Aspartame Weight Loss Or Weight Gain
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener found in many food products, and diet soft drinks.
Being a sugar substitute, it is how they make the drink taste so sweet, and the food taste so good, and not only is it sweeter than sugar, it has no calories, making it very attractive for the weight conscious.
It is over 180 times sweeter than natural sugar, and can be found in products that have the NutraSweet or Equal logo. Its major selling point is as a diet aid, and many people consider this to be an answer for helping them lose weight, or rather not putting weight on.
Aspartame is a compound of phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol. Say what! Nope, I have no idea either.
The problem appears to be, not many people who are consuming foods and drinks with this artificial sweetener in them, are getting any thinner. In fact, people who do include aspartame in their diet are actually getting fatter.
There have been articles written, regarding aspartame actually stimulating the appetite and bringing on cravings for carbohydrates. Researchers also believe, any kind of sweet taste will signal the body to store carbohydrates and fats, and encourages the body to crave more food.
What normally happens is, when a certain amount of carbohydrates are consumed, serotonin levels in the brain will rise, this gives a relaxed, full feeling after a meal.
When a person has carbohydrates with aspartame, such as; a sandwich and a diet drink, aspartame actually causes the brain to cease production of serotonin. Meaning you don’t get that feeling of having had enough to eat, and you are then more likely to eat more food.
I guess, if you are having a diet cola or similar, and figure you have saved yourself some calories, why not reach for those yummy chocolate cookies. Makes sense to me!
There is also much debate regarding aspartame, and whether it causes health problems. In fact, there have been more complaints regarding aspartame, than any other food additive.
Some of the complaints from people are, insomnia, nausea, brain tumours, eye problems, lack of energy, headaches, and many other health problems.
Saccharin is another artificial sweetener, used as a diet aid. It is considered a possible carcinogen (cancer causing agent), as it was found to cause bladder cancer in male rats. Foods containing saccharin in the US, must have a warning label on them.
As for me, I would never touch an artificial sweetener; anything using the word artificial is enough for me to stay away from it. If you are concerned about your weight, just avoid it all together or include more natural substances such as honey.
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February 14th, 2009 at
I do not usually post to someone’s blog but I enjoyed this post so I felt forced to do so. Straying in a slightly different direction from the subject somewhat, what is your opinion regarding walking? It is generally being put forward as the best exercise to burn fat.
February 15th, 2009 at
Yes, walking is one of the best forms of exercise to help your body burn fat. Make sure you are walking at a good pace, not to leisurely you want to be able to feel a difference.
May 11th, 2010 at
i read somewhere on the internet that long term consumption of Aspartame is not really good for the health. .;;