Artificial Sweetener Aspartame: Health Risks & Natural Alternatives

Artificial sweeteners are commercially produced; however, their safety has been a constant query and a cause for concern. It is very important to understand the adverse effects associated with artificial sweeteners and to protect your health from the concealed dangers that marketing experts have packaged attractively.

Aspartame is a rather controversial artificial sweetener that has received more complaints at the FDA than any other food substance. Aspartame is composed of aspartic acid, methanol and phenylalanine.

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid are amino acids that are found in foods naturally. In 1981, the FDA permitted and accepted the use of aspartame, in spite of the final proposal by the FDA Advisory Panel that until the safety issue concerning aspartame is resolved, no consent should be given.

As a consequence, the recommended use for aspartame is conservative.

Artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, are used in great profusion in nearly all diet drinks, protein shakes, puddings, yogurts, ice creams, and ‘reduced-sugar’ products. These are actually horrible chemical substances that our body is not meant to ingest. A host of medical issues have been linked to artificial sweeteners, these are:

• A higher chance of developing cancer
• Gastro-intestinal disturbances
• Damage to the kidneys
• Damage to the liver
• Developmental defects in babies
• Allergic reactions
• Headaches, aggression

There is an erroneous perception that consuming artificial sweeteners will reduce the calories consumed. As a result, this will lead to reduction in weight or prevention of weight gain and obesity. Regrettably, this is not the case, in view of the fact that, detailed research has shown that artificial sweeteners do not diminish your intake of calories, nor do they assist in weight loss. In fact, experts state that some of these may actually boost your appetite and thus trigger weight gain.

Some of the side effects and dangers associated with excessive consumption of aspartame are as follows,

• Wide-ranging studies and clinical trials state that aspartame notably afflicts one’s mood and behavior. Researchers say that high levels of this artificial sweetener has the capacity to change brain chemistry, since it has the ability to break through the blood-brain barrier
• Furthermore, research has also shown that a quite a few people are sensitive to aspartame and have reported immediate adverse reactions.
• Migraine headaches, convulsions, and disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system are some of the disorders linked to aspartame ingestion.
• Another worrying peculiarity that has been observed is the development of depression, violence and aggression and temper tantrums in children who have lots of refined and denatured foods.

Nutritionists world over recommend natural alternatives for sugar and artificial sweeteners; these are honey, organic maple syrup, and sorghum syrup. Not only do they have lesser calories, they also supply the body with generous amounts of anti oxidants.