April Newsletter from Dr Jared Hanson ND LAc:

The Dangers of Aspartame

Many people drink diet sodas and eat “sugar-free” foods in an effort to be healthier by avoiding sugar and losing weight. Most of these products are sweetened with aspartame, an artificial sweetener with a very questionable track record for safety.

Every single study done on aspartame that was not funded by the aspartame industry has concluded that there are significant health risks associated with aspartame ingestion. Not surprisingly, every study sponsored by the aspartame industry has concluded it was safe.

After ingestion, aspartame is metabolized into formaldehyde, a very toxic chemical which accumulates in the cells and damages enzymes and genetic material. In addition, 40% of the aspartame goes on to break down into aspartic acid, an excitatory neurotransmitter that can act as a toxin and actually kill neurons (those are your brain cells, folks) by overstimulation.

Here are some of the more alarming findings from published scientific research:

• A Swedish study has identified a correlation between diet soda ingestion and brain tumors in humans. This is supported by animal studies in which long-term ingestion of aspartame has led to brain tumors
• An Italian study has linked long-term aspartame use with increased incidence of leukemia and lymphoma.
• Aspartame ingestion has been found to produce fibromyalgia syndrome.
• Regular consumers of aspartame have been found to be more likely to suffer from long-term memory lapses than non-users. These included forgetting details of personal routines or whether or not a task had been completed.
• Ironically enough, an eight year study from the University of Texas found a "41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day." That’s right, aspartame may actually make you gain weight!

And if that wasn’t enough, aspartame toxicity has also been linked to:

• seizures and convulsions
• arthritic and joint pain
• chronic fatigue syndrome
• depression
• vision damage and loss
• tingling in the extremities
• slurring of speech
• irritability
• severe anxiety attacks
• menstrual problems
• constipation
• blood sugar control problems
• symptoms similar to multiple sclerosis
• symptoms similar to Parkinson disease

If you suffer from any of these conditions, it would definitely be worth cutting aspartame out of your diet to see if symptoms improve. Be aware though that some people who are used to a regular aspartame intake can actually suffer from withdrawal symptoms. Remember that aspartame breaks down into nervous system stimulants, people who seem to be addicted to diet soda are not just getting a caffeine fix. The most common withdrawal symptom is headache.

And don’t think you’re off the hook by switching to sucralose (Splenda). Chemically, sucralose is a chlorocarbon, just like DDT, PCBs and other pesticides. It was originally being researched as an insecticide when it was accidentally discovered to be sweet. In animal studies it has caused liver inflammation (like all chlorocarbons), kidney calcification and atrophy of the thymus gland (which controls the immune system). Yum!

Though it may surprise some, instead of using these poisonous alternatives, I recommend people go back to using good old table sugar. It may not be good for you but it’s not as bad as the competition. For a healthier option, try stevia or agave nectar. Another, often overlooked, option is to simply reduce the amount of sugar you use and gradually get accustomed to a lower level of sweetness. You will find that you need less and less of any kind of sweetener.