As we go about our busy day—running this way and that, juggling kids, work, errands, etc.—it seems to make life a little easier, and makes the day go smoother, to stop and grab a quick pick-me-up drink while you are out. For many of us, soda seems to be the go-to source from which we get that extra energy needed for our busy days. Lately, many folks have shared the New Year’s resolution to lose weight and keep an eye on the calories consumed to live a healthier lifestyle. So we say, “Make it a diet Coke, please,” and then we think we are doing our part of staying fit and healthy. Right? But is making it “diet” really helping our dieting? Sure, cutting calories helps, but is the possibility of neurological disorders, cancers, and ingestion of a formaldehyde-like substance worth the calorie cut?

The discovery of aspartame was made by mistake when Jim Schlatter was using this chemical to develop a drug for treating ulcers. He accidentally licked his fingers and realized it had a sweet taste. It was later taken to the FDA to be used as a sweetener in 1974 but neuroscience researcher Dr. John W. Olney filed objections, which caused the FDA to withdraw their approval and put it on hold. It wasn’t until 1981, 7 years later, that the FDA re-approved this artificial sweetener for dry goods. In 1983 it was approved for use in carbonated beverages.

While diet sodas are not the only source of the diet sugars, they seem to be the most popular one. Aspartame, the leading sugar alternative, seems to be a great way to enjoy something sweet without raising daily calories. But have you ever stopped to wonder what this sugar alternative really is? Fifty percent aspartic acid, forty percent phenylalanine, and ten percent methyl alcohol (wood poison) combined together make aspartame. When left at 70°F or hotter, the chemical breakdown turns itself into formaldehyde and DKP (diketopiperazine), two chemicals known to cause serious neurological disorders and even cancers in rats. How does this help your diet?!

The truth is that moderation in all things really is the way to go. Sugar alternatives offer a great way to enjoy something sweet now and then, especially for diabetics. But did you know that there is a plant called Agave, which is a type of cactus that has a nectar sweeter than sugar, has no harmful chemical breakdown, and is completely safe for diabetics? We could even feed it to rats and no cancers would grow. So why aren’t we spiking more things with this?!

Jenn Aston, Utah Valley Wellness Center.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/06/aspartame-most-dangerous-substance-added-to-food.aspx

http://suewidemark.freeservers.com/aspartame-formaldhyde.htm