True. Correlation is not causation.
Still, it's easy enough for someone who is depressed to switch to coffee, or even horrors!, water and see if it helps.
I've learned through bitter experience that consuming aspartame is invariably followed by worsening depression.
Some people go bananas when they hear this, some even go grilled chicken with red whine...
Some people go bananas when they hear this, some even go grilled chicken with red whine...
I see the snark is strong within you. Since you've decided from your experience that aspartame causes depression, let's take a very simple example that will challenge your feelings.
Aspartame has three components: phenylalanine (the most common amino acid), aspartic acid (another amino acid), and methanol.
A 12 oz. Diet Coke contains the following:
The average banana contains 60 mg. of phenylalanine, 146 mg. of aspartic acid, and 21 mg. of methanol
So, combining your experience with simple math and basic reasoning, we can conclude that bananas do, in fact, cause depression.
How about a better example?
A 3 oz. piece of grilled chicken, eaten with a cup of tomato juice, contains the following:
So, a small piece of grilled chicken with just a cup of tomato juice will give you almost 12 times more phenylalanine than the amount of aspartame found in a can of Diet Coke; 33 times more aspartic acid, and more than 4 times the amount of methanol.
There better be a closet full of Prozac in your house should you ever get so brave as to take on 3 ounces of chicken with a glass of tomato juice. Either that, or put yourself on suicide watch.
I know your feelings, er, I mean, experience, causes you to believe this sweetener causes depression. Aspartame is blamed for all sorts of afflictions, but when you bother to consider some very simple science, It's all pretty silly, really.