Aspartame study of interest

[WillBrink]

Many get convinced Aspartame is toxic stuff, yet when put to the test beyond the hoopla, it fails to show any toxicity. Many say they are "sensitive" to it, but when actually tested, they are no different from normal folks. As with all things, moderation and some common sense goes a long way here and I enjoy a tall glass of diet iced tea with my dinner most nights and the occasional Diet Coke.


Study Finds No Evidence for 'Aspartame Sensitivity'

Late last month, Pepsi announced that it will remove the artificial sweetener aspartame from its diet Pepsi products by the end of this year, bowing to consumer concerns that the sweetener poses a number of health risks. Questionable Internet sources have stoked these fears, accusing aspartame of causing cancer, multiple sclerosis, blindness, seizures, memory loss, depression, and birth defects. One of those dubious sources, alternative medicine guru Dr. Joseph Mercola, even called the sweetener "By far the most dangerous substance added to most foods today."

It is no wonder, then, that some individuals worry that they may be "sensitive" to aspartame, and report experiencing symptoms like headache, nausea, dizziness, and congestion after consuming food containing the sweetener. A study published in March to the journal PLoS ONE put their claims to the test, however, and found no evidence of any acute adverse response to aspartame.

48 self-reported aspartame sensitive individuals took part in the study, which was conducted primarily by researchers at Imperial College London. These individuals, who were actively avoiding aspartame in their diets on account of their symptoms, were then matched by gender and age to 48 non-sensitive individuals.

Subjects in both groups were given a cereal bar laced with 100mg of aspartame -- roughly the same amount in a can of diet soda -- or a normal bar. Subjects provided blood samples before the test and four hours later, as well as urine samples at three different times over the following 24 hours. All symptoms were assessed and monitored for four hours after eating. A week later, the process was repeated so that subjects could eat both bars. The study was double blind, so neither the experimenters nor the subjects knew what bars they were receiving.

Analyzing the results, the researchers found that "none of the rated symptoms differed between aspartame and control bars, or between sensitive and control participants." Moreover, all subjects' blood work remained normal, as did every biomarker in the urine analysis.

Cont:

http://www.realclearscience.com/jour...st_109214.html

[T2C]

I can appreciate the study, but in my personal experience there is something to the side effects caused by Aspartame. In the early 1980's I switched from Coke to Diet Coke to reduce my sugar intake and I experienced flu like symptoms. Doctors could not determine what was causing the issue, so after a period of several months we looked at my diet. It took several more months and the process of elimination of each item in my diet to determine that if I drank Diet Coke I would experience the symptoms. One Diet Coke after months without one would not cause the symptoms. Three to four Diet Cokes consumed in a one week period would cause the symptoms to return.

I avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. I also avoid soda and drink no more than four or five in a one year period.

[FishTaco]

I've never had any issue with it at all. Apparently, neither have most aspartame-sensitive individuals.

[WillBrink]

I've never had any issue with it at all. Apparently, neither have most aspartame-sensitive individuals.

It's not the be all end all last word on this topic to be sure, but very telling I thought, and they did do important blood work in addition looking for those evil break down products claimed, and found nadda. Hence, those who considered themselves sensitive to the sweetener couldn't tell the difference, nor could their bodies it appears.

"The blood work and urine analysis were particularly telling. Aspartame opponents correctly point out that the chemical breaks down into phenylalanine, methanol, and aspartic acid, three chemicals that they insist are extremely toxic. These chemicals can indeed be dangerous, but only in high amounts. Turns out, the concentration of phenylalanine actually decreased in subjects' blood. Methanol and aspartic acid levels were so minute that neither of the chemicals were even detected. The researchers also noted that methanol is produced in higher concentrations in the body after drinking fruit juice."

[themonk]

I am allergic to it. Found out wen they sent out the gumballs so I never really ingest anything "diet".

[FishTaco]

It's not the be all end all last word on this topic to be sure, but very telling I thought, and they did do important blood work in addition looking for those evil break down products claimed, and found nadda. Hence, those who considered themselves sensitive to the sweetener couldn't tell the difference, nor could their bodies it appears.

"The blood work and urine analysis were particularly telling. Aspartame opponents correctly point out that the chemical breaks down into phenylalanine, methanol, and aspartic acid, three chemicals that they insist are extremely toxic. These chemicals can indeed be dangerous, but only in high amounts. Turns out, the concentration of phenylalanine actually decreased in subjects' blood. Methanol and aspartic acid levels were so minute that neither of the chemicals were even detected. The researchers also noted that methanol is produced in higher concentrations in the body after drinking fruit juice."

Yeah, definitely not the end of the conversation but I think it shines some light on the pattern of panic and misinformation surrounding this sweetener.

[brickboy240]

Interesting.

However I noticed that when I kicked diet soft drinks about 5 years ago...my headaches totally went away. I also noticed that I did not get hungry in the afternoons (another thing I attributed to Coke Zero at lunch).

It was not a scientific study, but I did lots of online research 5 years ago and many roads led me to believe that aspartame gives some people a headache and it increases your appetite.

Either way...I would NEVER touch diet soft drinks again. I feel so much better without them.

I cannot prove why...but no hunger pains or headaches after kicking that habit.

YMMV as usual.

(there are probably other things in those drinks that are not good fur us)

[WillBrink]

Interesting.

However I noticed that when I kicked diet soft drinks about 5 years ago...my headaches totally went away. I also noticed that I did not get hungry in the afternoons (another thing I attributed to Coke Zero at lunch).

It was not a scientific study, but I did lots of online research 5 years ago and many roads led me to believe that aspartame gives some people a headache and it increases your appetite.

Either way...I would NEVER touch diet soft drinks again. I feel so much better without them.

I cannot prove why...but no hunger pains or headaches after kicking that habit.

YMMV as usual.

(there are probably other things in those drinks that are not good fur us)

There's some data to suggest that in a small % of people, there's an increase in headaches, and worth avoiding perhaps for those prone to headaches. The research on whether it impacts appetite is all over the place and or inconclusive. From a "real world" perspective, I see both sides of that also. I know many a competitor for example who have to get to very low BFs who'd choke someone if you attempted to take away their Crystal Light, etc. and feel it's helpful in their goals to lose fat, stay sane, etc. On weight loss for "normal" people I do tend to advise people avoid synthetics if for no other reason it prevents them from learning to not focus on sweet things and get used to water, and reduce the overall sweet tooth.

[brickboy240]

Does anyone else think that these drinks increase their appetite? I swear...and again this is not scientific, but I swear diet soft drinks made me hungry.

The headache thing might have meant that I was allergic to aspartame...who knows? It was a dull, long lasting headache that was on the very top of my head. Very different from the sinus headaches I get sometimes, during allergy seasons. All I know is that a few months after giving up aspartame drinks - they stopped.

I wonder if it is possible to be allergic to something like aspartame? I have no other known food allergies.

[Doc Safari]

Aspartame does give me a headache. And I would swear that Stevia on an empty stomach makes me nauseous.