Introduction Aspartame, a chemical that produces a sweet taste without producing calories has been highly used since 1981 to replace natural sugar. People believe that aspartame could help them reach their diet goal, especially for those who are trying to lose weight. Is is widely used on food product like carbonated beverage and cereal, and people believe that by consuming aspartame sweetened products instead of naturally sweetened products, they would consume fewer calories and therefore reaching their diet goals. However, even though aspartame contains no calories, research had shown that people have a tendency to compensate that caloric intake through other sources. My goal is to persuade them that aspartame is an ideal replacement for
Numerous neurological and behavioral side effects have been linked with consuming aspartame at well below the approved safe limits set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that has been ingested in the United States for over three decades. Even though there are several studies showing the harmful effects of its consumption. When aspartame is digested several toxic chemicals are produced, most notability formic acid & glutamate. Both of these chemicals cause the body to mimic the side effects of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer. Even the passing of aspartame to be allowed in food was controversial. Just as the studies on it, continue to be today.
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)
As of 2012, “One third of all women and one quarter of all men in the US are on a diet.” (Colorado University, as cited in Colquhoun et al., 2012), according to Colorado University. However, according to the University of California, Los Angeles, “Up to two thirds of those on a diet regain more weight than when they started.” (University of California, Los Angeles, as cited in Colquhoun et al., 2012). This shows a low success rate in a growing industry and proves that diets don’t work, a key point in Hungry for Change. “Fit for Life” author, Harvey Diamond, states “Diets don’t work because they are temporary. What they are doing is taking one of the food categories you need to live like protein, fat, carbohydrates and one of those is eliminated and if you do that some weight will be lost temporarily.” (Diamond, as cited in Colquhoun et al., 2012). So, in order for a “diet” to be successful, it must be a permanent lifestyle transformation, not a temporary diet change. Also, though many people believe diet foods to be healthier, this is absolutely not the case. A key ingredient in many diet products is aspartame, a risky sugar substitute. Aspartame is common in artificial sweeteners and diet drinks, yet it has been linked to a plethora of medical problems, including cancer, formaldehyde build up in the brain, epilepsy, and even
To first formulate the major arguments that about Aspartame, we first must understand what Aspartame is, and how it is digested in our bodies.Aspartame is an artificial sweetener often used as a substitute for sugar in beverages,foods,gums, and other uses, it is often denoted as E951.It was approved for use in 1980. Shown right is the chemical structure of aspartame (wikipedia). Aspartames is a dipeptide which is a protein made of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, what makes it sweet is a hydro carbon that is attached to the phenylalanine (authoritynutrition).
Karen Congro, the director of the Wellness for Life Club program at the Brooklyn Hospital Center and nutritionist stated that long-term effects of aspartame in humans have not been studied . So from a marketing standpoint Pepsi’s switch away from aspartame may benefit their falling rates. In contrast, Diet Coke still only uses aspartame in their diet soda product. Though their advertising does not consistently, directly address the aspartame in their products, Diet Coke in 2013 defended their use of aspartame by stating in an ad that studies over the last 40 years has not discovered negative effects of aspartame . Interesting, today in 2015, 61 percent of Americans rely on online, websites or social media apps: Twitter, Snapchat, etc.—media reports—for their news . While 38 percent of Americans receive their news from offline sources, like newspapers, journals, etc. . Therefore, individuals should be wary that both journals and media reports, particularly the latter, may be withholding significant details or exaggerating scientific results in order to persuade the
The studies on this ingredient have been numerous, but conflict with each other in almost every aspect. This artificial sweetener has been torn apart by every “health organization,” health fanatic, and doctor trying to prove their data holds water. Looking at a doctor’s informational website a wide variety of side effects could emerge from the consumption of aspartame, “A few of the 90 different documented symptoms listed in the report as part of aspartame dangers are: headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain, ” (Mercola.com). From this study it would appear that aspartame was developed by the hands of satan. While this information may be true, a journal article from a study performed by over seven doctors begs to differ, “Controlled and thorough scientific studies confirm aspartame’s safety and find no credible link between consumption of aspartame at levels found in the human diet and conditions related to the nervous system and behaviour, nor any other symptom or illness,” (Magnusun, pg. 702). A seemingly extensive study shows the absolute safety of this sweetener, but
This extended essay is trying to answer the question “How much does people’s knowledge of the affects of aspartame reflect the scientific facts?”. The essay starts with a brief introduction to the topic, explaining thoroughly what food additives are in general and furthermore what kind of substance Aspartame is. Before continuing to consider and discuss the dangers of food additives and aspartame, information about other sweeteners are researched and some examples of these are stated.
Is chocolate milk good for you? Well, some people say it’s good and some say it’s bad. I think it’s bad for you because it can increase your obesity and diabetic risk, has lots of sugar, gives you Osteoporosis, and it has saturated fats. Everyone wants a happy healthy life. With chocolate milk, you don’t get that.
Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are commonly used as substitutes for sugar in everyday products that we consume such as foods and soft drinks due to the fact that they contain no calories. This has further led to a growing trend of artificial sweeteners being used by people as an alternative to sugar to control weight. Although extensive research has demonstrated the safety of six different low-calorie sweeteners currently approved for use, there is still ongoing debate over the potential health threats they pose.
Aspartame is a toxicin to the people who consume it. At least that’s what the critics say. Zero calorie artificial sweeteners reputation has been degraded due to people criticizing all of the “dangers” that can come from the consuming of these products. These allegations come from people who, more than often, lack any credibility or proof of these dangers involved with artificial sweeteners. The truth is artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, are not as dangerous but are just as good as natural sugars. Aspartame is actually the most researched sweetener to date and has been scientifically proven that it has no negative effect towards depression, cancer, and people with a “sensitivity” to aspartame.
This research study focuses on how aspartame affects the human body, particularly the brain. It includes the different classes of sweetener, their characteristics and their difference from aspartame. It also explains why multi-national corporations prefer to use aspartame as sugar substitute over the other varieties of sweeteners. Lastly, it details the compatibility of aspartame to beverages and the standard amount of sweeteners in instant goods set by the World Government. However, this study does not cover the possible sources of treatment to the problems caused by aspartame. This research is limited to explaining the overall concept of aspartame as a sweetener.
Aspartame in soda is considered safe as a diet drink according to the European Food Safety Authority. The review done by this agency confirms the safety of using aspartame sweetener in soda without any potential risk of cancer or damage to genes. It ensures its safety if consumed in the adequate levels of a diet drink. The safety concerns about aspartame in soda had led a fall in the sales of diet drink due to the presence of artificial sweetener that might cause side
In one particular study, researchers were interested in understanding the effects of aspartame consumption in obese women during a 16-week weight control program.2 Thirty participants were pre-screened and assigned to an aspartame or non-aspartame dietary group. After comparing the results, researchers found that a diet modified with products containing aspartame was as effective at promoting weight loss as a diet that strictly excluded aspartame and incorporated regular physical activity. In other words, the results of this study demonstrated that aspartame could be moderately incorporated into a diet in order to promote weight loss as measured by a short-term weight program.
People nowadays generally believe that, by simply consuming artificial sweetened food product like diet soda instead of naturally sweetened food product could help them researching their weight loss goal without changing any of their dietary habit. Most of them had gain this knowledge through advertisements on television, magazine, or the internet. America, being the highest soda consumption country, average on 170 liters per year per person, has the most serious obesity problem in the world. According to JAMA Internal Medicine, 75 percent of men and 67 percent of women ages 25 and older are now overweight or obese. Where about one-fifth of the soda in America are labeled as “diet” drinks, and most of them use aspartame
From the rising obesity issues, artificial sweeteners as substitute for natural sugars have been introduced to our daily food products. Aspartame (APM) is one of them. Ever since the commercial approval of it by the United States Food and Drug Administration in 1974, APM usage has been spreading to so many products. Without checking the labels some products we are assuming to contain natural sugars contain APM instead. The products we see often on the supermarket shelves like: soft drinks (i.e. Coke and Fanta), yogurts, cough drops, baby food, jello, powdered drinks, and even cereals, contain APM listed in the tiny text ingredient label. Not only does APM usage remain in those food products, it is also used in health supplements and countertop medications like vitamin gummies, Advils, and Tylenols. As it appears in the labels of many products we encounter daily, it seems to us that it is a great substitute for natural sugars as it adds the sweet taste without increasing our weight even when consumed in large quantities. However, this is definitely not the case.