Muscle Diet

QUESTION: I’ve heard a lot of negativity about aspartame and its safety. But if it isn’t safe, why are companies using it to sweeten their products? Something isn’t jibing. What’s the truth?

ANSWER: Aspartame is a popular artificial sweetener also known as Equal and NutraSweet. It’s composed of two slightly altered amino acids and because only tiny amounts are required, it adds virtually zero calories to the diet. I’ve heard about the “toxic effects” of aspartame for years, usually while sipping on a low-carb protein shake that I wouldn’t be drinking if it contained the alternative … added sugar. What I haven’t heard of is anyone ever being harmed by this stuff (except those with the very rare disease known as phenylketonuria). I have, however, read some of the safety reviews by government agencies worldwide, which conclude that it’s safe. Despite this, some Internet sites confidently state that aspartame is toxic. Ever since its patent expired and the new sweetener sucralose (which has a nicer flavor and is heat-stable) has overtaken it in sales, aspartame has become less profitable, and its manufacturers spend less effort defending it. Finally, it would take several pages to list the safety credentials of aspartame, but suffice it to say that the American Medical Association found it safe, the FDA said that it’s “one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved,” and the food safety authority in Europe confirmed its safety twice (and they recently banned dozens of harmless vitamins, so they aren’t exactly cowboys)!

To read why Dr. Ann de Wees Allen thinks diet pop is making people gain fat, click HERE!