Sweet Misery

[Rocket]

If you drink diet soda, please take some time to watch this documentary:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-566922170441334340&ei=kKKNScuWLYLorgKMyNnHCw&q=sweet+misery

[oldguy]

Well worth the hour and a half to watch.
Thanks, Rocket, I'll link this to the "is diet soda really bad for you?" thread, in case anyone wants to enlighten themselves.

[markb]

I remember the aspartame=cancer stuff from the 70s. Aspartame was banned in the UK for some years as a result.

[sunvalleylaw]

I do not drink ir, but thanks for posting. Instead of soda pop, we now have a soda water maker, and add some juice for flavor, or maybe even a bit of rose's lime.

[Spudman]

The whole thing is absolutely criminal. Of course Rumsfeld would be involved. That was a surprise but says an awful lot about who he and his cronies really are. How have they gotten so many people to get on board with this farce and nobody inside the loop has yet to speak up? This is huge and every American should know about this.

[Rocket]

This is huge and every American should know about this.
Not just American... indiscriminate global greed recognizes no national boundries.
I try to do my part but I can't even convince my wife who drinks a case of that crap a day and then gobbles handfuls of drugs to attempt to curb all those associated health issues.
Obviously it's much easier and less painful to defend the addiction than to make the break... such is the life of an addict.
C'est la vie!

[marnold]

Quite frankly, while I don't trust the FDA nor do I consume diet pop I also don't trust "documentaries" like this. To think that there's no agenda behind this (whether good or bad) is naive. With very little effort you will find someone who will claim that just about everything is poison and there is a mass government conspiracy. I'm not saying that aspartame is good or useful. What I am saying is that just because someone made a documentary doesn't mean that it is inherently true either.

[Spudman]

Quite frankly, while I don't trust the FDA nor do I consume diet pop I also don't trust "documentaries" like this. To think that there's no agenda behind this (whether good or bad) is naive. With very little effort you will find someone who will claim that just about everything is poison and there is a mass government conspiracy. I'm not saying that aspartame is good or useful. What I am saying is that just because someone made a documentary doesn't mean that it is inherently true either.

Did you watch the whole thing?

[Bloozcat]

Quite frankly, while I don't trust the FDA nor do I consume diet pop I also don't trust "documentaries" like this. To think that there's no agenda behind this (whether good or bad) is naive. With very little effort you will find someone who will claim that just about everything is poison and there is a mass government conspiracy. I'm not saying that aspartame is good or useful. What I am saying is that just because someone made a documentary doesn't mean that it is inherently true either.

Mass government conspiracy? Hardly.

This from a former FDA investigator:

"The problems with aspartame include not only the biochemical nature of this toxin but also it sheds light on the political nature of the players involved. The changes in regulatory policies and regulations resulting from corporate-government ties and the politicians closely associated with these ties. What I can tell you, regarding toxicology, histology and biochemistry, is that aspartame is neurotoxic. Its components easily transcend the blood-brain barrier, interfering with normal nerve cell function. This affects the glutathione and calcium mechanisms in place, destroying nerve call integrity. The methanol then breaks down into formaldehyde-formic acid components, which denaturizes/mutates the DNA: a known scientific fact. The subsequent result from this interaction and from isolates of genetically modified amino acids, the methanol, is nerve cell necrosis and subsequent organ system degradation"

Arthur M. Evangelista, a former FDA Investigator

And this directly from FDA that is responsible for approving Aspartame in the first place:

In 1994 the U.S. FDA released a list of sysmptoms associated with Asparatame exposure. Asparatame accounted for 75% of all adverse reactions reported that year. Here they are: (please note the inclusion of DEATH.

Abdominal Pain
Anxiety attacks
arthritis
asthma
Asthmatic Reactions
Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)
Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
Breathing difficulties
burning eyes or throat
Burning Urination
can't think straight
Chest Pains
chronic cough
Chronic Fatigue
Confusion
Death
Depression
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Excessive Thirst or Hunger
fatigue
feel unreal
flushing of face
Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
Headaches/Migraines dizziness
Hearing Loss
Heart palpitations
Hives (Urticaria)
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Impotency and Sexual Problems
inability to concentrate
Infection Susceptibility
Insomnia
Irritability
Itching
Joint Pains
laryngitis
"like thinking in a fog"
Marked Personality Changes
Memory loss
Menstrual Problems or Changes
Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
Muscle spasms
Nausea or Vomiting
Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
Other Allergic-Like Reactions
Panic Attacks
Phobias
poor memory
Rapid Heart Beat
Rashes
Seizures and Convulsions
Slurring of Speech
Swallowing Pain
Tachycardia
Tremors
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Vision Loss
Weight gain

Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases

Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson's Disease
Lupus
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
Diabetes and Diabetic Complications
Epilepsy
Alzheimer's Disease
Birth Defects
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lymphoma
Lyme Disease
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Panic Disorder
Depression and other Psychological Disorders

Everybody now knows that asbestos exposure and tobacco use causes multiple lung associated diseases. What's so scary about Aspartame exposure is the sheer numbers of people who are being exposed. It's in so many products today that anything and everything that is sweet must be scrutinized if one is to avoid it.

This isn't a ticking time bomb...it's an epidemic that's already spreading. Unless and until the medical community comes out strongly in opposition to Aspartame, the associated health issues will continue to grow. And Aspartame exposure does have a cumulative effect, so who knows what's in store for those who consume it for 20, 30, or 40 years.

[Robert]

Hmm, Death sounds like a pretty serious symptom! :) :eek:

[Rocket]

Here's the real question:
What's wrong with simple sugar?
-It tastes good.
-It's sweet.
-It causes NO diseases.
-It's non-fattening.
-People who consume the most sugar actually are the least likely to be obese.
-As sugar intake goes up, fat intake goes down--a fact that was recently confirmed by researchers from Michigan State University at East Lansing.

So why ingest a toxic substance like aspartame when what it substitutes is harmless... unless one is addicted to it?

[Spudman]

So why ingest a toxic substance like aspartame when what it substitutes is harmless... unless one is addicted to it?

Or led to believe falsely that consuming it will not add calories to your diet and thus will keep you slimmer and healthier.;)

[Robert]

Well, too much sugar is not so good either.


A Harvard university study published in the Lancet in 2001 provided strong evidence that sweet drinks really can lead to extra weight, at least in children. The study found that each daily serving of soda or other sugary drinks raised a child's risk of obesity significantly.

[Rocket]

Sure, sugary drinks can lead to death too... if you drink them while standing in traffic. It's not the sugar that'll kill you though.

[Spudman]

Well, too much sugar is not so good either.

In the 1996 movie Michael starring John Travolta, John tells the dog that "no matter what they tell you you can never have too much sugar." So it must be true.:D

[Rocket]

My mom's thinking was same as all (mom's tales) of the time, that sugar would rot your teeth. Sugar doesn't rot teeth... bacteria + poor dental hygiene rots teeth. Sugar is, however, good bacteria chow!

I expect all the aspartame addicts to fully endorse their DOC. It's human nature.

[Tynee]

I expect all the aspartame addicts to fully endorse their DOC. It's human nature.

Ok, I'll bite. Here's the other side of the argument:

http://www.aspartame.net/rumors/Alarm_Over_Aspartame.asp

http://www.aspartame.net/rumors/Aspartame_and_the_Internet.asp

And, since sugar is purported to be the healthy alternative to aspartame:

http://www.healingdaily.com/detoxification-diet/sugar.htm

Full disclosure, i drink between 1 and 3 cans of Diet Mt dew a day. As I've said before, if caffeine is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

edit: found this later in the day, British .gov site explaining the effects of phenylalinine:

http://www.food.gov.uk/safereating/chemsafe/additivesbranch/sweeteners/55174#h_4

It appears that a fatso like me should be able to ingest roughly 6000 mg/day of Aspartame without seeing adverse effects, assuming I'm not genetically predisposed to phenylketonuria. Now I'm off to figure out how much I ingest in a day...

[Spudman]

The manufacturer of aspartame killed a number of test animals while they were being fed their product and the ones that didn't die developed health problems directly related to the consumption of the product. Last I heard nobody has ever died from egg, milk or hamburger poisoning. For me this isn't too hard to figure out.

In 1994 the U.S. FDA released a list of symptoms associated with Aspartame exposure. Aspartame accounted for 75% of all adverse reactions reported that year. Here they are: (please note the inclusion of DEATH.) see previous posts

[Bloozcat]

Any sweetener derived from plants is preferable to one synthesized from chemicals, but that doesn't mean that these other sweeteners don't have their own health risks as well.

I noticed that in the first article linked above that the author lumps surcose (cane or beet sugar) with high fructose corn syrup and dextrose. In all fairness, since the author was touting the safety of Aspartame, a singular artificial sweetner, he should have separated the three other sweetners out and compared Aspartame to each on it's own merit. But, since high fructose corn syrup carries with it a number of health concerns, it was more useful for the author to lump it in with sucrose for effect.

Simple logic dictates that any substance with potential detrimental effect on the body, should be injested only in moderate quantities. Naturally occurring sugars are much more akin to other naturally occuring substances in food like saturated oils, fat, and cholesterol. While these substances are not toxic to the body in their natural state per se, they never the less cause adverse health reactions when consumed in large quantities and/or improperly combined with certain other foods. Where the naturally occurring sugars and Aspartame differ dramatically is in that there is not an acceptable dosage of unbonded methyl alcohol, formaldahyde, and formic acid as Aspartame becomes when processed by the body. These substances are all toxic to the human body, it's just a matter of how much any individual metabolism can assimilate before adverse effects present.

I do understand and appreciate the link between excessive sugar consumption and the breakdown of the immune system. I also appreciate the link between excessive sugar intake and diabetes, although the increase in type II diabetes cases in the past decade or two is much more closely associated with high intakes of simple carbohydrates than sugar alone. So, I avoid sugar as much as possible as well. I've never been one to binge on sweets, I can take them or leave them for the most part (and most often "leave" them). But in cases where I would like to add some sweetness to something (like my morning coffee), I choose to use Stevia. Stevia is an all natural sweetner extracted from a plant. It has been used in South America for over two hundred years and elsewhere in the world for about a half century til now. It is non-caloric and it has no known health risks at all...none. As a matter of fact, it even has a slight preventative effect on tooth decay.

I'm not going to lie and say that I only injest those foods that are all natural and healthy for me. I'm a far cry from a food Nazi like some of the over the top health crazed types I know. Still, the choice in this case is simple for me. I can use a natural sweetner that has no calories, no adverse health effects, does not promote hunger - or - I can choose a substance that breaks down into embalming fluid, antifreeze, and the stuff that puts the sting in fire ant bites. Oh, and did I mention that it causes heart erythmias (palpatations)? Well, I have first hand experience that it does.

To each his own, though. I believe in free will as well, and if someone want's to drink 10 diet sodas a day, then I'll suport their right to make that choice. Then I'll pray for them....;)

[Tynee]

Rocket's statement that I quoted earlier bothered me, more than a little. Its why I've spent the better part of the day researching this. Its also human nature to pick a position, then look for proof that supports it, while ignoring proof that refutes it.

This (http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1392232&blobtype=pdf) is a 2006 study that shows that aspartame gave lab rats cancer. Roughly half the lab rats who ingested 5000 mg/kg of body weight per day developed malignant tumors. I don't know about the FDA, but the British equivalent (as I referenced earlier) recomends 40 mg/kg/day. That's not really enough to convince me that "diet soda causes cancer."

BTW, 36% of animals given NO aspartame developed malignant tumors.

[Rocket]

Rocket's statement that I quoted earlier bothered me, more than a little.
Not my intention.
If you, or anybody else (even my wife) want to drink aspartame by the 55-gal drum... it's not my business and you should definitely drink your fill... it's your body, stick lighter fluid in it if that what you wish.
I feel a personal obligation to shed light on a documentary that I saw and make people aware of it... only! I'm certainly no health nut, food Nazi, or preacher.
I throw it out for contemplation and move on. Everyone is free to choose their own path.
Pick a lane, then exceed the speed limit!

[Tynee]

I can appreciate your willingness to help inform people, and I have no problem with anything other than the slightly trollish comment thrown on the very end. It sounds as though you are so absolutely convinced that you are right, that anybody who has a different interpretation of the facts is foolish.

[Rocket]

I'm not right or wrong... I didn't make a documentary either way.
I am always wary of "them". I willingly participated in several covert truth-bending platforms for 2 decades and will suffer the after-effects until I meet my own early demise. I sure wish I could share the things I know with all of you, but that's never going to happen.
Cheers.