Aspartame: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration, so it must be good for you, right? Wrong. Sort of.

The Good

If you've ever dieted, you've probably had a diet soda, which is where aspartame is most commonly found. Although it's 200 times sweeter than sucrose, aspartame is capable of sweetening food and drinks without sugar or carbohydrates. So, if you've ever been on a diet, you probably chose diet soda in hopes of cutting out sugar and carbohydrates. So, it's a healthier option for you, right? Wrong.

Aspartame is not only found in diet soda. While surprising for most people to learn, this artificial sweetener may be found in a variety of items including flavored water, chewing gum, salad dressing, and even toothpaste! Again, if it's found in so many products, how can it be bad for you?

The Bad

Years and years ago, a group of scientists were working on a medication to help patients with ulcers. During production, the ingredients spilled over and one of the scientists attempted to clean up the mess using his hands. In some strange turn of events, he licked his fingers after cleaning up the spill and was astonished by the sweetness of the mixture.

Sweeter than sugar and sucralose, but without all the sugar grams and carbohydrates, aspartame became a key component used in many products. Unfortunately, creating aspartame required the use of many toxic ingredients. Here are a few shocking chemicals found in the FDA-approved aspartame:

• Methanol
• Phenalynine
• Aspartic Acid

From the poisonous methanol, which is used to make formaldehyde, to the nerve-stimulating aspartic acid, the ingredients found in aspartame should frighten you.

The Ugly

If you consume diet soda or other products that contain aspartame, you may have aspartame poisoning. It’s a real thing, people! Recent studies have proven consumption of this toxic ingredient can cause headaches, dizziness, slurred speech, vertigo, jaw pain, bloating, and mood swings.

Although it’s a real problem, most doctors lack the knowledge and experience to diagnose patients with aspartame poisoning. Consider cutting out all forms of aspartame for a few days to see if symptoms stop. However, make sure to consult your doctor beforehand to determine if you are suffering with any other medical issues.