What's with "Aspartame"?

[Slaiv]

why do i see alot of products in the health stores that state they are

"Aspartame Free"

"No Aspartame"

is there something wrong with Aspartame? i checked the ingredients for Equal 0calorie sugar and it contains Aspartame, but the Splenda has no Aspartame, so i guess Splenda would be ok?

but yea, whats with aspartame?

[biodiversity]

I cant diet without aspartame because I drink tones of green tea, coffee, diet coke etc...

[Slaiv]

but what is the significance to aspartame?

and why is it bad? why is it good?

why do some foods brag that it contains no aspartame?

is it bad?

[Big]

http://www.mindbodyhealth.com/aspartame.htm

[Perforator]

Good read. I switched to splenda a while back.

[taiboxa]

the only studies i ever saw on aspartame being proven to be BAD for you is when they were testing on mice and having them practically consume their body weight in it. so unless ur drinking like 12 liters of diet coke per hour or have some sort of Phenylketonurics disorder there is no prob w/ aspartame
hell its just 2 amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine if u completely avoid aspartame u better stop taking anything that contains amino acids.. i.e. PROTEIN in general.

[MarkyMark]

Some have had reactions from Aspartame... thats why they clarify adding or not adding it on labels...

[taiboxa]

Some have had reactions from Aspartame... thats why they clarify adding or not adding it on labels...

hence why i stated the condition of Phenylketonurics in my previous post... but it is VERY VERY RARE.

[godkilla]

you mean i am not gonna die?!

[taiboxa]

you mean i am not gonna die?!

maybe if u eat ur body weight in it .. then u might have some complications.

[Prada]

the only studies i ever saw on aspartame being proven to be BAD for you is when they were testing on mice and having them practically consume their body weight in it. so unless ur drinking like 12 liters of diet coke per hour or have some sort of Phenylketonurics disorder there is no prob w/ aspartame
hell its just 2 amino acids: aspartic acid and phenylalanine if u completely avoid aspartame u better stop taking anything that contains amino acids.. i.e. PROTEIN in general.

Right, to my knowledge there has been one major study done in Europe on aspartame that the FDA consulted upon. Any link to adverse effects was negative and the carcinogenic element was in rats consuming as you stated extraordinary amounts of it.

FDA has completed its review concerning the long-term carcinogenicity study of aspartame entitled, "Long-Term Carcinogenicity Bioassays to Evaluate the Potential Biological Effects, in Particular Carcinogenic, of Aspartame Administered in Feed to Sprague-Dawley Rats," conducted by the European Ramazzini Foundation (ERF), located in Bologna, Italy. FDA reviewed the study data made available to them by ERF and finds that it does not support ERF's conclusion that aspartame is a carcinogen. Additionally, these data do not provide evidence to alter FDA's conclusion that the use of aspartame is safe.

Aspartame was first approved in the United States in 1981 and is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners. When metabolized by the body, aspartame is broken down into two common amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and a third substance, methanol. These three substances are available in similar or greater amounts from eating common foods.

Upon first learning of the ERF study results, FDA requested the data from ERF to evaluate the findings. On February 28, 2006, the agency received only a portion of the study data requested. In June 2006, FDA asked ERF to provide the remainder of the study data initially requested and also offered to review pathology slides from the study. ERF did not submit additional data to FDA and did not agree to FDA's review of the pathology slides.

FDA could not conduct a complete and definitive review of the study because ERF did not provide the full study data. Based on the available data, however, we have identified significant shortcomings in the design, conduct, reporting, and interpretation of this study. FDA finds that the reliability and interpretation of the study outcome is compromised by these shortcomings and uncontrolled variables, such as the presence of infection in the test animals.

Additionally, the data that were provided to FDA do not appear to support the aspartame-related findings reported by ERF. Based on our review, pathological changes were incidental and appeared spontaneously in the study animals, and none of the histopathological changes reported appear to be related to treatment with aspartame. FDA believes that additional insight on the study findings could be provided by an internationally-sponsored pathology working group examination of appropriate tissue slides from the study.

Considering results from the large number of studies on aspartame's safety, including five previously conducted negative chronic carcinogenicity studies, a recently reported large epidemiology study with negative associations between the use of aspartame and the occurrence of tumors, and negative findings from a series of three transgenic mouse assays, FDA finds no reason to alter its previous conclusion that aspartame is safe as a general purpose sweetener in food.

Not to be led astray with this holistic gibberish.

[novastepp]

there is more aspertame in a peach than in a box of sweet'n'low... it isn't bad at all. unless you take down a dumptruck load in a week.