aspartame?????

[spuddleduck]

im really shocked at what i have been reading today. ive been searching on the internet about bloated abdomen. obviously being an alki, thoughts of liver disease and stomach cancer spring to mind (yep im a hypochondraic as well).
i noticed AFTER i stopped drinking, and since ive been drinking again but a lot less, i have had a really bloated belly. ive always had a reasonable figure and exercised. i put it down to all sorts of things.. age/drinking/posture etc.
since cutting down on al i have been drinking loads of sugar free drinks (both fizzy and still) and i also use sugar free sweeteners in baking as im diabetic.
ive spent the last hour or so reading all sorts of horrid stuff about aspartame, in particular bloating, but also depression, and other mental disturbances.
ive only just come across this today but im quite shocked. as from now im going to avoid drinks with this sweetener in and see how the bloating goes. i sometimes look like im 6 months pregnant.
i just thought i would post this in case others are finding a similar problem

[spuddleduck]

aspartame?????

sheri, i havent heard of agave or stevia.. i guess they are us brands? ive just been checking all the sugar free stuff i have and it all has aspartame in. id also never heard of reaction to this stuff until i started looking about bloating. even when i was drinking cider by the gallon i didnt have a belly like this, thought i was being healthy drinking sugar free drinks... ha ha. i know it doesnt cause type 1 diabetes which i have but i know type 2 can be caused by diet so i can now believe that this may be a cause of it.
im now wondering what to drink, i do drink water with lemon in but it gets a bit boring. fruit juices are great but i have to dilute them as too much is too sugary (even though its fruit sugar) for me. i try not to drink too much coffee/tea so i guess its back to good old herbal teas..... im very curious to see how i get on without the aspartime.

[medic]

aspartame?????

hi spuds,

aye aspartame is one of the big evils masquerading as healthy (sugar free) and what I like to call the MSG of soft drinks. They are in most squashes/diluted juices too, so when you think about reaching for Robinsons whilst watching Wimbledon check the label!

Long live High Juice!!!

med+c

[Determinator]

aspartame?????

Spuddle, kudos for taking charge of your health! you either have a badly inflamed intestinal tract (most likely) or possibly also peritonitis which could be caused by infection. is there any pain when you press on your stomach?

please check out this podcast from Chris Kresser. I just listened to it last night and it's right on the subject of gut health and how it directly and indirectly impact our mental health and even moods. really fascinating material:

http://thehealthyskeptic.org/category/podcasts

it's episode #9

I'd also look into the work by doctor Natasha Campbell-McBride who is a leading authority on intestinal/brain health and has a special diet to cure these kids of disorders. you have to scroll down a ways to find it here:

Health Podcast | UW Radio | Health Expert Interviews | Underground Wellness

it's the Aug 11 2010 entry

you need to fix your gut to have a healthy mind. this is now an established scientific fact. I just love researching this kind of thing. I have more info along these lines on the Paleo diet thread in the Holistic Healing section.

be well

[Determinator]

aspartame?????

I got so excited I didn't even mention aspartame LOL

it's crap

don't eat it.

sadly agave is junk food labeled as health food. it's more than 50% fructose and will very badly impact diabetics. stevia on the other hand is good.

Can Agave Syrup Spike Uric Acid into the Danger Zone?

[Lavande]

aspartame?????

Spud,

I remember reading all the warnings when aspartame was first marketed. And to top it off, they didn't know how much, if any was going to be safe for children.

Bottom line is - when I've had diet soda or something with aspartame in it I've suffered some nasty GI symptoms..........very ugly

I stay away from the stuff. I drink my coffee & tea with no sweetener & actually enjoy it that way

[DriftyAlison0]

aspartame?????

My mom can't take diet soda. And perhaps this is why.

[spuddleduck]

aspartame?????

thanks for the feedback, im certainly gonna be checking the labels for this stuff from now on. (even if it isnt the cause of my bloating it still sounds like pretty nasty stuff). as i said ive been drinking loads of sugar free drinks .... thinking im keeping myself nicely hydrated etc...... little did i know!
determinator, there is now pain when i press my 'bulge' just very uncomfortable. i have used fructose sugar in baking, it is supposed to give less of a 'sugar high' and as such not give me peaks in my blood sugar, but i think im gonna have a re-think. ive always been a big label reader but i didnt realize this was such crap stuff. AVOID AVOID AVOID.

[rubywillow]

aspartame?????

I'm REALLY trying to kick the diet soda habit. I KNOW how bad it is, in fact that cola in general can be used to clean toilets!!
I use stevia and natural honey whenever possible now. Stay away from ANY processed food if you can. It's the crap they add that is the killer!

[Guest]

aspartame?????

I have a relative with an allergy/reaction to aspartame. Just makes them feel bleeeuuuughhh.

On the other hand I'm fine with it!