Aspartame is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener that has been used in the United States since 1981, although it wasn't approved for use in diet sodas until 1983. It is currently sold under the brand names of NutraSweet and Equal, and is added to thousands of food products worldwide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration maintains that aspartame has been well tested and is perfectly safe. Some members of the scientific and medical communities, however, dispute aspartame's safety, and blame it for causing various negative side effects.
Neurological Effects
The safety of aspartame has become a raging controversy within the medical and scientific communities. Some studies conclude it is safe, while others cite side effects. Robert Walton M.D. surveyed the studies of aspartame in the peer-reviewed medical literature and found 166 studies relevant to human safety: 74 had aspartame industry funding and all found no human safety issues; the other 92 were independently funded and over 90 percent of them found serious health concerns with aspartame, as cited in "Nutrition and Public Health."
The most commonly reported side effects of aspartame use are neurologically related because the breakdown products of aspartame are considered as neurotoxins, according to "Human Biochemistry and Disease." Some of the metabolites of aspartame include aspartic acid, glutamate, phenylalanine, methanol and diketopiperazine, all of which are harmful to neurons. Common neurological side effects reported from aspartame use include headaches, migraines, mood alteration, dizziness, visual disturbance, seizures, memory loss, fatigue, tinnitus, depression, anxiety, slurred speech, numbness or pain in the limbs, tremors, severe hyperactivity and restless legs.
Gastrointestinal Effects
Aspartame can cause gastrointestinal side effects, especially from diet soda, as it is absorbed and metabolized quicker. Common gastrointestinal complaints include stomach upset, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea and weight gain due to fluid accumulation. Although most people drink diet soda to reduce their calorie consumption and lose weight, a few studies have found that switching to diet soda causes gradual weight gain, according to "Fluids and Electrolytes with Clinical Application." The weight gain is not due to fat, but rather fluid accumulation around the lower abdomen caused by the metabolites of aspartame.
May Contribute to Diabetes
Many diet soda drinkers are diabetics who are trying to avoid the negative effects of sugar, although aspartame may be more harmful. According to research done by H.J. Roberts M.D., a diabetes specialist and expert on artificial sweeteners, aspartame use can trigger clinical diabetes. In a 2003 article published in "Nutrition Health Review," Dr. Roberts explains that aspartame tricks the pancreas into secreting too much insulin, which removes too much glucose from the blood, creating hypoglycemia and the clinical symptoms of diabetes. Aspartame also overstimulates the pancreas, causing inflammation and pain known as pancreatitis. Pancreatitis can further disrupt the pancreatic Islet cells, which are responsible for producing and releasing insulin.
Russell L. Blaylock M.D., a neurosurgeon and author of "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills," states that excitotoxins from the metabolism of aspartame are the main factor that can lead to clinical diabetes, especially in people genetically susceptible to the disease. Dr. Blaylock believes there is strong evidence to show that early exposure to aspartame leads to obesity and insulin resistant diabetes, especially in children.
References
- "Nutrition and Public Health"; Sari Edelstein; 2006
- "Human Biochemistry and Disease"; Gerald Litwack; 2008
- "Fluids and Electrolytes with Clinical Application"; Joyce LeFever Kee; 2010
- "Nutrition Health Review"; The Trouble With Sweeteners; H.J. Roberts M.D.; July 2003
- "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills"; Russell L. Blaylock M.D.; 1996
Member Comments