Aspardame update - good news for all fizzy drink lovers!

[TiffanyJaynexo]

^ Exactly.
People don't think really in-depth about EVERYTHING around them.
Like I said above, most of us probably didn't even think about what we ate when we weren't pregnant.

I'd love to be totally healthy and have my 5 a day and not drink any of these fizzy drink colourants/acids etc but it's just so much to think about. If only the human race could start again xxx

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

there is always an element of 'is it worth it' Is it worth it to have the odd cup of coffee, given that it does very little to a baby and is probably a bit of a crutch for the mum

is it worth it to eat blue cheese, given that it creates strange enzymes in the body, which have been linked to birth defects?

its YOUR call, but if your talking about a product, which wether you are pregnant or not, has been used to replace sugar in a number of drinks to make them 'healthier' actually, you need to look at what it has been prone to cause

depression is a major one
death is another one

do you know the stories you hear about war veterans in Vietnam who went mad and never quite recovered? A massive part of that was down to their aspartamine rich diets, which caused them to go actually loopy. This stuff will affect you and your family on such a major psychological level even when your all formed and made, let alone a wee fetus in the womb

there is absolutely NO WAY i would happily ingest it while pregnant, its clearly evil! many many levels of evil

you want to be 'healthy' by not eating sugar? Dont eat a 'low sugar drink' have a herbal tea with honey in it, have a fruit drink sweetened by nature, not sweetened by some rank chemical they have created in a lab for the purpose of making things like coke 'diet' and something they have to heavily heavily regulate the amount of to stop the world going mad AND they still havent discovered all the different side effects yet!

Sugar, has been around a LOOOOONG time, we are fortunate enough to have a few generations of dead people who tested it for us, Aspartamine, pretty new invention and its ALREADY causes loads and loads of mental and physical problems in the population. You want to take that risk with your body so you can drink a 'diet' coke. Do yourself a favour and have a full fat one! Just while your pregnant.

Morning rant over, seriously though... If your going to fight to justify putting something in your body, try not to make it a nasty, manufactured sweetener which has been again again again shown to be deeply bad for you AND your children.

 

[Susanne]

I see this thread has caused a bit of a heated argument... I suppose as with everything, it's good to know all the different bits of information out there, not just one side of it, so based on that we can then each make up our own mind what we do or don't want to do. Would that be a fair conclusion?

 

[Cazza]

Another thing.. Websites say different things because different countries have different views.

And of course some websites recieve funding from certain manufacturers of nasty chemical sweetners!!!


Seriously though the amount of sites that say it's safe are in the minority, the majority of independant research states otherwise.

Thankfully companies like Sainsburys are now realising the dangers and taking it out of their drinks and food stuffs. Tesco is to follow too.

 

[Lilmoomin]

I agree Susanne. Cazza gave me a good tip last night, by the normal stuff (not diet) put a bit in to a glass and add fizzy water to weaken the sweetness I am going to give it a try I am also going to look what's in milkshakes as I hate milk but can drink it as a milkshake

 

[Lilmoomin]

I need to get my ass to Sainsbury's and check there drinks out

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

M+S are pretty right on about certain things and will not use aspartame in any of their brand named products.

If you choose to fill your body with psycho effective sweeteners, then go ahead, I and no one else is going to stop you, but don't try and pretend they are good for you, because they absolutely 100% are not good for you

If your saying 'i know this product is really bad for me, i am ingesting it anyway' then that is your choice entirely and we are fortunate to live in a country where our ethos is not imposed by those around us.

The only thing i will further add, is that i think it should be illegal for aspartame and other such nasties to be put into products 'designed' for children and i will contest anyone who says otherwise. This includes low in sugar fruit squashes like ribena light, and ready-made kids jucies like Fruit Shoots. They should actually be banned, if a product is shown to reduce your learning potential in the massive way that aspartame has, it should simply not be allowed in childrens food stuffs.

 

[Susanne]

Another thing.. Websites say different things because different countries have different views.

And of course some websites recieve funding from certain manufacturers of nasty chemical sweetners!!!

I agree that many websites probably are, but I made sure that I accessed sources that aren't. The Food Standards Agency, for example, is an independent government body funded only through direct taxation and no companies whatsoever.

Not I nor anybody else, including the FSA, is arguing that Aspartame is a wonderfully healthy thing, by the way. Of course it isn't. But if sources that are clearly and by law independent say that their extensive research has shown that it is not going to harm the unborn baby, then I am happy with that.

This is what works for me, obviously others may be of a different opinion.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Susanne, do you honestly think the government are not swayed by companies? Of course they are! Trust me, if we lived in a world where regulatory bodies were not heavily influenced by nasty pharmaceutical companies and other political influences, aspartame and other such nasties WOULD never have been legally allowed to be placed in food.

In America they have a substance called 'corn syrup' they use it in loads of stuff yet it is impossible to buy in this country, that is because our government have not been paid off (in a round about way) by the company that creates it, so that it can be made available, actually corn syrup is incredibly bad for you and therefore is not sold over here. If what you are saying is true, how come one system based sole on taxation has okay'd it, where another system also based upon taxation has kept it off the shelves?

there are massive discrepancies across the board to do with what is allowed and what is not allowed, the amount of fluoride they are allowed to put in toothpaste is one example, it one country it is barely any, in another country is is unregluated. yet they are both tax paying countries.

your argument is, i am afraid, deeply flawed.

Aspartame is not and never will be good for you, it damages the brain and has been shown to create hyper activity in children as well as severely impairing learning, they have done some tests in schools surrounding this, look up some of them it is interesting stuff

in adults it has been known to cause massive depression and suicidal thoughts.

this is not stuff i am 'making up' this is based on literally YEARS of studying this stuff and the affect it has had on our generation and the possible effects it may have on future generations. If you choose to ingest it, at least do it in the knowledge of what it is, or claim ignorance and dont learn about it. What i object to, is someone learning about it and then saying 'its not that bad i will carry on' because it IS that bad and a rudimentary look at the facts will tell you that.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Also on the subject of unborn babies, well it is impossible to do a controlled test on expectant mothers because its inhumane, so anything we have to say on the matter either way will be hypothetical. i will say this however, when dealing with a product that affects the brain, and the way the brain deals with emotions, change etc it is not a physical deformity which is a worry, it is a mental issue, we do not see mental defects like we do physical birth defects, it is very hard to say 'this child would deal with emotions better if it had not been subjected to such outside influences (for example) so we can only predict. it is up to you what you predeict. It is not black and white, its something we all have to choose

i know when it comes to the brain, i will be erring on the side of caution, and if that simply means drinking full fat coke and avoiding fake sugars, i am all good with that,

 

[Susanne]

Big Bump, I have done my research and taken much more than just a "rudimentary look" (this has been my background for 15 years before I went into nursing, so believe me, I do know how to do it). I have read the studies and articles you refer to, I have also read the other ones, and I find that many of them are done on very small sample populations whilst others have been more thoroughly researched. I have no objection whatsoever to you being very much opposed to Aspartame, and I agree that since it is not healthy it makes sense to avoid it. (Although I believe you will find it is also present in many of the full fat drinks, so if you want to avoid it completely, sticking to those won't solve the problem either.)

I do object, however, to being repeatedly accused of ignorance and/or irresponsibility. Reading the research available and considering both sides of the argument may have led me to a different conclusion than you, but that does make me neither ignorant, nor an irresponsible parent.

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

Well, i find it hard to believe anybody could look into this product in any sort of reasonable way and find anything but evil frankly...

I can see why you would feel the FSA are infalable, but actually they are constantly under scrutiny due to the dubious decisions they make.

Just recently have been a number of cases of men killing their families and themselves in a variety of ways, when questioned (a couple survived) not only was it discovered that they all grew such a distant for the world they felt it was 'nicer' to kill their nearest and dearest, but also that they had ALL been on a specific drug to help them quit smoking.

that was a drug that was pushed through, and okay'd by the same regulatory bodies that say aspartame is 'fine'

we have to make the best decisions for US based upon what we know and what we can find out. It is hard to separate the wheat from the chaff as far as research goes, but i think its safe to say, when you have extenuating evidence suggesting their 'may' be issues with a product, its going to be a little bit true.

At the end of the day, without a massive study spanning a whole generation, we dont know how these man-made things will affect us through our lives, we have to make the best decision we can.

 

[cosmicgirl]

Unless you are only drinking water (fresh from a spring, not tap or bottled ad they have been through a purification process), eat food you have grown yourself (even organic food had been treated), use only household cleaners you have made yourself out of natural products, wear no perfume, make up or deodorant, clothes with only natural fibres and no dye, no shampoo, don't breathe our polluted air....... I could go on!
Point being, we are exposed to toxin after toxin every hour of the day, it is naive and almost impossible to not be exposed to these things. All in moderation and enjoy your life ladies x

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

its all about moderation, and where you choose to put your lines.

I will enjoy sugary snacks from time to time but wont eat aspartame if i can help i.

i will use Ecover and avoid bleach around myself and my children

I will cook home-made food and avoid processed crap where ever possible

its about balance and where yours is. Thats not the issue here, the issue is suggesting something is okay and fine and healthy when actually, its not! I know that the sugary foods i eat arent good for me, i make that choice, i know that the occasional burger i eat isnt good for me, but i eat it anyway in the knowledge that 99% of the time i avoid processed crap.

Your agrument, CG, seems to be 'Oh we are all surrounded by rubbish, why try and moderate it' whereas i would say that is Exactly why we have to moderate it, because otherwise the combinations and amount of stuff we are ingesting is really, really ridiculous.

 

[knopk@]

BigBump, I think you are being bordeline offensive to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am sure people have read the research and chose for themselves.

You will be exposed to toxins especially if you live in a big city but I am sure my kid wont be suicidal or have learning difficulties if I had occasional can of diet drink. Or used a shampoo. (if the inherits my husband's brain, not mine)

It is in the end your choice and you should stick to it but accusing other people is wrong I think(at least that is how you come across)

 

[Nurse 26]

I dont think anyone was suggesting it was "good for you" but as you say having a burger as having a can of diet coke every now and again is personal choice. Nobody is suggesting that we go out and drink it by the bucket load.

Each to their own xx

 

[Dragonfly Fi]

as long as you are aware of the dangers and do things in moderation there is no problem, what worries me about this thread is that some people seem unaware of the dangers.

 

[knopk@]

I think people did get the message and know now its not super good for you(I think many knew beforehand as well). Sweeteners can cause bowel irritation and all sorts but you have to consume a lot to have the side effects.

To certain extent it is up to the government to make people aware of the dangers but given the research up to date it doesnt have effect of the foetus so the governent wont go campaigning about it.

I think this country is actually quite good at trying to fight smoking, obesity etc, most governments wont even bother.

And of course you need firm research first before you do around telling people certain things put them at risk

 

[cosmicgirl]

Bigbump, I did not say that at all. I think you know my point but just incase I will reiterate. Moderation is the key - it is almost impossible to avoid all toxins so it's about limitation.
I wish I could be as holier than thou as you bigbump, with your belittling comments about education, birthing and now diet, you appear to be the perfect example of a human being, shame you manage to rub people up the wrong way time after time.

 

[cosmicgirl]

BigBump, I think you are being bordeline offensive to people. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I am sure people have read the research and chose for themselves.

You will be exposed to toxins especially if you live in a big city but I am sure my kid wont be suicidal or have learning difficulties if I had occasional can of diet drink. Or used a shampoo. (if the inherits my husband's brain, not mine)

It is in the end your choice and you should stick to it but accusing other people is wrong I think(at least that is how you come across)

Exactly my point, thankyou x