Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that was found in the mid-1983, it was considered as a low-calorie sweeteners that could substitute sugars. Ralph G. Walton, Robert Hudak, and Ruth J. Green-Waite (1993) performed a study to find out whether patients with mood disorders are vulnerable to negative reactions of aspartame in “Adverse Reactions to Aspartame: Double-Blind Challenge in Patients from a Vulnerable Population”. Initially they recruited 40 participant for the study which included patients with a depression history and also people without any of psychiatric history, but the study ended up with only collecting results from 13 people because the study was stopped by the Institutional Review Board regarding some severe reactions including eye problems and conjunctival bleeding. The study divided the trial into two sections for 20 days, each subject is double-blindly tested with both aspartame and placebo randomly in the first week or the second week to find out the effect of aspartame on the …show more content…
They performed the experiment in 20 days, which divided into 2 sections of aspartame test and placebo test with each period last for a week and before each period begins, there will be a 3-day “washout” period to make sure there is no reaction from previous section test. Before the first section, all participants were asked to cease consuming all products which contain aspartame. The study performs a double-blind experiment, where both of the participants and the testers do not know the test subject. They are randomly selected to take the aspartame or the placebo during the first and the second week periods. This is a good way to find out whether any different or same reaction of aspartame intake on those two different
Aspartame is extremely poisonous, and here is why. One of the toxic ingredients of Aspartame is wood alcohol. When the temperature of Aspartame exceeds 86 degrees F, the wood alcohol in the Aspartame is converted to formaldehyde, and then to formic acid, which in turn causes metabolic acidosis. Formaldehyde is grouped in the same class of poisons as Cyanide and Arsenic – which are very deadly toxins. The only difference is… Formaldehyde kills quietly, and it takes a little longer. And, in the process of killing people, it causes all kinds of neurological problems.” (Harder, 2016)
In addition to the scientific, non-lethal hydrolyzed metabolites of aspartame, series of tests have been done over two decades on humans and animals to investigate the safety of aspartame. Over 23 years, the FDA has tested and affirmed the safety of aspartame throughout 200 studies . Furthermore, the product is used in more than 100 countries and 100 million people around the world . In addition to the FDA studies, the American Dietetic Association, the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization, the Scientific Committee on Food and the European Union (SCF), and other regulatory agencies worldwide have reviewed and approved the safety of aspartame . The most recent
ban", ("Tufts University Health",2015). The food and drug administration is a federal part of the United states human and health services and they continuously promote the use of aspartame and have stated that there is “no new credible scientific evidence to change the agency’s position that the zero-calorie sweetener is safe for the general population", ("Tufts University Health",2015). Even a study stated in the article by the American cancer society “found no link between intake of diet sodas (most commonly sweetened by aspartame)
My belief is that aspartame is not safe to use. The reason I believe aspartame is not safe is because it accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious, including seizures and death. Another reason I think the use of aspartame is unsafe is that diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s, and brain tumors are a few chronic illnesses that can be triggered or worsened by ingesting of aspartame. This hits home for me because my son is a diabetic. Everyone knows the less sugar you include in your diet, the better. But replacing sugar with aspartame is not the solution, and in fact is likely to be even worse for your health. I believe regardless
Aspartame has now been on the market for many years and most people seemingly haven’t had adverse reactions. Or have they? Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. warns that many people don’t notice of the serious symptoms because “they’re more resistant to the obvious toxic effects, but they’re still getting very subtle toxic effects that over many years is going to produce obvious disease in those persons.” However, some people have had more direct, severe reactions. For example, FDA officials have estimated that only 1% of toxic reactions are likely to get reported and the agency received reports of 7,000 toxic reactions with aspartame from 1982 until 1995. In fact, there were likely more official reports of toxicity, but we can’t be sure to the extent. After all, Congress found out in 1987 that the FDA had been transferring aspartame toxicity calls to the AIDS Hotline.
The experts seem to be spilt down the middle as to whether or not aspartame is healthy or unhealthy for you. One of the most argued things about aspartame is what happens to it after it enters your body. It is said that aspartame accounts for more than seventy-five percent of adverse reactions to food additives. These reactions range from mild to severe, things like rashes, fatigue, and dizziness have been linked to aspartame. People have also reported having heart palpitations and even death. Scientist and physicians also believe that some chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened when you ingest aspartame. When it is metabolized in the body the methyl part of the aspartame will for a short time turn into methyl alcohol or methanol, which is a potentially toxic compound. The methanol is further broken down into formaldehyde and then even further into carbon dioxide. High amounts of either of these chemicals can have severe adverse side
Ever since the basic principles of chemistry became apart of human knowledge, scientists have been fascinated with understanding the physical and chemical properties of novel compounds. The prevalent use of artificial sweeteners, (a group of synthetically manufactured compounds with no caloric value) as table sugar alternatives in many of today’s commercially traded goods is an example of applying chemistry to generate novelty. However, the biological effects associated with their consumption remains shrouded in public misconceptions.1 As a result, the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages (ASB) has become the emphasis for many obesity and neurological related clinical studies. Does the consumption of aspartame have adverse effects on body mass and neurological activity in humans?
Part of the population today is addicted to sugar, which then leads to a great concern when it comes to being obese. In attempt to try to live a healthy life, people today are relying on artificial sweeteners as being the way to go to lose weight. With this notion, the question still today is if artificial sweeteners are healthy. This paper will discuss the biological effects that artificial sweeteners have on a person’s body and to see whether or not consuming them causes more harm than good.
Introduction: Researchers will select a group of qualifying participants for the study. The participants will be randomly divided into two groups. Researchers will then manipulate the variables by administering the Physostigmine drug to one group and placebo to another. Researchers will then measure the variable and compare the groups, to see if the drug Physostigmine produced its desired effect. The experiment will be a double-blind study, neither the subject nor experimenter will know what treatment the subject is receiving; a third-party administrator will be the only one who has the knowledge of which patient receive what treatment, until the tests are concluded and the comparisons can begin.
After it was studied three times by independant scientists, it was determined to have a high chance of inducing brain tumors (Evangelista, n.d.). 74 out of 166 investigations regarding aspartame are sponsored by aspartame industries. All of the 74 studies claimed aspartame was safe and most of the ones who weren’t supported financially mentioned issues with the safety of this additive (Zimmer Chiropractic, 2016). It shows how although many organizations support the chemical additive and many researches have been conducted and support aspartame, we should also consider analysises which prove aspartame is not safe. Aspartame is a type of excitotoxine, which excites the brain cells so much they quickly die. This chemical plays a major role in degenerative nervous system diseases such as Parkinson’s and alzeihmer’s (Lant, 2015). An experiment has also been conducted on seven infant monkeys. They injested milk and aspartame only. After 300 days, one of the seven monkeys died, five of the same seven monkeys had grad mal seizures. The results of this experiment were hidden from the FDA when G.D Searle submitted the inital applications (Evangelista, n.d.). Many medical effects have been known to be caused by aspartame such as; dizziness, seizures, headaches, certain cancers and birth defects (The Healthline Editorial Team, 2015). In short, people have cheated the system into accepting a chemical that is not healthy. That is morally
Ever since artificial sweeteners have begun being commercially used their safety has been called into question. Aspartame has been accused of being carcinogenic after an animal study. In this study the specimens being observed were introduced to aspartame at doses similar to what humans frequently consume. The specimens that were introduced to aspartame had a higher incidence of leukemia and lymphomas than those who were not.
When one eats sweeteners, there is an unnatural release of hormones in the body. The hormones that control one’s weight gain, heart rate, cardio abilities, and the brain’s reactions are affected. When the body’s response is triggered, one can easily fall ill or have medical concerns. Increasing amount of people have reported episodes of short-breath, anxiety, loss of control over weight gain, notably fast heart rates, and even cancer. Reports are constantly being made about the overuse of sweeteners. When digesting sweeteners the body turns part of the sweetener into methanol; this transition is the most dangerous. Methanol in the body tends to turn into toxic formaldehyde linking further to Alzheimer’s disease. Consequently, the brain itself is inhibited and compensating for caloric intake becomes impossible. Saccharin and aspartame (two commonly used sweeteners) have added an increased weight gain above sugar, even when the calories eaten remain close to same in daily value. Furthermore, cases have shown the inability to compensate for calories as another cause of glucose intolerance and gut dysbiosis. All of these health problems in existence of the artificial sweeteners, yet they (artificial sweeteners) still reside within companies production. Artificial sweeteners are much more toxic to our hormones in addition to the body than natural
Addictive and enticing, sweetness does not just come from sugar (BE#2). Artificial sweeteners add to the sugary taste of many foods and go by many names – saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose ¬– but they are all formulated by chemical engineers. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) describes artificial sweeteners as “probably safe,” and this statement has proven to be quite true (Nestle). For several years, aspartame and saccharin have been linked to weight gain and cancer in consumers and lab animals (Nestle). Because artificial sweeteners are used in many food products (most commonly diet sodas), people consume them quite often (BE#3). Also, humans tend to believe that if there are no calories and if there is no sugar, they should drink diet soda instead of regular soda. This trend leads to even greater intakes of sweet chemicals such as aspartame in people’s diets. Aspartame is a controversial and common ingredient in the American diet. “Aspartame, when reacted in the body, changes to methanol and then formic acid (a toxic substance)” (Nestle). According to the American Cancer Association, because aspartame contains phenylalanine, those who consume the substance regularly run the risk of having a build up of phenylalanine, which could constrict the flow of nutrients to the brain. Many people, though, do not show signs or symptoms of health complications consistent with aspartame (Amer. Cancer Assn.). Aspartame has the potential to be quite harmful, but because nobody has
In phase 1 of this trial they had a pool of 66 healthy participants that are women who are experiencing postmenopausal symptoms. The method for this experiment is to have an interval of the drug. Placing the group of women into 3 different groups which consisted of a group that had 3 mg of the drug to a group with 1.5 mg to a group that is receiving a placebo. This test is also being conducted in a way that has both the researcher and participants blinded in a random double blind test. The drug is gonna be used in an oral contraceptive with a specific dosage. This method is best used in this stage because it decreases the possibility of researcher bias. According to Dan Cartwright(2013), “Test drug, and during two periods they received single doses of both the estradiol and progesterone Reference drugs, which were taken concurrently. Blood samples were collected at multiple intervals, beginning one hour prior to start of dosing and continuing to 48 hours after
NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure are all brand names for aspartame, a low calorie sugar substitute used in more than 90 countries to sweeten foods and beverages. Aspartame is a synthetic chemical that is created through the combination of the amino acids phenylalanine and aspartic acid, and a small amount of methanol. Aspartame can be found in several products, such as soft drinks, over-the counter drugs, vitamin and herb supplements, instant breakfasts, candy, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, coffee, juice, and tea beverages, tabletop sweeteners, and gelatin desserts. This product may have seemed like a dream come true when it was first invented in 1981