Aspartame

Many of us buy sugar free and “diet” options of soft drinks, desserts and chewing gums believing them to be less fattening, better for our teeth and healthier for us and our children. But what are the true costs of these artificial sweetener-laden products on our health?

Artificial sweetener, ASPARTAME or E951, is a chemical that has been used in the food industry since 1981, and so one would assume it is a safe sugar substitute with no side effects. However, unlike natural occurring sugars the body treats Aspartame as a toxin and breaks it down differently.

Aspartame has a toxic link to 3 chemicals; aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol (wood alcohol). In combination these chemicals trigger a reaction in brain chemistry that can over stimulate the nerve cells causing all manner of health problems and cell death! What is particularly disturbing is the reaction of the body to Wood Alcohol: It is broken down into a liquid solution to produce Formaldehyde.

Sodium Metabisulfite Is used as a food additive, mainly as a preservative and is sometimes identified as E number E223. It may cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to sulfites. It is also present in dilutable squashes and in candy bars.  It is commonly used in home brewing.

Aspartame is listed as causing, FATIGUE, HEADACHES, BLURRED VISION, BLINDNESS, PALPITATIONS, DIZZINESS, HEARING LOSS, SHORT-TERM MEMORY LOSS, MOOD CHANGES, SEIZURES, JOINT PAIN, NAUSEA, VERTIGO, TINNITUS, IRRITABILITY, DISORIENTATION, MUSCLE SPASM and is known to have triggered off MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON’S, ALZHEIMER’S  and BRAIN TUMOURS. 

Ultimately: Balanced nutrition and adequate hydration are vital components of good health. Eating a wide variety of fresh foods and avoiding artificial chemicals (of all kinds) in our diet (eat organic if possible) and by drinking 1 ½ to 2 litres of filtered water every day we give our bodies the essential ingredients for health, growth and repair.