Am I the only one who is not particularly bothered about aspartame consumption in moderation?

[PearlNecklace]

Okay. There is plenty of talk about Aspartame on Mumsnet and in real life. And it strikes me that as a general rule, on Mumsnet, the majority of debates about topics tend to get met with demands for evidence. If someone makes a statement for instance that "home birth is dangerous", generally someone will demand to see the evidence, based on controlled studies and research, and statistics where appropriate, to prove that statement.

When it comes to food and what is safe or not, I generally like to use official, regulated sources for my information - for instance to research what I should or shouldn't have during pregnancy. I am no slave to government guidelines either, but I am aware that you have to take with a grain of salt the information you can see on the internet that is "unofficial" - i.e, anecdotal, based on uncontrolled studies, or just general opinion, speculation, or even personal theory. Whilst it shouldn't necessarily be instantly disregarded, as I do have an open mind, nor should it be swallowed at face value without further research and thought.

When I first heard things about Aspartame, I researched what it was, where it was found, and whether it was safe. I found plenty of information saying really quite scary things about it, that it causes MS, brain tumors, and many undesirable but less serious things. But I was unable to find any evidence based research to say it was unsafe. Official sources of information like the Food Standards Agency, WHO, and the GMO, all stated that it was safe.

Whilst I acknowledge that aspartame isn't "healthy" as such, I wouldn't say refined white sugar is either - but, like refined white sugar, if consumed in moderation as part of an otherwise balanced diet, I dont at this point see the problem with that.

I am yet to be convinced that aspartame is unsafe. To do so, I will need to see proper evidence based research that concludes that it is unsafe. Not conspiracy theories off the internet, not anecdotes from websites with names like "my wellness revolution" and "purelifestyle" etc, not anecdotes of loopy behaviour (this in itself makes an ingredient undesirable, but not unsafe).

IABU for not accepting this increasingly popular opinion without further evidence? Does anyone else feel the same way, and is anyone brave enough to admit it?

FindingMyMojo - in part I tend to feel more secure in the fact that it IS so tightly regulated, as are all food additives.

Tobacco, however, is not a food additive.

I do see what you are saying about the anomolie, however, we are not comparing food additive with food additive.

Sorry to mention MMR

It seemed a reasonable parenting decision potentially affecting children's health based on evidence vs anecdotal example!

I for one wouldn't give my child coca cola or any other fizzy drinks, diet drinks, drinks containing aspartame or caffine etc. Not so much because of fear of aspartame but there are so many many choices to give your child to drink - why would you pick artifical chemical saturated ones? Because they are easy, to hand, sold everywhere? It doesn't make sense to me.

I prefer DD to drink diluted juice, organic milk/goats milk, water etc not because they don't contain aspartame or caffine, but because they are natural and relatively untainted products (let's not get started on the pasturisation debate here). I wouldn't freak out by any means if DD is given a fizzy drink, but I'm certainly not going to purchase and supply her with them. I wouldn't drink them myself so why would I give them to her?

So PEARL, seriously, are you happy to buy these drinks for your kids? As an alternative to sugar or because you value the product, or .....?

I dont buy them specifically for my kids. I bought them before I had kids, mainly in the form of sugar free squash. I still buy them in that form. Sometimes my children will drink water, sometimes they will drink milk, sometimes they will have diluted fruit juice and sometimes they will have sugar free squash, either by sharing mine from my glass or by having a glass of their own.

Whilst there are many choices to give your child to drink, there are very few zero calorie (or nearly zero caloried) drinks that are not water.

I firmly believe that children can exist quite happily on water and milk alone, and if I felt strongly about aspartame and did not believe it was safe in moderation, I would probably be one of the parents who only provided water and milk. As it is, because I drink them, I'd have to actively have a reason to not let them drink them, and that would be their lack of safety, which I am yet to be convinced of.

The reason I do not want them to drink fruit juice or drinks sweetened with sugar is mainly because I do not feel they need the extra calories these drinks provide which can add up quickly and significantly over the course of a day, week, month, and year.

It is for the same reasons that I choose sugar free or zero calorie drinks for myself when I am not drinking water.

It should also be noted that the majority of the time (i.e, more often than not) we all drink water.

I am not allergic to anything, am very healthy, and not a hypochondriac, honest!.

yet, diet drinks with aspartame make me nauseaus and give me a really nasty headache.

It is not a big deal, as it`s easy to avoid.

I also understand that one person`s experience is not evidence.

Still....what IS that stuff?!

i didnt realise people cared this much about one teeny ingredient in food that doesnt cause an allergic reaction until i started MNing. when someone dies while eating a pretty normal balanced diet, and they can attribute that death to aspartame, i'll start caring.

It tastes revolting, ruins my Pimms. The only reason it is put in drinks is that it is a lot cheaper than normal sugar.

I avoid it (but not religiously) because I don't like the after taste.

I think there has been a switch in opinion and it certainly seems like the supermarkets are starting to stock more full sugar drinks. Good for me because I want the sugar for when cycling and hiking.

Also irritates me that they advertise squash as no artificial flavours but stick aspartame in it. Not really truthful.

There was an interesting New Scientist article about it causing weight gain, unfortunately I can't link because it's subscribers only.

Tyler which ones say "no artificial flavours" but have aspartame? That's an advertising standards issue, its black and white.

Its not an artificial colour, but it is an artificial flavour.

Got an example?

Oh I've got it - aspartame is not a flavour, but a sweetener.

So it says "contains artificial sweetners" which covers off that.

Flavours are things that make it taste of an actual flavour - like blackcurrant or apple, for instance.

So the natural flavour is from the actual fruit. The artificial sweetner is aspartame.

It sounds pedantic but that is correct, there are no artificial flavours, as sweet is not a "flavour" per se in food labelling terms.

Still misleading, and you could argue that its not exactly "plain English".

Most list sweeteners in the ingredients list but not splashed across the front like "no artificial flavours" is. I get that it might technically be correct, I just think it's misleading.

I'm undecided as to what constitutes a flavour. Sweetness, saltiness, bitterness etc. are your basic tastes but are they flavours?

Hadn't really thought about what constitutes a flavour. I definitely agree its misleading. Having said that I am happy to "accept" in food labelling terms that flavour must mean making it taste like a specific thing as opposed to general saltiness or sweetness.

I think its acceptable on the basis that it does clearly state that there are artificial sweetners in it, as well as list aspartame as an ingredient, therefore anyone specifically seeking to avoid this ingredient can do so simply by reading the label.

From a marketing point of view, it is probably strategic and is a bit misleading.

Depends what you call "moderate". I'm not sure that several cups of squash per day is "moderate".

One or two cups a week wouldn't worry me, but more seems unreal. There's artifical colours and odd preservatives and other ingredients I don't even understand WHAT they are in most things that are also heavy in aspartame, so is a pretty convenient single indicator that it's not something I want me or DC to have lots of.

Tyler - think i recall the New Scientist article.

Was the basic premise that artificial sweeteners were tricking the body into kicking off its "mmm....sugar" responses, only to get no sugar, get all pissed off and demand proper calories => weight gain?

It tastes like it should be poisioning you (of faintly of vomit) probably why people are wary of it.

also it sends my otherwise lovely dss into a tantruming nightmare

but drink and be merry if you so desire

TheHeathenOfSuburbia - yes, that was the general premise. It's a fairly old article (5 years?) now, no idea if there's being any further studies that support or disprove this idea.

I think that's true of all formulated "diet" foods, they make you gain weight in the end (read more).

First, I have no idea of the evidence but the only legal susbstence my neurologist ever told me to avoid was aspartame.. This coming from the dr who while not telling to smoke thought nicotine would help me with my troubles no end (I bought patches!)

I've met several medical professionals who also didn't think asparatame was good, I don't know what they'd learnt to think that way, though.

i would never buy my kids juice/drinks with aspartame in (they are 6 and 4) because I think it is a nasty artificial chemical. They drink water, milk or diluted fruit juice. At nursery/gym they are given squash and i am sure it is the no sugar one, so they are getting some. However they now don't like the taste and just opt for water. good.

it tastes disgusting, i can taste it a mile off.
plus everyone i know who drinks no sugar drinks are fat.

See, one of the reasons why I dont worry particularly what medics say is because they sometimes say silly, non evidence based things about other things, such as breastfeeding, giving up breastfeeding, infactual statements about formula, and many get generally flummoxed about diet and nutrition in general.

Not that any medic has ever told me to avoid it.

As a general rule, medical advice and treatment should be evidence-based.

I have no idea if its safe but it triggers my IBS. If I avoid it I don't get stomach aches!

I had retrobulbar neuritis when I was young (8-9 ish) which involved me going from having perfect vision to being almost completely blind in the space of a week. It's very unusual for someone of that age to get it and I was on steroids for months to cure it (after a stay in hospital which terrified the wits out of my parents).

Anyway, my parents were told that I should avoid artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame because of possible links with optic neuritis. As I very much do not want to go through that kind of experience again, nor do I want any children I have to go through it, I avoid aspartame like the plague and my children will not be allowed it either.

This was a situation that affected me personally, I am not offering this as proof of bad effects. I think my fear of going near the stuff is fairly understandable though!