Why should you avoid aspartame?
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.
Weight gain, increased appetite and obesity related problems. Several studies link aspartame to weight gain, increased appetite, diabetes, metabolic derangement and obesity-related diseases.
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. Agencies in Europe, Canada, and many other countries also approve its use, including: European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
Without the enzyme necessary to break down phenylalanine, a dangerous buildup can develop when a person with PKU eats foods that contain protein or eats aspartame, an artificial sweetener. This can eventually lead to serious health problems.
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.
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 in large doses can cause a rapid increase in brain levels of phenylalanine. Because of this, use products with aspartame cautiously if you: Take certain medications, such as monoamine oxidase inhibitors, neuroleptics or medications that contain levodopa (Sinemet, Rytary, others)
We use aspartame in some of our products, including [Diet Coke and Coke Zero], because we know that many people want the choice of great tasting beverages with less sugar and fewer calories. All our beverages can be enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced lifestyle.
Diet Coke was sweetened with saccharin for its 1982 debut and later reformulated with aspartame after the FDA approval.
Aspartame is fully broken down in our gut to aspartic acid and phenylalanine, which are absorbed and enter our body. In addition, the methyl group from the modified phenylalanine is released in the gut to form methanol. Methanol is also absorbed by the body and most of it used to produce energy.
Should diabetics avoid aspartame?
You can use most sugar substitutes if you have diabetes, including: Saccharin (Sweet'N Low) Aspartame (NutraSweet) Acesulfame potassium (Sunett)
However, certain people with the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), those with advanced liver disease, and pregnant women with hyperphenylalanine (high levels of phenylalanine in blood) have a problem with aspartame because they do not effectively metabolize the amino acid phenylalanine, one of aspartame's ...
FDA officials describe aspartame as "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved" and its safety as "clear cut." The weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe as a non-nutritive sweetener.
These include weight gain, disruptions to gut health, cardiovascular problems and an increased craving for sweets. More recently, studies have linked the diet soda habit to an increased risk of stroke. News stories have tended to focus on the health problems that were identified in the research.
Aspartame is often offered as a tabletop sweetener. You can also often find aspartame added to soft drinks, sugar free candies and desserts, frozen desserts or ice creams, iced teas, cocoa mix, chewing gums, breath mints, yogurts, meal replacements and other low calorie or sugarless foods.
If you're looking for a diabetes-friendly way to satisfy your sweet tooth, aspartame may be just the ticket. Aspartame is a low calorie sweetener that is around 200 times sweeter than sugar with less than 4 calories per gram. Aspartame is considered safe for people with diabetes to eat.
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.
They include erythritol, xylitol, mannitol, maltitol, and sorbitol. Some, such as maltitol and xylitol, can reach the colon and feed microbes. That makes them prebiotics, supporting such beneficial bacteria as bifidobacteria, which can improve mood and cognition via the gut-brain axis.
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.
Artificially sweetened beverages like Coke Zero have been linked to other health issues, including: Increased risk of heart disease. An observational study found a link between artificially sweetened beverages and an increased risk of heart disease among women with no prior history of heart disease ( 19 ).
What soda has the most aspartame?
| Beverage | Aspartame (mg) | Sucralose (mg) |
|---|---|---|
| Pepsi Max | 125 | 0 |
| Pepsi Next | 36 | 14 |
| Diet Dr. Pepper | 185 | 0 |
| Diet Mountain Dew | 86 | 27 |
Breathlessness, elevated blood pressure and skipped or racing heartbeat are all symptoms of aspartame toxicity. Gastrointestinal Symptoms. People often experience an upset stomach, diarrhea (possibly bloody), abdominal pain and painful swallowing when using aspartame as a sweetener. Skin and Allergies.
- 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.
A year after the soda company announced it was taking the artificial sweetener aspartame out of Diet Pepsi and replacing it with sucralose, it is now back-pedaling. Amid slumping soda sales industry-wide, the recipe change seems to have alienated (paywall) the Diet Pepsi devotees who liked the drink the way it was.
Pepsi ditched the controversial sweetener last August in a move to placate health-conscious consumers looking to cut unnatural chemicals from their diets. Aspartame had been linked to cancer in lab mice, and industry executives blamed the decline in sales on unfounded concerns people had about the artificial sweetener.
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.
It can take 14-30 days to get through the often debilitating symptoms of aspartame withdrawal.
Popular drinks with aspartame:
Diet Barq's. Diet Coke. Diet Coke Fiesty Cherry. Fanta Zero.
The company pulled the controversial ingredient in 2015, but brought it back in limited quantities a year later after backlash from brand loyalists. The aspartame-free version will still be available, but only via e-commerce.
For the average healthy person, drinking Crystal Light occasionally is unlikely to be problematic. Still, the best way to stay hydrated is to drink plain water, flavor plain water yourself with a few slices of fresh fruit, berries, or cucumber, or choose seltzer water.
What sweetener is linked to anxiety?
Aspartame, an artificial sweetener commonly found in diet drinks and food, may raise the risk for anxiety, early research suggests. In a new preclinical study, investigators observed that mice that drank water containing aspartame exhibited pronounced anxiety-like behaviors in a variety of maze tests.
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.
The worst of the worst culprits include aspartame (found in Equal and NutraSweet), sucralose (found in Splenda), and Saccharin (found in Sweet 'N Low). Many people who cut artificial sugars out of their diets report the improvement of many health problems including migraines, depression, IBS, weight gain, and more.
“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.
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.
In the European Union, because they are a source of phenylalanine, all products containing aspartame must be labelled “Contains a source of phenylalanine”.
A. No, zero sugar soda uses artificial sweeteners, which increases people's weight. Increased weight, in turn, is linked to the worsening of diabetes. Hence, zero soda is not suitable for diabetes.
Chronic administration of aspartame increased plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase activities and caused liver injury as well as marked decreased hepatic levels of reduced glutathione (GSH), oxidized glutathione (GSSG), γ-glutamylcysteine (γ-GC), and most metabolites of the trans- ...
If you experience headaches or other negative side effects after consuming aspartame, it may be a good idea to avoid it and opt for sucralose or a natural sweetener such as stevia instead.
Aspartame is a widely used artificial sweetener that has been linked to pediatric and adolescent migraines. Upon ingestion, aspartame is broken, converted, and oxidized into formaldehyde in various tissues.
What happens to your body when you stop drinking diet soda?
Your kidneys function better.
Your kidneys have been working extra hard trying to make sense of the ingredients in diet soda. Stopping that habit will allow your kidneys to concentrate on clearing toxins, stabilizing blood pressure, and absorbing minerals.
Soda is not good for a person's health because it contains lots of sugar. Consuming too much soda may lead to weight gain, diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , most people in America consume too many added sugars, which can lead to health problems.
Aspartame is a low-kilojoule sweetener composed of two amino-acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Both of these amino acids are found commonly in protein-containing foods, such as eggs, meat, fish, dairy products and nuts.
Desserts. Most desserts that are advertised as being low-sugar or sugar-free have added aspartame to help maintain the flavor of the product. Ice cream toppings or novelties, cartons of ice cream, frozen ices, sugar free mousse, cookies or pies usually use aspartame.
Carbonated Water, Acids (Citric Acid, Tartaric Acid), Acidity Regulator (Sodium Citrates), Sweeteners (Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Sucralose), Natural Lemon And Lime Flavourings.
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.
- Coke Zero Sugar.
- Diet Barq's.
- Diet Coke.
- Diet Coke Feisty Cherry.
- Fanta Zero.
- Fresca.
- Gold Peak Diet Tea.
- Mello Yello Zero.
It can take 14-30 days to get through the often debilitating symptoms of aspartame withdrawal.
In the 1970s, for example, diet sodas raised alarm because most of them were sweetened with cyclamates — briefly banned by the FDA when evidence suggested it was a carcinogen — and saccharin, which left a terribly bitter aftertaste in diet cola.
While both Coca-Cola Zero and Diet Coke contain the same sweeteners (a blend of aspartame and acesulfame-potassium or Ace-K) and contain zero calories, Coca-Cola Zero uses a different flavour base and delivers the great taste of Coca-Cola with zero sugar.
What is the healthiest alternative to sugar?
- 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.
Which Sugar Is Healthier? Talking about sugar being good for health, then natural sugar or stevia is the best. They have many health benefits to offer apart from weight loss. It has all the essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that are essential for your body.
“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.