Conference rocks::weight_control

Most of the bad press I've heard about Nutrasweet involves those people
with a specific medical "condition?", who can't tolerate it.

I like a lot of Nutrasweet products, myself, although I don't use them often.
The Swiss Miss Hot Cocoa is wonderful, and counts as a milk exchange on
Weight Watchers. I used to drink their chocolate milk mix (I think Quik has some
of it too now).   The Jell-o is also good and very low in calories (7 or 8
cal per serving!).  I should buy some more Crystal Light drink mix, water gets
boring sometimes, esp when you have a craving for lemonade!  I intend to try
making ice milk with Equal rather than sugar, although I don't use a lot of
sugar in it to begin with (the banana ice milk doesn't even NEED sugar!!)

For some reason I don't really care for diet soda in general, though once in a
while I'll drink a little.  But the Nutrasweet soda is certainly better than
the saccharin soda was.

Looking forward to combining Nutrasweet and sucrose polyester (see next topic)
and making good tasting low cal chocolate chip cookies!! :-)

Jill

    memory dump on nutrasweet et al:
    
    those who cannot tolerate nutrasweet, which is made up of two fairly
    common enzymes, are allergic to one of those enzymes: phenylalanine
    (sp?).  They are called phenylketoneurics (sp?)....and the
    manufacturing companies have taken care of this by putting a warning
    on everything made with nutrasweet (aspartame's it's real name,
    Nutrasweet is patented name by Searle).  It's a fairly rare disease
    and chances are if you have it, you'd know it by now, because
    apparently it's present at birth.
    
    Interestingly enough, also present at birth is a like/dislike for
    artificial sweeteners.  35% of the population gets a nasty bitter
    aftertaste from saccharine, because that's the way their tastebuds
    were built.  A lesser percentage (15%maybe?) finds nutrasweet
    unpleasant.  
    
    and as for testing: I'm not sure I'd put stock into what dire pre-
    dictions the FDA holds for Nutrasweet:
    It's nice that they've given 5-7 years (or more)
    to testing nutrasweet, but if they gave it the same testing as they
    gave saccharine (feeding rats the equivalent of what you or I would
    ingest were we to drink 80 cans of soda a day for an extended period
    of time), then I'm sure I'd take what they say with a grain of salt.
     I think that everything in moderation is okay, and the testing
    they've done has been far too rigorous ever since the stuff they put
    in Sucaryl (what was it called? cyclamates?) turned out to cause
    cancer.  But - better safe than sorry.  I just wish the manufacturer's
    would see that there are zillions of people interested in good-tasting
    low-cal food and broaden their offerings.
    
    now, if only they could bring the price down on nutrasweet....
    
    -Jody
    

    Two rumors I'd like to get more info on:
    
    Rumor 1) Cyclamates are actually ok and are allowed in Canada.  Seems
    that what was tested was a cyclamate/saccharine combination.
    Since saccharine was considered wonderful stuff at that time,
    when cancer was found the cyclamates were blamed.  However they
    pass tests when tested without saccharine.

    Rumor 2) Nutrasweet breaks down into various other compounds when
    it's heated.  These compounds have NOT been tested for cancer causing
    or other ill effects, and they aren't present in nature.  This means
    that it's bad to use it in coffee, jello, other cooking....
    
    Anyone have rumor control on either of these?
    
    
    --Louise

    
    Rumor 1:
    
    Yes, there is some truth to this rumor. What actually occurred is
    that cyclamates were tested harder than saccharine. When cyclamates
    are put to the same test that saccharine was, they pass. Cyclamates
    are still available in some products in the US.
    
    Rumor 2:
    
    NutraSweet breaks down after being exposed to sustained heat such as
    baking. Jello and Coffee do not remain hot enough, long enough to cause
    it to break down. A can a soda stored on the loading dock of a super
    market in the sun for a week is just as good as baking. This was one of
    the arguments used to attempt to stop the us of NutraSweet in canned
    beverages. 
    
    NutraSweet breaks down into a harmless protein, and not so harmless
    ethyl alcohol. This causes a bitter taste and loss of all the
    sweetness.
    
    							--- Neal
    
    P.S.: Drinking a NutraSweeted soda at this very moment.
              

    RE: RUMOR 1.
    
    Cyclamates are used freely in France and Switzerland (I don't know
    for the rest of Europe. They taste much better than saccharine and
    are thus moch more popular.
    
    Regards,   Joana

    I love Nutrasweet, especially in diet Coke, Swiss Miss Chocolate
    Milk Maker, and Donvier-made Ice Milk.  BUT.  It's true that there
    are potential problems.  My husband, who has a seizure disorder
    (similar to epilepsy) feels ill after one can of diet soda.  If you 
    have a history of such disorders, watch it.  
    
    Possibly more critical is the issue of phenylketonuria.  As mentioned
    in a previous note, if you have this condition, you'll have been born 
    with it.  Think about that.  If you *may* be pregnant, you should *not* 
    be consuming aspartame.  At all.  For 9 months.  According to my doctor, 
    the potential damage to the fetus is severe.  I was appalled - I think 
    they should be giving much more press to this than they are.
    

    Is there a genetic tendency to have phenylketonuria, or is it
    totally random?  Perhaps the fact that it's so rare, and my theory
    that it's passed on genetically, has something to do with why there
    hasn't been a furor.  Can't imagine all the doctors letting this
    one go by - imagine the malpractice suits!
    
    --Louise

    
    Can someone tell me what, exactly, is phenylketonuria? How can you
    tell if you have it? 
    
    I have found that I cannot ingest Nutrasweet (aspartame) at all.
    In me, it causes drastic mood swings, mostly in the negative direction.
    When I was a sophomore in college, I, like most of my friends, drank
    only diet soda. The advent of Nutra-sweetened soda was great, we
    thought. It didn't taste as yucky as saccharine did. And still only
    one calorie! 
    
    As time went on, I became more and more depressed, to the point
    of seriously entertaining thoughts of suicide. This scared me, 
    of course. I remembered a woman I had known who told me that 
    nutrasweet put her in a really rotten mood. I decided to try 
    "quitting nutrasweet". Within two days, I felt much more like 
    my previously optimistic, easy-going self.
    
    The thing that really convinced me that I had correctly found the
    problem happened the following summer. I thought, what the heck,
    it's been so long, one diet soda won't hurt, so I opened up a Diet
    Pepsi. Within about 10 minutes I had drunk about 1/2 of the can
    and I could already feel all of the old symptoms returning. It scared
    me, and I will no longer even consider touching anything with aspartame
    in it.
    
    The thing is, almost all "diet foods" now are made with aspartame.
    And not all of them have the little red and white swirl on the package
    that is supposed to alert you to the fact that there is nutrasweet
    in there.
    
    -Amy.
         

    What really scares me is that nutrasweet is put in almost every
    'goody' that is made for children...jello, pudding, ice cream, etc.
    Also someone told me just this past week that drinking soda with
    nutrasweet in it caused severe miragine headaches...I personally
    refuse to buy it...if my body says sugar...I give it sugar...not
    a new chemical byproduct...
    
    I also question why the govt hasn't put limits on what can and can't
    be made with nutrasweet...I had to stop buying Swiss Miss hot cocoa
    because all of it now has...'lower calories with nutrasweet'
    
    Loretta

    re: .9
    
    I understand that the same thing (whatever it is) in Nutrasweet
    can cause seizures, migraine headaches, and mood swings.  In fact,
    I have a friend who has problems with seizures. She was told to
    COMPLETELY avoid the stuff.
    

I read the following in VNS this morning; does anyone have any more information
on it?  (the source wasn't listed)

    The sweetener Aspartame (marketed in US as NutraSweet), widely used in food
    and drink is being blamed for causing people to be severely confused and
    suffering from loss of memory. It may also contribute to the development of
    Alzheimer's disease.

Jill

    Isn't "VNS" Vogon News Service?  Who puts that out on the net, and
    what's its track record as far as being reliable?  I hope we can
    get some other info on this story from a news story that quotes
    some reliable research source!
    
    It's been popular to blame various additives for causing all sorts
    of problems.  I like to look at the balance - Aspartame MAY be a
    problem.  However, overweight IS a problem with heart, liver,
    digestion, various psychological disorders, joint and bone problems,
    and on and on.  If Aspartame is something that helps me avoid all
    the problems of overweight, than I know what my decision is!

    --Louise

    I, personally, enjoy items sweetened with NutraSweet but I refuse
    to allow my children to have any.  Reason being, tests have now
    proven that aspartame inhibits the production of brain cells.  My
    children will need all the brain cells they can get to deal with
    the high tech world they will grow up in.
    
    Linda B

    Linda, could you tell me where you saw these test results?  I'd
    like to take a look at them.
    
    Thanks,
    	Louise

    SORRY, I don't have it in writing.  My best source is my sister
    who is a RN in pediatrics.
    
    Linda B

    	I am very interested in the last few notes on "NutraSweet" as
    it pertains to children and brain cells. I have heard the same stories
    and variations from many secondary sources but never from an official
    source. Does anyone know what Mr. Koop (the Surgeon General) has
    to say about the subject ? Can anyone suggest where one might find
    objective input ?
    

.16>    to say about the subject ? Can anyone suggest where one might find
.16>    objective input ?
    
    	If you accept the Columbia Encyclopedia of Nutrition as objective,
    they say
    
    	"Aspartame has been extensively tested and approved by the
    Food and Drug Administration as a safe food additive. The maximum
    recommended dosage is 60 packets of Equal or 11 soft drinks per
    day (150 lb body).
    
    	However, the very long term effects of ingesting large amounts
    of aspartame are not yet known. Since the body breaks this substance
    down into its consituent amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine,
    in any condition where these amino acids are harmful, aspartame
    should be avoided. One such condition is PKU, phenylketonuria, a
    condition in which the body is unable to metabolize phenlyalanine
    properly.
    
    	At present, for the vast majority of people, aspartame seems
    safe, particularly if consumed in moderate quantities (1.7 gm/day
    or less).
    
    	A significant number of letters have been received by the FDA
    describing many and varied side effects of aspartame. Those who
    believe that they have suffered from the use of this sweetener
    should refrain from using it."          
    
    -mike z