The Health Concerns About Aspartame
This video addresses the topic of the health concerns about aspartame. Marketed under the names Equal, NutraSweet and Canderel it is an ingredient in thousands of foods and beverages sold worldwide. Aspartame is also widely used by diabetics as a sweetener.
Click to watch the video The Dangers of Aspartame (11 mins).
Aspartame is currently losing ground to sucralose which retains its sweetness when heated. However, unlike saccharine, it is digested and passes into solution from where it can affect all organs and systems within the body.
Aspartame has been associated with 92 serious symptoms and the following is the list of health complaints attributed to aspartame as submitted to the Food and Drug Administration according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as posted on 6 July 2006.
Percentages shown are of reports and have been rounded to the nearest number. Many people who have health problems caused by aspartame have no idea why nothing they try relieves their symptoms until they identify and remove the cause.
|
Headaches |
21% |
Sleep problems |
3% |
|
Dizziness/poor balance |
11% |
Hives |
3% |
|
Mood swings |
10% |
Change in heart rate |
3% |
|
Vomiting and nausea |
10% |
Itching |
3% |
|
Abdominal pains/cramps |
7% |
Grand mal seizures |
3% |
|
Change in vision |
6% |
Numbness/tingling |
3% |
|
Diarrhoea |
5% |
Local swelling |
2% |
|
Seizures/convulsions |
4% |
Change in activity level |
2% |
|
Memory loss |
4% |
Difficulty breathing |
2% |
|
Fatigue/weakness |
4% |
Oral sensory changes |
2% |
|
Other neurological |
4% |
Change in menstrual pattern |
2% |
|
Rashes |
3% |
Other |
2% |
Nearly half (46%) of these complaints about the health effects of aspartame relate to diet drinks, just over a quarter (26%) to table top sweeteners, 10% to puddings such as gelatin, 6% to lemonade and 5% each to chewing gum, iced tea and hot chocolate with lesser percentages relating to other sundry products.
The health effects of aspartame
The body systems affected by aspartame are listed as follows:
Eyes
-
Blindness in one or both eyes
-
Decreased vision and/or other vision problems
-
Bulging eyes
-
Pain in one or both eyes
-
Trouble with contact lenses
Ears
-
Tinnitus - ringing or buzzing sound
-
Severe intolerance of noise
-
Marked hearing impairment
Neurologic
-
Epileptic seizures
-
Headaches and migraines
-
Dizziness and unsteadiness
-
Confusion and memory loss
-
Severe drowsiness and sleepiness
-
Paraesthesia or numbness of the limbs
-
Severe slurring of speech
-
Severe hyperactivity and restless legs
-
Atypical facial pain
-
Severe tremors
Psychological/Psychiatric
-
Severe depression
-
Irritability
-
Aggression
-
Anxiety
-
Personality changes
-
Insomnia
-
Phobias
-
Aspartame addiction and increased craving for sweets
-
Hyperactivity in children
-
Suicidal tendencies
Cardiovascular and respiratory
Palpitations and/or tachycardia (fast heart beat)
Shortness of breath
Palpitations and/or tachycardia (fast heart beat)
Shortness of breath
-
Palpitations and/or tachycardia (fast heart beat)
-
Shortness of breath
-
Recent high blood pressure
Gastrointestinal
-
Nausea
-
Diarrhoea sometimes accompanied by blood in the stools
-
Abdominal pain
-
Pain when swallowing
-
Lip and mouth reactions
-
Peptic ulcers
Skin and Allergies
-
Aggravated respiratory allergies such as asthma
-
Hives
-
Itching without a rash
Endocrine and Metabolic
-
Loss of control of diabetes
-
Aggravated low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia)
-
Menstrual changes
-
Marked thinning or loss of hair
-
Marked weight loss
-
Gradual weight gain
-
Severe PMS
-
Other
-
Frequency of voiding and burning during urination
-
Excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling and bloating
-
Increased susceptibility to infection
-
Irreversible brain damage
-
Birth defects, including mental retardation
-
Last, but not least: Death!
Illnesses associated with aspartame
In addition to the above, Aspartame may trigger, mimic or cause the following illnesses:
-
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
-
Post-polio Syndrome
-
Epstein-Barr (glandular fever/mononucleosis)
-
Lyme disease
-
Grave’s Disease
-
Meniere’s Disease
-
Alzheimer’s Disease
-
Acute lateral sclerosis (ALS)
-
Epilepsy
-
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
-
Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EMS)
-
Hypothyroidism
-
Mercury sensitivity from amalgam fillings
-
Fibromyalgia
-
Lupus
-
Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
-
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Aspartame: A suggestion
Aspartame is a highly toxic chemical which has no business being in the foods or drinks that you consume - or in the human body. Make sure you are vigilant about checking labels, and buy unprocessed whole foods wherever possible, especially if you can identify with any of the symptoms or illnesses listed above.
Further resources
The above information has been taken from, and further information is available at: www.sweetpoison.com.
A good book on this subject is Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills listed under Natural Recovery in Recommended Reading
“An honest and inspiring book which tackles all aspects of CFS and fibromyalgia and demonstrates thoroughly, that recovery and the return to a normal healthy life is possible."
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