoys me that sugar free is pushed on kids cos it means sweeteners and, as you point out, many high sugar products also contain sweeteners.

Stevia is supposed to be a more natural alternative.

I have read that using sweeteners can continue to stimulate your sweet tooth if you have one.

Cheers
Jane

 

[candyfloss]

Whenever I see posts or comments about sweeteners it always reminds me of my Uncle who used them in tea and coffee. He must have used them for the best part of his adult life and lived into his 90's. No doubt some people have a bad reaction to them and should therefore be avoided but as for long term adverse effects I remain unconvinced. I use them in beverages myself and to take the sharp edge off unsweetened yogurts and some berry fruits. It would be preferable obviously to avoid sweeteners but my sweet tooth demands something and its not going to be sugar, in any form.

 

[chrissyp]

my Diabetic Consultant has told me - DO NOT DRINK ASPARTME sweetened drinks - I already knew that they could cause body damage ,if you MUST have a sweetener a little sugar is safer !

 

[MCMLXXIII]

my Diabetic Consultant has told me - DO NOT DRINK ASPARTME sweetened drinks - I already knew that they could cause body damage ,if you MUST have a sweetener a little sugar is safer !

You're dead right:smile:

Sent from my KFTT using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[Daibell]

Hi. A few points. The amount of Aspartame in fizzy drinks is far higher than the amount in a tablet for sweetening tea or coffee. Can someone point me to scientific proof, not rumour, that aspartame actually has caused harm in humans as opposed to rats. There is no difference chemically between 'artificial' and 'natural' chemicals; a molecule is a molecule. Some natural foods are poisonous and many artificial ones aren't; it all depends on the specific chemicals present artificial or not and whether they are poisonous or not. So, as I posted earlier, I will continue having artificial sweeteners and avoid too much 'natural' sugar which is proven to be harmful due to it's ability to raise blood sugar levels and add to obesity

 

[BlueQ]

Does anyone here use saccharin? I read that it passes through with virtually no ill effects or accumulation in the body...