Sugar Substitutes: A Recipe for Disease and Death?

[options]

I am going cold turkey on sugar substitutes. I have used Equal and Splenda in my coffee and tea regularly for years, as well as eaten products containing sugar substitutes, like yogurt and ice cream. In the meantime, I have developed headaches, occasional panic attacks and related symptoms out of the blue. I have seen a physician and everything checked out, so I considered my life and my diet. I was stressed out, but I figured there might be a more tangible cause.

When I researched the effects of sugar substitutes, I knew I had found the likely culprit.

How many of you have experienced negative side effects from sugar substitutes? What were your symptoms, and have you given it up altogether?

[options]

Some experiences with sugar substitutes:


Aspartame Toxicity Information Center
http://www.HolisticMed.com/aspartame/

Aspartame / NutraSweet Toxicity Reaction Samples
------------------------------------------------
Aspartame / NutraSweet / Equal / Neotame



--------------------

From: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2005
To: bettym19@mindspring.com
Subject: Diet Coke MS and Lou Gehrigs symptoms

I just read your story about Diet Coke. I had several symptoms of MS
and
Lou Gerigs disease. My doctor asked me to stop drinking diet pop and in
thwo weeks my symptoms were gone! Unreal

Keep up the good work.

J. S.

[More Details...]

From: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx
Sent: Sunday, March 06, 2005 3:58 PM
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Re: FW: Diet Coke MS and Lou Gehrigs symptoms

Sorry for not getting back to you with my symptoms.

First of all...I have spinal stenosis. Those symptoms are lower back pain, numbness after standing for
a while and neck pain. Occasional hand tingling.....really no big problem.

But here were my ASPARTME symptoms: ALL MS / ALS symptoms!!!!

1. Muscle twitching@!!
2. Dizziness (not related to sinus pressure)
3. Feeling like I was in a psychedelic scene of a bad horror movie
4. Problems swallowing...very scary!!!!
5. Muscle contractions that made my whole body contract!!!!
6. Hoarse throat
7. Sporadic finger twitching

When my spine doctor tested my strength he said I was "a bull", which was a good sign against
neuro-muscular disease....he asked my about Diet Coke and I had been consuming high amounts.
I stopped and my symptoms disappeared in two weeks. I still want to sue Diet Coke for the scariest
two weeks of my life!

--------------------

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx.xxx
Sent: Sunday, April 28, 2005 04:13 PM
To: Bettym19@mindspring.com
Subject: Re: Personal Aspartame Story - Has to use epipen

Hi Betty my name is Teresa France, I have had an known allergic reaction
to aspartame since 1991. I stop breathing withing 6-10 minutes. Because
of this I always carry an Epipen with me. everyone including my 5 year
old son knows how to use the Epipen. If you would like more information,
from my first black out in 1991 to me almost losing my life in 2002 from
acciedently getting a diet drink from a major fast food place please
contact me and I would be happy to share my story with you in an effort to
get it off the market. I have been telling people for years that if they
knew what I knew about it they would not touch it with a 10 foot pole,
much less put it into there bodies.

-----------------

From: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Sent: Friday, April 29, 2005 5:13 PM
To: mgold@tiac.net
Subject: aspartame

I just read your article on dorway.com regarding aspartame. 9-10 years ago,
I was diagnosed with “undifferentiated connective tissue disease” -
whatever that is (a big name for something causing me a lot of pain, and
no real idea what). Subsequently, I was diagnosed with Reynauds disease and
fibromyalgia. I lived on the highest does of every nsaid out there. Had to take
Darvocet or Vicodan at night for pain. Lived on antidepressants. My mother read
several articles about he effects of aspartame - and knowing that I have drank only
diet sodas since she can remember (I am now 41 yrs old), she urged my to stop using
anything with aspartame in it. I told her she was crazy, but that I would give it 3 months.

I saw my rheumatologist in July of 2004. On that day, he drew blood (as usual) and I told
him I was going to give up anything with aspartame for 3 months. I then wanted to redraw
my blood and see if there was a difference. He told me it was a waste of time. He had
never heard of such nonsense. I went home that day (July 15) and gave it up. By the
3 month mark I had set for myself, I was able to cut my meds in half - completely
eliminating my meds at night. I decided to continue since I did see a change. To this day,
I am off everything. I have an occasional Aleve for “old age” pains, but no nsaids,
no narcotics/analgesics, no antidepressants. I have not been back to me MD to tell him,
but plan to soon.

I truly believe it was the aspartame. Two months ago, I started dieting. I read labels
for aspartame. I never thought yogurt would have aspartame in it, so I didn’t look. After
eating this type of yogurt for 2 weeks, I was developing my old pains - hips, knees, neck,
shoulders, fingers, etc. I decided to check the label and what do you know - aspartame.
I stopped immediately and within one week, I was feeling better. ....

-------------------

To: bettym19@mindspring.com
From: xxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Subject: Another aspartame statistic vision problems, diabetes, etc.
Date: 09:56 PM 5/31/2005

Dr. Martini,

I was fortunate to have begun my own internet search for info about
aspartame, in early December 2003. It only took a few hours to find enough
evidence to convince me to totally abstain from this toxic substance. A
recovering alcoholic (drank very heavily from adolescence to age 27), I
had developed "reactive hypoglycemia" in 1981 (blood glucose level 34
mg/dl @ 3-1/2 hours into a 5 hr. GTT). To "treat" the hypoglycemia, I
eliminated simple carbohydrates and sugars from my diet, and substituted
sugar-sweetened sodas with diet drinks. The symptoms of the hypoglycemia
abated, but within 7 years I became a very labile diabetic. I continued to
use the aspartame-laden products for several years. My diabetes was
extremely difficult to control, and other changes took place. After a bout
with a bacterial pneumonia in the summer of 1991, with which I lost about
40 pounds, I have never been able to get my weight much above 150 lb. (I
am 5' 10"). In 2001, I mysteriously developed high blood pressure, though
my cardiac & circulatory condition proved excellent, and cholesterol and
triglyceride levels were very good. The hypertension was treated
successfully with lisinopril, for about a year, when the blood pressure
began to increase again. The lisinopril dosage was doubled, and again the
hypertension remained in control for about another year. At that point, my
endocrinologist tried an array of antihypertensive drugs, from Clonidine
to Lotrel and diuretics. The lack of any logical explanation for the high
blood pressure caused me to take a careful look at my lifestyle. I had
quit smoking cigarettes (April 1983), and the levels of stress were not
significantly changed. The one thing that came to mind was the fact that I
consumed moderately large quantities of diet soda, and other products
containing aspartame. The aforementioned internet search soon took me to
the Dorway website. After reading much of the info on that site, I
immediately stopped using everything containing aspartame. At 3 months,
one unexpected benefit was a complete disappearance of shoulder pain,
formerly diagnosed by an orthopedic surgeon as "diabetic frozen shoulder".

I can now actually shoot baskets with my daughter, and the range of motion
has returned to almost normal. Also, my vision has actually improved,
documented by semi-annual visits to my ophthalmologist. 20/55 left eye and
20/50 right eye has improved to 20/25 and 20/20! My intraocular pressure
(22-23 in 2003) has dropped (17-18 in Feb. 2005). My complaints of "bright
spots" diminished to almost nothing, but the Dr. is monitoring "background
retinopathy" and a nevus near the optic nerve of the left eye. I shared
with him my certainty that the improvements in vision are a direct result
of stopping the use of aspartame. Other effects, unfortunately, have not
subsided. At age 50, I suffer from moderately severe ED. The new drugs for
treating this disorder have not been effective, nor was a trial of
transdermal testosterone patches. My diabetes is still difficult to
control, but better with an insulin pump (I am considered type 1, as there
is no evidence of pancreatic function). The blood pressure continues to
fluctuate at times, and I have difficulty with fatigue and inability to
focus on my work (I am a manufacturing engineer). All this said, however,

I can only consider myself fortunate to have learned of the dangers of
aspartame when I did. I am certain that I would now be in much worse
physical condition, perhaps even dead. I would guess that there are many
thousands of people who have been permanently impaired and physically
compromised by aspartame poisoning. Nonetheless, I am offering use of my
information by you, or anyone else who is able to use it, for the
furtherance of the cause of banning aspartame. It seems that the love of
money truly is the root of this evil!

-----------------

[DDTexlaxed]

This is why I stayed away from those "sugar substitutes". A little bit of regular sugar is not bad in itself, unless u have diabetes. My nana's dr. said sweet n low was the best. Your body can process regular sugar with no problem. All the added ingredients in the substitutes however, can be difficult because it is a chemical additive. Be careful with what u eat. Splenda is a rip off, IMHO. :mad:

[sky_blu]

This is why I been stayed away from them. If I want sugar then I eat sugar.

[mkstar826]

If I want sugar then I eat sugar.

yep.......

[rozlips]

I don't drink a whole lot of it, but I do use the pink stuff and the blue stuff. I don't use it in my food, and I don't drink soft drinks, but I drink a heckuva lot of iced tea (they kick you out of the south if you don't). I'm thinking of switching to half equal, half sugar in my iced tea. They say that the fake sugar doesn't help you lose weight, but for me the more sugar I eat the more I crave. But that seems not to be happening this time though. I don't know if it's the workouts or what but for the first time in my life I can eat just one bite of cake or one cookie. I made chocolate pudding the other night and couldn't even finish a whole serving. I wonder what's going on?

I haven't had any bad reactions to the fake stuff though, but I am wary of it. I don't really like chemicals and fake food, so I probably will take steps to eliminate it.

[options]

When I thought about it, I realized that I was using sugar substitutes not because I wanted to lose weight, but because I guess I have been conditioned by its widespread use and availability to think that if it's available, it HAS to be a better alternative to sugar. Now I feel like one would have to consume a helluva lot of sugar to really gain weight from it. I mean, my mom has been throwing back diet Cokes and Big Ks for years and has consistently exercised (about 2 miles every other day), but lately has not been able to shake any weight. In fact, she has been gaining. Little did she know, there are experiences and personal accounts that support the notion that these sugar substitutes hinder weight loss and make people crave more carbohydrates.

My new motto is: "If it ain't sugar, it ain't right!"

[tryn2growmyhair]

Thanks for posting this, Options. I sometimes get hungry after drinking green tea by itself or after drinking something with Equal or another sub in it. And my throaght gets scratchy. I am going to try to quit.

[MeccaMedinah]

I too stay away from sugar substitues, that includes diet sodas :down:
But, I do need to cut down on the real stuff too:ohwell:

[GodMadeMePretty]

No fake sugar or fake butter (margarine, etc.) for me. If I can't eat the real thing, I don't want something doctored up in a chemist's lab sweetening up my food.