All about Artificial Sweetners

If you are trying to control your Sugar intake and take artificial sweetner, please read this article before taking another spoonful of this harmful chemical.



Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure



Aspartame can be found in thousands of products such as:



•instant breakfasts

•breath mints

•cereals

•sugar-free chewing gum

•cocoa mixes

•coffee beverages

•frozen desserts

•gelatin desserts

•juice beverages

•laxatives

•multivitamins

•milk drinks

•pharmaceuticals and supplements, including over-the-counter medicines

•shake mixes

•soft drinks

•tabletop sweeteners

•tea beverages

•instant teas and coffees

•topping mixes

•wine coolers

•yogurt





Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol.



Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.



The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.



The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:



•Multiple sclerosis (MS)

•ALS

•Memory loss

•Hormonal problems

•Hearing loss

•Epilepsy

•Alzheimer's disease

•Parkinson's disease

•Hypoglycemia

•AIDS

•Dementia

•Brain lesions

•Neuroendocrine disorders



Source - mercola.com

Posted in: medical articles