aspartame scare

Nurses General Nursing

Published

:confused:

A few weeks ago, an email was found on the table in the team room at work. The address has been scribbled out, so I am not sure of the source, but am pretty sure of the hand writing that stated, "Please read". One of my fellow nurses must have left it there. Anyway, it was a lengthy notice on the danger of consuming aspartame. The letter stated that once aspartame reached a temperature above 86 degrees, (obviously, once it is ingested) it became literally toxic. Also that the huge consumption of "suger-free" products, primarily diet soda was to blame for M.S. symptoms and many other debilitating disorders. This letter stated that people were actually being mistakenly diagnosed. Have any of you read this also, or heard of this? I have paid more attention lately to the foods my family and I consume, but I have to wonder if this could just be another "scare" out there. And because it was an email, and not something from a journal to speak of.

Feedback??

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Specializes in OB.

I have a personal opinion about e-mails....

When I get an e-mail like that I always ask myself "if this were actually true wouldn't it be on the news or wouldn't the FDA or the manufacturer pull this product off the market."

My sis-in-law, (very smart girl with a masters degree) always sends me these "warning" e-mails. She actually sent me one that said putting baby powder on your baby could cause ovarian cancer.

Anyway....I wouldn't be too concerned about it, and if you are then do some research in some reputable journals to put your mind at ease.

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I've heard similar rants, but it was from someone trying to sell the "Advocare" line of products. I put 12 (twelve) equals in my 20 oz Starbucks coffees...say what you will....and I'm still alive and well.

Sure, the FDA determined that saccharin was bad for you, but the cancer causing dose was equivalent to drinking something like 80 cans of diet soda a day for 10 years.

And if you believe infomercials, simply taking a little extra calcium will cure Parkinsons and relieve back pain....

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2 words come to mind...Urban Legend.

As stated above, if the claims were indeed true, the FDA would pull it off the market.

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Med-Surg.

You can fool all of the people some of the time....

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This is link to one of the Urban Legends sites:

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/aspartam.htm

The information says this "story" has been circulating since about 1995. I know I've read it previously. Hope this helps.

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Yeah, its hooey.

Blamed Gulf War Syndrome on GI's drinking hot diet coke that had sat in the desert sun.

It does not "convert" to formaldehyde when cooked

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I have heard about this in the past. Not sure how reliable the source was that I heard it from.

Whether it does cause these symptoms or not it is a chemical and probably should be avoided if possible.

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Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

I avoid it! Don't drink the stuff and search diligently in all food products to make sure it is NOT an ingredient (often "hidden").

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Specializes in ORTHOPAEDICS-CERTIFIED SINCE 89.

This one has been around forever it seems. Our niece swears her uncle went blind after drinking something with aspartame in it. I've never met the uncle.

I'm a sugar person myself. I just find I don't like the taste of saccharine or equal. I've recently tried Splenda and if you use enough packets it's o......kay. Sugar is better.

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Specializes in MS Home Health.

We did discuss this in my BS/MS program. It is a theory in testing.

renerian

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I don't think that the idea of Aspartame being dangerous is that far-fetched at all.

Here's why: Last year, I noticed that I suddenly was having knee pain after walking short distances. (I live in the city, so walking regularly is a way of life for me.) This really worried me b/c I couldn't imagine having arthritis this young. I decided to go onto the internet & Googled "joint pain" and I came across a lot of sites mentioning Aspartame being involved w/ joint pain, & that many Drs. were misdiagnosing it as arthritis.

I then realized that I had recently bought a couple of cases of diet Snapple & had been drinking 1 or 2 bottles a day for close to a few weeks. (Of course, the diet Snapple contained Aspartame.)

I decided to experiment & stop drinking any diet drinks all together. And, wouldn't you know, after a day or two, the knee pain completely stopped all together!

I never drink diet drinks anymore & I have never had the knee pain again since.

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