Opinions on Aspartame

[Vision]

I'm curious to what Freepers think of Aspartame. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in diet products like diet coke.

Many websites, albeit possibly kooky websites, say Aspartame produces side effects like anxiety, blurred vision, depression, etc. The medical establishment and Feds say its heavily tested and safe.

Anyone with an opinion or experience?

[Roses0508]

Kidney specialist advised me to avoid it and other artificial sweetners as a young woman (that prohibition does not include stevia which was near impossible to come by at that time unless you grew it yourself). Once I took it out of my diet my kidney and bladder problems disappeared. Some people simply cannot tolerate it.

The older I get, the more I live by “moderation in all things”. I love beer, I drink in moderation. I enjoy it and I don’t gain weight (or behave badly). I use a little sugar. I eat a little ice cream. If there is a good chocolate cake about, I have a v-e-r-y small piece. I trained myself to drink coffee and iced tea without sugar (it only takes a month). I don’t need artifical sweetners and I don’t deprive myself of yummy things. I keep working on this moderation thing and it keeps making my lfie better. Who knew?

[Ladysmith]

Headaches, asthma, mild depression. My body hates any artificial sweetners. Nothing but chemical crap, IMO.

[BlueLancer]

Massive, explosive diarrhea ...

[libertarian27]

Over 25 years ago I’d drink 3-4 diet Coke’s and ate Velamints daily (loved them) but then all of a sudden I started getting real bad gastro-intestinal distress. It became painful and worrisome, was about to go to the hospital after weeks of this. My mother called me one day and said she saw something on the ‘Today’ show about aspertame and side effects. I immediately stopped and all symptoms went away.

I also realized I couldn’t eat anything with ingredients that end in ‘tol’ - Sorbitol, Malitol. These are sugar alcohols that do a number on me now...even a little bit.

I have a theory that all these stomach medicines that are popular nowadays - Prilosec, etc. have skyrocketed in use because of aspertame consumption. I always wonder if I had gone to the hospital 25 years ago, would they have put me on medications to fight my symptoms? Even now doctors won’t think it could be a factor and just write a script.

When people describe their stomach ailments to me I always ask if they are consuming any ‘diet’ foods. If they do I suggest they try to stop and see if it helps, in at least 2 occasions it did.

[SomeCallMeTim]

Thank you! I feel better already!

I’ve been drinking DC for many years now, and I don’t think I’m any dummer than I ever was! ;-)

[Chickensoup]

I have no idea whether it does or not. Just passing information along.

[Mase]

Seeing yourself the way others do is the first step in overcoming silliness.

Interesting. Minn's posts have been accurate and reasonable. I can't disagree with anything he said in post #44.

On the other hand, you've offered nothing factual to support your claims that aspartame is garbage and can't be part of a healthy diet.

You've also offered nothing to support your suggestion that aspartame is responsible in some way for Americans being fat and out of shape and having elected Barrack Obama. Or that stupid people consume aspartame and therefore live unhealthily and vote for liberals to live their lives for them.

I'm also wondering how an ingredient that offers almost nothing in the way of calories can be responsible for anyone's fat ass or for causing osteoporosis. Maybe it's the caffeine in Diet Mountain Dew that you believe is responsible for bone tissue loss. If so, do you also believe that only stupid people consume caffeinated coffee, chocolate and tea?

You're the one being silly here.

[Toddsterpatriot]

Aspartame chemically converts to formaldehyde in the body.

Really? How much?

Does that sound like a good thing...health wise?

Compared to what?

[big'ol_freeper]

Well excuse me, I failed to recognize your credentials.

[MHGinTN]

Thanks very much. I was starting to like Coke Zero ...

[MHGinTN]

We are witnessing a latter day Aldactizide scam ... if aspert can be defamed properly, what other sweetener will take its place in products? ... What replaced aldactizide was a multi-million dollar ‘same as’ that Smith Kline happened to have in competition, and coincidentally, the FDA scank who murdered aldactizide’s reputation claiming it cause cancer in Charles River Rats, was immediately hired by Smith Kline upon leaving the FDA under questionable circumstances.

[MHGinTN]

Will you being running for the Republican nomination then?

[Mase]

I don't think credentials are all that important when simply pointing out the fact that you've offered absolutely nothing to support your many suggestions and conclusions on this thread.

If you're looking for credibility on the issue, I would direct you to post #138.

I can't compete with those credentials. You?

[morkfork]

Not really surprised. For me it’s headaches, for the wife, some joint pain, for my other boy, hyperness. For my mom, nothing...

Check out the Feingold Diet. Lots of good info there.

This stuff affects everyone differently. That’s why it’s so insidious and one of the reasons the FDA let it be legal. Think epidemiology.

[morkfork]

From one Ph.D to another (Mech Eng, since we’re throwing around titles), statistical significance does not truly take into account the variability of the human being. While most people may be ok with it, the #s of those in the sample who are affected is so small and get fuzzied out of the date.

Like polling in rural North Carolina for Barry’s approval rating. It will definitely be lower than nationally reported. It’s all about the sample are their sensitivities.

[aruanan]

From one Ph.D to another (Mech Eng, since we’re throwing around titles), statistical significance does not truly take into account the variability of the human being. While most people may be ok with it, the #s of those in the sample who are affected is so small and get fuzzied out of the date.

While it is true that different people have different responses to various substances, whether they are the complex assemblages of chemicals we call food or more isolated chemicals, it is also true that this is reflected in statistics of effects and side-effects. If purported side-effects cannot be identified beyond what is background noise or, especially, placebo effects in a test that is pretty stringent, then it can be said that a substance is relatively free from harmful side effects. It's always possible that someone could have an allergy to something or other. That doesn't mean, though, that the substance should be classified as dangerous. There's always going to be someone who manages to slice the end of a finger off using a kitchen knife. There's no reason, though, to seek a remedy in legislation for what amounts to a feature of reality: Since everyone who sticks a knife into his heart will have a high risk of fatality, it doesn't follow that use of kitchen knife carries a fatal risk.

[big'ol_freeper]

I think you have had a bit too much Aspartame. It causes anger issues.

[Mase]

Har.

You post nothing but nonsense on the thread, and when someone calls you on it, you offer nothing but ridicule in return. How Alinsky of you.

Maybe next time you'll think twice before offering nonsense as fact.

[big'ol_freeper]

Careful you’ll pop a vein.

[SunkenCiv]

The Science in the Public Interest people (I can’t remember the danged name) approve ONLY of Splenda in unrestricted quantities, at least among the artificial sweeteners. A quick websearch turns up dozens to hundreds of anti-Splenda websites, for a change, I’d recommend the wiki-wacky-pedia pages on both of products.