Aspartame: Top 5 Things to Avoid

There are thousands upon thousands of man-made chemicals that get into our food supply on a daily basis. Pesticides, toxins, additives, and environmental irritants have become a mainstay in our food, and most American’s either accept this fact or do not know they exist in food. I have narrowed down the list of thousands to five. My list is based on a) PREVALENCE- how much these substances appear in the food, b) PHYSIOLOGICAL DAMAGE- how much these substances change our body chemistry, and c) ELIMINATION/HEALING- how often people eliminate these substances and are alleviated of chronic conditions/symptoms they may have. With that said, lets find out what’s in our food that is making us tired, sick, inflamed, sluggish, and feeling less than our best. 



1. Aspartame

Aspartame aka Equal, Nutrasweet, Spoonful, and Equal Measure is a sugar substitute that was approved in 1983(1). It exists in over 4,000 products and the most commonly consumed are diet sodas. It is said to be 200 times sweeter than sugar. The food industry markets aspartame as a sugar substitute that is safe for diabetics and good for weight loss. This is complete rubbish. Piles of studies tell a different story, and the FDA continues to be the class dunce when it comes to food safety.

In 1988, 80% of all complaints by consumers to the FDA involved aspartame (2). Aspartame was once on the Pentagon’s list of biowarfare agents. It is used in laboratory settings to induce brain tumors in rats. In fact, aspartame can be used as rat poison. 

There are 90 different symptoms that have been documented due to aspartame consumption. A few I feel are particularly significant are seizures, insomnia, depression, joint pain, memory loss, migraines, and weight gain. There are also a number of illnesses that can be worsened or even triggered by aspartame consumption: Alzheimer’s, brain tumors, mental retardation, diabetes (remember, people are using aspartame as a sugar substitute), and Parkinson’s (1). 

Out of all the major organs in the body, aspartame most negatively affects our brains. When aspartame is consumed it enters the brain (like everything else we ingest, think alcohol) and acts as a neurotransmitter. Hank Blaylock, M.D. explains that aspartame acts as a neuro-excitotoxin, meaning it excites the neurons to the point of cell death. In other words, consuming aspartame kills brain cells. Once a brain cell is gone, it’s gone for good. 

When aspartame is metabolized in our bodies', one byproduct that rears its ugly head is DKP. There is a direct link between high levels of DKP in the brain and brain tumors (2). Ten percent of aspartame’s make up is methanol aka wood alcohol. When methanol is broken down in the body it results in the formation of formaldehyde, a carcinogen. It also disrupts DNA replication, causes vision problems, and behavioral disturbances (1). 

A quick note on children and infants: There is a link between aspartame and learning disabilities, mental retardation, and autism. Children should NEVER consume aspartame products. 

You might be wondering, “If aspartame is so bad, why is it still in over 4,000 products on the market.” The story is both complex and corrupt and to read more check out this article: http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/fraud.htm

If you get frequent headaches, have trouble remembering things, or find it difficult to sleep at night, try eliminating diet sodas and other aspartame containing products. Many people think they are doing themselves a favor by grabbing the diet Coke instead of regular. However, diet soda is arguably worse than regular, and what they are really grabbing is a large dose of aspartame. It may have less calories and sugar, but ask yourself why this drink tastes so good without sugar? The answer is artificial chemicals that our bodies simply cannot handle.

The truth is, researchers have only scratched the surface of the short-term problems and symptoms of aspartame consumption. Long-term usage has not been studied in depth. My biggest worry about aspartame involves children and adolescents. Hundreds of snacks children consume have aspartame and the vending machines lining the walls of high schools are riddled with aspartame “foods.” Developing brains cannot handle the aspartame neurotoxicity I discussed earlier. It is my belief that aspartame is contributing to the many abnormal conditions teachers observe in their classroom like hyperactivity, ADD, memory loss, and behavioral issues. 

1. Aspartame: What You Know Can Hurt You. Mercola.com. 

2. Roberts, H.J. Aspartame: An FDA Approved Epidemic