Aspartame: AKA Fake Food or Poison

Years ago, I remember talking to my friend about healthy eating and how he managed to lose a lot of weight. He said that avoiding junk foods became easier when he stopped seeing junk food as real food. He realized that most junk food is not real food—most of it has been processed so much that it contains little to no nutritional value. Unfortunately, a lot of this “food” contains dangerous chemicals or poison. I would categorize aspartame as poison.

What is aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener (fake food) with many names.

Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, also referred to as Acesulfame potassium (K), AminoSweet®, Neotame®, Equal®, NutraSweet®, Blue Zero Calorie Sweetener Packets™, Advantame®, NutraSweet New Pink, Canderel®, Pal Sweet Diet® and AminoSweet®. It’s used in a variety of food and wellness products like diet soda, gum, candy and vitamins.

-Draxe.com

What are some of the possible dangers of aspartame?

Systemic Inflammation

Inflammation is the cause of many diseases. A study suggested that aspartame causes systemic inflammation—even when dosages did not exceed the recommended safety dosages.

Cancer

One study showed that aspartame produced carcinogenic effects in rats and mice.

“Metabolic Derangements”

Evidence suggests that people that consume artificial sweeteners regularly may have an increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, weight gain, and metabolic syndrome. Another study with animals showed that animals were more prone to develop obesity and metabolic syndrome if they had long-term exposure to aspartame in the womb.

Neurobehavioral Effects

In one study, a high-aspartame diet resulted in irritable mood, depression, and a worsened performance on spatial orientation tests. What is disturbing to me is that the dosage of aspartame given to the subjects was well below the maximum recommended daily level. I wonder what would have happened if the subjects were given the maximum recommended daily level.

Early Puberty

In a study done with nine and ten-year old girls, it was found that consumption of aspartame (from artificially sweetened soft drinks) was positively associated with a risk of early puberty. According to draxe.com, “long-term risks of early puberty include breast cancer, HPV, heart disease, diabetes and all-cause mortality.”

Almost Every Health Issue Known to Man

Aspartame interference in these functions may directly or indirectly evoke the development of many adverse symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, tinnitus, memory loss, learning disabilities and joint pain.

-Folia Neuropathologica

What are some natural sweet alternatives to aspartame?

Stevia, honey, coconut sugar, and dates are delicious and healthy in moderation.

I used to be an avid junk food eater that hated cooking and baking. When I started to have health issues, I cut sweet foods and other unhealthy foods out of my diet. Once my health began to improve, I started baking desserts with natural sweeteners. They taste incredible! I know that it is hard to avoid aspartame and other fake foods, but if I can do it, anyone can do it!

References

Araujo JR, Martel F, Keating E. Exposure to non-nutritive sweeteners during pregnancy and lactation: impact in programming of metabolic diseases in the progeny later in life. Reprod Toxicol. 2014; 49, 196-201. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25263228/. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Choudhary AK, Pretorius E. Revisiting the safety of aspartame. Nutr Rev. 2017; 75 (9), 718-730. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28938797/?from_term=aspartame&from_pos=1. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Edwards, Rebekah. Aspartame: 11 Dangers of This All-Too-Common Food Additive. Draxe.com. https://draxe.com/nutrition/aspartame/. Published May 13, 2019. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Lindseth GN, Coolahan SE, Petros TV, et al. Neurobehavioral effects of aspartame consumption. Res Nurs Health. 2014; 37(3): 185-193. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24700203/. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Mueller NT, Jacobs DR, MacLehose, RF, et al. Consumption of caffeinated and artificially sweetened soft drinks is associated with risk of early menarche. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015; 102 (3): 648-654. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26178725/. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Rycerz K, Jaworska-Adamu JE. Review paper effects of aspartame metabolites on astrocytes and neurons. Folia Neuropathologica. 2013; 51(1): 10-17. https://www.termedia.pl/Review-paper-Effects-of-aspartame-metabolites-on-astrocytes-and-neurons,20,20489,1,1.html. Published March 28, 2013. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Manservigi M, et al. Aspartame administered in feed, beginning prenatally through life span, induces cancers of the liver and lung in male Swiss mice. American Journal of Industrial Medicine. 2010; 53 (12). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ajim.20896. Published September 30, 2010. Accessed June 5, 2020.

Swithers, SE. Artificial sweeteners produce the counterintuitive effect of inducing metabolic derangements. Trends Endocrinol Metab. 2013;24(9):431-441. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23850261/. Accessed June 5, 2020.