Keep in mind, this is the average! That means some of us are eating more. This is bad, right?! So instead of sugar, what can we eat that's not quite as bad... won't make us fat or give us diabetes? I know! How about artificial sugar. Yeah, that's the ticket...no fat, no diabetes.
Aspartame is marketed as a "natural" calorie-free sugar substitute. The FDA has approved this sugar substitute as safe, notwithstanding the numerous studies pointing to serious health dangers. And the Aspartame Information Center is standing by to remind us in case we get a little bit insecure from warnings that continue to pop up in the news from time to time (or in blogs like this). "Did you know... the safety of aspartame has been affirmed by the FDA 26 times in the last 23 years?" Smile, drink your diet pop, and don't worry about the facts.
According to a World Natural Health Organization (WNHO) article, Dr. Ralph G. Walton, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern Ohio Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, Youngstown, OH, Chairman of the Center for Behavioral Medicine, Northside Medical Center, Youngstown, (is that enough clout to convince you he might know what he's talking about?) found 166 separate published studies in peer reviewed medical literature (not online blogs like mine) regarding aspartame. All 74 studies funded by industry found aspartame to be safe, whereas 84 of the 92 non-industry-funded studies identified a problem. Six of those seven favorable non-industry studies were from the FDA. That should tell you something about the FDA.
Even the American Cancer Society doesn't seem to want to challenge the status quo. In an online article about aspartame, they say, "there are no health problems that have been consistently linked to aspartame use." Now, why would they say that, with 84 peer-reviewed studies to the contrary?
Some of the most well presented information available is by Dr. Mercola, who has published multiple articles about this and other artificial sweeteners that are well worth looking at-- particularly if you suffer from...
- Headaches/migraines
- Fatigue
- Anxiety attacks
- Nausea
- Sleep problems
- Depression
- Abdominal pains
- Vision problems
- Asthma/chest tightness
In his article, Is This FDA-Approved Sweetener Causing Brain Damage?, Dr. Mercola explains that "amino acids in aspartame literally attack your cells, even crossing the blood-brain barrier to attack your brain cells, creating a toxic cellular over-stimulation called excitotoxicity. MSG is also an excitotoxin, and works synergistically with aspartame to create even more damage to your brain cells." Like mercury toxicity, excess aspartate does its damage slowly. This is probably one reason why there may not be "conclusive" evidence of neurological damage that will point directly back to aspartame.
Our bodies were not designed to function on high daily doses of sugar, but we all understand that a little natural sugar eaten now and then won't hurt us (something well under 21.4 teaspoons, I would guess). Neither were our bodies designed to handle large doses of chemicals. The body does its best to clean out the garbage we feed it, but it can only handle so much before it goes into overload and breaks down.
I write this on the heels of learning about yet another one of my family members recently diagnosed with a serious neurological condition. My siblings are not known for their attention to healthy eating. We all love food that tastes good--but our bodies know the difference between real food and counterfeit food God designed us omnivores to eat nearly everything, but he also gave us a brain to help us make decisions about good and evil (or in this case, safe food and unsafe food).
If you're trusting the government to identify your safe food, well...you might want to rethink that. The government is not interested in your health and you cannot trust it to protect you. Just because something is approved by the FDA doesn't mean it's safe. All it means is that the product in question has a successful lobbier.
What we put in our mouth can sustain us or kill us. Read labels, eat natural foods (organic if possible), and avoid man-made alternatives as much as possible. We can't avoid all illness, and sometimes things just happen. But there is much misery we can avoid just by being kind to our bodies. And we give it a much better chance to heal when illness does come our way by building a strong immune system with good nutrition.
Sugar? or sugar substitutes? How about neither?
What we put in our mouth can sustain us or kill us. Read labels, eat natural foods (organic if possible), and avoid man-made alternatives as much as possible. We can't avoid all illness, and sometimes things just happen. But there is much misery we can avoid just by being kind to our bodies. And we give it a much better chance to heal when illness does come our way by building a strong immune system with good nutrition.
Sugar? or sugar substitutes? How about neither?
P.S. New article on the "New Pepsi": Pepsi Next May Be Worse. This product gives you all of the above!
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