Has Anyone Else Heard of Aspartame Causing Health Problems

Aspartame causes me health problems--stomach upset and headache. So I avoid it, and I do not allow my kids to have anything containing aspartame in case they might be allergic or have a reaction.

Instead of aspartame or sugar, my sister uses Xylitol and says it's good for teeth and safe for diabetics. I haven't heard anything about Xylitol causing any health problems, but I haven't really researched it.

I recall several years ago, having a child therapist tell me that in some countries, giving a child anything with an artificial sweetener in it was seen as abuse. They could be punished for it. This was based on the suspicion that artificial sweetener may be linked to cancer. Shannon

Actually the e-mail you received is a hoax. People pass around all kinds of false information through e-mail. Most people who pass it on don't mean to be passing on hoaxes, they just trust that whoever sent it to them must know what they're talking about. Whenever I get an e-mail that warns me about something like this, I check it out on www.snopes.com. The site lets you look up all kinds of things and tells you whether or not the things are true. I looked this one up for you and it came up as false. You can copy and paste the following link into your browser to read more about it... http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

I got that same information in a email at work yesterday but if you check out snoops.com it's false information just something stupid that's going around to make people worry about something elese. Whenever you have questions about something like that it's always best to check out snoops.com i always check that site when I get emails saying odd stuff.

I agree with the suggestion of using Stevia instead. Artificial Flavors and Colors are definitely bad for all of us. It is hard to avoid all of them but I would stay away from what you can. Getting her to drink Juicy Juice (all natural, no added sugar) and things like that would be a lot better for her. AND once she gets used to them, she will most likely prefer the all natural flavor over the highly sweetened stuff.

I have read that aspartame can cause symptoms that are identical to those associated with hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease). Symptoms are heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, headaches, hypertension, hair loss, enlarged eyes. Symptoms appear most often in people who are dieting and on vigorous exercise programs. (Nan Kathryn Fuchs, PhD, nutrition editor and writer, Women's Health Letter). I stick with sugar and natural sweeteners, personally. If you're worried about sugar, give her straight water occasionally, or water with just a splash of 100% juice for some flavor (instead of juice cocktails or diet drinks). Is there something wrong with her teeth? Are you worried about cavities? Make sure she is brushing twice a day. They make some great kid flavored toothpastes these days. Tom's of Maine has a strawberry one and an orange/mango one. My kids are 1 and 2 1/2 and they love brushing their teeth. Hope this helps.

You're right to be concerned. My daughter, too, has sugar issues, but aspartame made it worse. In fact, she is now so allergic to aspartame, she will vomit violently until it's out of her system... sometimes even while she's asleep. (I don't need to tell you how dangerous THAT can be!)

Take her off aspertame. None of us should have it and we've banned it from our home.

Dear T. - I have personally had very negative effects from aspartame. Including even passing out when i was in college and drank about 6 diet pepsi's over the course of an evening...
It also gives me a sore throat and a headache, and i've heard of a number of people who have negative responses to it.

I have read a LOT of information that could probably be gotten by googling "aspartame" or "nutrisweet" -- and i have several doctors who have strongly urged me not to drink it.

i have a toddler and i don't give her sugared drinks either. I stick to milk, rice milk, and water; very occasionally giving her watered down juice. Not as much fun as some other kids, but better for the long term in my opinion.

very best of luck. i do believe there is considerable research out there. i couldn't find it in my files immediately, but think it shouldn't take much work looking on the web.

best of luck -
J. w

yes I have.Go to Google and type in Aspartame.It will answer some of your questions.I gave up diet drinks long ago for that reason.

The best place to check whether those emails are true or not is www.snopes.com. According to them, this email is false.

Yes, I actually experienced the side effects of using aspartame for a long period of time. Nearly, ten years ago, while in the middle of teaching a group of students I simply forgot what I was saying. I simply thought nothing of it at the time, but about 2 minutes later the same thing occurred again. Finally, it happened a third time in the middle of the class. Three times in the same class period I experienced the side effects of using aspartame. I had no idea what I had said to my students nor could I remember at the time. I actually had to ask my students what I had been talking about. It was a very scary moment. It simply freaked me out. My father-in-law, a family physician, was the person I contacted and he asked me at the time what I had eaten. I told him nothing out of the ordinary and that I had drunk a diet coke which was a normal routine in my diet. He told me to immediately stop drinking the diet drinks and my memory would not be impaired. It scared me so much that a habit I had thought just a normal part of life I tossed out the window. I have not used aspartame, nutrasweet, which is aspartame, or even Splenda since. Splenda has chloride in it. I do not think any of the artificial sweeteners are good for us. I have since started using Stevia, which is a natural sweetener. It is safe and natural.You can get it at Whole Foods, Wild Oats, or Trader Joes. I try to advocate whole foods and water to my students today because of my experience. I sometimes wonder if parents know the dangerous side effects associated with some of these drinks. All I can say is that I would not give it to my children. I have also been told that the diet drinks are not really healthy at all for us. They tend to bloat the belly even more than necessary. I hope my testimonial might help you.
Sincerely,
N.

Go to Snopes.com and look up aspartame poisoning. It explains everything, but basically, don't worry.

I check snopes or truthorfiction.com before I forward any e-mails.

DEFINITELY! I am allergic to msg, and in my research of the flavoring I found that artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, cause the same effect in our bodies. They are considered neurotoxins. If you are going to substitute sugars, use maple syrup, stevia, honey (if the child is over a year of age), or a less processed sugar such as rapadura or turbinado sugar. There are many great websites out there devoted to educating on this. The best is www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/aspartame.html. Plus this organization has even more articles on the subject and similar subjects. Hope I helped!:)

I have heard bad things about the artificial sweeteners as well. I use Xylitol. There is a product that you can get in health food stores, called Xylo-Sweet that you can use just like sugar but it has lots less calories and is actually good for the teeth. I get mine from a company called Xlear.com on the internet.

Aspertame was banned by the FDA for like 20 years, 1970s - 1990s....that freaks me out! I avoid artificial sweetners (aspartame, splenda, etc.) like the plague!
There are lots of great natural sweetners, like honey, 100% fruit juice, stevia....healthfood stores carry some great stuff.

I have seen several articles that link aspartame to neurological disorders like hodgkins, parkins and even alzheimers. I used to drink diet soda regularly. I also got regular headaches that I attributed to stress. Once I read about the potentially harmful effects of aspertame (at the time I had not linked it to my headaches) I stopped drinking it for 3 months and then, like lots of similar "resolutions" I began to drink diet pop again. Not for long. After the second drink I got the worst headache of my life. That is when I linked the two. Of course, that was enough to stop me from drinking aspertame altoghether and my "stress" headaches have not returned. I DEFINITELY keep this out of my house and away from my son!!! To read more on the effects, I would check out alternate medicine websites or books or talk with someone at a local health food store.

Yes, I have heard of it causing health problems. For me it triggers migraine symptoms and it triggers actual migraines for my sister and one of my neighbors. I am also unable to ingest splenda as it causes a horrible burning sensation in my stomach. My husband's aunt cannot ingest Splenda due to it triggering 'mini-strokes' and black-outs. I know I have heard other health issues associated with aspartame and splenda, but these are the issues that affect me directly. I am very leary of artificial sweeteners and try my hardest to avoid giving them to my kids. It is getting harder and harder to find things that do not contain these substances, but, for me, it is worth the effort to watch for them.

My husband is a chemist and will not let any of us use artificial sweeteners. I don't understand all the jargon but know enough that our bodies don't know how to process the artificial stuff. My oldest daughter is 14 and has fibromyalgia. We recently went to a no white sugar or white flour diet. I started using a sweetener named "Agave" you can get it in the health food stores. If you ask they will usually give you a taste. Everyone in our family really likes it. I haven't baked with it but people say it works just the same. It is a liquid and is thinner than honey. It doesn't have the aftertaste the honey does nor does it crystalize like honey. It is a little sweeter than sugar so you use less. I just bought a gallon in January at our health-food store for $32. I also bought a smaller bottle to keep on the counter. I can tell a difference in how our daughter is doing. I originally saw this product on Oprah on one of the Dr. Oz shows. We also have a cousin who is a chiropractor that recommends it.

After your granddaughter eats or drinks anything with sugar in it she should brush her teeth. Even dentist's kids eat candy but brush their teeth immediately after.

We also drink alot more water and of course we get our calcium each day in the milk we drink.

I know that aspartame is a trigger for migraine headaches. I get migraines and if I drink a diet soda, have sugar free jello or anything with it in it, I get a severe migraine.

I know they are completely chemically based. I wouldn't put them in my children's bodies.

I prefer to limit my children's natural sugar intake.

Hope this helps,

S.

I don't think there has been any conclusive studies done to show the health risks of artificial sweeteners for children. Studies were done showing they were safe for adults, but not for children. There were a few inconclusive studies done in the 80s and early 90s that showed there >might< be a link between cancer and artifical sweeteners but a direct link was never found. I don't let my kids have any type of artificial sweeteners anyways. Most are migraine triggers - and asparatine is the biggest culprit of them all - so I avoid them and don't let them into the house. Half a glass of Crystal Light will put me in bed for 2 days with a severe migraine. :-( I'm not taking chances with my kids.

yes, go to google.com, type in aspartame dangers....i had a father in law that past away with lukemia recently, they told him to get off all artificial sweetner cause it is bad for his plasma, I cant remember the exact reason. Read on your own tho, i really like google offers much info.

I have heard of health problems due to aspartame. I was advised by a urologist to stop consuming any artificial sweeteners because of their negative affect on my bladder. One website that can give you an overview of problems and research is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy so you can check there to read up on it. My daughter (8) is also supposed to avoid sugar because of a lack of sufficient enamel on her teeth. I have successfully switched her over to drinking only milk or water. Of course, she was used to being able to drink some 100% juice and she missed it at first, but the complaints didn't last long. Overall, my feeling is that although a lot of people use artificial sweeteners, I myself would rather use real sugar very sparingly than use increased quantities of this artificial substance.

We don't use artifical sweeteners because we know people who have had problems with them. And I especially don't use them with my kids or when I'm nursing/pregnant. I know a handful of people who have had problem with hand-numbness or tremors and other things when drinking too much diet soda. When they swtiched to regular soda, it went away. They have all taken that to mean that the artificial sweetener caused it. I am much more of a supporter of eating foods in a natural state in moderation, rather than using artifical junk, which often leads to people feeling they can over-indulge. If you are going to use artifical sweetener, Splenda is the new one that is SUPPOSED to have a lot less problems than other sweeteners. But I still don't use it--that info is just FYI!

This is a copy of an email I got yesterday. I have never drank diet pop. Never could stand the taste. I had heard that pop in plastic bottles was the problem. This is a different perspective. I have not checked Snopes yet to see what they say.

In October of 2001, my sister started getting very sick. She had stomach spasms and she was having a hard time getting around.
Walking was a major chore.
It took everything she had just to get out of bed; she was in so much pain.

By March 2002, she had undergone several tissue and muscle biopsies and was on 24 various prescription medications.
The doctors could not determine what was wrong with her.
She was in so much pain, and so sick she just knew she was dying.

She put her house, bank accounts, life insurance, etc., in her oldest daughter's name, and made sure that her younger children were to be taken care of.

She also wanted her last hooray, so she planned a trip to Florida (basically in a wheelchair) for March 22nd.

On March 19 I called her to ask how her most recent tests went, and she said they didn't find anything on the test, but they believe she had MS.
I recalled an article a friend of mine e-mailed to me and I asked my sister if she drank diet soda?
She told me that she did.
As a matter of fact, she was getting ready to crack one open that moment.

I told her not to open it, and to stop drinking the diet soda!
I e-mailed her article my friend, a lawyer, had sent.
My sister called me within 32 hours after our phone conversation and told me she had stopped drinking the diet soda AND she could walk!
The muscle spasms went away. She said she didn't feel 100% but, she sure felt a lot better.

She told me she was going to her doctor with this article and would call me when she got home.

Well, she called me, and said her doctor was amazed!
He is going to call all of his MS patients to find out if they consumed artificial sweeteners of any kind.
In a nutshell, she was being poisoned by the Aspartame in the diet soda...and literally dying a slow and miserable death.

When she got to Florida March 22, all she had to take was one pill, and that was a pill for the Aspartame poisoning!
She is well on her way to a complete recovery.
And she is walking!
No wheelchair!

This article saved her life.
If it says 'SUGAR FREE' on the label;
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!
I have spent several days lecturing at the WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE on "ASPARTAME," marketed as 'Nutra Sweet,'
'Equal,' and
'Spoonful.'

In the keynote address by the EPA, it was announced that in the United States in 2001 there is an epidemic of multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.
It was difficult to determine exactly what toxin was causing this to be rampant.
I stood up and said that I was there to lecture on exactly that subject.
I will explain why Aspartame is so dangerous:
When the temperature of this sweetener exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in ASPARTAME converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formic acid is the poison found in the sting of fire ants.
The methanol toxicity mimics, among other conditions, multiple sclerosis and systemic lupus.

Many people were being diagnosed in error.
Although multiple sclerosis is not a death sentence, Methanol toxicity is!

Systemic lupus has become almost as rampant as multiple sclerosis, especially with Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi drinkers.

The victim usually does not know that the Aspartame is the culprit.
He or she continues its use; irritating the lupus to such a degree that it may become a life-threatening condition.
We have seen patients with systemic lupus become asymptotic, once taken off diet sodas.

In cases of those diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, most of the symptoms disappear. We've seen many cases where vision loss returned and hearing loss improved markedly.

This also applies to cases of tinnitus and fibromyalgia.
During a lecture, I said,
"If you are using ASPARTAME ( Nutra Sweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc ) and you suffer from fibromyalgia symptoms, spasms, shooting, pains, numbness in your legs,
Cramps,
Vertigo,
Dizziness,
Headaches,
Tinnitus,
Joint pain,
Unexplainable depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision, or memory loss you probably have ASPARTAME poisoning!"
People were jumping up during the lecture saying,
"I have some of these symptoms.
Is it reversible?"

Yes!
Yes!
Yes!
STOP drinking diet sodas and be alert for Aspartame on food labels!
Many products are fortified with it!
This is a serious problem.
Dr. Espart (one of my speakers) remarked that so many people seem to be symptomatic for MS and during his recent visit to a hospice; a nurse stated that six of her friends, who were heavy Diet Coke addicts, had all been diagnosed with MS. This is beyond coincidence!

Diet soda is NOT a diet product! It is a chemically altered, multiple SODIUM (salt) and ASPARTAME containing product that actually makes you crave carbohydrates.

It is far more likely to make you GAIN weight!

These products also contain formaldehyde, which stores in the fat cells, particularly in the hips and thighs.
Formaldehyde is an absolute toxin and is used primarily to preserve "tissue specimens."

Many products we use every day contain this chemical but we SHOULD NOT store it IN our body!

Dr. H. J. Roberts stated in his lectures that once free of the " diet products " and with no significant increase in exercise; his patients lost an average of 19 pounds over a trial period.

Aspartame is especially dangerous for diabetics.
We found that some physicians, who believed that they had a patient with retinopathy, in fact, had symptoms caused by Aspartame.
The Aspartame drives the blood sugar out of control.
Thus diabetics may suffer acute memory loss due to the fact that aspartic acid and phenylalanine are NEUROTOXIC when taken without the other amino acids necessary for a good balance.

Treating diabetes is all about BALANCE.
Especially with diabetics, the Aspartame passes the blood/brain barrier and it then deteriorates the neurons of the brain; causing various levels of brain damage,
Seizures,
Depression,
Manic depression,
Panic attacks,
Uncontrollable anger and rage.

Consumption of Aspartame causes these same symptoms in non-diabetics as well.
Documentation and observation also reveal that thousands of children diagnosed with ADD and ADHD have had complete turnarounds in their behavior when these chemicals have been removed from their diet.

So called "behavior modification prescription drugs" (Ritalin and others) are no longer needed.
Truth be told, they were never NEEDED in the first place!

Most of these children were being "poisoned" on a daily basis with the very foods that were "better for them than sugar."

It is also suspected that the Aspartame in thousands of pallets of diet Coke and diet Pepsi consumed by men and women fighting in the Gulf War, may be partially to blame for the well-known Gulf War Syndrome.

Dr. Roberts warns that it can cause birth defects, i.e. mental retardation, if taken at the time of conception and during early pregnancy.
Children are especially at risk for neurological disorders and should NEVER be given artificial sweeteners.

There are many different case histories to relate of children suffering grand mal seizures and other neurological disturbances talking about a plague of neurological diseases directly caused by the use of this deadly poison."

Herein lies the problem:
There were Congressional Hearings when Aspartame was included in 100 different products and strong objection was made concerning its use. Since this initial hearing, there have been two subsequent hearings, and still nothing has been done.
The drug and chemical lobbies have very deep pockets.

Sadly, MONSANTO'S patent on Aspartame has EXPIRED!
There are now over 5,000 products on the market that contain this deadly chemical and there will be thousands more introduced.
Everybody wants a "piece of the Aspartame pie."

I assure you that MONSANTO, the creator of Aspartame, knows how deadly it is.

And isn't it ironic that MONSANTO funds, among others, the American Diabetes Association, the American Dietetic Association and the Conference of the American College of Physicians?

This has been recently exposed in the New York Times.
These [organizations] cannot criticize any additives or convey their link to MONSANTO because they take money from the food industry and are required to endorse their products.

Senator Howard Metzenbaum wrote and presented a bill that would require label warnings on products containing Aspartame, especially regarding pregnant women, children and infants.

The bill would also institute independent studies on the known dangers and the problems existing in the general population regarding seizures, changes in brain chemistry, neurological changes and behavioral symptoms.

The bill was killed.

It is known that the powerful drug and chemical lobbies are responsible for this, letting loose the hounds of disease and death on an unsuspecting and uninformed public. Well, you're informed now!

YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW!

Please print this out and/or e-mail
To your family
And friends.

They have a right to know too!

If taken in large amounts it's harmful. Sugar is FAR worse than artificial sweetners in several different areas. I will message you an article since it is rather long. I have a diabetic friend this came from and he is VERY reliable and well educated.

Studies go back and forth. Really, there's no reason to give your daughter drinks like this in the first place. Stick to juice, milk, and water and you don't have to worry at all! :)

I stopped eating or drinking anything with aspartame myself because of research linking it to brain tumors. My mother passed of a brain tumor and I don't want to take the chance. Instead I mix water and 100% fruit juices to drink.

Yes T. I have heard of the problems years ago. But after reading your post today I looked it up on google. This search went right into Wikipedia, the online encyclopedia. You really should always research something for your self.

Below is what came up and after reading all of this information I will be checking the products that I use myself.

I hope this is of some help.

C.

Aspartame (or APM) (pronounced /ˈæspɚteɪm/ or /əˈspɑrteɪm/) is the name for an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener, aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester; i.e., the methyl ester of the dipeptide of the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine.
This sweetener is marketed under a number of trademark names, including Tropicana Slim, Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel, and is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide. It is commonly used in diet soft drinks, and is often provided as a table condiment. It is also used in some brands of chewable vitamin supplements and common in many sugar-free chewing gums. However, aspartame is not always suitable for baking because it often breaks down when heated and loses much of its sweetness. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number (additive code) E951. Aspartame is also one of the sugar substitutes used by people with diabetes.

Aspartame is a subject of a public controversy due to possible health risks, and has consequently lost market share in recent years to sucralose (Splenda).[2]

Chemistry

Aspartame is the methyl ester of the dipeptide of the natural amino acids L-aspartic acid and L-phenylalanine. Under strongly acidic or alkaline conditions, aspartame first generates methanol by hydrolysis. Under more severe conditions, the peptide bonds are also hydrolyzed, resulting in the free amino acids. It is a nonpolar molecule.[3]

Properties and use

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener because it is 180 times as sweet as sugar in typical concentrations, without the high energy value of sugar. While aspartame, like other peptides, has a caloric value of 4 kilocalories (17 kilojoules) per gram, the quantity of aspartame needed to produce a sweet taste is so small that its caloric contribution is negligible, which makes it a popular sweetener for those trying to avoid calories from sugar. The taste of aspartame is not identical to that of sugar: the sweetness of aspartame has a slower onset and longer duration than that of sugar, and some consumers find it unappealing. Blends of aspartame with acesulfame potassium — usually listed in ingredients as acesulfame K — are alleged to taste more like sugar, and to be sweeter than either substitute used alone.

Like many other peptides, aspartame may hydrolyze (break down) into its constituent amino acids under conditions of elevated temperature or high pH. This makes aspartame undesirable as a baking sweetener, and prone to degradation in products hosting a high-pH, as required for a long shelf life. The stability of aspartame under heating can be improved to some extent by encasing it in fats or in maltodextrin. The stability when dissolved in water depends markedly on pH. At room temperature, it is most stable at pH 4.3, where its half-life is nearly 300 days. At pH 7, however, its half-life is only a few days. Most soft-drinks have a pH between 3 and 5, where aspartame is reasonably stable. In products that may require a longer shelf life, such as syrups for fountain beverages, aspartame is sometimes blended with a more stable sweetener, such as saccharin.[4]

In products such as powdered beverages, the amine in aspartame can undergo a Maillard reaction with the aldehyde groups present in certain aroma compounds. The ensuing loss of both flavor and sweetness can be prevented by protecting the aldehyde as an acetal.

Discovery and approval

Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by James M. Schlatter, a chemist working for G.D. Searle & Company. Schlatter had synthesized aspartame in the course of producing an anti-ulcer drug candidate. He discovered its sweet taste serendipitously when he licked his finger, which had accidentally become contaminated with aspartame.[5]

Following initial safety testing, there was debate as to whether these tests had indicated that aspartame may cause cancer in rats[citation needed]; as a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not approve its use as a food additive in the United States for many years[citation needed]. In 1980, the FDA convened a Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) consisting of independent advisors charged with examining the purported relationship between aspartame and brain cancer[citation needed]. The PBOI concluded that aspartame does not cause brain damage, but it recommended against approving aspartame at that time, citing unanswered questions about cancer in laboratory rats[citation needed]. At that point in time, there was no requirement in place in FDA regulations to include brain research in the approval process, only cancer research. Searle's Chief Operating Officer, Donald Rumsfeld, reapplied for FDA certification immediately after U.S. President Ronald Reagan took office.[6] In 1981, Reagan appointed Arthur Hull Hayes as FDA commissioner. Citing data from a Japanese study that had not been available to the members of the PBOI[citation needed], Hayes approved aspartame for use in dry goods.[7] In 1983 FDA further approved aspartame for use in carbonated beverages, and for use in other beverages, baked goods, and confections in 1993. In 1996, the FDA removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in all foods.

In 1985, Monsanto bought G.D. Searle — and the aspartame business became a separate Monsanto subsidiary, the NutraSweet Company. On May 25, 2000 Monsanto sold it to J.W. Childs Equity Partners II L.P.[8] The U.S. patent on aspartame expired in 1992. Since then the company has faced hot competition in market for aspartame from other manufacturers, including Ajinomoto, Merisant and the Holland Sweetener Company, which stopped making the chemical in late 2006 because "global aspartame markets are facing structural oversupply, which has caused worldwide strong price erosion over the last 5 years" making the business "persistently unprofitable”.[9]

Several European Union states approved aspartame in the 1980s, with EU-wide approval in 1994. The European Commission Scientific Committee on Food reviewed subsequent safety studies and reaffirmed the approval in 2002. The European Food Safety Authority reported in 2006 that the previously established Adequate Daily Intake was appropriate, after reviewing yet another set of studies.[10]

It has also been investigated and approved by the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization and World Health Organization.[11]

Metabolism

Upon ingestion, aspartame breaks down into several residual chemicals, including aspartic acid, phenylalanine, methanol, and further breakdown products including formaldehyde,[12] formic acid, and a diketopiperazine. There is some controversy surrounding the rate of breakdown into these various products and the effects that they have on those that consume aspartame-sweetened foods. (See Aspartame controversy)

The naturally-occurring essential amino acid phenylalanine is a health hazard to those born with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare inherited disease that prevents phenylalanine from being properly metabolized. Since individuals with PKU must consider aspartame as an additional source of phenylalanine, foods containing aspartame sold in the United States must state "Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine" on their product labels.

In the UK, foods that contain aspartame must list the chemical among the product's ingredients and carry the warning "Contains a source of phenylalanine" – this is usually at the foot of the list of ingredients. Manufacturers should print '"with sweetener(s)" on the label close to the main product name' on foods that contain "sweeteners such as aspartame" or "with sugar and sweetener(s)" on "foods that contain both sugar and sweetener". "This labelling is a legal requirement", says the country's Food Standards Agency.[13]

Health concerns

Main article: Aspartame controversy

Aspartame has been the subject of controversy regarding its safety and the circumstances of its approval by the American FDA and European FSA. Some studies have also recommended further investigation into possible connections between aspartame and negative effects such as headaches, brain tumors, brain lesions, and lymphoma.[14][15][16] These findings, combined with possible conflicts of interest involving CEO Donald Rumsfeld in the approval process, have engendered vocal activism regarding the possible risks of aspartame.[17][18]

References

1. ^ Merck Index, 11th Edition, 861.
2. ^ John Schmeltzer. "Equal fights to get even as Splenda looks sweet]" (subscription required), Chicago Tribune, 2 December 2004. Retrieved on 2007-07-04.
3. ^ David J. Ager, David P. Pantaleone, Scott A. Henderson, Alan R . Katritzky, Indra Prakash, D. Eric Walters (1998). "Commercial, Synthetic Nonnutritive Sweeteners". Angewandte Chemie International Edition 37 (13-24): 1802-1817. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1521-3773(19980803)37:13/14%3C1802::AID-ANIE1802%3E3.0.CO;2-9. 
4. ^ Fountain Beverages in the US. The Coca-Cola Company (May 2007).
5. ^ How Products Are Made: Aspartame
6. ^ Mieszkowski, Katharine (2007-10-08). Life will kill you: Can diet soda, cellphones and makeup give you cancer? The author of "The Secret History of the War on Cancer" discusses the health risks of, well, living.. Salon.
7. ^ http://archive.gao.gov/d28t5/133460.pdf
8. ^ http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EUY/is_22_6/a...
9. ^ http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release html b1?release id=115447
10. ^ EFSA ::. Opinion of the Scientific Panel on food additives, flavourings, processing aids and materials in contact with food (AFC) related to a new long-term carcinogenicity study on aspartame
11. ^ Debunking the "Official Aspartame Myth
12. ^ C. Trocho, R. Pardo, I. Rafecas, J. Virgili, X. Remesar, J. A. Fernandez-Lopez and M. Alemany (1998). "Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo". Life Sciences 63 (5): 337-349. doi:10.1016/S0024-3205(98)00282-3. 
13. ^ Aspartame - Labelling, UK Food Standards Agency, 18 July 2006.Retrieved on 2007-07-22.
14. ^ Olney, J.W., N.B. Farber, E. Spitznagel, L.N. Robins, 1996. "Increasing Brain Tumor Rates: Is There a Link to Aspartame?" Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, Volume 55, pages 1115-1123.
15. ^ Morando Soffritti, Fiorella Belpoggi, Davide Degli Esposti, Luca Lambertini, Eva Tibaldi, and Anna Rigano (2006). "First Experimental Demonstration of the Multipotential Carcinogenic Effects of Aspartame Administered in the Feed to Sprague-Dawley Rats" (reprint). Environmental Health Perspectives 114 (3): 379-385. doi:10.1289/ehp.8711. 
16. ^ Roberts, H.J., "Does Aspartame Cause Human Brain Cancer," Journal of Advancement in Medicine, Volume 4(4):231-241, 1991.
17. ^ GAO 1986. "Six Former HHS Employees' Involvement in Aspartame's Approval," United States General Accounting Office, GAO/HRD-86-109BR, July 1986. http://archive.gao.gov/d4t4/130780.pdf
18. ^ Gordon, Gregory, United Press International Investigation, "NutraSweet: Questions Swirl," 1987. http://www.dorway.com/upipaper.txt

Nutra Sweet and Equal are the same, they are made with aspartime. Which turn into phameldahide

You can use a herb called Stevia, it is very sweet and has no calories and should not harm the child.A box of 100 packets cost about 8.99.I can sweeten 3 cups of coffee with one packet.
The artificial sweetners are chemicals.They can cause all sorts of unpleasant side effects.
A friend use to drink Diet Rite Cola.I got her to stop for two weeks and try any other kind but not diet.Her foggy/ Blonde days went away. She was less tired and felt better.

Yes, there has been some studies done that show that it can cause server headaches, heart problems, and even death. I myself have taken my children off of anything that has aspartame in it. I use to drink diet pop and afterwards I would get the worst headaches and sometimes feel sick to my stomach. And then when I put an artificial sweetener containing aspartame in it I my tea and had the same reaction I figured I would compare what the diet pop and the sweetner had in it. The only thing that they had in common was the aspartame. And so I did some research on it and found that it can cause a lot of health problems. I now use honey as a sweetner instead of artificial sweetener w/aspartame.

If you would like more info on aspartame here are a few websites that you might want to look at.

www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm

I hope that this info helps you out.

Hi T.
It looks like you got your answer. I have to agree I have been having thoughts about if aspartame is any good for our bodies. Something told me it wasn't then the same day I check my email and found an email that my friend sent to me. I could not believe it. I stopped using it and I have found that I no longer crave the sweets I use to. I also had cysts on my body and that has cleared up too. (Which I couldn't clear up for the last 17yrs.) So I do believe that aspartame is a toxin.
D.

Yes, It can cause many health problems. My sister in law even has bladder ulcers from it. Not something you want to have.

Believe it... eliminate aspartame from YOUR diet... good luck.
june

When it came out 20+ years ago, it caused me to have migraines. It causes a lot of health problems in many many people, but few make the connection between the two. A good rule of thumb is that if it is not natural, don't consume it. Our bodies are not made to process synthethics. Stick with natural foods, and eat them in moderation.

you can always go to snopes.com to check out any emails you get. Usually they are just hoaxes that spread on the internet like wildfire.

Speaking from personal experience - my system will not keep (Nutra Sweet or Equal) in my stomach. I will throw it up. This tells me Mother Nature is telling me something and she is a very realiable physician (if we will listen).

I was telling my son-in-law and he said he kept getting terrible headaches. He stopped using these two artificial sweetners and he quit having the severe headaches.

Again my husband is diabetic - he uses Nutra Sweet and gets along with it fine.

Moral- I guess it depends on the individual - One size doesn't necessarily fit all.

Like the cure all wonder drug - penicillin - cured some - killed some. Same with all the other drugs that are manufactured and approved by the AMA and FDA.

Sincerely

D. Y.

I've heard about aspertame as well. I have a friend who's doctor told her that aspertame from all the diet coke she was drinking was causing her joint pain. She was in a lot of pain, too! She has been off all diet drinks and anything with aspertame in it for a year and is pain free.

I also have pain in my shoulder joint and quit drinking anything with aspertame (Diet Coke now has one with splenda - no aspertame) and my shoulder is better than it's been in years.

Splenda is the only sugar substitute that I've found that does not contain aspertame.

Good luck!
JY

I try to avoid all artificial sweetener. Basically, the artificial sweeteners are genetically altered sugar. I had a friend of mine who worked in a food lab. She told me that all of the scientists won't touch the artificial sweeteners b/c they are harmful. And I had another friend who had to have brain surgery. After his surgery, his doctor told him that he is not allowed to ever use artificial sweeteners b/c they can cause a chemical reaction in the brain, which in his case could cause brain bleeding or something like that. Anyway, I try to stay away from them. A much better solution for a "sweet tooth" is honey. It is natural and it is sweet.

yes the 700 club had some information about it causeing cancer and brain tumers i have gone to surar in the raw it is natrual and wont hurt you ok .C. d,,somerset ohio

tracey, aspartamine was given to the guys in drinks during the vietnam war. They would carry these colas into the field with them during war time. these drinks would become warm and warm the aspartamine actually ate the brain tissue. It has been documented although you didn't hear as much about it as you did agent orange. served cold I don't know what it does but then anyone knowing that would probably why take the risk. I think a more practical solution would be sugar twin, however it is more expensive. Or stick with fruit juices. C.

T.,
I recently finished a wellness class that discussed aspartame at length. Splenda is the same thing as aspartame. A wonderful book to reference that goes into great detail about aspartame and the horrible effects it has on humans is "The Seven Pillars of Health" by Dr. Don Colbert. He is a Christian doctor that is amazing when it comes to wellness. The book reveals that aspartame actually burns holes in the brain, even in small amounts. If you want to try to reduce sugar intake and avoid aspartame, you can try Xylitol (a powdered sugar substitute that is GOOD) or Stevia (comes in powdered form or I like the glycerin based liquid...Stevia is WAY sweeter than sugar so you just need a drop or two). You are doing the right thing by steering clear of aspartame. You sound like a wonderful grandmother. I highly recommend reading Dr. Colberts book....you will be amazed at what you learn!!!

A little bit of sugar won't hurt your granddaughter's teeth as much as the possibility of cancer. More and more research is showing how aspertame is probably the worst of all the sweeteners. my daughter developed a brain tumor at age 8 less than two years ago. ( Not that aspertame had any thing to do with it, but I used to drink a lot of diet pop and continue to wonder if my consumption of it helped to increse her risk of it before she was born.) Change to more water or milk and fruit juice and just have her brush her teeth more often. Please don't risk anything more dangerous than a cavity!!!

You received so many other wonderful responses. I won't reiterate.

There is one thing that I thought interesting a year or so ago...most chewing gum contains aspartame. We LOVE gum! :) So, we've switched over to Spry which contains Xylitol and another brand called Peelu which is made out of the Peelu tree.

Spry's texture is softer while Peelu's texture is harder...thats the only difference I've noticed.

Just another tip that I've learned in my tenacious quest to live healthier and more back-to-nature... I thought I'd share and hope it helps in your quest also.

God bless us all as we try to honor His wonderful creation...our bodies. May we also always remember to bless Him!

aspartame is pure trash. all chemical based ,not a drop of sugar anywhere. It is made up of methane and 2 other chemicals, one... that through certain processes(getting heated to a certain temp) creates formaldahyde!!! Definetly should not be using these products. Its a shame that these products are considered food? by the FDA. Are they not the ones who are keeping us safe? High Frutose Corn syrup is another trash filler we Americans (and only in america)have in our food?? Its scary.

Yes, it has been known to cause MS symptoms in adults. My sister-in-law was one of them. I have heard other similar stories. Have you tried Splenda? I haven't heard any bad about that one.

I think that you are very wise to discontinue giving aspartame to your 4 year old.
It is better to be safe than sorry.
I am 64 and I too am trying to eliminate it from my diet.
I have read and heard bad things and I think that many people use it way too much.
I do not think it can be healthy, just as too much sugar is not healthy.

yes...I have heard alot about this..I work for a doctors office and we recvd an artical about people being missed diagonsis with severe headaches and other serious illnesses by mistake when it was the aspartame that was the true problem..I think as long as your child is not getting the drinks in large amounts then she should be alright...I hope this helps...

I have 4 girls and all my girls like diet pop exect one..I let them have one pop a day with dinner..I worried a little after i read the artical but after talking to my doctor and getting more facts i felt that my kids were ok to have one pop.

Yes it has been found that aspertame caused cancer in lab rats but not in humans (as of yet). I would try to use splenda in drinks if granddaughter is able to have it. It sweetens like sugar without the calories. I do not give my daughters alot of sugar and I switched over to splenda for things like kool-aid. I hope I have been of some help.

I certainly recall being told to avoid aspartame during pregnancy. If you're concerned, you might consider using splenda and diet drinks that use spenda (diet coke has a splenda version and all of the diet rite drinks use splenda). From K. H.