Chemistry debunks the biggest aspartame health myths

(Derek I. Batting) #41

Some publication paywalls aside, it’s mostly all out there for people to read if they’re really interested. The problem is, scientific studies are hard for the layman to read and, let’s be honest, rather boring most of the time full of acronyms and phrases that are pure Greek to most of us. On top of that, people are much more lured in by clickbait headlines of fear and harm and sensationalism at what MIGHT be killing you! GASP!… rather than “This thing you thought might be a problem really isn’t. Here’s the proof. Have a nice day.” And so it goes.

Thanks for your post! :slight_smile:

(Loraine Hansen) #42

Why? What in the world is wrong with SWEET? I’ve listened to Carl and Richard’s podcasts and know that they say that the sweet tooth craving goes away after a while, but why force the issue? I’m certainly not going to until my body decides that it’s ready. I refuse to put myself in a state of stress, simply because someone says so. As I’ve eating Primal Blueprint for 5 years, my palate has certainly changed. I have not been able to eat many sweet things that I used to enjoy and I don’t miss them. I’m guessing that will happen more as I continue eating keto, but when I want sweet, I’m going to have sweet. Granted, it’s much less and much different that someone on the SAD diet, but I think we should listen to and respond to our bodies, as Carl and Richards advise. Not trying to be contradictory here. I hope I didn’t come across that way. Just my opinion.

(Derek I. Batting) #43

No worries. Some people need all the help they can get keeping their sweet tooth and/or cravings at bay while others seem to be able to kick it with no problem whatsoever. Still others can eat sweet stuff all the time with no issues. Ah, the glory of diversity. :smiley:

(Loraine Hansen) #44

Good point. At this point, I’m simply drinking my diet coke every now and then and having keto desserts/snacks a little every day. I don’t think it will affect me at this point. Perhaps when I get more keto adapted or fat adapted it will become something my body WANTS me to do.

(Mark Bousquet) #45

Mercola has some great history and background on aspartame.

(Derek I. Batting) #46

Can you please site the studies used in the article and who funded them, please?

(As an aside, posting from Mercola, Dr. Axe, Natural News, Food Babe and/or David Winnabego Wolfe aren’t often going to get you taken seriously in the science-leaning community. Just an FYI.)

(Mark Bousquet) #47

Thank you. This was the reaction I was looking for. :slight_smile:

(Gabor Erdosi) #48

My general take on purified compounds is that they are out of context. Phenylalanine, glutamate and aspartame/aspartate content of real food cannot be compared to purified components with a conclusion that real food contains more.
Regarding aspartame itself, it must be directly anti-ketogenic, because it’s one of the sources of oxaloacetate in the body. OAA is THE lever between ketogenesis and gluconeogenesis, so when you start repleting OAA with molecules like aspartame, lactate or citrate, the result is eventually more glucose and less ketones.

(Derek I. Batting) #49

I don’t understand why you are going to a reaction from the guy who posted the article instead of engaging in conversation about the article itself. If you think aspartame is the Ruination of Man or something, that’s fine, but there’s no need to stir up shit for no reason. I’m presenting scientific findings to combat incorrectly held beliefs, myths and common misconceptions. I’m not interested in being poked with a stick. Thank you.

(Bart) #50

I think you should check this out…

https://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/mercola.html

(Derek I. Batting) #51

Way, way way, WAY ahead of you on this one…

(Derek I. Batting) #52

I’m not sure I understand your statement. If aspartame has, say 5 units of X and milk has 40 units of the same thing, X, how is that not possible?

(mwall) #53

Not reliably true. Glucose response is not the same thing as insulin production. Testing bg with a meter is not the same as measuring production of insulin. Getting your insulin production measured is something my doc says is a waste of time “ultimately” so I’m researching the best info I can find about it. I bet @richard can point us to a thread with more info on this.

#54

Dr Nally openly discusses his personal use of aspartame, while rejecting other artificial sweeteners. He says he has tested a whole range of sweeteners and noticed aspatame does not affect his BG readings like the others, and upon review of literature he is quite satisfied that it is safe.

I’m not a user of aspartame. I weaned myself off sweeteners and put nothing in my coffee and tea. But, I do see literature and other keto people not having an issue with it. In the very rare need to add artificial sweetener to a recipe, I wouldn’t have issues with using aspartame. As a once in a blue moon thing.

(Sarah Elam) #55

I went straight for the summary because I knew exactly what it was going to be! You see, I have MS and I have encountered so many people who are positive aspartame is why I have MS. Never mind that I grew up by one of the most polluted waterways in the United States or that there is a string of neurological diseases that run in my family or even that I had never drank a diet soda until I was 24 years old (well after I had MS.)

Anyway, I loved your rant. We are simpatico. Now I’m going to go back and watch the video :sunglasses:

(Gabor Erdosi) #56

These nutrients come with other nutrients in real food. What’s more, there is a certain ratio between them. This is in line with usual demand, e.g. amino acids are used for protein synthesis and you need a certain amount of different amino acids to do that. When you supplement only one of them that becomes totally out of context and may trigger very unusual pathways/reactions.
Based on your example, milk has 40 units of X, 45 unity of Y, 30 units of Z, etc. Frankenfoods have just the single amino acid put out of context. Why should we believe that this means the same for our body?

#57

Testing glucose and ketone response simultaneously gives a better proxy for insulin response than just glucose testing. Also, the test needs to be for 3 to 4 hours rather than just the immediate 30 to 60 minute reaction.

#58

Re: study funding in general

Taubes’ new book The Case Against Sugar documents the history of the sugar industry funding the studies to “prove” artificial sweeteners cause cancer etc.

That’s not to say they are the best thing you could eat. I prefer to eliminate all of them.

#59

Meaning the sugar cartels?

(mwall) #60

Yes, definitely a better proxy…if you can afford it.
If you can’t afford the expensive ketone blood test strips, understanding
how insulin production and build up in the system despite little to no bg
spikes is not so easily accomplished in my world. The doc says insulin
levels are an unnecessary lab expense for their usefulness though he’s
fully on board with keto.

I’m working on using the insulinogenic formula in Marty’s blogs but not
sure what to do with the resulting numbers from the computations. Like if
the formula applied to tuna salad is a “25”, so what? I can’t seem to find
where to go from there and have not asked him direct yet. BUSY BUSY
BUSY…but slow is GO!! :wink:

“Happiness is a man’s greatest achievement; it is the response of his
total personality to a productive orientation toward himself and the world
outside.” -Erich Fromm