Aspartame, a non-calorie artificial sweetener, is a food ingredient that has been used for many years to substitute sugar. It is composed of methanol, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Research has imposed the health risk of taking this substance that would lead to diabetes, fibromyalgia and certain forms of cancer for a number of years already. Studies have shown that aspartame is very harmful to health.
And now, another study, as published by Redox Biology, has come to a conclusion that aspartame can actually control your brain cells to kill themselves. This ingredient which can be found on almost every food product available in the market, from softdrink beverages to candies, from artificial sweeteners as enhancers for ready-to-eat instant noodles, lollipops, powdered juices to energy drinks, is swarming all over the food industry and now essentially proven to be fatal to the healthy lifestyle of consumers.
Key study findings include:
- Aspartame administration alters the functional activity in the brain by elevating the antioxidant levels.
- Chronic aspartame consumption altered the neuronal function and neurodegeneration in brain.
- Observed changes may be due to the methanol or its metabolite.
- Long-term FDA approved daily acceptable intake (40 mg/kg bwt) aspartame administration distorted the brain function and generated apoptosis in brain regions.
Apoptosis is defined as, the process of programmed cell death in multicellular organisms. Biochemical events lead to characteristic cell changes and death.
So even at the FDA acceptable levels, consuming this chemical is just not good for you, no matter what the mega food corporations and their lobbies say.
Aspartame (otherwise known by its brand names NutraSweet and Equal) is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners in foods today. It breaks down into three components: 50 percent phenylalanine, 40 percent aspartic acid, and 10 percent methanol (yummy). It comes from genetically modified (GM) …
Other than the ones mentioned, scientific research had already studied cases where aspartame consumption has led to several health problems such as: headaches/migraines, fatigue, anxiety attacks, anausea, sleep problems, depression, abdominal pains, vision problems and asthma.
Numerous accounts have also surfaced that too much intake of aspartame would result to brain tumors, diabetes, Alzheimer's mental retardation, epilepsy and birth defects to name a few.
And so why does aspartame continue to be approved and allowed in food after food after drink after gum after food?
That might be a good question for our current FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods, Michael Taylor, who used to be Vice President of Public Policy and a lawyer for Monsanto. He might have some special insight, considering that Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, the chemical company that held the patent to aspartame, back in 1985.
As consumers increasingly avoid artificial sweeteners like aspartame, Splenda, and others, Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are trying to save their sinking business by developing the next generation of artificial sweeteners. It is always safe to be cautious and watchful. Let us be wise and alert enough to look at the product labels. Recent news have stated that companies are trying to save their business from losing by listing only a partial component of the ingredients and not all the ingredients in the food labels.
I would always ask this question whenever I bump into a caution sign–either a bright street sign, a warning instruction of handling an equipment, a large metro post pasted on a long wall, or just a simple message poster that is so obvious and plain: When will we ever learn? When will people learn to admit mistakes and give the best solution to a problem without having to think about selfish gains? Let us fight for the common good. Let us help each other to live longer and keep a healthy lifestyle.
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