Is aspartame dangerous?

(Sorry if this is in the wrong topic.)

My partner and I use aspartame-based sweetener in our tea, coffee etc.

I've looked online about aspartame, but everything seems to declare it safe.

I've been told before that aspartame can cause big mental health problems.

What do you guys know about it? Should we switch to a non-aspartame sweetener?

Thanks,
KJ

reply to post by suicide__x

I've looked online about aspartame, but everything seems to declare it safe.

Please don't take this wrong, but, it seems you haven't looked very hard.

That stuff will kill you.

It's absolutely horrid stuff.

I suggest you get away from it ASAP.

I'm going to go look for some urls for you. I had a ton of them on my old computer but they never got transfered onto my new one.
Suffice it to say I found page after page of information - and all negative - concerning the poison aspartame.

peace

Adverse reactions and side effects of aspartame include:

Eye
blindness in one or both eyes
decreased vision and/or other eye problems such as: blurring, bright flashes, squiggly lines, tunnel vision, decreased night vision
pain in one or both eyes
decreased tears
trouble with contact lenses
bulging eyes

Ear
tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
severe intolerance of noise
marked hearing impairment

Neurologic
epileptic seizures
headaches, migraines and (some severe)
dizziness, unsteadiness, both
confusion, memory loss, both
severe drowsiness and sleepiness
paresthesia or numbness of the limbs
severe slurring of speech
severe hyperactivity and restless legs
atypical facial pain
severe tremors

Psychological/Psychiatric
severe depression
irritability
aggression
anxiety
personality changes
insomnia
phobias

Chest
palpitations, tachycardia
shortness of breath
recent high blood pressure

Gastrointestinal
nausea
diarrhea, sometimes with blood in stools
abdominal pain
pain when swallowing

Skin and Allergies
itching without a rash
lip and mouth reactions
hives
aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma

Endocrine and Metabolic
loss of control of diabetes
menstrual changes
marked thinning or loss of hair
marked weight loss
gradual weight gain
aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
severe PMS

Other
frequency of voiding and burning during urination
excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, and bloating
increased susceptibility to infection

Additional Symptoms of Aspartame Toxicity include the most critical symptoms of all
death
irreversible brain damage
birth defects, including mental retardation
peptic ulcers
aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
hyperactivity in children
severe depression
aggressive behavior
suicidal tendencies

Aspartame may trigger, mimic, or cause the following illnesses:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Epstein-Barr
Post-Polio Syndrome
Lyme Disease
Grave’s Disease
Meniere’s Disease
Alzheimer’s Disease
ALS
Epilepsy
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
EMS
Hypothyroidism
Mercury sensitivity from Amalgam fillings
Fibromyalgia
Lupus
non-Hodgkins
Lymphoma
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Aspartame changes the ratio of amino acids in the blood, blocking or lowering the levels of serotonin, tyrosine, dopamine, norepinephrine, and adrenaline. Therefore, it is typical that aspartame symptoms cannot be detected in lab tests and on x-rays. Textbook disorders and diseases may actually be a toxic load as a result of aspartame poisoning.

Aspartame is the common denominator for over 92 different health symptoms at the root of modern disease. The Aspartame Detoxification Program demonstrates the most effective way to reverse disease symptoms is removing the underlying cause - aspartame.

source

EDIT: Sorry about the missing EX tags and the need to Edit: Thunderstorm knocked me off the net! lol

[edit on 26-9-2009 by silo13]

reply to post by silo13


Jeeeez.

Thanks for that.
Though now I'm terrified!

I have noticed, as of late, I've been a lot more irritable with my partner, my mood has dropped and sleeping has become disrupted.

No more aspartame for me.

reply to post by silo13


But other than that, it is safe to use ?

Great work Silo, I have some discussions with the wife abut this, she thinks it safe and wants my kids to take thoses tabblets in the tea, and I say sugger, and she argues that she dont want them to have too much sugger, and I say sugger is better than the synthetc killer tablets..

Yes look up info on it please.
Finally convinced my daughter to stop using anything with aspartame after she was experiencing leg / body cramping, headaches, depression, tiredness, vision problems, ringing in her ears, anxiety attacks she went through several drs with no real conclulsion as to why she was having these symptoms.
She has been "clean" for 2 months now and is now Heathly again without ANY of those problems she had when she was on aspartame. Some people have a high sensitivity to it... but even those that dont will develop some side effects over time (depending on intake).
Good Luck and read your labels.


edit: for S&F for silo .. great info

[edit on 26-9-2009 by NJJewel]

This is what I found...

The artificial sweetener aspartame has been the subject of controversy since its initial approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974. Concerns have been raised about the quality of the research supporting its safety and the long-term effects that increased consumption could have on the public. Some scientific studies, combined with allegations of conflicts of interest in the sweetener's FDA approval process, have been the focus of vocal activism, conspiracy theories and hoaxes regarding postulated risks of aspartame.

A 2007 safety evaluation found that the weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe at current levels of consumption as a non-nutritive sweetener. Some sources of claims regarding postulated aspartame dangers and conspiracies have been the subject of critical examination. In 1987, the U.S. Government Accountability Office concluded that the food additive approval process had been followed for aspartame. Based on government research reviews and recommendations from advisory bodies such as the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, aspartame has been found to be safe for human consumption by more than ninety countries worldwide.
In 1999, FDA officials described the safety of aspartame as "clear cut" and stated that the product is "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved."

Source

Even more interesting is Donald Rumsfield approved Aspartame

Personally I avoid it like the plague, and I advise anyone else I know to also. I believe it was designed to cause an increase in diseases such as diabetes and parkinsons in order to bump up profits for Big Pharma. After all it was introduced to us all by the one and only Donald Rumsfeld, and we all know what a pleasant man he is.

The science behind it is, basically, that when we ingest aspartame the body believes that something sweet and sugary is on it's way down, and hence prepares for this by releasing a load of insulin from the pancreas in order to cope with it. But when this sweet and 'sugary' stuff finally makes it down to the gut, the body realises that there is no sugar. Only a tiny amount of some chemical that was designed to trick the body. So the body then has to get rid of that excess insulin through urine. You repeat this cycle every time you ingest aspartame, which will eventually lead to a knackered pancreas.

This is just one of the nasty side effects of aspartame.

If you take a good look around you, you'll notice there is a war being waged on our endocrine system. Aspartame attacks the pancreas and pituitary gland (and likely others), MSG also attacks the pancreas and pituitary gland, Fluoride attacks the pineal gland, thyroid and likely a fair few other parts of our endocrine system too.

When you think of this war on our endocrine system, and the fact that this system is linked to the chakra energy centres of the body, one has to wonder what the big plan is.

Searle Pharmaceuticals, maker of Aspartame, was founded by Gideon Daniel Searle in 1888. He died in 1917 and his son, Claude Searle, took over. Originators of Aspartame sugar substitute. Searle was acquired by Monsanto in 1985.

Donald Rumsfeld followed Searle as CEO, and then as President, of Searle between 1977 and 1985. During his tenure at Searle, Rumsfeld reduced the number of employees in the company by 60%. The financial turnaround of the company earned him awards as the Outstanding Chief Executive Officer in the Pharmaceutical Industry from the Wall Street Transcript (1980) and Financial World (1981). In 1985, he played an instrumental role in the acquisition of G.D. Searle & Company by Monsanto.

Donald Rumsfeld And Aspartame

Also:
Google Video: Sweet Misery

Google Video Link

Thanks everyone.

I'll be staying clear of it now.

God knows how I'll convince my partner to though..

Disclaimer: I'm a theist but not of the Abrahamic faiths. I have minor biblical scholar and scriptural skills. Also I am not a scientific/legal or medical expert in any field. Beware of my Contagious Memes! & watch out that you don't get cut on my Occams razor.All of this is my personal conjecture and should not be considered the absolute or most definitive state of things as they really are. Use this information at your own risk! I accept no liability if your ideology comes crashing down around you with accompanying consequences.

Explanation: S&F!
Some more links covering both sides or debate.

www.naturalnews.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

www.cancer.gov...

Personal Disclosure: I don't touch it as much as possible but even the healthiest people die! As a smoker I know the risks associated and I made my choice and I recommend you do the same with your use or not of aspartamine!

Originally posted by suicide__x
Thanks everyone.

I'll be staying clear of it now.

God knows how I'll convince my partner to though..

Tell her its tasty sweet rat poison, and show her all of the proof.

And eat mushrooms together.

Originally posted by jvm222

Originally posted by suicide__x
Thanks everyone.

I'll be staying clear of it now.

God knows how I'll convince my partner to though..

Tell her its tasty sweet rat poison, and show her all of the proof.

And eat mushrooms together.

Mushrooms?

They say that Splenda is really bad for you. And that sweetener you were using is bad. I would just stick to good 'ol sugar cane sugar. It might fattening and cause a high blood sugar if you eat to much of it. But, you wont go blind or lose your hearing or get cancer and die. You, at the most, will be fat(if you dont exersice) and have diabetes.

My girlfriend's family buy artificial sweeteners by the bag! I drew a skull a crossbones on the bag declaring it poison. I explained to them the dangers...I hoped they listened.

reply to post by ChemBreather

I say sugar is better than the synthetic killer tablets..

[edit on 26-9-2009 by silo13]

reply to post by Longtimegone

I drew a skull a crossbones on the bag declaring it poison. I explained to them the dangers.

They better have!

Follow it up with some printed info - a lot of people just have no idea.

I started loosing my hair - I was like WHAT THE *BLEEP*... Stopped the filthy aspartame - no more hair loss.





[edit on 26-9-2009 by silo13]

I used to be a cleaner and when we needed to kill ants around food or pet dishes we used aspartame. Why? Because that was it's first intentional use before someone figured out it was sweet. More info:

www.dorway.com...

reply to post by intrepid

I used to be a cleaner and when we needed to kill ants around food or pet dishes we used aspartame. Why? Because that was it's first intentional use before someone figured out it was sweet.

Holy Cow.

That is just sooo gross.

I knew this stuff was bad - but give me a BREAK!

That's completely disgusting.

peace