Aspertame: What Is It and What Effects Does It Have on Your Body?
Aspartame: What Is It
And
What Effects Does it Have on Your Body?
Aspartame, also known Acesulfame Potassium (Hull, 2006), is commonly known by brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet One and Spoonful. Aspartame is found in thousands of foods, drinks, candy, gum, vitamins, health supplements and even pharmaceuticals. This artificial sweetener is the most popular in the United States, is 200 times sweeter than sucrose the accepted standard for sweetness, and is also the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to our food. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. There are laws in place that govern the sale of food additives and those laws require that the substances be safe for human consumption. According to research that has been done on Aspartame, it may not be completely safe for human consumption and if consumed in large doses it can cause a number of health complications. There are also organizations Animal studied have proved, convincingly, that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame cause weight gain, brain tumors, bladder cancer, and many other health hazards (Tandel, 2011). The most serious hazard related to the consumption of aspartame is death (Hull, 2006). Least serious symptoms include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, memory loss, and joint pain. Chronic illnesses such as: multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, fibromyalgia, and diabetes can be triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame. I made the decision to write on Aspartame after learning about the health risks linked to its use. The health risks caused by Aspartame are of great interest to
And
What Effects Does it Have on Your Body?
Aspartame, also known Acesulfame Potassium (Hull, 2006), is commonly known by brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet One and Spoonful. Aspartame is found in thousands of foods, drinks, candy, gum, vitamins, health supplements and even pharmaceuticals. This artificial sweetener is the most popular in the United States, is 200 times sweeter than sucrose the accepted standard for sweetness, and is also the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to our food. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. There are laws in place that govern the sale of food additives and those laws require that the substances be safe for human consumption. According to research that has been done on Aspartame, it may not be completely safe for human consumption and if consumed in large doses it can cause a number of health complications. There are also organizations Animal studied have proved, convincingly, that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame cause weight gain, brain tumors, bladder cancer, and many other health hazards (Tandel, 2011). The most serious hazard related to the consumption of aspartame is death (Hull, 2006). Least serious symptoms include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, memory loss, and joint pain. Chronic illnesses such as: multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, mental retardation, lymphoma, fibromyalgia, and diabetes can be triggered or worsened by ingesting aspartame. I made the decision to write on Aspartame after learning about the health risks linked to its use. The health risks caused by Aspartame are of great interest to
References: Hull, J.S. Dr. (2006, April 28). Aspartame’s FDA Approval Process Shows Significant Flaws and About Sweet Poison. Retrieved from http://www.sweetpoison.com/articles/0406/aspartames_fda_approval_p.html Humphries, P., Pretorius, E., & Naudé, H. (2008). Direct and Indirect Cellular Effects of Aspartame on the Brain. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 62, 451-462. Magnuson, B.A., Burdock, G.A., Doull, J., Kroes, R.M., Marsh, G.M., Pariza, M.W., Spencer, P.S., Waddell, W.J., Walker, R., Williams, G.M. (2007). Aspartame: A Safety Evaluation Based on Current Use Levels, Regulations, and Toxicological and Epidemiological Studies. Critical Reviews in Toxicology 37:629-727, DOI: 10.1080/10408440701516184 Mercola, Joseph M., Dr. (2011 November 6). Take Control of Your Health, Aspartame is, By Far, the Most Dangerous Substance on the Market That is Added to Foods. Mercola.com. Retrieved from http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx Soffritti, M., Belpoggi, F., Tibaldi, E., Esposti, D.D., & Lauriola, M. (2007, September). Life-Span Exposure to Low Doses of Aspartame Beginning During Prenatal Life Increases Cancer Effects in Rats. Environmental Heath Perspectives 115 (9), 1293-1297. Stanner, S. (2010, April). The Science of Low-Calorie Sweeteners – Separating Fact from Fiction. British Nutrition Foundation Nutrition Bulletin, 35, 357-362. Tandel, Kirtida R., Dr. (2011, October-December).Sugar Substitutes: Health Controversy over Perceived Benefits. Journal of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapeutics 2(4), 236-243.