What happens to your body when you consume aspartame?
It causes neuropsychiatric reactions such as headache, convulsions and depression [83]. In the body, aspartame is transformed into phenylalanine (Phy), aspartic acid and methanol. These metabolites can affect the neurochemical state of the brain and influence the level of neurotransmitters [12].
Neurotoxicity, brain damage and mood disorders
Aspartame has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems including learning problems, headache, seizure, migraines, irritable moods, anxiety, depression, and insomnia, wrote the researchers of a 2017 study in Nutritional Neuroscience.
Aspartame (α-aspartyl-l-phenylalanine-o-methyl ester), an artificial sweetener, has been linked to behavioral and cognitive problems. Possible neurophysiological symptoms include learning problems, headache, seizure, migraines, irritable moods, anxiety, depression, and insomnia.
Taking pain relievers, getting good rest, and staying hydrated with water can help to take the edge off while you rid your body of aspartame.
So, for most people, natural sugars are a far better alternative to either artificial sweeteners or regular table sugar. For people living with diabetes or prediabetes, though, you still need to go easy on some natural sugars.
Aspartame intake is associated with metabolic syndrome. This cluster of conditions includes high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess belly fat and high cholesterol/triglyceride levels. It marks a dramatic increase in the risk for heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
The acceptable daily intake of aspartame is 50 mg/kg of body weight per day; this new study suggests that this number may be too high and should be more in the area of 20 mg/kg of body weight.
Is aspartame safe? The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved aspartame for use in food and drink in 1981. According to the FDA, over 100 studies have shown aspartame to be safe for most people.
We sweeten Coke Zero Sugar in our bottles and cans with a blend of aspartame and acesulfame potassium (or Ace-K). Together, they create a great taste with zero sugar and zero calories.
Phenylketonuria. The FDA warns that people with phenylketonuria, a rare hereditary disease, have difficulty metabolizing a phenylalanine, one of the components in aspartame. If the person consumes this substance, the body doesn't digest it properly, and it can accumulate. High levels may result in brain damage.
Does aspartame affect your gut?
This study is the first to show that some of the sweeteners most commonly found in food and drink – saccharin, sucralose and aspartame – can make normal and healthy gut bacteria become pathogenic.
Significance. Exposure of mice to aspartame, an artificial sweetener found in nearly 5,000 diet foods and drinks, at doses equivalent to below 15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake for humans, produces anxiety-like behavior.
A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in an FDA report as being caused by aspartame include: headaches, migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, ...
People who have a condition called phenylketonuria (PKU) shouldn't ingest products containing aspartame. PKU is a rare genetic disease diagnosed at birth. People with PKU aren't able to properly process phenylalanine, so it can accumulate to dangerous levels in the body.
They are both considered generally safe for use within their stated safe limits. Sucralose is a better choice if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition, as aspartame contains the amino acid phenylalanine.
Conclusion: Although aspartame may have a positive effect in obesity as low-calorie, non-weight-bearing dietary alternatives, histological analysis proved that it produces severe cellular toxicity especially in liver and kidney. The toxicological effects performed mechanically via inflammatory and apoptotic pathways.
In the European Union, because they are a source of phenylalanine, all products containing aspartame must be labelled “Contains a source of phenylalanine”.
Some popular diet soda brands that do not use aspartame include: Diet Coke with Splenda - uses sucralose as a sweetener. Pepsi One - uses acesulfame potassium and sucralose. Diet Rite - uses a combination of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
“Stevia leaf extract is safer than many other sugar substitutes, especially aspartame and sucralose,” Lefferts says. Research has linked sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin with cancers. That said, there is still a need for more research around stevia.
The FDA has established an acceptable daily intake (ADI) for aspartame of 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg) per day.
Is 2 diet Cokes a day bad for you?
More bad news for diet soda lovers: Drinking two or more of any kind of artificially sweetened drinks a day is linked to an increased risk of clot-based strokes, heart attacks and early death in women over 50, according to a new study by the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association.
Drinking a reasonable amount of diet soda a day, such as a can or two, isn't likely to hurt you. The artificial sweeteners and other chemicals currently used in diet soda are safe for most people, and there's no credible evidence that these ingredients cause cancer.
- Stevia. Stevia is a very popular low calorie sweetener. ...
- Erythritol. Erythritol is another low calorie sweetener. ...
- Xylitol. Xylitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweetness similar to that of sugar. ...
- Yacon syrup. Yacon syrup is another unique sweetener. ...
- Monk fruit sweetener.
Safe Consumption: Always in Moderation
Despite its approval as a safe food additive, aspartame should be consumed in moderation. The FDA released a statement on the acceptable daily intake of aspartame: 50 milligrams for every kilogram of body weight.
As previously stated, Coke Zero is lower in caffeine than Diet Coke. Despite this difference, all three dietitians say that, once again, it does not make one healthier than the other.
Pepper is sweetened with aspartame, Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar is sweetened using a combination of aspartame and acesulfame potassium for a more syrupy, authentic Dr. Pepper taste.
It has been shown that ingredients such as aspartame and MSG contain chemicals that are potentially toxic to the nervous system, however it is also seen throughout reports that these chemicals also increase inflammation and bouts of pain in people with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Diet and lifestyle changes – increased water intake, switching to organic foods that are clean – meaning unrefined and void of chemical additives, like artificial sweeteners. Juicing – cleansing blends using kale, broccoli, asparagus, celery, beets, carrots, etc.
Large-scale population studies have found that the consumption of artificial sweeteners, particularly in diet sodas, is associated with increased weight gain and abdominal fat over time.
Candies, soft drinks, jams and jellies, and baked goods that have artificial sweeteners, like sorbitol, acesulfame potassium, and aspartame, can make you gassy.
Can aspartame cause IBS?
Sugar-free sweeteners like artificial sweeteners, alcohol sugars, and natural non-calorie sugars such as stevia may trigger IBS symptoms like abdominal pain.
For example, aspartame—the chemical in Equal and Nutrasweet—may modulate brain neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin, although data have been controversial and inconsistent.
Aspartame. Popular artificial sweetener, a.k.a. Equal® or NutraSweet®. Aspartame is harmful for your brain. Reported side effects include brain fog, migraines, dizziness, memory lapses, anxiety, depression and amplified symptoms of ADHD.
Aspartame is known to overstimulate the neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, in the brain. Excessive amounts can damage neurons and cause cell death, which are associated with memory issues and dementia.
7: Aspartame
The artificial sweetener found in many diet drinks and sugar-free products is part of a chemical group excitotoxins. These activate neurons that are known to increase your body's sensitivity to pain. Remember that pain is your body's way of trying to tell you something isn't quite right.
“Some of the natural and artificial sweeteners in diet drinks and foods, such as aspartame, sucralose, maltitol and sorbitol, may not digest properly for some people,” explains Dr. Talabiska. Sugar substitutes can cause laxative effects, especially when paired with other triggering foods.
Additives & Artificial Sweeteners
Your body cannot process artificial ingredients well, so substances such as aspartame and mono-sodium glutamate may trigger an immune response. Aspartame is a neurotoxin that the body frequently “attacks” therefore causing inflammation.
Aspartame is approved for use in food as a nutritive sweetener. Aspartame brand names include Nutrasweet®, Equal®, and Sugar Twin®.
The absolute worst sweeteners are artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame. These are the worst sugar substitutes because these sweeteners are manufactured in a lab, meaning they're not found in nature.
Sodas. According to the American Kidney Fund, a recent study suggests that drinking two or more carbonated sodas, diet or regular, each day may increase your risk for chronic kidney disease. Carbonated and energy drinks have both been linked to the formation of kidney stones.
Why was stevia banned in Europe?
Stevia is also widely sold in other East Asian countries and India. Stevia is approved for sale in the United States and Canada despite some resistance among nutritionists and medical researchers, but the European Union has for decades banned it owing to health concerns.
Sucralose is reported to be safe on the kidneys, even for those on dialysis. Stevia rebaudiana(Rebaudioside A or Reb A) – refers to a South American plant based sweetener that is processed in a similar way as the way sugar is refined from sugar cane and sugar beets.
Aspartame is known to overstimulate the neurotransmitters, or chemical messengers, in the brain. Excessive amounts can damage neurons and cause cell death, which are associated with memory issues and dementia.
Additional studies have found that when you eat or drink products containing aspartame it increases cortisol levels and alters the activity of the microbes responsible for the breakdown of food in your digestive tract.
Potential health risks have been examined and dismissed by numerous scientific research projects. With the exception of the risk to those with phenylketonuria, aspartame is considered to be a safe food additive by governments worldwide and major health and food safety organizations.
- Diet Coke with Splenda - uses sucralose as a sweetener.
- Pepsi One - uses acesulfame potassium and sucralose.
- Diet Rite - uses a combination of sucralose and acesulfame potassium.
- Zevia - uses stevia as a natural sweetener.
Sometimes investigative reporting gets you very, very caffeinated. On Monday, we wrote about Pepsi's new reboot of Diet Pepsi, which will now be sweetened with sucralose instead of aspartame.
By not fully activating reward pathways, artificial sweeteners can be potentially harmful because they may, in a way, trick our brains, causing us to overeat in order to feel satisfied, or to crave even more sweetness later on.
Artificial Sweeteners. The absolute worst sweeteners are artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame. These are the worst sugar substitutes because these sweeteners are manufactured in a lab, meaning they're not found in nature.
Stevia — in packet, drops or plant form — is a dietitian favorite. Not only does it contain zero calories, but stevia-based sweeteners are herbal as opposed to artificial. Stevia blended with a sugar alcohol called erythritol (Truvia®) works well in low-carb baked desserts, too.