Aspartame - Somebody Confirm or Deny the Effects

[jimmydasaint]

As a keen drinker of a certain diet drink - lets call it 'Diet Cole', I was slightly concerned about the effects of the sweetener Aspartame in the drink. Britain seems to welcome the presence of aspartame in drinks here. However, a chance look at a health website came up with some frightening side effects. Are these dosage-dependent? And would they affect someone who drinks two cans of this drink a day?

 

Effects:

Health dangers posed by Aspartame according to independent research:

 

Palpitations

Blindness in one or both eyes

Pain in one or both eyes

Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)

Decreased tears

Migraines

Pain when swallowing

Lip and mouth reactions

Itching without a rash

Restless legs

Fluid retention

Slurring of speech

Confusion or memory loss

Depression

Aggression

Anxiety

Personality changes

Severe PMS

Aggravated responses to allergies such as asthma and eczema

Loss of control of diabetes

Marked weight gain or loss

Aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)

Frequency of voiding

Excessive thirst

Peptic ulcers

Birth defects

Hyperactivity in children

Irreversible brain damage

Suicidal tendencies

Death

 

And even more bizarrely -

 

In addition Aspartame has been linked to triggering or mimicking the following illnesses:

 

Chronic fatigue syndrome

Epstein Barr Syndrome

Multiple Sclerosis

Lyme disease

Grave's disease

Meniere's disease

Alzheimer's disease

Epilepsy

Lupus

Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Attention Deficit Disorder

Fibromyalgia

Hypothyroidism

Mercury Sensitivity from Amalgam Fillings

Parkinson's disease

Independent research

[Capita]

I my self drink a lot of diet coal and also heard the warnings of aspartame but upon further investigation it really seemed to turn into a conspiracy theory and I never found any actual credible web sites proving any thing .... if you could link our sources I would love to read them

[Genecks]

I think the phenylalanine obtained from soda pop is dangerous.

Given the chance for phenylalanine presence to overwhelm the enzymatic activity that breaks it down, it would cause problems.

In other words, if there are molecules to break down that molecules that can break them down, then you start having issues.

 

Supposedly most people can handle a certain amount of that stuff and actually have the enzymes degenerate so no negative effects happen. However, I've often noticed that I feel kind of "out of it" after drinking lots of diet pop in a day (maybe 8 liters of diet mountain dew). Native Americans had problems with consuming liquor. There are people with PKU disorders. Maybe there are others that simply can't digest 12 liters of diet pop in a day but can drink a can once a week. It has to do with a person making an enzyme to take care of the phenylalanine.

 

Given the possibility that a viral infection disabled creation of the processes to take care of phenylalanine, then there would be some serious issues.

 

From what I've been told, a person would have to drink like 100 cans of pop in a day for many days in order to actually feel the effects of the phenylalanine. I laughed at my microbiology professor a few years ago. She was the one who told me that.

 

One of the reasons the study with mice was skewed, was because they were taking in large amounts of the aspartame (more than in a typical can or 2 liter).

 

Premise for laughing: Get me some diet mountain dew, and we can test that hypothesis.

 

I <3 diet mountain dew.

 

She was also the kind of person to claim that she'd given anyone an A if they'd be willing to inject themselves with the AIDs virus. She doesn't seem to like me because I spouted some gene therapy junk to her a few years back. I got my A, though, without injection. Maybe it was the fact that she heard me whistle Hawaii Five-O this one time the entire campus electric grid went down for the day, as I walked through the halls. Good day.

 

I'm guessing that if you're looking for a study, then there are probably keywords to use: famous, aspartame, controversy, and so forth

 

In summary, even though you might be able to break down phenylalanine, if you don't have enough things to process it, then it would be as if you have the PKU disorder.

Edited February 24, 2010 by Genecks

[Pantaz]

Just a personal anecdote: Diet Coke gives me headaches. Only "Diet Coke". I most often consume Diet Dr. Pepper (regular and caffeine-free) -- often 3 or more cans per day -- without the headaches. Likewise with many other diet soda brands.

[Mr Skeptic]

However, I've often noticed that I feel kind of "out of it" after drinking lots of diet pop in a day (maybe 8 liters of diet mountain dew). Native Americans had problems with consuming liquor. There are people with PKU disorders. Maybe there are others that simply can't digest 12 liters of diet pop in a day but can drink a can once a week. It has to do with a person making an enzyme to take care of the phenylalanine.

 

You drink 8 liters of pop in a day? I don't think I could drink 8 liters of anything in a day.

[swansont]

I my self drink a lot of diet coal

 

I nominate this for typo of the week.

[jimmydasaint]

I my self drink a lot of diet coal and also heard the warnings of aspartame but upon further investigation it really seemed to turn into a conspiracy theory and I never found any actual credible web sites proving any thing .... if you could link our sources I would love to read them

 

Sorry, Capita. Yes, of course it is here:

http://www.healthdangers.com/drugs/aspertame/aspartame-health-risks.htm

 

Genecks seems to consider that it is only people with metabolic problems who are affected, for example those with phenylketonuria, who cannot metabolise the amino acid phenylalanine, and have to avoid food and drink containing it.

 

http://www.medhelp.org/lib/pku.htm

 

However, the evidence for the dangers of aspartame are bitty, to say the least.

 

Aspartame Facts

 

100% of industry sponsored research articles have found aspartame to be safe, yet 92% of independently conducted research articles have declared aspartame to be highly toxic.

 

Since Aspartame was first approved in 1981 it has accounted for over 75% of the complaints received by the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS).

 

http://www.healthdangers.com/drugs/aspertame/index.htm

 

Moreover, the company that eventually marketed aspartame was originally a Monsanto subsidiary. Cue controversy...

 

Finally, I would maintain that it is still a dosage effect; given the (paraphrased) adage: "Give too much of anything to a rat and it will get cancer."

Edited February 24, 2010 by jimmydasaint

[John Cuthber]

"I think the phenylalanine obtained from soda pop is dangerous."

How does the body know that the stuff from soda is dangerous, but that the stuff from protein digestion isn't.

 

Unless there's a plausible answer to that, then I think we can ignore the suggestion the phenylalanine is a significant problem (other than for those with phenylketonuria)

[Capita]

I my self drink a lot of diet coal

 

I would really look for some kind of peer reviewed kind if articles as a web site like that can put up anything they please and the amount of misinformation is becoming ridiculous. I can find stacks of web pages claiming to say that it is horrible but with no actually proof.

[StringJunky]

This is the UK Food Standard Agency's take on Aspartame:

 

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/sweeteners/55174

 

According to the review, in the estimations from different studies in Europe you can consume 14 cans a day containing the stuff for all your lifetime and experience no adverse effects...as long as you don't have PK as already mentioned.

 

The amount allowed in any given foodstuff is determined by how much people use that foodstuff in normal circumstances so going over the recommended daily intake is unlikely.

 

I reckon 14 cans a day safely is a rather generous margin and anyone consuming that much everyday is probably going to induce other problems unrelated to Aspartame.

[jimmydasaint]

I must say that it is difficult to find balanced reports on the safety of aspartame in health websites. In fact some of the propaganda is outrageous. I will give this as an example from a healing website. I have nothing against clean detoxified diets but some of the stuff written here makes me worry:

 

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/aspartame.htm

[ponderer]

As a keen drinker of a certain diet drink - lets call it 'Diet Cole', I was slightly concerned about the effects of the sweetener Aspartame in the drink. Britain seems to welcome the presence of aspartame in drinks here. However, a chance look at a health website came up with some frightening side effects. Are these dosage-dependent? And would they affect someone who drinks two cans of this drink a day?

 

Effects:

 

 

And even more bizarrely -

 

Aspartate and Glutamate are both excitory chemicals, which affect NMDA receptors in the brain. Some people are predisposed to problems with these two chemicals. Chances are if you benefit from a low gluten diet, that you would benefit from also avoiding aspartame.

 

It is likely that people who fall into this category are responsible for the negative publicity of aspartame.

 

Interestingly, the response of the neurons to these excitory chemicals is very similar to what would happen with hypoxia.

 

Some people who suffer from MS have found it beneficial (anecdotal) to avoid gluten.

 

http://www.mult-sclerosis.org/Paleolithicdiet.html

 

http://www.google.ca/#hl=en&safe=off&q=gluten+free+diet+autoimmune&start=10&sa=N&fp=7c2ad2e84493b017

 

 

 

MS is now believed to be related to circulatory problems in the brain. Surgery to increase blood flow out of the brain appears to correct MS, in the majority of cases where it has been used.

 

If we assume that the veins leaving the brain are constricted, one has to ask why. It is all well and good that surgery can correct the problem, but why are the veins constricted in the first place. This is a progressive disease. The veins must get progressively constricted.

 

Is it possible that there is a system problem, perhaps related to nutritional status?

 

Viens can be constricted naturally in the body. They can also be relaxed. Perhaps there is a chronic nutritional deficiency that is preventing them from relaxing, and this causes hypoxia in tissues due to poor circulation.

 

It is interesting to note that low dose naltrexone causes remission from some chronic AI diseases. Singals from nerves are involved in the contraction and relaxation of veins. This suggests that neuron signalling may be impaired by some sort of upstream chemical deficiency related to diet.

 

No one will research this because there is no money to be made, unless a new chemical drug can be made to sell.

 

Proving that someone is short a couple nutrients is not going to turn a profit.

Edited April 14, 2010 by ponderer

[zule]

Aspartate and Glutamate are both excitory chemicals, which affect NMDA receptors in the brain. Some people are predisposed to problems with these two chemicals. Chances are if you benefit from a low gluten diet, that you would benefit from also avoiding aspartame.

 

.

 

Aspartate and glutamate can not pass through the brain blood barrier from the blood to the brain. Therefore, the amount of glutamte or aspartate we eat is not going to affect our brain in that sense.

[John Cuthber]

Most people who are advised to avoid gluten have a completely different condition; Coeliac Disease.

It's not clear that these people would benefit from avoiding aspartame.

 

In any event, these amino acids are fairly common so it's unlikely that a bit more from aspartame will not make any odds.

[the_seraphim]

asparame is a polyol and in my system, same as all alcohol, i get terrible cramps, gas and shall we say, rapid digestive transit.

 

i would ignore the conspiracy theorists, but remember this adage "anything can be bad for you in high enough doses" even oxygen and water

[John Cuthber]

Aspartame isn't an alcohol and it's certainly not a polyol. Are you sure you are not mixing it up with something else?

[ponderer]

Aspartate and glutamate can not pass through the brain blood barrier from the blood to the brain. Therefore, the amount of glutamte or aspartate we eat is not going to affect our brain in that sense.

 

http://www.benbest.com/science/anatmind/anatmd10.html

[zule]

http://www.benbest.com/science/anatmind/anatmd10.html

 

In the link you have provided is written the same as I told, which is the contrary as you told

Insofar as glutamate does not normally cross the blood-brain barrier, it is open to question whether this is relevant to a human adult