Dangers of Artificial Sweeteners. Aspertame and Splenda

Many people have told me that they no longer use sugar but now use Aspartame or Splenda, they’ve even gone as far as to tell me that these artificial sweeteners have been recommended by their doctors. the real truth is that these artificial sweeteners are in no way safe.

Aspertame

First synthesized in 1965, Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used in several food items and beverages as a substitute for sugar. It is used in scores of diet and low calorie food products and is known to us by the familiar brand names of NutraSweet, Spoonful, Equal, etc. People conscious of their weight and the amount of calorie intake include this artificial sweetener in their diet.

Aspartame was first introduced as an ingredient in food items in the year 1981. However, since then aspartame has been the center of a lot of controversies. Grave dangers of Aspartame emerged as the years went by, such as irreparable brain damage when consumed over a long period of time.

Debates about dangers of Aspartame in gum and other food products have been going on since the 1980s. However, aspartame is a FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved product, then how can it be dangerous? The FDA approved this ingredient way back in 1974, then how can it be detrimental to health. It so happens that during the early 80s, the FDA was owned by Donald Rumsfeld, who used this artificial sweetener in a way to mint millions of dollars. He approved the use of aspartame in food products and enjoyed the monetary returns he got.

Since Aspartame was approved by the FDA, most people were left unaware of the dangers of consuming this sweet poison. Pregnant women consuming food items with aspartame end up exposing the fetus to such toxins. The consumption can cause the fetus to accumulate high levels of glutamate which can damage the baby’s brain easily. Not only the fetus brain, but also our neurons can be destroyed completely by Aspartame. Aspartame is such a slow, silent killer that most damage is done before any symptoms such as shortness of breath, palpitations, hearing problems, headaches, etc. can warn us of the damage.

Dangers of Aspartame Poisoning

The dangers of Aspartame poisoning have been a well guarded secret since the 1980s. The research and history of aspartame is conclusive as a cause of illness and toxic reactions in the human body. Aspartame is a dangerous chemical food additive, and its use during pregnancy and by children is one of the greatest modern tragedies of all.

Why haven’t you heard about aspartame poisoning before? Partly because the diet industry is worth trillions of American dollars to corporations, and they want to protect their profits by keeping the truth behind aspartame’s dangers hidden from the public. When NutraSweet® was introduced for the ‘second’ time in 1981, a diet craze revolutionized America’s eating protocols and a well-oiled money machine was set into motion changing modern lifestyles.

After more than twenty years of aspartame use, the number of its victims is rapidly piling up, and people are figuring out for themselves that aspartame is at the root of their health problems. Patients are teaching their doctors about this nutritional peril, and they are healing themselves with little to no support from traditional medicine.

Aspertame and PKU

This sugar substitute, sold commercially as Equal and NutraSweet, was hailed as the savior for dieters who for decades had put up with saccharine’s unpleasant after taste. There are quite a few problems with aspartame. The first is phenylketonuria (PKU). One out of 20,000 babies is born without the ability to metabolize phenylalanine, one of the two amino acids in aspartame. Toxic levels of this substance in the blood can result in mental retardation. Beyond PKU, several scientists believe that aspartame might cause altered brain function and behavior changes in consumers. And many people have reported the following side effects from aspartame:

• Fibromyalgia Syndrome and symptoms of Fibromyalgia
• Multiple Sclerosis symptoms
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Menstrual problems

According to “Sweet Deception,” aspartame can also cause headaches triggering the onset of migraines. It is not known why aspartame causes headaches in certain individuals. You should discontinue use of aspartame if you experience headaches after using the sweetener. Additionally, aspartame may cause weight gain. In certain individuals, the extreme sweetness of aspartame may result in more cravings for sweet foods and beverages, leading to long-term weight gain.

Splenda

Splenda has replaced aspartame as the most used artificial sweetener in foods and beverages. More and more artificial sweeteners are being used today as consumers want products that taste good but don’t pack the calories that are associated with sugar. Aspartame, which used to be used in most artificially sweetened items, was basically forced out of popularity and products because the public became aware of the fact that it can be the cause of many chronic illnesses. James Bowen, a physician, biochemist and survivor of aspartame poisoning is doing his best to warn about Splenda and its implications on those who consume it.

Dr. James Bowen believes that the chlorocarbons (which is what Splenda is) cannot be excreted from our bodies and that will continue to cause damage to our metabolism and eventually if we keep ingesting it, to our internal organs. Bowen believes that the liver is not able to detoxify our body of Splenda because the chlorocarbons in Splenda damage the hepatocytes, which are the liver’s metabolic cells.

Dr. Bowen hasn’t come with up with these beliefs without data to back it up. In fact, there have been test animals that have ingested Splenda and all of them had swollen livers and calcified kidneys. As if these findings weren’t overwhelming enough, it is known that the brain and nervous system are susceptible to metabolic toxicities and can be damaged by the chemicals that are Splenda. It is thought that something as seemingly simple and harmless and Splenda could cause a breakdown in the nervous system, affecting genetics and even immune function. It is also thought that because of the breakdown that chlorocarbon poisoning can cause cancer, birth defects, and total immune system destruction.

Dr. James Bowen says, “We should not be fooled again into accepting the safety of a toxic chemical on the blessing of the FDA and saturation advertising. In terms of potential long term human toxicity we should regard sucralose with its chemical cousin DDT, the insecticide now outlawed because of its horrendous long term toxicities at even minute trace levels in human, avian, and mammalian tissues.”

In short, Splenda is something that we all need to think about before we ingest it. It’s regarded as an artificial sweetener. In most instances, artificial is not a term that has a positive connotation. Why should it be any different with the things that we ingest? We don’t want to think that there are things out there that are FDA approved that aren’t safe, but when you think about aspartame you have to know that there are things out there that just aren’t good for us. We have to be discerning consumers and think about our health long term.

As of 2011, there is a lack of long-term human toxicity studies on the use of Splenda. However, according to “Empty Pleasures: The Story of Artificial Sweeteners from Saccharin to Splenda,” common side effects associated with the use of Splenda include headaches and migraines, nausea, upset stomach, digestive issues and dizziness. While the FDA has not verified any of these side effects, the actual dangers associated with the use Splenda are not known at this time.

Lastly:

If you have kids, you’ll be the first one to notice health and behavioral changes in your children. Children are reacting to artificial sweeteners in harmful ways, but this aspect of the sweetener wars has gone unnoticed in the mainstream health community.  The sweetener corporations market to children by placing soft drink machines in public elementary schools, and by influencing doctors that diet sweeteners don’t cause abnormal behavior and emotional stress in children. When you have exhausted all the other reasons for your child’s poor health or mental/emotional problems, then diet chemicals could be the culprit.

The rising numbers of mental disorders have gone unexplained until now. A diet of chemical foods means a diet of malnutrition, and when the body is starved of nutrients, it becomes mentally and physically stressed. Don’t raise your children on diet chemicals – search for healthy alternatives.

There are tons of pages of links on the web about how wonderful Splenda is, what a safe alternative to sugar it is and so on. Take a close look at where the links originate from. The Splenda industry is very “big business.