Soda, Diet Soda and Gum

Aspartame has had a troubled past.

There has been ongoing websites and blogsites writing about the problems regarding aspartame, some seem legitimate and others sensational.

There have been claims by researchers who conducted studies on aspartame years prior to it's approval who've stated that the early studies showed problems but that these studies were "taken off the books".

Recently, a large animal study conducted in Italy by Ramazzini in Italy, showed an increase in breast cancers as well as lymphomas and leukemias in rats fed the equivalent to 100 mg per kg of body weight.

This is an amount larger than what most people are said to consume, however, aspartame is in gum, sugar free and regular. It is in pedialyte, popsicles and all kinds of crazy stuff.

My concern is that many people, especially women consume huge amounts of aspartame between their sodas, yoghurt, gum and diet iced teas, there are many women that might be ingesting this crazy amount.

What the newer studies have shown is a more statistically significant increase in cancers if the rats are exposed to aspartame in utero or in infancy.

The fact that so many parents preferentially give their children sugar free products over regular is alarming. We have no idea what this is doing in terms of affecting the cancer risk factors of the next generation. Presumably, parents are doing this to prevent childhood obesity.

Both regular and diet soda are typically preserved with sodium benzoate. But sodas also typically have citric acid or vitamin c, also for preservation. The combination of sodium benzoate and vitamin c in any form, creates benzene, a known carcinogen.

University of Texas looked at obesity risks and the amount of diet soda drank and found a direct correlation. A persons obesity risk increased with the amount of aspartame they consumed. Presumably the change in brain chemistry (increased phenylalanine and decreased seretonin) that aspartame causes leads to carbohydrate cravings.

But another plausible explanation is that a few years ago, researcher found "taste" receptors in the human gut that stimulate insulin production.

In laymans terms, this means that aspartame could contribute to insulin resistance and increase diabetes.

Eat real and deal with food addictions, this is always the best motto for good health!