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Aspartame

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stevenw888
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Joined: July 16th, 2010, 12:48 pm

Aspartame

#1 Post by stevenw888 » September 29th, 2011, 1:02 pm

I have always been a passionate supporter of the belief that aspartame is a poison and have always discouraged my children and others from drinking "diet" fizzy drinks, since these drinks tend to have a high aspartame content. My wife switched her saccherin use based on my observations. My reasoning was derived mainly from this website (and others like it)

http://www.wnho.net/report_on_aspartame ... ildren.htm

however, whilst reading through the Skeptics website, following a link to that site in the acupuncture thread, I read amongst the comments to the acupuncture article, that some scientists do not accept that aspartame is a poison but regard it as a harmless sweetener. Does anyone else have any opinions or facts surrounding this matter?

I feel a little surprised after reading the comment in the Skeptic, as if my whole reason for liking or disliking something is/was just based on something that I read years ago, and it calls into question lots of things that I believe or disbelieve in. Aspartame to me, was a fundamental - I would have argued against it in the highest court in the land. Is this what the web is doing to us? Or rather, is this what the web is doing to me?
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

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Tetenterre
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Re: Aspartame

#2 Post by Tetenterre » September 29th, 2011, 1:49 pm

It's fine, unless you have phenylketoneurea (PKU) -- but the same applies to breast milk. The anti-aspartame stuff on the Betty Martini site that you cited has been repeatedly shown to be false in almost every important respect -- but it won't lie down and die (welcome to the internet!).

Even Snopes has it listed as a false urban myth.
Steve

Quantum Theory: The branch of science with which people who know absolutely sod all about quantum theory can explain anything.

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Alan H
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Re: Aspartame

#3 Post by Alan H » September 29th, 2011, 2:00 pm

What Tetenterre said.

Steven Novella concluded:
Aspartame is a highly studied food additive with decades of research showing that it is safe for human consumption. As expected, the research is complex making it possible to cherry pick and misinterpret individual studies in order to fear monger. But the totality of research, reviewed by many independent agencies and expert panels, supports the safety of aspartame.

A conspiracy to hide the risks of aspartame, however, remains a popular internet urban legend that will likely not disappear anytime soon.
You can find more good information using the Google Custom Search I created to search the main skeptic blogs and websites. You can do other searches from my blog.
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1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
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3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

Fia
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Re: Aspartame

#4 Post by Fia » September 29th, 2011, 2:14 pm

Or one can eschew artificial sweeteners altogether and just use - shock horror - sugar, syrup or honey. They taste so much better :)
I will not have coke irn bru etc in the house. 100% fruit juice and fizzy water make a great fizzy drink. Our tap water is fabulous to drink too, but I do remember London tap water being pretty revolting to drink...

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animist
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Re: Aspartame

#5 Post by animist » September 29th, 2011, 2:56 pm

Fia wrote:Our tap water is fabulous to drink too, but I do remember London tap water being pretty revolting to drink...
you posh boreal b****** (only joking!)

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Dave B
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Re: Aspartame

#6 Post by Dave B » September 29th, 2011, 4:50 pm

Aspartame is totally tasteless to me - it's a genetic thing it seems.
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Carja
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Re: Aspartame

#7 Post by Carja » September 29th, 2011, 5:28 pm

First, I have a problem with restless leg syndrome. I only get it if I consume too much salt or any artificial sweetener. It's almost impossible to totally stay away from salt, so I am very strict and eat my biggest meal a lunch and then stay away from salt the rest of the day. But, if I consume any artificial sweetener, no matter what time of day, my restless leg syndrome acts up that night.

As far as what to drink is concerned, there was a taste test several years ago testing which no calorie drinks tasted the best. Ice water won.
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Dave B
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Re: Aspartame

#8 Post by Dave B » September 29th, 2011, 6:20 pm

Out of all the colas I have to admit that I like Diet Coke the best. Since Aspartame is one of the sweetners in it, which I cannot taste, it has that nice, sharp refreshing taste I seem to remember before adding far too much sweetner (of any kind) became the industry standard practice.

Like Bournville chocolate, I remember it as being a tad on the cocoa/bitter side of the taste spectrum (which I liked), it is now too sweet for even my degrading sense of taste.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
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Fia
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Re: Aspartame

#9 Post by Fia » September 29th, 2011, 8:54 pm

Carja wrote:...if I consume any artificial sweetener, no matter what time of day, my restless leg syndrome acts up that night.
Odd isn't it? We know anecdote does not equal evidence, yet we know our own bodies. The place where woo practitioners ply their trade...

I think there's actually no justifiable place for artificial sweeteners apart from being able to give some diabetics a safe sweet fix. But unless the manufacturers can create a bigger market it's too expensive to produce. Couple this with food processing - as it's darn hard to feed our urban areas without it - the catastrophic decline of basic cooking skills and the drive everywhere culture of us rich occidentals they have a market. Whilst coca-cola take water to sell hydration to folk who are thirsty but don't have access to clean water, and somehow this is OK.
Not by me. perhaps I should have taken this to the rant thread
Carja wrote:As far as what to drink is concerned, there was a taste test several years ago testing which no calorie drinks tasted the best. Ice water won.
Quite :clap:

And I agree, Dave B, Bournville, and indeed most British chocolate, is far too sweet.

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Dave B
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Re: Aspartame

#10 Post by Dave B » September 29th, 2011, 9:20 pm

I will mention that salt/sweetner theory of busy leg syndrome to Carole, who suffers from it. She is currently quietly celebrating the (apparent) link between the tooth-paste she used to use and her frequent attacks of mouths ulcers. A shortage of her usual one led her to try another - so far the ulcers have been just about absent. Even bloody tooth-paste can have sweetners in it now!

I have to admit to using Sucron in my coffer and cereals. That's 85% sugar and 15% sacharin. Means that I use about 1/3 my usual sugar and, for some reason, do not get the bitter after-taste that sacharin alone usually gives me. That is about the sum of my sweet toothedness - savoury is more my (very rare) cup of Bovril! I can drink green tea without sweetner, but not BR or coffee.
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
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Alan C.
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Re: Aspartame

#11 Post by Alan C. » September 29th, 2011, 9:30 pm

Fia
Whilst coca-cola take water to sell hydration to folk who are thirsty but don't have access to clean water, and somehow this is OK.
Quite right Fia.

The world's biggest drinks firm tries to fend off its green critics
The firm improved its water efficiency by 6% between 2003 and 2004. In 2002, it took 3.12 litres of water to produce one litre of final product (as much water is used to clean the assembly lines, flush out glass bottles, and so on). In 2004, that global average came down to 2.72 litres. Mr Srivastava is not impressed: he grouses that it is “ridiculous that a firm that calls itself a ‘hydration company’ should waste so much water; most of it does not even end up in the product.”
Cross posting with Dave.
I can drink green tea without sweetener, but not BR or coffee.
Neither Mary nor myself could drink tea or coffee with added sweetener (30+years), try it it's easier than giving up fags. (that's ciggies for our US friends)
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Marian
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Re: Aspartame

#12 Post by Marian » September 30th, 2011, 10:18 pm

I think it's really a toss up depending on the situation. I would prefer not to give Curtis diet colas because I don't really like the aspartame. ATST, he really has to watch his weight so regular colas are out of the question. Even fruit drinks have a lot of sugar albeit probably less than cola. But he likes cola. There is so much he can't do, I don't have the heart to take away yet one more thing. I think I'll just live with all the issues and give him the diet cola....:))))
Transformative fire...

Fia
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Re: Aspartame

#13 Post by Fia » September 30th, 2011, 11:10 pm

Marian wrote:I think it's really a toss up depending on the situation. .....There is so much he can't do, I don't have the heart to take away yet one more thing.
Agreed Marian. My Mum reluctantly gave up smoking 2 years before she died, being bullied into it by a zealous GP. In retrospect she would have been happier to continue smoking, as it wasn't the smoking that killed her.

Marian
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Re: Aspartame

#14 Post by Marian » September 30th, 2011, 11:33 pm

I hear you. I do think the dr has a responsibility to inform but not to bully. Good intentions are ok but I think when it comes to end of life issues, happiness plays a bigger role.
Transformative fire...

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Alan H
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Re: Aspartame

#15 Post by Alan H » October 4th, 2011, 10:00 am

Another article on Aspartame just published: Artificial Sweeteners: Is Aspartame Safe?
Alan Henness

There are three fundamental questions for anyone advocating Brexit:

1. What, precisely, are the significant and tangible benefits of leaving the EU?
2. What damage to the UK and its citizens is an acceptable price to pay for those benefits?
3. Which ruling of the ECJ is most persuasive of the need to leave its jurisdiction?

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Alicja
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Re: Aspartame

#16 Post by Alicja » October 4th, 2011, 10:49 am

I've always been happy with aspartame. I always buy low calorie drinks. None of my children have shown any reactions, except that they all have good teeth.
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stevenw888
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Re: Aspartame

#17 Post by stevenw888 » October 4th, 2011, 1:27 pm

My initial aversion to aspartame was indeed started by a (snopes-type) email, but subsequently an alarmist 4 page article which appeared in the April 2006 edition of The Ecologist Magazine, authored by Pat Thomas, who used to write regularly for the magazine. I will try to track the article down - it certainly alledged that aspartame was responsible for some serious life threatening conditions. I am a regular subscriber to The Ecologist and am a bit alarmed to think that it might be liable to publish "conspiracy theory" or "woo" journalism. I have always regarded it as a serious, semi-scientific journal.
"There are old pilots and there are bold pilots, but there are no old, bold pilots." - From the film "Top Gun"

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Dave B
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Re: Aspartame

#18 Post by Dave B » October 4th, 2011, 4:17 pm

Alan H wrote:Another article on Aspartame just published: Artificial Sweeteners: Is Aspartame Safe?
Good article that, Alan!
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getreal
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Re: Aspartame

#19 Post by getreal » October 4th, 2011, 11:21 pm

Oooo! I was sure I had posted a long reply in this thread.

Can't understand where it went

:shrug:

...basically, I was saying that I thought it was just another unscientific piece of nonsense.
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Dave B
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Re: Aspartame

#20 Post by Dave B » October 5th, 2011, 9:27 am

I'm guessing that,
. . . just another unscientific piece of nonsense.
refers to the idea that aspartame is unsafe and not to the blog article that Alan linked? :wink:
"Look forward; yesterday was a lesson, if you did not learn from it you wasted it."
Me, 2015

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