All About Aspartame

Well, really not ALL about it, just the parts I don't like. I avoid eating/drinking/buying foods or drinks with aspartame in them when I can, and one of my friends just asked me why, so I told her I'd blog about it. To tell the truth, I'm not really sure if she really wants to know, or if she just thinks I'm a crazy person and is trying to call me out, but I'll be emailing her a link to this post either way.

Where to start? Well, 78% of all consumer complaints to the FDA are about aspartame.

Aspartame (found in NutraSweet and Equal) is comprised of phenylalanine (50% - an amino acid), aspartic acid (40% - an amino acid, nonessential), and methanol (10% wood alcohol, as in "moonshine"). These break down into formaldehyde, formic acid (like the venom in insect stings) and DKP (may cause brain tumors), and this breakdown is accelerated when products containing it are stored at 85 degrees for a period of days or stored for longer periods (over 250 days).

These are all things I don't want in my body.

Now, some of these components are also found in food items like fruits and vegetables. For instance, pears and bananas are on the high-end of those containing naturally-occurring formaldehyde, but fruits also contain ethanol, which stablilizes it. Also, fruits contain natural pectins and enzymes which help to stabilize the compound.

And, before you ask, we all hear about the essential amino acids we need in our diet, right? Well, the synthetic ones in aspartame are incomplete, and as our bodies go to work to break them down, it causes an imbalance in the brain. "What?" our brains ask. "Where's the nutrition?" This contributes to the idea that drinking diet sodas will increase hunger, causing you to gain weight. Ummm, I think I can do without.

Another interesting tidbit: In 1996, there are about 164 peer-reviewed studies relevant to aspartame safety. Seventy-four deemed it safe, and 90 deemed it unsafe. Seventy-four studies were industry-funded, and 90 studies were independently funded. Hmmm.

And I wish more people knew about this, but ask a pilot, and he/she will tell you that aspartame is bad. Pilots are actually told to avoid aspartame in order to pass their yearly medical exam. And in 1992, the US Air Force issued an alert to its pilots in its Flying Safety magazine. In the past, many pilots have passed out in the cockpit while flying and eating/drinking products with aspartame, thus putting the entire flight at risk. (Possibly due to the elevation causing increased symptoms, not unlike how people from sea level can get drunk really fast in the high altitute places like Colorado). Not to mention, aspartame can adversely affect EKGs and the methanol in it can impair vision.

There's lots of anecdotal evidence on the effects of aspartame, too, which you can google if you're interested. But for me, I avoid it simply because it's not something I need, it provides no health benefit, and it may actually be quite harmful. I don't miss it.