Before I begin, I am going to be blunt and honest. This little mistake… over time CAN cost you your life, just like smoking. There might have been some controversy in the past but it is my belief (after some good research and forming my own educated decision) that a substance that you might be using in your very home needs to be discarded immediately. If you care about your family, spread the word.

So what the heck am I talk about exactly?

Sugar-substitutes. Aspartame in particular! If you recall my previous post entitled: “A healthier ‘diet’ in 60 seconds flat” then you know how reducing your daily sugar intake can seriously help you achieve your fitness goal, especially fat loss for getting toned. Now some of you may have concluded: “Hey no problem, I can do that… I’ll just switch to a sugar substitute”

That’s not a bad decision, although in MY opinion you should switch to RAW sugar and just reduce your intake by a lot, but if you just HAVE to have the sweetness without the guilt, I will show you how to do that with proper substitutes, but for now let’s get back to the main topic.

So what is aspartame and why do I believe (in my rightful & humble opinion) that it’s one of the most dangerous compounds you can possibly consume? Because it can lead to chronic toxicity (poisoning) and cancer over time. Just like smoking… the first puff will not kill you, but over time, the damage that you do to yourself will be irreversible.

First let’s look at some arguments AGAINST my opinion. People who own stocks in companies that sell aspartame have argued that when you ingest this substance, it is safe because the by-products that come from breaking down aspartame in the body are the same as some natural fruit juices and alcoholic beverages (like wine).

Well here is how the process works. Aspartame is broken down by the body into methanol, which is then converted into formaldehyde and then into formic acid. Now why is this important to know?

Because exposure to methanol and formaldehyde are known to cause:

· Permanent blindness through damaging of the optic nerve

· Chronic Poisoning

· Chronic toxicity

· Cancer in rats that ingested aspartame

But guess what… we don’t experience these types of symptoms from drinking natural fruit juices or alcoholic beverages because they contain natural protective chemicals like ethanol that PROTECT us and block the conversion of methanol in the first place. Does aspartame contain these protective chemicals? Absolutely not! So there goes that theory.

Another argument that is made by aspartame supporting companies is that the natural metabolic process that we ALL go through produces methanol and formaldehyde in our bodies, just like aspartame, so it’s safe!

Hmm… well studies show that this metabolic process is very tightly-controlled by the body. In fact, any small increases in methanol and formaldehyde ABOVE these controlled levels can contribute to chronic poisoning. This just goes to prove that anything that happens naturally happens for a REASON, you cannot beat mother-nature. The human body is a spectacular and well-balanced machine derived from millions of years of evolution… would it really incur a process that leads to it’s own toxicity? Yeah right…

Now here is the last desperate attempt by these companies to prove to you that aspartame is safe-> Its approval by the FDA! They have your best interest at heart… so you can trust them!

Really?… don’t even get me started about the FDA’s track record. Sure, they have taken SOME good actions in the past to protect the public but they have made just as many bad decisions.

Here is a fact that many don’t know, when aspartame was FIRST discovered and tested, it was NOT allowed by the FDA. The head of the FDA at the time (Jere E. Goyan) looked over the studies and saw the highly increased rate of cancer in rats that ingested aspartame. He disallowed the use of aspartame and was then shortly fired. And those studies Goyan looked at… they are nowhere to be found. Isn’t that a shocker.

Instead, they were replaced by studies done in Japan that proved aspartame was safe and did not cause any type of cancer. However this “study” got an “unqualified approval” from the PBOI board. Which basically means it cannot be trusted.

So there you have it… the rest of an ever-going controversy. In my opinion anyway.

Look… I cannot force you to stop using this stuff, but after reading what I wrote, I hope you can make your own educated decision and dump this crap where it belongs. In the garbage. Also, stop buying it or any products that contain it… this should send a clear message to these companies that spend millions of dollars trying to protect this substance instead of investing that money developing a safer alternative.

Speaking of safer alternatives, I have been following one for a while now and it looks pretty promising. I have used it in my protein shakes and so far, the experience and the results have been fantastic.

Look out for my next post where I will tell you all about it.

Till next time… stay fit and stay smart!

- FJ

FlawlessFitnessBook

References:

· FDA Statement on Aspartame, November 18, 1996

· Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X, Fernández-López JA, Alemany M (1998). Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo. 63. pp. 337–349. PMID 9714421.

· Olney JW, Farber NB, Spitznagel E, Robins LN (November 1996). “Increasing brain tumor rates: is there a link to aspartame?”. Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology 55 (11): 1115–23.doi:10.1097/00005072-199611000-00002. PMID 8939194

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