this post was submitted on 29 Jun 2023
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Aspartame is also linked in some studies to weight gain, GI disorders, mental health issues and more:

According to some studies, aspartame and other artificial sweeteners can lead to weight gain instead of weight loss 12. Aspartame has been linked to increased appetite, diabetes, metabolic derangement and obesity-related diseases 2.

One study showed that aspartame causes greater weight gain than a diet with the same calorie intake but no aspartame 1. Another study found that even acceptable daily intakes of aspartame might make you hungrier and lead to weight gain 3.

...some research suggests an association between aspartame intake and metabolic damage to the central nervous system (CNS), such as changes in enzyme and neurotransmitter activities 2. Aspartame acts as a chemical stressor by elevating plasma cortisol levels and causing the production of excess free radicals. High cortisol levels and excess free radicals may increase the brain’s vulnerability to oxidative stress which may have adverse effects on neurobehavioral health 3.

There is also some evidence that high-aspartame consumption may lead to weaker spatial orientation, irritability, depression, and other neurobehavioral conditions 14. However, these studies are limited in scope and further research is needed to determine the long-term effects of aspartame on human health.

Worth researching more, especially if you eat/drink anything with this stuff - and it's in a lot of food products.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

So it’s like the list of carcinogens in California that everything is basically carcinogenic

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

In other news, blood Is red. Jk. In all seriousness we have known aspartame causes issues for awhile now

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I'm not sure because I think more studies need to be done.

What I do know is I never liked diet coke or anything with artificial sweeteners. Never drank them. But when I got cancer I craved it. During chemo it was the only thing I could drink without issue. So there's that.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I am curious whether this will actually impact what is considered safe to consume on a daily basis.

Again, many things are unhealthy and carcinogenic in large quantities. The infamos study showed that Aspartame was causing cancer in mice but the amounts they were given would be like humans eating bags of it every day.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

For context, this is the same designation that bacon currently has, amongst a whole bunch of other things we all eat.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah, but bacon is probably like the unhealthiest meat you can eat. Its packed with sodium nitrites to retain its pink hue and is absolutely off the charts for actual sodium content as well as saturated fat, which makes up nearly 70% of its calories. If you were eating a 1kg pack of bacon the way I see people chugging a daily liter o cola, it would be incredibly unhealthy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Causes it, or possibly causes it? Seems like they should get their ducks in a row and find out conclusively?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

There is no "conclusively".

What do you mean by "causes cancer"? Do you mean "any quantity at all causes immediate cancer in all people"? Because nothing does. Do you mean "some quantity over any time period causes cancer in some people?" Because almost everything does (just ask California).

The latter is probably closer to what they mean. But we don't consume gallons of aspartame daily for 50 years.

So the real question is "what is the risk when consumed in realistic quantities?" And it turns out there is almost no risk.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Hasn’t it already been proven to facilitate the development of Alzheimer? Honest question - I’m a layman in medicine and just worried about my dad chugging tons of diet products full of aspartame, thinking it’s the healthy choice (as opposed to non-diet lemonade for instance).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I don't know enough to disqualify the studies they cite, but I guess at least these folks seem to be the opposite of industry shills? There is an Alzheimer's section. US Right to Know: Aspartame

The Alzheimer's Association (safely covering their asses) defers to the FDA's approval but does note concerns have been raised. it's myth 5 here

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Looks over at his Sweet N Low packets 😬

(I know, saccharin vs aspartame)

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (2 children)

IDK why people are so determined to consume that shit.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

I need my caffeine, but loathe the taste of coffee. So I drink tons of coke. If I drank the sugar variation, my size would be measured in football field units. With diet, I at least am not morbidly obese.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Because I like cold carbonated drinks, I like the taste of cola, but I don't like the thick, sugary, syrupy taste of actual Coke?

Surely you realize it's not because we have "aspartame cravings" or that we somehow think it's healthier (there's nothing healthy about Coke in any form anyway)...

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[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago (3 children)

So let's say we stop playing semantics to the degree of harm and say that aspartame is not good for humans. Ok. What sweetener currently on the market is the least damaging option for me to pursue?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Probably regular sugar in moderation. Unfortunately moderation doesn't seem to be a word that food companies understand when it comes to sugar or sweetener. But if you drink coffee and add your own sugar, then that's probably the safest. At least your body knows what it is and how to deal with it.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Feels like there are 2 classes of sweeteners:

  • Proven to be bad for your health
  • Not yet proven to be bad for your health

And whenever one in the second category becomes popular, it inevitably transitions to the first category.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Also, "proven" is a minefield these days. There are so many agents with so many agendas conducting these so-called medical studies. It's difficult to know what to trust. For example, for decades the sugar industry has been paying "scientists" to conduct dodgy studies into the effects of fat in your diet in an attempt to deflect from the true horrors of added sugar.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

Stevia, erythritol, xylitol.

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