safety of aspartame/nutrasweet

Does anyone know of a study done on the relationship between aspartame and insulin levels? I looked years ago, back when I first thought about it. That is the key link to obesity, after all. What makes sugar so bad is not so much the calories (though there are many in a large Coke), but the insulin rush and the subsequent binge eating. Food with both high fat and high sugar are the worst (donuts, esp), because you get high concentration of calories plus the insulin rush. Of course, starving oneself with diet products and with 800 calorie a day diets ultimately lead to binge eating, and there is a huge increase in insulin with that (that's why they say to eat 5-6 small meals a day, to keep the blood sugar beast at bay).

For the record, I have consumed large quantities of aspartame-sweetened products for many years, and am about as cut as a guy in his late thirties can get without diuretics.

 

I have eliminated all "low fat" foods because the typical substitution for the fat is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup). In fact, look at the ingredients on a can of Campbell's Tomato Soup. You will be shocked -- HFCS hasn't quite taken over tomato as the prime ingredient, but give it time. Same thing with mayo... everything "low fat" is so damn sweet. Even your favorite Chinese restaurant adds sugar to everything because they think Americans love sugar (which most do).

 

I am glad (but surprised) to hear you say this. I found that the aspartame makes me "puffy". Possibly fluid retention. Then when I stopped eating it in the yogurt, within 2 days I felt lean & sculpted again. Maybe it depends on the product, amount consumed & the person as to the side effects.
My protein powder (protein stack) advertises "no aspartame" on the label.

As far as the studies related to insulin, I found a few websites which say that the sweeteners confuse the body into expecting glucose & when it is not received the insulin is affected. Here is one link / explanation....

http://www.firstfitnessoforlando.com/4-16-2004.htm

"Here’s where we get at the heart of the matter so far as fitness is concerned. When you ingest Aspartame, your body releases insulin to try to bind to it as if it was glucose. However, our body is so amazing that it can’t bind to it. “That’s amazing?” you ask. What’s amazing is that your body’s hormones act like locks and keys with specific substances. Only the exact substances will fit into the each hormone. It’s a perfect system that developed over millions of years of evolution.



But Aspartame was developed relatively recently – not enough time has elapsed and our bodies have not yet adapted to the new substance. So what happens? Your body releases insulin in response to the Aspartame, it can’t bind to it, and you become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). Why? Because whatever glucose that you had flowing in your bloodstream will now be eaten up by the insulin. So your blood sugar drops and you begin to crave sweets in an innate attempt to bring your blood sugar levels back to normal. You eat or drink something and your blood sugar levels rise – but now they rise too high.



At this point I’ve already written a lot, so I’m going to attempt to shorten this long story. Suffice it to say that your blood sugar goes on this roller-coaster ride throughout your day. Those highs and lows cause you to store body fat. So you’re trying to “watch your calories” in order to lose weight and the aspartame is having the exact opposite affect! How’s that for disappointing? Maybe it’s time to stop drinking so many Diet Cokes and start drinking some water. Just a thought."


Here is another link also posted a couple pages back which talks about this insulin reaction....

http://www.ironmagazineforums.com/history/topic/11943-1.html

 

Sweet Misery - A Poisoned World (Aspartame)

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1871783678882092937

 

Many thanks for the thoughtful post and link. You've given me food for thought.

Perhaps I'd be more cut if I cut out the Diet Coke. I've considered replacing my morning Diet Coke with coffee (iced coffee mixed with a chocolate flavored high protein whey powder. I tried it once and it actually is very good).

 

Aspartame is a mild neurotoxin. It depletes serotonin. It mimics sucrose very well w.r.t. insulin secretion. We won't know for years whether the stuff is a mutagenic/carcinogen. The metabolites are not terribly toxic substances, but we're not discussing a leafy green vegetable, now are we?

Sucralose is a safer alternative.

 

Something I heard that is interesting regarding insulin: cinnamon is a big helper in regulating insulin. I have not researched that but I do know that I love to have toast with honey and cinnamon in the morning.

 

Biochemically, why does aspartame (Equal) produce a sucrose-like effect on raising insulin levels whereas sucralose (Splenda) does not?

Before reading this thread, I was already considering cutting down my Diet Coke intake. I simply drink way too much (two king size cups at Hardees for lunch, plus one in the morning), relying on the caffeine to do all I have to do in a day (full-time job university level teaching plus research, plus raising three kids, one of whom is seriously disabled, plus putting thirty hours a week trading/preparing for trading).

To be honest, I have noticed some short-term memory loss. I am not sure it is attributable to aspartame intake and not to age (and not to being an absentminded professor). I know I have to tread carefully here, since post hoc arguments are the foundation of conspiracy theories, and the food fundamentalists (not unfamilar to bodybuilding) are always looking for some new boogeyman and/or some new miracle supplement. Ironically, I started reading this thread during my lunch break after teaching two classes; during one class I had to come back to my office TWICE to pick up something I had forgotten. That is the first time that has ever happened.

If anyone knows of any other links to peer reviewed, double-blind SCIENTIFIC studies on this, I would greatly appreciate it. I myself will look for some next week on some databases.

Thanks to all who have contributed here.

 

Just because Weil is an M.D. does not necessarily mean that his advice is sound. I have read his articles in PREVENTION magazine (a gift from my health fadish parents), and his reasoning is often poor, his evidence, weak. And yet he is popular.

It must be the beard.

JMO.

 

Well, I did some research on the book that was cited in the iron magazine forum. I am always skeptical, and this water book sounded like hooey. I guess there are others who have their doubts.

http://www.quackwatch.org/11Ind/batman.html