Occasionally something I come across pisses me off so thoroughly that the only thing for it is a proper rant. Most of you can recognize one of these rant topics but the sound of lasers priming behind my eyeballs. Fair warning -the setting is never stun.
So Aspartame and artificial sweeteners... I keep trying to come up with a way to tackle this topic so that I don't sound like a conspiracy nut or an extremist or judgmental. I want people to understand why. I realize this is a hard topic. Weight is very personal and people do insane things to their bodies in the name of "dieting."
There was a period of time where I felt not knowing was an acceptable excuse for using artificial sweeteners, we've all got to learn. Today though I'm not buying it, you know. Maybe you don't believe it, but you've all heard it. They are not doing anyone any favors.
So you think they help you loose weight? Actually it's just the opposite. A very simplified explanation:
Our body and our brains work together but artificial sweeteners trick our brains into believing we have received a certain caloric intake associated with that sweet, so our bodies are prepped for that intake, we consume energy. However once our bodies realize we haven't actually received those calories they change course and start storing calories to make up for the loss (fat) then it sends out a signal indicating you are short on those calories (cravings) and a really nasty cycle begins.
The sweeter something is the more your body will crave it, and like any pleasure type of response our brain cells become sensitized and the sweetness that was enough no longer is. Aspartame is 200x sweeter than sucrose (sugar). Sucralose is not sugar it's 600x sweeter.
There is a lot of conflicting information on Aspartame, the manufacturers will tell you it is made up of amino acids and therefore safe. Aspartame and glutamate act as neurotransmitters hyper-exciting the nervous system and can cause severe brain damage and neurological disorders. As you know from previous discussions fibromyalgia and other central nervous system dysfunction is believed to be the result of a hyper-sensitive nervous system. I'm not saying Aspartame is the cause of fibromyalgia (though aspartame poisoning can mimic fibromyalgia and is misdiagnosed in many cases) just that if we know this is a concern for us why would we ingest something that further damages that system?
When you have Fibromyalgia it is very hard to loose weight, not only are we limited in exercise and energy we often have hormone and endocrine imbalances that lead to weight gain. It's very tempting to buy into the sugar-free movement. Please think about the long-term consequences and add to that the fact that it's actually only making things worse.
Artificial sweeteners have become the new cigarette business, their marketing is superior and their information is misleading at best. We need to get this market back under control, the amount of products that contain artificial sweeteners is insane and with re-branding and wording changes it is getting harder and harder to tell.
I know not everyone who has fibromyalgia is as sensitive to chemicals as I am so you may not experience the immediate reactions that I do when I'm exposed to them. Personally I get an instant back ache and hive-like reactions as well as stomach and bowel issues and eventually a headache. That's enough evidence for me to stay far far away. My advice is this: read the labels if it is anything other than pure sugar don't eat it. I'm not advocating for sugar exactly, and too much sugar can make you fat as well, but at least it won't make you fat and brain damaged.
Maybe someday I will convert a few die-hard sugar-free soda Junkies. I'm not standing on the side preaching something I don't practice, I know the benefits of removing these things from your diet and I promise you it's significant. I know I will hear how you just like the taste better, well of course you do, your brain cells have been sensitized to like it better, but is that really a good enough reason to poison yourself? If you need help transitioning I am more than happy to help. I'll come over and personally go through your cabinets, I'll help you understand how the labeling works and what products you can use in place.
I love you all, and I am not judging you or your choices all I want is for you to be informed. I am just so tired of programs that are supposed to keep us from harm doing the most harm.
Be good to yourself because no one is going to do it for you.
LIST OF ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS:
ACESULFAME POTASSIUM
ACK
Ace K
Equal Spoonful (also +aspartame)
Sweet One
Sunett
ASPARTAME
APM
AminoSweet (but not in US)
Aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester
Canderel (not in US)
Equal Classic
NatraTaste Blue
NutraSweet
ASPARTAME-ACESULFAME SALT
TwinSweet (Europe only)
CYCLAMATE
Not in US as per FDA
Calcium cyclamate
Cologran = cyclamate and saccharin; not in US
Sucaryl
ERYTHRITOL
Sugar alcohol
Zerose
ZSweet
GLYCEROL
Glycerin
Glycerine
GLYCYRRHIZIN
Licorice
HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE (HSH)
Sugar alcohol
ISOMALT
Sugar alcohol
ClearCut Isomalt
Decomalt
DiabetiSweet (also contains Acesulfame-K)
Hydrogenated Isomaltulose
Isomaltitol
LACTITOL
Sugar alcohol
MALTITOL
Sugar alcohol
Maltitol Syrup
Maltitol Powder
Hydrogenated High Maltose Content Glucose Syrup
Hydrogenated Maltose
Lesys
MaltiSweet (hard to find online to buy)
SweetPearl
MANNITOL
Sugar alcohol
NEOTAME
POLYDEXTROSE
Sugar alcohol
(Derived from glucose and sorbitol)
SACCHARIN
Acid saccharin
Equal Saccharin
Necta Sweet
Sodium Saccharin
Sweet N Low
Sweet Twin
SORBITOL
Sugar alcohol
D-glucitol
D-glucitol syrup
SUCRALOSE
1',4,6'-Trichlorogalactosucrose
Trichlorosucrose
Equal Sucralose
NatraTaste Gold
Splenda
TAGATOSE
Natrulose
XYLITOL
Sugar alcohol
Smart Sweet
Xylipure
Xylosweet