It is about 200 times more sweet than sucrose, or table sugar and is used in diet fizzy drinks, 'no sugar' products and as a sweetener for you to add to your own tea and coffee.
But does it cause us damage? Have you ever heard that aspartame can make spaces in your brain?
Research suggests that aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx
Although even though this research exists some associations suggest it is. "one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved" and its safety is "clear cut" Henkel, John (November–December 1999). "Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite". FDA Consumer.
When regarding research it is always good to look at it with a critical eye and work out which researcher will have your best interests at heart. I will certainly not be consuming products containing aspartame. Somewhere along the line someone made a mistake when they said it was ok to allow certain chemicals into our foods without sufficient research. Often medicines or additives that have been used for years will suddenly be found to be highly damaging. This is a such a wooly area which is riddled with financial motives and consumer confusion.
I feel that it is not a wise move for us to be adding artificial chemical compounds to our food when it is not necessary and possibly not safe.
When it has reached the point that we are looking at consuming things even though they are possibly damaging to us, we need to pay attention. If you are doing a 'weigh off' in your mind against weight gain and aspartame intake then it is time to really consider your diet and your views on health. If you are craving sugar so much that it is worth the risk of causing potential damage to your body then reducing these cravings is a good place to start.
Make your choices based on what makes sense to you. It makes sense to me to keep it natural.
Josie
Aspartame Food/Beverage List
| Diet Coca Cola (all varieties) Coca Cola Zero (all varieties) Diet Pepsi (all varieties) Pepsi Max (all varieties) Diet Irn Bru (all varieties) Lilt Zero (all varieties) Sprite Zero (all varieties) Tango (all varieties) Tango no added sugar (all varieties) 7up Free (all varieties) Lucozade Sport (all varieties) Schweppes Slimline Drinks (all varieties) Fanta Zero (all varieties) Fanta Orange Dr Pepper Zero Oasis Summer Fruits Extra Light Oasis Citrus Punch | Soft Drink |
| Ribena Really light (all varieties) Robinsons Orange Squash Robinson’s No added sugar range | Cordial |
| Muller Light Cherry Muller Light Blueberry Muller Light Raspberry Muller Light Banana and Custard Danone Activia Cherry Weight Watchers Fromage Frais Weight Watchers Toffee and Vanilla | Yoghurt |
| Wrigleys Airwaves (all varieties) Wrigleys Orbit (all varieties) Wrigleys Extra (all varieties) | Chewing Gum |
| Uncle Ben’s Sweet and Sour Light | Cooking Sauce |
| Walkers Sensations Sweet Thai Chilli Walkers Sensations Lime and Thai Spices Walkers Prawn Cocktail | Crisps |
| Canderel Silver Spoon Sweetness and Light Silver Spoon Light Granulated Sugar | Tabletop Sweeteners |
| Cadburys Highlights (all varieties) Options Hot Chocolate Drink (all varieties) (http://supersweetblog.wordpress.com/list-of-products-containing-aspartame/) |
Related Posts:
Controlling Sugar Cravings:
http://therealfoodcoach.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-sustain-your-energy-levels.html
Sugar More addictive than cocaine?
http://therealfoodcoach.blogspot.com/2012/01/sugar-more-addictive-than-cocaine.html
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