| Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in most diet, | | | | Anxiety and panic attacks |
| sugar-free and diabetic products that would normally | | | | Menstrual problems or changes |
| contain sugar. Beverages, baked goods, ice cream, | | | | Higher susceptibility to infections |
| gelatins, candy, syrups, jams and jellies are some of | | | | Muscle spasms |
| the foods that commonly contain aspartame. While the | | | | Phobias |
| sweetener was long touted as a wonderful substitute, | | | | Noticeable personality changes |
| allowing diabetics to enjoy sugar-free sweets. The | | | | Nausea or vomiting |
| side effects are now known, though, and they can be | | | | Diarrhea |
| quite debilitating. | | | | Depression |
| In 1965, a chemist was working on an anti-ulcer drug. | | | | Chronic fatigue |
| He licked his finger after accidentally contaminating it | | | | Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia |
| with the drug and found it to be very sweet. This was | | | | Migraines |
| the birth of aspartame. Preliminary tests caused brain | | | | Hair thinning or loss |
| tumors in rats so it was not approved by the FDA for | | | | Hearing and vision loss |
| many years. By 1983, it was approved for many foods | | | | Hypertension |
| and by 1996, all restrictions had been lifted in the US. | | | | Chest pains and heart palpitations |
| The only warning aspartame carries is for those born | | | | Seizures, convulsions and tremors |
| with phenylketonuria (also known as PKU.) One | | | | Death |
| ingredient of aspartame, phenylalanine, is dangerous for | | | | Aspartame has also been linked to lymphoma and |
| those with PKU and can cause mental retardation. | | | | brain cancer in a few cases. |
| More recently, though, other health risks have been | | | | Research |
| associated with aspartame consumption, though the | | | | Aspartame research is as controversial as the |
| FDA has not yet taken any action towards restricting | | | | reported side effects are. Scientists conducting human |
| it. | | | | studies often choose capsules, which are slow |
| Aspartame is commonly marketed under the name | | | | releasing, rather than a common form of ingestion, like |
| NutraSweet, Equal and Canderel. Saccharin and | | | | sugar-free beverages. Because the absorption is |
| sucralose, the main ingredients in other artificial | | | | much slower with the capsules, the results of the tests |
| sweeteners, do not pose the exact same risks as | | | | aren't necessarily reliable. |
| aspartame, though they do each come with their own | | | | What Makes Aspartame Dangerous |
| set of potential side effects. | | | | When you consume aspartame, about 10% of it is |
| Side Effects | | | | broken down into methanol in the small intestine. |
| In 1995 it was reported, by the FDA, that aspartame | | | | Methanol is transformed into formaldehyde, a |
| accounted for three quarters of all adverse reactions | | | | potentially lethal substance that is known to cause |
| to food substance reports from 1981 to 1995. Among | | | | rapid, shallow breathing, hypothermia, and can cause |
| the nearly 100 reported symptoms reported, the mild | | | | comas. |
| ones include: | | | | A 1998 study in Spain found that formaldehyde |
| Feeling flush in the face | | | | produced by methanol breakdown from aspartame |
| Itching | | | | consumption collected in the brain, liver and kidneys in |
| Other allergy-like side effects | | | | lab animals. Some scientists, however, claim there is |
| Burning eyes and throat | | | | not enough methanol produced to cause toxicity. |
| Excessive thirst or hunger | | | | Many users of aspartame treat it like a blank check to |
| Inability to concentrate | | | | eat all the sweets and sugary foods they desire. |
| Numbness or tingling of extremities | | | | Because most foods that contain aspartame are |
| Bloating | | | | either free of nutrients and/or filled with empty calories, |
| Weight gain | | | | like processed flour, it likely contributes to being |
| More serious symptoms include: | | | | overweight or obese. While refined sugar consumption |
| Asthmatic reactions | | | | also contributes to obesity, when used in moderation it |
| Impotency and sexual problems | | | | usually carries few other long term effects. |