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What The FDA Doesn’t Want You To Know About Aspartame
My mother always told me to avoid ‘diet’ drinks at all costs. I grew up thinking it was bad and poisonous. I thought the people who drank it were bad. I wasn’t far wrong. However, the people who drank it – I realize now – are not ‘bad’, they are simply and sadly misinformed. I didn’t know it at the time, but diet drinks contain a product called ‘aspartame’. An artificial sweetener. It completely replaces sugar and apparently is ‘low fat’.
Be that as it may – but I’m sorry, ‘low fat’ is no draw card for me. I would rather be chubby than pumped full of well, crap. Because aspartame is, to put it nicely, crap. Anything that is a substitute for something is to be completely avoided in my opinion!
I recently read an article here that outlines the full horrors of aspartame. It outlines all the things that the FDA don’t really want the public to know – and all the 90+ side effects of the drug.
I don’t want to bore you or confuse you with complicated language (I had to read it several times myself to understand it all!)… so I’ll just give a few details! Aspartame was actually initially refused approval many times because of the negative effects it had on the testing rats. However when Reagan came into power, he sacked the FDA commissioner and hired someone of his own choice. Long story short – he overruled the entire board who vehemently disapproved the drug and allowed it to be added to soft drinks.
The beginning of the aspartame journey set the scene for the rest of its life to date. In 1993, the FDA approved use of aspartame in foods that would typically be heated to above 86 degrees. Then in 1996, the allowed its use in any food. Without informing the public. In basic terms, the trouble with heating up aspartame to above 86 degrees means that it mutates and produces methanol. In turn, methanol breaks down and produces formaldehyde. The trouble with formaldehyde is that it is known to be an active carcinogen – a cancer causing product. There are many side effects of formaldehyde – main ones being causing blindness, birth defects, and DNA altering enzymes.
The worrying thing is that aspartame is in so many products these days. Soda, chewing gum – actually over 5000 products.
It is claimed to be perfectly safe for all people – from diabetics, to pregnant women, to children. However, there is so much controversy out there – which specifically claim its dangers towards such individuals. I’ve heard of so many cases – seen a whole lot first hand even – where people have been diagnosed with ‘ms’ and all kinds of other diseases. Sometimes these people are on their death beds. They’re paralysed and can’t move. Then they quite drinking diet Coke – and within a very very short space of time, they’re back on their feet and well again.
For some, ignorance is bliss. But what are you going to do when you suddenly feel sick and doctors misdiagnose you? I just want to say – I’m not here to give scientifically proven data about aspartame and its ill effects – I’m not a scientist, just an average Jane. I’m just here to spark a bit of awareness, to make you think about what you’re putting into your precious body. After all, you only have one, and it’s supposed to last around 80 years. Are you treating it right?
Aspartame may be safe, or it may be very harmful. In my book its a little like walking in the centre of the road. In theory it is safe because people are supposed to stay in their lanes. But it is dicing with danger because no-one really knows if the car will stay where it is ‘supposed’ to, or what the next driver to come around the bend is thinking/doing – its dangerous! But then it may be safe. So think again before you consume a diet soda, or eat gum that contains phenylanylene. Would you rather be safe or sorry?
Comment by Dave Saunders
30 May 2008
Here’s a new study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition showing the direct and indirect effects of Aspartame on the brain. Add this to the 100s of published studies showing how obviously toxic this stuff is.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/3168296/Direct-and-indirect-cellular-effects-of-aspartame-on-the-Brain-European-Journal-of-Clinical-Nutrition-2008