By PL Chang on January 13th, 2010

Aspartame: The Artificial Sweetener That Kills

Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame (a.k.a. Nutrasweet, AminoSweet) and sucralose (a.k.a. Splenda) are becoming very popular these days because they are tooth friendly, cheap, contain less calories and cause less spikes in blood sugar level. Because of these benefits, artificial sweetener manufacturers could not wait to spend millions of their advertisement money to brainwash consumers about artificial sweetener. They did such a great job convincing consumers that they made millions within a very short time.

There are currently more than a dozen artificial sweetener in the market but one of the most dangerous and widely used is aspartame. This sugar substitute is a synthetic substance made up of methanol (wood alcohol), aspartic acid and phenylalanine. When aspartame reaches the small intestine, it reacts to certain enzyme which causes it to release methanol. Methanol is considered very toxic to the human body and can cause blindness or even death. It is important to know that some fruit juice do contain methanol but they also usually contain ethanol, the antidote for methanol. Aspartame can also release a byproduct called aspartate which is an excitatory amino acid. At normal levels aspartate is not harmful, but at high levels it is harmful to nerve cells and can overstimulate brain cells, causing them to die prematurely. Aspartate is considered normal by the body and is allowed to pass the blood-brain barrier. The danger about aspartame is that its chemical structure is missing certain important amino acids that are found in nature. When we eat foods in their natural state, they contain certain amino acids that are designed to assist the body to utilize nutrients. Without these amino acids, nutrients can break down into toxic chemicals. This is why sugar found in fruits are healthier than processed sugar. This process is nature’s way of keeping everything in balance. It is a very complex process and will cost more money to mimic which is why sugar manufacturers avoid it.

There are hundreds, maybe even thousands of products that contain aspartame. Some of these products are even targeted toward babies. If you have kids or planning to have kids, you should avoid buying products that contain aspartame because it has been known to cause birth defects, seizure and cancer. I suggest avoiding all sugar free products because they usually contain aspartame or some form of artificial sweetener. It is important to know that artificial sweetener is worst for your health than table sugar. If you have to choose between the two, it would be better to choose table sugar. When buying product always read the ingredients. If you see these ingredients: aspartame, sucralose, phenylketonurics, phenylalanine and methanol, avoid it.

Other artificial sweetener you should avoid: