In this age of 'eating healthy' we're becoming more conscious of what we put into our bodies, and trying to make better choices, be it at home or the drive thru. We count calories, carbs, and fat, but are we missing one of the real dangers? Are artificial ingredients and fillers really better for our health? One key ingredient may be putting you more at risk for conditions or diseases.
We tell ourselves that making small changes will make a huge impact, but is this always in a positive way? Many people opt for 'sugar free' items, such as diet soda, to improve their diet/health and as a quick way to cut calories. In fact, swapping out to sugar free drinks is usually the first on any dieting list, but it is also the biggest source for Aspartame.
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| Drinks aren't the only source of Aspartame. |
For years, I've heard that Aspartame will cause memory issues. It's one of the reasons I refuse to drink diet drinks, other than of course that they taste awful. Recent studies, one conducted by The University of Iowa, have confirmed that there are many more dangers than just forgetting where you put your car keys. These dangers include an increased risk for heart attack and stroke, also it has been long believed to be a direct link to many debilitating diseases and in extreme cases death.
For some of us, it is a diet choice; we can avoid Aspartame by simply opting out of products that contain it. For others, like The Mom, who is a diabetic and has to use sugar free foods for medical reasons, it is not so easy. Like high fructose corn syrup, Aspartame is in much more than just candy or soda, so it is much more difficult to avoid this potentially deadly chemical. After the saccharin scare, Aspartame became used market wide in many 'diet' items, and even today when there are several different sugar substitutes available, it is still predominantly used. Yogurts, sauces, dressings, and coffees are among the list of 'sugar free' products that use Aspartame.
Companies, like restaurants and major brands are becoming more 'health' friendly based on public outcry. They have revamped their menus or products by cutting down on unnecessary fats and sugars, offering lower calorie and vegetarian options, and taking out unappealing ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup or 'pink slime'. Isn't it about time that we insist they do the same with Aspartame?
2 comments:
I have an occasional diet soda... I have heard some bad things that might happen -but, I really don't do it that frequently so figure it is okay every once in a while. I mentioned something to a nutritionist once, and she favored diet over regular -because there is so much less sugar/calories. I thought that was interesting.
Meeghan, I know! I used to drink 3 - 4 (ok, ok 6 - 8) pops (yes, I call them pop) a day, especially during the summer! I started to keep track of my calories just to see where I was at (and where I needed to make changes) and some days I was DRINKING up to 2000 calories a day. Unbelievable, luckily I have cut down to 2 - 3 a MONTH now, and yes I still drink regular, but I don't think that's as big of a deal.
I'm not a nutritionist, I do understand that the less calories/sugar is better, but is it better if the substitute is causing more harm than regular sugar? (The Mom suffers from several problems that have been linked to Aspartame, memory issues and confusion are among them) I'm all for healthy eating and dieting (responsibly) I think that with the other alternatives out there they should offer more options than just Aspartame on the majority of the items on the shelf. But that's just my opinion!
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