Posted on 02/12/2006 7:22:02 PM PST by neverdem
Artificial sweeteners are bad news, but aspartame is truly scary stuff. This is not the first study to come to such a conclusion. Brain tumors, too. Avoid, avoid.
I'm hesitant about splenda (sucralose) too, given that it is a chlorinated hydrocarbon-- chemically related to insecticides.
Ironically, the safest artificial sweetener on the market seems to be saccharin. Then there's stevia, which is a natural sweetener, but even it presents possible health issues.
Frankly, folks should avoid artificial sweeteners anyway. Try flavored sparkling waters from Crystal Geyser instead-- refreshing, zero calories. Need a kick of caffeine? Have some coffee or tea.
But avoid the fake stuff.
ADM was responsible for the fraudulent study against saccharin...and spread a LOT of money to Congress/Senators/FDA to get saccharin pulled in favor of it's new proprietary sweetener Aspartame..that had NO LONG TERM STUDIES as to what it might possibly do to a body long-term! Aspartame also cannot be HEATED (That Aldehyde thing again...), unlike saccharin and Sucralose (Splenda)!
They also tried to do the same to Sucralose(Splenda)...until McNeil Speciallty fought back!
Now ADM is spreading around HUGE $$$ to push Ethanol fuels...and funny, but that good 'ol Oil Boy GWB is on board! After telling America that we are "Addicted to Oil"!
Funny, but Rush has ALWYAS maintained that Oil is the fuel for the Engine of Freedom. Seems like someone is out of step here...
ADM is a BIG problem in food additives, and corruption of politics! I wouldn't be surprised if they weren't pro-Illegal as well...to cut down on that overhead!
Hubby has started using it as well, and doesn't mind the taste. We found that there is a Diet Coke with Splenda, and it tastes pretty good, so he drinks that at work sometimes. Breyers also makes Splenda sweetened ice cream that's mighty tasty.
They still make it that way in Mexico, or so I've heard.
BOYLAN'S is a brand of soda that is sweetened with cane syrup. Our kids love it! I can get it at BJ's and at Trader Joe's
That doesn't mean we can't look for alternatives, so we don't have to depend on oil that comes from such volatile sources.
These studies are rife with correlations but can never seem to isolate the cause. I'm sure Soffritti's study will create enough fear to generate huge amounts of funding for future research though.
From the article:
"BUT Dr. Kenneth E. McMartin, a methanol expert and professor of pharmacology, toxicology and neuroscience at the Louisiana State University Medical Center, said he believed that it was unlikely that someone could consume enough aspartame to let harmful levels of formaldehyde build up in the body."
McMartin is absolutely right. There is no evidence that formaldehyde from methanol has ever injured anyone. Aspartame is extremely sweet and only very small amounts of it are used. The amount of formaldehyde metabolized from methanol is so minute that it is easily detoxified by the liver. There has been concern that the formic acid from formaldehyde causes metabolic acidosis. This is more nonsense. There is no way formaldehyde can create enough acid for the liver to be unable to handle it.
The liver readily detoxifies large amounts of alcohol, which is a poison, so it can easily remove the small amounts of formaldehyde from aspartame. But, like anything else, if you overwhelm the body with something all sorts of bad things can occur.
Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group (read: Toxic Terrorists), said he did not think that Dr. Soffritti's study could be considered definitive, but that it should prompt an "urgent re-examination
These two quotes tell me everything I need to know about what motivates these studies.
I remember when Diet Rite had cyclamates. It was awesome....but that was banned.
"I use Splenda. It is indistinguishable from sugar."
Really? It leaves a brown froth on the top of my coffee that looks like a head on beer.
Wasn't Gatorade in the same boat?
Do you drink alcohol? That's broken down into ethanol, which is converted to acid aldehyde. The liver seems pretty adept at dealing with that aldehyde. Or, is it NOT that type of aldehyde?
Don't know.
Outstanding! Guess I won't have to worry about cirrhosis then.
Got a Mexican grocery nearby?
See if they sell Cokes imported from Mexico.
It'll take you back in time.
And, if you drink enough, embalming.
: ^ )
The difference is, unless you are an alcoholic, your liver will NOT see the levels of Aldehyde that they will see as a diet soda drinker...never mind those drink both to excess.
The ethanol to acid aldehyde process is also a longer metabolic process in the body than the Aspartame to Aldehyde...especially if the Aspartame is heated.
I think so. I remember drinking tons of it back in the early '70s then, poof, gone. Pretty sure it was due to cyclamates.
LOL! That'll make my wife happy. When I croak she can just toss me out back.
"My husband loves the stuff. I do the wifely nag thing every now and then,......."
Gee, sounds like my house. My wife rags on me all the time but I just don't want to give up my Diet Dr Pepper.
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