Discussion
Been having various ankle and foot pains, doctor cant find anything wrong, no redness, no swelling to speak of, it comes on randomly, sometimes seemingly in response to physical activity. Been going on for a few years, can disappear for months, then back with a vengeance.
I found some stuff about Aspartame causing joint pain and it makes sense that could be the cause as I do like diet drinks, specifically diet Coke and can easily drink two, sometimes more a day so am cutting it out and have improved, not sure if it is coincidental as it does seem to come and go but I do feel it is plausible, based on the evidence online that it may be the cause, or at least a factor.
Anyone else had any experiences with Aspartame or want 20 odd cans of diet Pepsi ?
I found some stuff about Aspartame causing joint pain and it makes sense that could be the cause as I do like diet drinks, specifically diet Coke and can easily drink two, sometimes more a day so am cutting it out and have improved, not sure if it is coincidental as it does seem to come and go but I do feel it is plausible, based on the evidence online that it may be the cause, or at least a factor.
Anyone else had any experiences with Aspartame or want 20 odd cans of diet Pepsi ?
For a while I was drinking about 4 litres of pepsi max or diet coke a day. I have suffered joint pain and pains in the legs which may be a total coincidence or it may be aspartame. Trouble is aspartame is hard to avoid as it is used as a sugar replacement in a lot of foods.
I'm not sure cutting it out is possible unless you don't consume any ready made foodstuffs. Cutting it down though is probably a wise move.
I'm not sure cutting it out is possible unless you don't consume any ready made foodstuffs. Cutting it down though is probably a wise move.
stevensdrs said:
For a while I was drinking about 4 litres of pepsi max or diet coke a day. I have suffered joint pain and pains in the legs which may be a total coincidence or it may be aspartame. Trouble is aspartame is hard to avoid as it is used as a sugar replacement in a lot of foods.
I'm not sure cutting it out is possible unless you don't consume any ready made foodstuffs. Cutting it down though is probably a wise move.
Will see how I get on and keep an eye on labels, its easy enough to avoid diet drinks, just having water instead.I'm not sure cutting it out is possible unless you don't consume any ready made foodstuffs. Cutting it down though is probably a wise move.
I've heard various sweeteners can cause dementia. I understand sugar can feed cancer cells. I've resorted to drinking full fat coke because I'd rather die of cancer than endure a couple of decades of dementia in a care home staring at the ceiling wondering who these people are who keep visiting me and saying they're my family when they're clearly lying...
Its easy to avoid, just dont drink it, got into a habit of getting big packs and having one when I got in, possibly two if cycling, one at lunch if working from home, kind of see it as a good choice but perhaps it isnt, may not be causing my problem but will see if it makes a difference, also have a thing of sugar free gum at all times and chew that all the time, probably full of it as well.
Hoofy said:
I've heard various sweeteners can cause dementia. I understand sugar can feed cancer cells. I've resorted to drinking full fat coke because I'd rather die of cancer than endure a couple of decades of dementia in a care home staring at the ceiling wondering who these people are who keep visiting me and saying they're my family when they're clearly lying...
I'm the same. I also read somewhere that specifically aspartame in this case (but maybe sweetners in general too, who knows) has been linked to a breakdown in the blood-brain barrier.From what I can recall there's nowhere near enough evidence yet for it to be accepted by the medical science community by large, however it was enough for me to ditch the Pepsi Max. Not the lazy ready meal here and there though...
It was a few years ago I read about this, so things may have developed/been debunked.
here's a recent review on the safety of aspartame
https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-...
If you can't access it here's the bit of interest
[Quote]The daily consumption of chemically produced aspartame is increasing. Understanding the adverse effects of aspartame and its metabolites is thus essential. The safe levels of non-nutritive artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame in soft drinks, iced tea, concentrated fruit syrups, fruit and vegetable juices, flavored mineral water, energy drinks, milk-based desserts, candies, jelly, chewing gum, fruit yogurt, and ice cream are continuously monitored and scrutinized by governmental agencies. The European Food Safety Authority set the ADI of aspartame for humans at 40 mg/kg of body weight.The US Food and Drug Administration set an ADI of 50 mg/kg of body weight. The ADI of aspartame can be calculated as follows:
(mg/(kg)=(aspartame [μg/g])×daily consumption (g/person/d)÷body weight (kg) (mg/(kg)=(aspartame [μg/g])×daily consumption (g/person/d)÷body weight (kg)
Daily consumption of artificial sweeteners by women of childbearing age and by children has been estimated at 2.5 to 5.0 mg/kg. Typically, in adults, mean intake values of aspartame range from 5.6% of the ADI to, at most, 14.7% of the ADI. Mean intake values in children range from 21% of the ADI to, at most, 43.1% of the ADI. [/Quote]
high doses definitely have a detrimental effect but as an average can of diet coke contains 125 mg of aspartame, and I'd need to drink over 7.5 litres of the stuff per day before I was hitting unsafe consumption levels, I'm not going to worry about my can of diet coke per day yet
https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article-...
If you can't access it here's the bit of interest
[Quote]The daily consumption of chemically produced aspartame is increasing. Understanding the adverse effects of aspartame and its metabolites is thus essential. The safe levels of non-nutritive artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame in soft drinks, iced tea, concentrated fruit syrups, fruit and vegetable juices, flavored mineral water, energy drinks, milk-based desserts, candies, jelly, chewing gum, fruit yogurt, and ice cream are continuously monitored and scrutinized by governmental agencies. The European Food Safety Authority set the ADI of aspartame for humans at 40 mg/kg of body weight.The US Food and Drug Administration set an ADI of 50 mg/kg of body weight. The ADI of aspartame can be calculated as follows:
(mg/(kg)=(aspartame [μg/g])×daily consumption (g/person/d)÷body weight (kg) (mg/(kg)=(aspartame [μg/g])×daily consumption (g/person/d)÷body weight (kg)
Daily consumption of artificial sweeteners by women of childbearing age and by children has been estimated at 2.5 to 5.0 mg/kg. Typically, in adults, mean intake values of aspartame range from 5.6% of the ADI to, at most, 14.7% of the ADI. Mean intake values in children range from 21% of the ADI to, at most, 43.1% of the ADI. [/Quote]
high doses definitely have a detrimental effect but as an average can of diet coke contains 125 mg of aspartame, and I'd need to drink over 7.5 litres of the stuff per day before I was hitting unsafe consumption levels, I'm not going to worry about my can of diet coke per day yet
Simples. You are putting something 'artificial' into your body. Why would you do that? I like sugar, always have. In moderation, I don't have any in coffee or tea, but use unrefined raw cane. White sugar is refined, but avoiding, even caster sugar, it is difficult if say making cakes etc. My old gran lived to a ripe old age and used to eat sugar lumps by the handful. Would she have put any artificial crap inside her mouth? No.
I used to drink Coke as a teenager (when it was in green glass bottles). I haven't touched Coke or Pepsi or any brown crap for years. If you could be transported back to the 60s and try a bottle from that time, you'd never drink the 'modern' Aspartame (Donald Rumsfeld the man behind it - check it out! - harmless? Would you trust him?) stuff.
I did have a challenge where I'd have one Coke (or Pepsi or unbranded) a year simply to remind me how awful it is now. But I even gave that up. Will it do you any harm? I've no idea. In moderation probably not. But I wouldn't chance it. Long term you'll find out. That's how it works.
And seeing others who drink it heavily, I'd say it must be addictive.
My brother in law is a good case in point. He drank a bit too heavily (alcohol) and the docs told him 3 years ago he would be in serious trouble if he didn't give it up. He took the advice seriously and did!
Unfortunately, he turned to Coke instead - he said he loves it! I believe him because he drinks it in the same quantity he did beer. He seems fine and has no current health issues and came over and helped me change some brushes on the washing machine this morning before he went to work.
Oh, forgot.
There is one health issue. A side effect of drinking lots of the brown crap I suspect. His weight has ballooned! I would now label him almost morbidly obese.
Funny thing, I went to the cinema last week. Loads queued not just to buy tickets but buying litres of the brown stuff to wash down their massive buckets of popcorn (the cinema smelt like a giant cage full of mice! - has put me off going back, think I stay home and buy the vid).
Many of said fliks goers were also obese. I wonder why? We have followed the Yanks but not heeded the obvious warnings.
I used to drink Coke as a teenager (when it was in green glass bottles). I haven't touched Coke or Pepsi or any brown crap for years. If you could be transported back to the 60s and try a bottle from that time, you'd never drink the 'modern' Aspartame (Donald Rumsfeld the man behind it - check it out! - harmless? Would you trust him?) stuff.
I did have a challenge where I'd have one Coke (or Pepsi or unbranded) a year simply to remind me how awful it is now. But I even gave that up. Will it do you any harm? I've no idea. In moderation probably not. But I wouldn't chance it. Long term you'll find out. That's how it works.
And seeing others who drink it heavily, I'd say it must be addictive.
My brother in law is a good case in point. He drank a bit too heavily (alcohol) and the docs told him 3 years ago he would be in serious trouble if he didn't give it up. He took the advice seriously and did!
Unfortunately, he turned to Coke instead - he said he loves it! I believe him because he drinks it in the same quantity he did beer. He seems fine and has no current health issues and came over and helped me change some brushes on the washing machine this morning before he went to work.
Oh, forgot.
There is one health issue. A side effect of drinking lots of the brown crap I suspect. His weight has ballooned! I would now label him almost morbidly obese.
Funny thing, I went to the cinema last week. Loads queued not just to buy tickets but buying litres of the brown stuff to wash down their massive buckets of popcorn (the cinema smelt like a giant cage full of mice! - has put me off going back, think I stay home and buy the vid).
Many of said fliks goers were also obese. I wonder why? We have followed the Yanks but not heeded the obvious warnings.
Woke up this morning completely free of pain in my feet/ankles, may be coincidental but three days after cutting it out its gone, it did go before but this feels different, didnt take as long. My legs have gone a bit stiff today but that is from yesterday at the gym as I could dare to do squats again.
There are so many tales that sound similar, joint pain, go to doctors and nothing found, stop using sweetener and pain mysteriously subsides, might be just some people cant tolerate it in any quantity, not 100 percent convinced but time will tell.
There are so many tales that sound similar, joint pain, go to doctors and nothing found, stop using sweetener and pain mysteriously subsides, might be just some people cant tolerate it in any quantity, not 100 percent convinced but time will tell.
J4CKO said:
Woke up this morning completely free of pain in my feet/ankles, may be coincidental but three days after cutting it out its gone, it did go before but this feels different, didnt take as long. My legs have gone a bit stiff today but that is from yesterday at the gym as I could dare to do squats again.
There are so many tales that sound similar, joint pain, go to doctors and nothing found, stop using sweetener and pain mysteriously subsides, might be just some people cant tolerate it in any quantity, not 100 percent convinced but time will tell.
Most likely linked. Nutrition can play an instant part in health.There are so many tales that sound similar, joint pain, go to doctors and nothing found, stop using sweetener and pain mysteriously subsides, might be just some people cant tolerate it in any quantity, not 100 percent convinced but time will tell.
I know people who are impacted by aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. Best to have as little as you can.
years ago. i used to drink a fair amount of sweetend drinks, caused feeling faint and palputations,
stopped drinking the crap and symptoms disapeared. now recently cut down drasticaly on sugars ( chocolate / cakes etc ) because told getting close to diabetic. now loosing wait and still eating chips and my sugar levels are around normal. im 65 by the way.
stopped drinking the crap and symptoms disapeared. now recently cut down drasticaly on sugars ( chocolate / cakes etc ) because told getting close to diabetic. now loosing wait and still eating chips and my sugar levels are around normal. im 65 by the way.
For what it's worth, I've cut down from having a lot (usually Pepsi Max, but also other carbonated drinks including various no/low sugar 'energy' drinks), probably an average of 10 litres a week for the last 5 years, to almost none. I don't think I've noticed any change. In the first week or so I perhaps felt a little different (headache, stomach ache), but not improved. I'm still drinking cider 3-4 days a week, so not away from some acids and whatnot, but away from aspartame I think and various other things.
The main reason I stopped was for the wellbeing of my teeth, but it's nice to come away spending less than £5 a day on my work nourishments.
The main reason I stopped was for the wellbeing of my teeth, but it's nice to come away spending less than £5 a day on my work nourishments.
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