Aspartame: The Bad

It began in 1964.

A group of scientists were developing a drug for ulcer patients. While synthesizing the product, some of the ingredients spilled over. The scientist attempted to clean up the spill and unbelievabley licked his fingers. The taste astonished him due to the overload of sweetness. It was compared to sucralose but was much stronger.

Aspartame was technically created in 1965 accidentally. It sounds like a freak science experiament gone wrong but it became an innovation for food and drug scientists.

It is made up of these 3 key components:

• Methanol - Poisonous, colorless, and flammable. It is used for making formaldehyde ( Ahhhh! My worst nightmare!), paint strippers, and numerous additives for gasoline. 
• Phenalynine - This is an amino acid which is suppose to be good for us. However, when found in aspartame, phenalynine is separate from its protein and offers no health benefits. 
• Aspartic acid - A type of excitotoxin, aspartic acid stimulates the brain and nerve endings. 

Grouped together, you have aspartame. When consuming foods, beverages, candy, and other items with aspartame, we are basically poisoning ourselves into a drug-induced state of excitement.

After years and years of animal testing and governtmental mumbo-jumbo, aspartame was approved for consumption. If you head to that link, you may find some of the test results surprising. Since there are so many to list here, I decided to just give you a link. 

Anyways, due to all of those findings, many people today are questioning its safety. I am one of those people. In my previous blog post, I stated that I was a genuinely healthy person. Although I need to lose some more weight, I am basically healthy but I do have some things that occur in my mind and body periodically that are strange. 

Studies have shown that aspartame poisoning is a real thing. Look at those signs, symptoms, and diagnosis'. Check them out! Are you dealing with unexplainable cramps, vertigo, pain in your joints, or slurred speech? Have you been tested for this issues and have not found results? Do you drink a lot of diet soda or foods that contain aspartame?

• Dizziness and headaches - I have both of these issues everyday or so. Nothing major but odd and annoying. 
• Tinnitus - No, I have never been diagnosed with tinnitus but I do have occasional ringing in my ears.
• Slurred speech - Yep, there are many times where I am conversating and completely slur my words. Overly excited or aspartame poisoning?
• Blurred vision - Yea, all the time. I have glasses but my prescription is not something I require all the time. There are instances where my vision is more blurred than others. 
• Jaw pain - yes, I occasionally have clicking, popping, and grinding in and around my jaw area.
• Mood swings - Mood swings are not listed above but after some research online, I found that change in your mood is a common sign of aspartame poisoning. Friends? Family members? Do I have mood swings? Don't answer that.

I know I'm being too personal and telling readers a bit too much information about my physical and emotional well-being. But, I'm doing this to help you and to help myself. Could aspartame poisoning be real? Seriously, the above signs are a little scary to me because they are too close to home!

Today, May 1st, is the first day of my attempt at living aspartame-free. Each day, I will post my progress...how I feel emotionally and physically. I look forward to this journey and will update you tomorrow on the full day of an aspartame-free life!