Aspartame

[MAGICBULLET]

Ok, I'm a diabetic who consumes diet products being that it's often my only alternative to sweets when I need a sugar fix. I've been reading up on aspartame and it is scaring the hell out of me. Does anybody else have substantial knowledge about this and could this report be as bad as it seems to be? My question is, why in the world would this product still be available if it is poisonous. Is the FDA really this careless? My questions may seem naive so please bear with me.

<http://www.medhelp.org/forums/neuro/archive/14204.html>

[rosesaylavee]

1. Yes. It is that bad.

Donald Rumsfeld fought to have it approved and has gained a small fortune from his efforts. Nuff said?

[midnight]

2. It may be hard to imagine that money would trump life, but it does.

[BrklynLib at work]

3. Check out STEVIA. It is natural and even sweeter than sugar.

http://www.stevia.net/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

http://www.stevia.com/

[MAGICBULLET]

6. that was my next question

they refer to it in this report. So what products, such as diet beverages, have Stevia in them? Is it available in most chain supermarkets? Is Stevia different than Splenda (which I believe is made from Sucralose) ?

[ret5hd]

12. Stevia is a plant...100% natural... it tastes sweet but NO sugar...

the sugar lobby has made it illegal to advertise as a sweetener. look for it at health food stores, etc.

[MAGICBULLET]

13. thank you!

always great to learn something new. It amazes me why it's been made illegal as a sweetener.

[BrklynLib at work]

16. Probably the artificial sweetner lobby had it killed...more likely than the sugar lobby in this day

and age.
I beleive that one of the links in my previous post goes into some of the ugly facts.
It is used in other countries whose vice-presidents do not own a drug company that makes artifical sweetners.

[tabatha]

4. Check out xylitol.

Here is one link - there are more to google.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylitol

[eShirl]

9. (edit: supposed to be reply to OP) I'm not sure if Sucralose (Splenda) is any better

but there are a lot of products now that use it instead of aspartame

[Tumbulu]

22. look at the Wikipedia entry on Splenda

It is horrible. It is a chlorinated hydrocarbon in the same class as DDT. Some folks were looking for a new insecticide and this one was incredibly sweet (chemists used to taste their new compounds, maybe they still do, am not sure). Anyway, it's chemical structure is far too close to that of a number of insecticides that have half lives of over 40 years for my taste.

[MAGICBULLET]

14. Thank you!

I'm really trying to find out what products, such as colas or soft drinks in general, are made with Xylitol. If you know of any let me know.

[tabatha]

15. I don't know of any soft drinks.

But look at iced teas in places like Trader Joes - or make your own iced tea and add xylitol.
I bought xylitol in a packet at a local health food store.
There are lots of good teas, some without caffeine, such as Rooibos, etc.

Also, for drinks, try diluting fruit juice (not concentrated).
It makes a wonderful drink, and some fruits include xylitol.
Guava - without the skin - is supposed to be good for diabetes.

I am looking into making tea from cinnamon, as it is supposed to have good health benefits.

[eShirl]

5. "Is the FDA really this careless?"

Just remember - it's the FDA under the Bush Administration.

This is an administration that is preventing voluntary testing of cattle for Mad Cow.

[onehandle]

7. I'm not a diabetic, but I prefer Splenda.

I think it tastes better by far. Nearly like real sugar.

The only thing I've seen about Splenda is that chlorine is a byproduct of its production. But it is less than what is in most tap water and no studies have linked it to any real problems.

The Diet sodas at Publix are sweetened with Splenda and are 59 cents for a two liter bottle.

[MAGICBULLET]

19. unfortunately

there are no Publix in NY and I never see diet sodas at the Trader Joes around me. I really should kick the bad habit of diet soda anyway and drink tea sweetened with xylitol or something.

[Warpy]

23. Diet Rite is also sweetened with Splenda

and is much more widely available. It's also not bad.

[sui generis]

8. well if you drink 900 cans worth of aspartame a day

it's probably rull bad for yer kidneys.

Occams razor: if brazillians of people use it every day without anything at all happening to them then I wouldn't worry overly much.

Like any product out there, some people ARE sensitive to it, but they are few and very very loud. Stay away from sites that accumulate horror stories, they have little to do with statistical reality.

More occams razor advice:

If you have a reaction that you are 100% certain is attributable to it, stop using it. Switch to chiral molecule sucralose which does not make penises fall off or a fourth nipple grow in the middle of your forehead.

What? Doesn't everyone have three nipples? :shrug:

[flor de jasmim]

10. In the 70s they banned cyclamates because it caused problems in rats

and they promoted saccharin... which turned out to be worse
then aspartame.... worse than saccharin...
and so on...

(I know you all will want links, but I'm on my way out the door)

I've been a heavy Coke Light drinker since... well, since before they had Coke Light (Tab first, etc.)... for about 45 years. Neither my teeth nor my stomach have rotted (no ulcers).

I'd say that unless you have a particular sensitivity to it, don't overexcite yourself.

[lizerdbits]

20. I had a doc recommend saccharin over aspartame

because I have depression in my past. He said such people shouldn't consume aspartame, I don't recall details as to how it caused a problem with depression. He said the amount of saccharin you'd have to consume every day for years to get what they saw in rats would be measured in railroad cars.

[cosmik debris]

11. Urban Legends Page on aspartame

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/blasp.htm

[Epiphany4z]

17. I am also diabetic

I simply use artificial sweeteners in moderation. ..for soft drinks I usually drink sun tea..or water with a spritz of lemon juice...for sweets..fruit or I give into a smaller portion of some really really good sweet..and every now and then have a something with an artificial sweetner...gum, mints, ect..My blood sugar numbers are fine..between 90 and 138 most days.

diabetics can have sugar...you just have to count it into your total carb intake for the day...white flour is probably a bigger problem since it is even in things that are not sweet.

[iamahaingttta]

18. Aspartame give me a headache.

And I think it tastes totally disgusting.
I can't imagine why anyone would put it in their mouths.
To each, his or her own...

[SidDithers]

21. Unless Health Canada...

the Scientific Committee for Food of the European Community, and the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization are all under control of the Bush Admin, I think you're OK.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/securit/addit/sweeten-edulcor/aspartame_e.html

However, Your mileage may vary.

Sid