[MMA_InformSheep]

Aspartame is made from aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and methanol.

Now lets go over these ingredients individually and break down how they could potentially be harmful or poisonous to you.

Methanol

"Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol commonly found in automobile windshield washer solvent, gas line antifreeze, copy machine fluid, fuel for small stoves, paint strippers, and as an industrial solvent (Budavari 1996B; Suit 1990). Many new uses for methanol, predominantly as an alternative energy source, have also been proposed. If these new applications are developed, methanol is likely to become even more accessible in the future and therefore, more available for misuse.

As with ethylene glycol, the clinical course of methanol poisoning occurs over a number of hours. While methanol itself is only mildly intoxicating, it is converted to highly toxic ****bolites responsible for acidosis, blindness, and potentially death. Because the morbidity for methanol poisoning is related to delay in treatment, real or suspected methanol poisoning creates many challenges for clinicians because laboratory tests, antidotes and intensive care facilities are not always available.

The lethal dose of pure methanol is estimates to be 1-2 mL/kg (Jacobsen 1986); however, permanent blindness and death have been reported with as little as 0.1 mL/kg (6-10 mL in adults) (ATSDR 1993)."

Phenylalanine

"Most consumers don't know that too much Phenylalanine is a neurotoxin and excites the neurons in the brain to the point of cellular death.

ADD/ADHD, emotional and behavioral disorders can all be triggered by too much Phenylalanine in the daily diet. If you are one in ten thousand people who are PKU or carry the PKU gene, Phenylalanine can cause irreversible brain damage and death, especially when used in high quantities or during pregnancy. Phenylalanine is 50% of aspartame, and to the degree humans consume diet products, Phenylalanine levels are reaching a dangerous peak.

It is important to learn about the ingredients within your foods, especially isolated amino acids like Phenylalanine. They are in combination within nature for a reason - they don't belong in isolated form for the healthy human diet."

Aspartic Acid

"Aspartic acid belongs to a class of chemicals that in high concentrations act as an excitotoxin, inflicting damage on brain and nerve cells. Aspartate does not normally cross the blood-brain barrier in most parts of the brain without active uptake by transporters.[49] High levels of excitotoxins have been shown in hundreds of animal studies to cause damage to areas of the brain unprotected by the blood-brain barrier and a variety of chronic diseases arising out of this neurotoxicity."


I guess now maybe we should think twice before drinking so many diet cokes.

[deluxeMT]

Paging King Kabuki, King Kabuki to aisle 5...

[Chad Hamilton]

KK won't acknowledge this.

But I'm with you TS.

[Buckminster]

Guys, I have another warning I've been meaning to post about. Common table salt is terrible for you. Let's break down the individual elements:

Sodium is highly reactive with water, which makes up like 3/4ths of our bodies. Read this excerpt from wikipedia:

"Sodium reacts exothermically with water: small pea-sized pieces will bounce across the surface of the water until they are consumed by it, whereas large pieces will explode. While sodium reacts with water at room temperature, the sodium piece melts with the heat of the reaction to form a sphere, if the reacting sodium piece is large enough. The reaction with water produces very caustic sodium hydroxide (lye) and highly flammable hydrogen gas. These are extreme hazards (see Precautions section below). When burned in air, sodium forms sodium peroxide Na2O2, or with limited oxygen, the oxide Na2O (unlike lithium, the nitride is not formed). If burned in oxygen under pressure, sodium superoxide NaO2 will be produced."

Now, Chlorine. We're all told not to drink pool water because of the chlorine. Here's some more info on this highly poisonous element, again from wikipedia:

"Chlorine is a toxic gas that irritates the respiratory system."

"Chlorine gas, also known as bertholite, was first used as a weapon in World War I by Germany on April 22, 1915 in the Second Battle of Ypres. As described by the soldiers it had a distinctive smell of a mixture between pepper and pineapple. It also tasted ****llic and stung the back of the throat and chest. Chlorine can react with water in the mucosa of the lungs to form hydrochloric acid, an irritant which can be lethal."


OMG TABLE SALT IS MADE FROM THESE TWO DEADLY SUBSTANCES, RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!!111!!!

[MikeMartial]

Nice cut n' paste, Cory. Don't start this shit again. We've talked about this in the past. Your first post in D&S isn't off to a good start. Either stay in the OT, or smarten up.

Post constructively, and preferably related to diet and supplementation regarding athletic performance. Not fear mongering over additives. Most guys here steer clear of aspartame, anyways, and those that don't, well, they just don't give a shit.

[rbastid]

Methanol

"Methanol is a highly toxic alcohol commonly found in automobile windshield washer solvent, gas line antifreeze, copy machine fluid, fuel for small stoves, paint strippers, and as an industrial solvent

I always find it amusing when they try to scare you with this line of writing. You know whats also found in those things, Water, so I guess water is bad for us. By trying to state well this is found in this this and this and that means its bad is not a great way to make a point.

[Cap'n]

If, when I die, it's determined it was caused by aspartame from the occasional diet coke. Well, then you were right and you can brag about it all you want.


*smokes cigar and drinks scotch*

[chia]

Methanol is pretty toxic by itself, but it isn't found in aspartame. Aspartame simply has a methylated ester--one of the carboxyl groups of the amino acids has a methyl group attached (-CH3). Methyl esters occur naturally in a variety of substances, including many fruits. The two amino acids which compose Aspartame, L-Aspartate and L-Phenylalanine are also both naturally occurring in many foods as proteins. The concern is not over what Aspartame is composed of, but the effects of the breakdown of aspartame into different components and derivatives in the process of digestion. This occurs when ingesting phenylalanine, aspartate, and methylated esters through natural sources as well. Likewise PKU does not discriminate against Aspartame or naturally occurring phenylalanine either.

So far there is no conclusive evidence that Aspartame is harmful, although it is something you must use your own discretion with.

[MMA_InformSheep]

Originally Posted by MikeMartial

Nice cut n' paste, Cory. Don't start this shit again. We've talked about this in the past. Your first post in D&S isn't off to a good start. Either stay in the OT, or smarten up.

Post constructively, and preferably related to diet and supplementation regarding athletic performance. Not fear mongering over additives. Most guys here steer clear of aspartame, anyways, and those that don't, well, they just don't give a shit.

For sure. I don't feel that I'm trying to fear monger aspartame, I just would like people to be aware of such things before ingesting them..as there seems to be a mass number of people who happen to be consuming diet based beverages regularly.

I understand that most people here might steer clear of aspartame, but I realize as well that some are lost as to why aspartame is bad for you. I'll try to keep my topics and responses respectful, and D & S oriented, but I personally think that people should be express their opinions on nutrition and health as well..even if it doesn't coincide with the Forum's general belief system.

[MMA_InformSheep]

Originally Posted by chia

Methanol is pretty toxic by itself, but it isn't found in aspartame. Aspartame simply has a methylated ester--one of the carboxyl groups of the amino acids has a methyl group attached (-CH3). Methyl esters occur naturally in a variety of substances, including many fruits. The two amino acids which compose Aspartame, L-Aspartate and L-Phenylalanine are also both naturally occurring in many foods as proteins. The concern is not over what Aspartame is composed of, but the effects of the breakdown of aspartame into different components and derivatives in the process of digestion. This occurs when ingesting phenylalanine, aspartate, and methylated esters through natural sources as well. Likewise PKU does not discriminate against Aspartame or naturally occurring phenylalanine either.

So far there is no conclusive evidence that Aspartame is harmful, although it is something you must use your own discretion with.

Approximately 10% of aspartame (by mass) is broken down into methanol in the small intestine. Most of the methanol is absorbed and quickly converted into formaldehyde and then to formic acid

Not sure how accurate this is..but It would explain why I've been hearing so much about methanol regarding aspartame.

I don't think they have labeled aspartame as harmful yet, but I do think that the individual ingredients of aspartame can be very harmful with a certain amount of intake.

Originally Posted by Cap'n

If, when I die, it's determined it was caused by aspartame from the occasional diet coke. Well, then you were right and you can brag about it all you want.


*smokes cigar and drinks scotch*

I don't want to create fear, I don't want to brag afterwards If or when I'm correct about this situation. I do however want to create awareness that people should be more cautious as to what they are consuming in their food, this is the right forum for that I believe.

Originally Posted by rbastid

I always find it amusing when they try to scare you with this line of writing. You know whats also found in those things, Water, so I guess water is bad for us. By trying to state well this is found in this this and this and that means its bad is not a great way to make a point.

I'm not trying to scare anybody dude..I just looked up methanol and that's what I was presented with. But your argument is kind of pathetic, "water is in those things too, so that means water is bad". Water is not a highly toxic chemical..