Chemical Sweetener Aspartame (E951), or ZERO Drinks
Aspartame is a chemical sweetener used as an alternative to sugar in many food products and diet drinks. It consists of two amino acids – aspartic acid and phenylalanine – bonded together in a chemical process.
Aspartame is primarily the technical name for the brands NutraSweet, Spoonful, Equal-Measure, and Equal. It was accidentally discovered by James Schlatter in 1965 while testing an ulcer drug. It was approved in 1981 for dry products and carbonated beverages in 1983, but according to some reports, aspartame was originally approved for dry products on July 26, 1974, but several objections were raised, leading to some studies on the effects of aspartame and how it affects overall health, not just bad breath.
Currently, it is widely used as an artificial sweetener in many food products, including beverages, chewing gums, candies, yogurts, and many others.
However, there are serious controversies regarding the safety of aspartame. Studies suggest that the use of aspartame may lead to neurological symptoms such as headaches, migraines, mood disorders, and even seizures. There are also studies suggesting that aspartame may increase the risk of cancer and other diseases.
Despite these controversies, aspartame is still sold and used in food products. Many countries, including the United States and the European Union, consider aspartame safe for use in permissible amounts. Despite numerous studies confirming that aspartame is not safe.
Aspartame Causes Cancer in Rats
Rats given various doses of aspartame – the second most commonly used artificial sweetener in the world – experienced a statistically significant increase in the incidence of malignant tumors, lymphomas, and leukemias in the study.
The study authors called for an “urgent reassessment” of current guidelines on the consumption of this compound.
“Our study showed that aspartame is a multipotent carcinogenic compound, the carcinogenic effect of which is also evident at a daily dose of 20 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight,” the authors write, “much less than the current permissible daily intake for humans.” Currently, the permissible daily intake for humans is 50 mg/kg in the United States and 40 mg/kg in Europe.
Aspartame is found in over 6000 products, including carbonated and powdered beverages, hot chocolate, chewing gum, candies, desserts, yogurts, and tabletop sweeteners, as well as in some pharmaceutical products, such as vitamins and sugar-free cough drops.
Over 200 million people worldwide consume this sweetener. It has been used for over 50 years, first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1974.
Earlier studies on the carcinogenicity of aspartame conducted by its manufacturers, of course, turned out negatively.
In the latest study, researchers fed aspartame to rats, adding it to their standard diet. They began examining the rats at eight weeks of age and continued until the spontaneous death of each rat. In this study, more animals were observed for a longer period than in previous studies.
Test groups were given feed containing concentrations of aspartame simulating daily human consumption of 5000, 2500, 500, 100, 20, and 4 mg/kg body weight. The groups consisted of 100 males and 100 females at each of the three highest doses, and 150 males and 150 females at all lower doses, as well as control groups.
The experiment ended after the death of the last animal at the age of 159 weeks. After the spontaneous death of each animal, it was examined for microscopic changes in all organs and tissues, which differs from studies on aspartame conducted 50 years ago and aims to allow aspartame to fully express its carcinogenic potential.
Extensive evidence has emerged of malignant tumor formation after consumption of this chemical sweetener.
Animals subjected to the study exhibited extensive evidence of malignant tumors, including lymphomas, leukemias, and tumors in many organs, both in males and females.
The authors speculate that the increase in lymphomas and leukemias may be associated with one of aspartame’s metabolites – namely methanol – which is metabolized in both rats and humans to formaldehyde. Both methanol and formaldehyde have shown associations with lymphomas and leukemias in other long-term experiments.
“In our assessment, previous studies did not meet today’s basic requirements for studying the carcinogenic potential of a physical or chemical agent, particularly in terms of the number of rodents per experimental group (40-86, compared to 100-150 in the present study) and the termination of previous studies at the age of only 110 weeks of animals,” the authors conclude.
Can I Have Another Chemical Cola, Please?
Non-alcoholic beverage industry experts predicted that mixing artificial sweeteners to replace sugar would be designed as “food of the future.” Today, ZERO drinks based on aspartame are commonplace.
Manufacturers anticipate that they will continue to mix various available chemical sweeteners (such as aspartame) until they find the perfect blend for taste and longevity.
Just think: one day we may not be able to tell what’s real and what’s not unless we read the label with our decoders of all possible E.
Remember, for fifty years we were told that margarine was good for us?
Now we’re horrified to learn that trans fatty acids damage our arteries. Now the brave dieticians, researchers, and doctors who knew this from the beginning are hoarse from warning consumers all these years.
Well, we have a rerun of the entertainment.
Non-alcoholic beverages and cola are currently just a case of a chemical mix. In fact, you’re drinking a chemical cola!
In the past, we basically had two alternative sweetening substances: saccharin or aspartame. Currently, with the steadily increasing number of chemical sweetening substances developed to satisfy our insatiable taste buds, the possibilities of new chemical sweetening substances are almost limitless — but what will these “test tube wonders” do when they get into our bodies?
A partial list of chemicals used
in modern sweeteners includes: sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame-K, sorbitol, high-fructose corn syrup, and even cyclamates!
The two latest and most influential low-calorie sweeteners are sucralose and acesulfame K. Interestingly, they initially gained popularity by advertising their superiority over toxic chemicals such as aspartame, and now they are quietly mixed with it.
Aspartame and Bad Breath
Have you heard or read about problems related to aspartame and bad breath? Numerous studies have shown that aspartame and bad breath are closely related in such a way that aspartame causes bad breath. Well, this may seem unbelievable, as aspartame is one of the most commonly used ingredients in some chewing gums and mints, which are considered to reduce bad breath. Unfortunately, most scientifically advanced studies have not shown this. It is said that aspartame is harmful not only to breath but more to health.
How are aspartame and bad breath closely related?
Through research, several experts have considered aspartame to be the most dangerous food additive on the market. According to some reports, this substance accounts for about 75 percent of adverse reactions to food additives, and many of these reactions are serious, leading to seizures and even death. And to your surprise, aspartame causes serious conditions that can lead to the development of bad breath, such as diabetes, vomiting, difficulty breathing, allergies, and many other degenerative diseases. In this sense, aspartame and bad breath are closely related. For example, diabetes caused by aspartame intake is considered one of the main causes of bad breath. There are also vomiting, which can cause so-called “situational bad breath” or temporarily foul-smelling breath.
Well, due to such conditions of the samples, aspartame and bad breath are so highly regarded in the medical world as two culprits of oral health, so most of today’s experts strongly recommend people to avoid aspartame. They have developed food products such as mints and chewing gums that do not contain aspartame to prevent bad breath and other serious conditions. The idea is that when you consume a mint containing aspartame, you are simultaneously introducing two things that trigger the growth of bacteria that cause unpleasant odors in the mouth – protein and alcohol. After consuming aspartame, it creates an environment in the mouth that is ideal for the growth of volatile sulfur compounds, which ultimately cause bad breath. This is the process that shows the true relationship between aspartame and bad breath.
List of Products Containing Aspartame (E951)
- Diet and light soft drinks, including Coca-Cola Light, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero, Fanta Zero, Mirinda Zero, 7Up Light, Mountain Dew Light, etc.
- Chewing gums, including Orbit, Extra, Dirol, Stimorol, Airwaves, Freedent, etc.
- Candies and confectionery products, such as candies, gums, dragees, bars, cookies, wafers, etc.
- Dairy products, including yogurts, powdered milk, milk beverages, homogenized cheeses, etc.
- Isotonic drinks, including Gatorade, Powerade, etc.
- Energy drinks, such as Red Bull, Monster Energy, Burn, etc.
- Sweetening tablets and sachets, such as Canderel, Natreen, Sweetex, etc.
- Diabetic food products, including cookies, biscuits, jams, drinks, etc.
- Cereal products, including breakfast cereals, muesli, toast bread, rice cakes, etc.
- Frozen products, including ice cream, sorbets, frozen desserts, etc.
- Sauces, preserves, and canned foods, including mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings, vegetable, fruit, and fish preserves, etc.
- Medicines, dietary supplements, and vitamins, including effervescent tablets, syrups, and powders.
