30 years after its ban has been removed for pharmaceutical interests, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners known as Aspartame continues being one of the most debatable topics ever.
Even though its dangers are well-documented, a lot of people remain unaware of its history, its effects, and its ingredients, according to The Truth Soldier. Many only know that it is an FDA-approved alternative to sugar which has to be safe since otherwise, it would not be on the market.
But, things are not as simple as that. To find out more about how aspartame came to be an FDA-approved sweetener and why you should eliminate it from your diet for good, check out this article.
5 Major Issues Concerning Aspartame
According to Healthy Holistic Living, here are the 5 most important reasons why you need to stay away from aspartame as much as possible:
When this chemical enters the body, it gets transformed into formaldehyde, a chemical associated with cancer- aspartame is consisted of 3 compounds and it is a synergistically toxic chemical, that is, the sum of its 3 parts is more toxic than each of them separately. Methanol, one of the compounds, unlike the one from veggies, alcoholic drinks, and fruits, is not accompanied by ethanol which prevents poisoning and thus, it may lead to leukemia, DNA damage, and lymphoma.
Despite evidenced toxicity, it got approved by an FDA commissioner close to Reagan- early safety studies linked aspartame with seizures and death and it was therefore banned. But, the company which produced aspartame at that time, Searle, waited for a new FDA commissioner from the government of Reagan to be appointed and to remove the ban so that they can continue with the mass production of this chemical.
It may lead to brain damage- this chemical has the power to cross the blood-brain barrier and when its levels in the body are too high, the brain cells are attacked with surplus calcium, resulting in neural cell damage and cell death, which consequently leads to permanent brain damage.
It is produced from feces of GMO E. Coli- unfortunately; feces of GMO E.coli bacteria are used for the production of this harmful artificial sweetener. Modified with specific genes, E. Coli is made so that it can produce high amounts of an enzyme by-product which produces phenylalanine necessary for the creation of aspartame.
It can contribute to metabolic syndrome and obesity- when consumed in excessive amounts; aspartame can lead to weight gain and diabetes without any relation to caloric intake. Studies have found it to be even worse than sucrose in terms of encouraging weight gain whereas another research suggests that it causes hormonal changes which result in elevated appetite and sugar cravings.
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