Sweet But Deadly

Aspartame is a common ingredient in diet sodas. It is also found in chewing gum, sweets, yogurts, and diet foods. You will find that it is sold in packets as chemical sweeteners and placed on most restaurant tables. Actually, aspartame is found in about 6,000 foods on grocery store shelves.

The fact that aspartame was once listed by the Pentagon as a biochemical warfare agent should be all the information you need to avoid it. But if you’re not convinced, have a look at these rats fed aspartame daily. http://myaspartameexperiment.com This experiment was done by a woman concerned about the amount of aspartame her family was consuming. Each day, she fed 108 rats the amount of aspartame in two-thirds of an 8-ounce serving of diet soda. In less than three years, 37 percent of the female rats developed large tumors. The pictures speak for themselves.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include: Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain.

Many people consume aspartame because they think they are controlling their weight. According to an article in Technology Review, "aspartame may actually stimulate appetite and bring on a craving for carbohydrates." An article in Utne Reader claims, "researchers believe that any kind of sweet taste signals body cells to store carbohydrates and fats, which in turn causes the body to crave more food." From the San Francisco Chronicle, Jean Weininger states that "studies have shown that people who use artificial sweeteners don't necessarily reduce their consumption of sugar or their total calorie intake. Having a diet soda makes it okay to eat a double cheeseburger and a chocolate mousse pie.” The American Cancer Society documented the fact that persons using artificial sweeteners gain more weight than those who avoid them.

Check the labels on foods and beverages to make sure aspartame isn’t an ingredient, especially foods claiming to be “low sugar” or “diet” foods. If you are looking for a healthy alternative to sugar, then try the natural sweetener Stevia. It is plant-based and safe for consumption. Many health food stores sell powdered Stevia. It is incredibly sweet, so you don’t need very much to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Chance Haugen D.C.