The truth about ASPARTAME!
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- Опубліковано 27 вер 2024
- Should you be avoiding aspartame?
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Hi I am Ann Reardon, Food scientist & dietitian, How to Cook That is my youtube channel, it is filled with hundreds of episodes made just for you. Join me for debunking, and crazy food science videos every second Friday. This week we are looking at aspartame. Is aspartame safe? Does aspartame cause cancer? Does aspartame kill ants? How much aspartame is ok? Should I avoid aspartame? Are artificial sweeteners bad for you?
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As a chemist it’s always a pet peeve when people say something is bad because it is a chemical. Honey contains sucrose, which is a chemical, yet it is always touted as a replacement for white sugar 🙄
Isn’t everything a ‘chemical’?
Isn't everything a chemical, technically? "Natural is good, artificial is bad" is always such an unnuanced take.
Lol what a dumb comparison as white sugar also has sucrose. People not using honey to avoid chemicals.
@@ivanpetrov5255I wonder if those people obsessed with everything being natural breathe air, since oxygen is a chemical element, not a “Natural element”.
some people haven't heard of bioCHEMISTRY. It's almost like we're made up entirely of chemicals or something 🙄
I know I'm not the only one who thinks it's crazy that a channel that used to be dedicated to making delicious desserts and cakes is now mostly dedicated to unraveling the nonsense we deal with on a daily basis. Love you Ann. Please don't stop making videos anytime soon!
Growth 🙌🏾❤
Mama Reardon is a food scientist. She doesn't take this stuff lightly.
I’m glad she still does videos on delicious desserts, because those are great! But her deep dives and debunking videos are amazing!
She is the voice of reason the world needs to hear. If only they would listen.
@@cloudstrife4534 Yes! Honestly I really miss her baking videos and hope she doesn't stop doing them all together. Curse you, Stupid Algorithm!
As a librarian, I appreciate the information literacy training you're doing, Ann. Thanks for helping teach people how to better understand the information overload around us
Well, I thought I was going to learn to cook, instead, ants!
@Ludak021
Ann teaches cooking, too, just go back over some of her videos, or buy her book!!
I don't know for sure but I'm gonna guess that Ann has some serious training in the sciences. I'm a medical lab scientist and her methods are always spot on.
This is heartening to hear, my mother has diabetes and navigating the world of sugar substitutes is confusing at best and terrifying at worst. It’s obviously even better for your diet to just skip sweeteners all together, but people don’t always realize the kind of mental toll that huge dietary changes can take on a person, especially at an advanced age. After going your whole life being able to have a plate of pasta, or a dinner roll, or a slice of pie for dessert, suddenly NOT being able to eat what feels like ANYTHING you enjoy can be debilitating and depressing. Anyway, my mom is a lover of Diet Coke, which uses aspartame as a sweetener, and although cutting back on coke and increasing her water intake a few years ago did positively affect her day-to-day health, it’s good to know that a coke every once in a while isn’t chronically endangering her. For her, sometimes getting a Diet Coke can satiate that craving that might’ve caused her to eat something that would spike her blood sugar. Thanks Ann for your review of the research!!!
I was recently diagnosed with Type 2. I can't handle artificial sweeteners as they taste like crap and aspertame gives me gastritis. What I can eat has been halved. Well that sucks. No more sweets and I had to drop carbs severely. Thank goodness I never drank tea with sugar so I can still have that.
@@PhantomQueenOne Sorry to hear that! I wish you good health (physical AND mental)!! ❤️
One addition to Ann's excellent review of aspartame's safety profile: there ARE some people who need to avoid aspartame for medical reasons. People with the genetic condition phenylketonurea (PKU) are unable to process the amino acid phenylalanine correctly, and if they consume foods with too much phenylalanine, they will develop issues with their nervous system, especially as children. So people with PKU have to adhere to a careful diet to get enough nutrients but not too much phenylalanine. Aspartame is a source of phenylalanine, so people with PKU need to know that and avoid it. That is why a lot of products with aspartame have a warning for people with phenylketonurea. The fact that it contains phenylalanine is totally harmless to anyone without PKU; phenylalanine is a normal amino acid that our bodies need to make protein!
I always wondered about those warning labels I saw on crisp packets and such. Thanks for the info.
I love the internet. Thank you for commenting this! PKU’s probably such a niche medical condition that I and a lot of other people are now aware of 👍🏼
Yes. It can also be a migraine trigger, but so can plain sugar so...
@@bryanaperry8760 as someone with chronic migraines literally anything and everything can be a migraine trigger that sometimes it's not even worth cutting out lol
I am allergic to aspartame and it seems like things I can eat get less and less because aspartame is being put into everything. It makes me worried about children and adults with this genetic condition.
I am a biology student and part of our studies is oncology, and I am constantly amazed by this capacity people have of ignoring actual risks they take in their lives for which there is significant datas, and freaking out about overly specific, very inconclusive, very mild risks.
Some people think aspartame is Satan yet they smoke, they drink and they don't protect themselves from the sun, which basically is the holy trinity of cancer.
And for some people it doesn't matter how many time you tell them how irrational it is, if they associated something with a positive emotional response in their lives no amount of evidence will convince them it's bad for them to. Best exemple is THE SUN, in people's mind the sun means summer, it means vacation, the beach, family outings, so it can't possibly be bad right ?
But take something that is unfamiliar for them, and it'll be very easy to feel threatened by it because there's no sense of normalcy associated with it.
Exactly this. My mom has had two small melanomas removed (so far) from her skin and still doesn't apply sun screen when going outside. It boggles my mind.
I don't drink or smoke but the sun one is hard for me to do. I live in Arizona, I'm actually not often out in the sun at all, I work nights and my vitamin D is chronically low, however having to put on and reapply sun screen every like 2-4 hours when it's always either white or sticky and greasy feeling, just sounds like a nightmare and I never see anyone else doing it ever, only maybe at the pool.
@@shadowshattoYou're using the wrong sunscreen❤ try looking at European, Australian, Korean, Japanese sunscreens. The ingredients are different, they use newer filters so they aren't white and sticky
@@shadowshattoI would recommend looking up LabMuffinBeautyScience, she has a doctorate in Chemistry and does a really great job at educating about sunscreen
Meanwhile the same can be said about people's perspectives of animals... 😅
Or maybe I'm just a weird fuck who would stare down a venomous snake or grab a bug with my bare hands (obviously within reasons, and no I won't grab shite I can't identify).
I'm a scientist and I have to read papers every day for a living. Even I couldn't be bothered to read the endless stream of publications on aspartame to figure out if it is actually bad for you, so thank you for this thoroughly researched video. I love your scientific approach to things!
Research also says that stress causes cancer, but talk therapy and counseling doesn't make the big pharma any money. So the stress theory is ignored.
@@seafoodpizza It definitely makes therapists and stress councillors a lot more money though, so it definitely isn't being ignored by those with money to make.
I never bothered researching it because it tastes like Cthulhu's cloaca
@@alakanithat was the main reason for me too tbh. Horrendous taste and aftertaste
So basically you're a useless scientist and the reason we got into this covid mess
As someone who was just diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes this past week, I thank you. This was super informative.
I love how clearly you explain PERCEPTION vs. UNDERSTANDING without throwing in anyone’s face the idea that they are ‘stupid for believing something’. People are so defensive these days it’s become very difficult to correct their information. You have a very easy manner about you and I think that goes a long way toward keeping people calm enough to not only accept the new information, but allow themselves to _think_ on it. I really appreciate that about you! ❤
Well said, I couldn’t agree more!
These days? Mark Twain said "It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled." To change a persons believes has been difficult for a very long time.
Agreed! Ms. Reardon is a very skilled science communicator.
Anne is really out here single-handedly setting the record straight on the endless misinformation cycle of TikTok. Thank you!
1. not single handedly. She wasn't the first, she'll not be the last, I am glad she does do it, but there were sites like Snopes before UA-cam or Tiktok existed. The internet has always been a morass of (mis)information.
2. I'm actually kinda disappointed on this one, she misses a KEY point, though she does touch on it by pointing out the scientific method means changing one factor. See, the issue as I've heard for the last umpteen years is that aspartame in and of itself isn't bad, but HOW it reacts and WHAT it turns into in vivo is the issue. Namelly, over 30C/86F it starts to change into formaldehyde, which IS a known carcinogen. So while in a scientific setting you can control for just one factor, that's not LIFE and the cancer finding was based on observed outcomes, aka the real world.
Not single handedly and not just on tik tok
@@mwater_moon2865your body produces 1000 times the formaldehyde than you could ever ingest from aspartame. It gets turned into formic acid after helping your body to form proteins, which leaves our bodies through our urine.
Formaldehyde = carbon, hydrogen, oxygen; the human body makes 1.5 ounces of formaldehyde a day, and it is found naturally in EVERY living system, whether plants or animals.
@@mwater_moon2865 yes, this is the issue many stubborn and egotistical voices skip over so they can verbally abuse individuals who call out corporate apathy
Spiderman into spiderverse Playstation 5< marvel Spiderman 2< Fire Ocon he can´t drive!
This is the kind of content that should become viral! Thorougly researched, deep dive, looking AT THE ACTUAL METHODOLOGY of a study, not just the title and abstract. Cudos Ann, keep it up!
And who has FUNDED the study is also important. In the Aspartame studies results drastically differ depending on who has funded them.
@@helenllama maybe, I have not seen any reviews or reporting on the claim you make. A methodologicaly sound study, with proper and transparent protocols, recruitment, and reporting is valid regardless of the source of funding. And if you closely examine the listed sections, the funder doesn't matter. If the funding makes them look at only one part of the issue that presumably does not have adverse effects, and they come to the same conclusion with proper protocols, there is nothing wrong with this study. If they fudge the numbers, p-hack, or have flaws in the methodology, then the funder doesn't matter again, as you discard the study on the basis of it being a poorely conducted study.
Why not read the articles yourself?
Kudos*
@@mikemondano3624 I mean, people don't have time to read thousands of papers or research each specific topic. I work as an environmental researcher, and spend 40-50 hrs per week on that, but I rely on Ann and other knowledgeable and trustworthy people to research some other topics where I'm not an expert.
I get headaches whenever I have aspartame so I just avoid it.
I appreciated this video because my husband drinks diet sodas, so it's good to know the actual risks
You don't just read the research papers to us, you SHOW us how to research and think scientifically. This is such valuable information Ann, thank you!
Especially for certain segments of the US population, where they are intentionally not taught how to analyze scientific validity. There are states where ‘intelligent design’ HAS to be taught as a scientific theory, with equal weight as evolution. You can’t teach those kids critical thinking in that context.
@@karenneill9109 critical thinking isn't taught to kids. I've heard overwhelmingly by people after entering college how much their mind is blown during critical thought classes, which my state requires as a mandatory class in order to graduate college; but strangely enough not for high school.
Yeah, and I wish more people would do this, especially here in the US where all research is driven by private industry. Unfortunately here in the US a huge portion of research papers are misleading, biased, and often carry a political agenda.
One that really blows people's mind is the notion that 97% of scientists believe in climate change, and that it's primarily driven by humans. The UN intentionally put their thumb on the scale to get those results, by firstly limiting what research papers were included to only have a sample size of less than 100. Second they never asked the scientists what they believed, only looked at their papers. Then lastly only looked for certain words in the papers that implied climate change was happening, but not that they believed humans were the cause. Many of the scientists later came out and sued the UN over the fact that they didn't entirely agree with what they said they believed. Later studies turned up that roughly 97% of scientists believe in climate change, around 92% believe humans have contributed to it in some form, and only about 20% believe that humans are the sole primary cause of climate change.
That's why the UN changed it later to being 97% agree that climate change is real, which is of course accurate and correct. It's just there's a lot of debate around all of the causes and to what degree humans are impacting it. The even more scary part is that it's pretty much impossible to do anything about it, because the laws of thermodynamics is a big big pain lol.
@@paulghignon4092I assume when you mention the UN it refers to the IPCC a body of the UN?
The 100 paper sample size and lawsuits claim I cannot find.
The 97% consensus that climate change is anthropogenic has stood up to systematic review and independent studies. It is still the consensus today.
@@TheDonCheadle the lawsuit and such is pretty well buried to time because it happened in the early 2000s and wasn't widely discussed even then.
Also you should go do a bit of digging on their methodology on how the IPCC comes to that conclusion.
You may have just shown what it's like to exhibit confirmation bias, which many do on subjects that seem to popular to agree with. Don't just google it, actually look at the studies and their methodology being used.
I did not know there were 2 different pronunciations. Thank you for that lesson.
I love that you included the very important fact that "safe" does not equal "healthy".
I often remind people that, here in the USA, cigarettes are FDA approved.
This was a wonderful short and sweet video. Thank you!
I grew up calling it "ah-spar-tah-may" & no one ever corrected me.
I didn’t even know what aspartame was then ! 😂
Many people would be surprised to know the other kinds of meat the FDA approve as 'beef substitute' for the commercial industry.
I am unclear how you can get "FDA approved" from "FDA regulated" cigarettes. The sale of cigarettes in the USA is allowed by the government (i.e., they are not prohibited). FDA is the regulatory authority responsible to ensure products are sold in accordance with the relevant legislation. So their "approval" is merely that the products meet the legislative standard, not that they in any way support or endorse cigarettes. FDA is also responsible for advising people of the associated dangers of cigarettes, again within the confines of relevant legislation. So FDA is limited to what government legislation allows them to regulate, no more.
Nor does "natural" equal neither "safe" nor "healthy".
I personally avoid aspartame because of an intolerance, and it's worrying seeing how many people are panicking. It reminds me of when people started freaking out about gluten when it is safe for the majority of people.
I've always had headaches from Apartarme (even when Nutra Sweet sent free gum to everyone in the US, I had a horrible headache afterwards), but have always assumed that's just me.
@@markpolo97 You aren't alone. It gives me migraines. I've had enough accidental experiments with aspartame over a lifetime to be pretty sure about that.
I just can't handle the stuff. It gives me dry mouth after drinking even just a sip. And it always makes me nauseous, and sometimes gives me a headache, so I just avoid it.
A friend of mine always gets headaches from Aspartame, I didn't even knew you could be sensitive to it tbh
I just avoid sweeteners because they mostly taste bad.
I have a sentitivity issue with artificial sweetners. I already have gastritis and sweetners make it so much worse with stabbing stomach pain. I think it is valid for people to have an option if they want to go for that, but in my country (Brazil) there was a governmental push for reducing sugar content in all foods. Instead of reducing sugar it made it so that all companies started adding sweetners to everything. I now have to read every single label very carefully, from juices to yogurt and even Tomato Sauce. It should be an informed choice. I now can't have my favorite drinks anymore without aggravating my bad stomach condition.
Oh no ahh I wish governments wouldn’t just do that without considering important situations like yours ❤️ damn someone should let the government know about that 😂
I also have a sensitivity issue when it comes to artificial sweeteners, but mine manifests as awful migraines. I'm already prone to migraines, but artificial sweeteners will set them off every single time, quicker than any other trigger. I live in the US, so I don't have to read labels as closely for the majority of everyday products, thankfully. It only really becomes an issue if I'm traveling abroad.
sesame seed got added to a lot of stuff recently for a similar reason
Me too. So frustrating because my kids seem to have the same issue. Kids yogurt, juice, canned fruit etc all get artificial sweeteners nowadays. I had so many struggles in high school and college until I figured out out - I was chewing gum every day. Now I have to thoroughly read every label and I'll have to pack my kids lunch when they're in school because they add sweeteners to the school lunch to adhere to government standards limiting sugar.
Maybe see how you react to Stevia and Xylitol(lab made Birch sap sugar) if you haven't as both exist naturally and might effect you less then the 100% unnatural stuff that comes out of labs like Aspartame.
As someone who works in science i can't thank You enough for this video. Im always enraged by mass media or influencers cherry picking publications or making a strong conclusion based on abstracts from/or just a few publications.
We need more people like You Ann!
Exactly! It's honestly so exhausting.
Indeed, there's still people who think face masks actually help.
Yes! You would think they could afford a scientific advisor… instead they just spread misinformation.
@@Locke42485 Just shut up…
On the plutonium (sorry, this is my PhD field and I can't stop myself from talking about it), there are a couple of things:
Firstly, plutonium has a range of isotopes, each of which decay with their own half-lives, energies and daughter nuclei, so when we say "this dose of plutonium", we usually specify the isotope "this dose of plutonium -238". If i said that consuming water could be very dangerous because it contains hydrogen, and I meant consuming Hydrogen-3-heavy water is dangerous, i might scare someone 😅.
Secondly, cancer is a statistical game, as is radioactive decay. The amount of radioactive decay undergone in 1ug of pt-235 is a normal distribution, and the number of cells damaged by this inside the body after inhilation, in the specific way that will cause cancer is a normal distribution. With this type of distribution, there is never a 100% probably of getting cancer, because it's never a 100% result in statistics.
The probability of getting cancer from inhaling 1ug of pt-235 might be lower than you'd think, considering that approximate absorbed dose for lung tissue in this situation is so high that there's a good change the person will die of acute radiation toxicity before there is time for cancer to develop.
When we talk about toxicity, the LD-50 is a good metric, because it recognises that statistically some people will die and some won't by luck and/or body composition, so there cannot be such thing as the LD-100 (at least a hard line im dose anyway), because you cannot predict a threshold, above which everyone will die, and below which some people will survive. This is not a result of chemistry or physics, but statistics. You can never say a point on a normal distribution gives 100% certainty.
Sorry for the rable 😅
Never be sorry for rambling about something you know about
I'd listen to you expertly ramble all day. It's fascinating.👍
Thanks for writing this! I'm a chemist, and I have to say, that 100% made me squirm a bit too
Technically.. being naked in outer space for an hour would 100% kill you 🫠
#imthatperson
I'm pretty sure there's an LD100 of concentrated plutonium though, because we humans are not very resistant to incineration 😬
You don't fully understand how nice it is to have at least one channel that feels genuinely trust worthy and actually have people best interest at heart.
So thank you, also you guys are wicked at doing deep research dives.
Nutrition made simple is one other good channel
I agree...I'm actually allergic to aspartame but it's nice to know the actual facts vs the sensationalized stuff you normally see online.
Without meaning to diminish Ann or any of the research, there's nothing that's 100% reliable. The science changes as we accrue more data, but we do have a lot of very good best guesses.
As a biochemist, I took one look at aspartame and could say with confidence that there is nothing to worry about. The only people who should be concerned are those who have a condition called phenylketonuria (the inability to metabolise phenylalanine), but thankfully this has been well understood for a very long time and hence the warning labels that tell you the product contains phenylalanine.
Great content, you're brilliant.
Aspartame is broken down into formaldehyde in various tissues according to pub med. As a biochemist how can you say there is nothing to worry about?
@@hserieshooligan1997 do you know how chemistry works or are you just here to fear monger? lol
@@hserieshooligan1997 sorry maybe that was mean. The human body already produces formaldehyde. In fact it produces over 1000 times the amount that aspartame would produce. We just pee it out. It's not harmful at all
@@alpaca6462 I do I have a degree in pharmaceutical science but yeah I did not know it occurred naturally as part of our metabolism U learn something new everyday lol
@AFndjdj7373 yeah I avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague for years now
I'm glad you made this video, but it's still impossible to reason with certain people, unfortunately. My mother is one of those people - she smokes and she used to drink heavily, but she will go on and on about how terrible aspartame is. Her friend also used to say she was "allergic" to Wifi, but that complaint magically went away over time. Then it was 5G. It's frustrating that some people are completely resistant to basic logic.
completely resistant to basic logic ....you mean mentally ill
yep, most of the people that where allergic to electrical fields vanished when social media became popular. Strange :)
this woman is a bimbo because she says flax seeds cause cyanide poisoning which is total trash BS. You are picky choosy.
Well, the USA worships an SS nazi rocket scientist without the replicated technology or data, don’t think logic is very basic for anything.
My mom gives me a hard time about aspartame too. I have fibromyalgia and she is utterly convinced that I got it from drinking a couple Diet Cokes a day.
I even stopped drinking sodas at all 3 years ago (for unrelated reasons) and she still sends me memes about how all my symptoms are caused by aspartame and I need to cut it out of my diet.
She’s also convinced that MSG causes my migraines and that it gives her headaches and makes her nauseous. As a result, she won’t eat from any Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Thai restaurants. She says they all cover their food in MSG, but no other restaurants do.
I can’t seem to convince her that my migraines are completely unrelated to eating Chinese or Japanese food and that I’m going to continue to eat sushi no matter what she thinks.
Type 1 diabetic. The minute Aspartame came I inundated emails regarding the dangers of Aspartame. I shared these emails with my chemist siblings and they laughed so hard and loud. I'm a southern so I needed my sweet tea and aspartame did the trick for me. It's a tool that can be used. I will say that I have switched to stevia because I can grow stevia and process in a way that works for me.
raw stevia leaves taste really good imo
Fascinated to hear how you process it. I don't really like the taste of stevia, but it's all personal, my mother can't STAND the taste of aspartame but is fine with stevia. But I've never seen someone process it themselves, that would be very cool to see!
I remember decades ago I switched to drinks sweetened with aspartame. A friend said to me "you know that will give you cancer?" I pointed to the coke she was drinking and said "that will give you type 2 diabetes long before this gives me cancer". She shut up after that.
@angelawossname I think what you've said is really a great takeaway. I don't drink diet drinks because 1. I don't like the taste, 2. The artificial sweeteners do give me headaches (which is possibly placebo effect) and some effect my digestion. 3. I don't drink enough normal sugar beverages for it to matter. Like 1/2 - 1 glass of coke or tea a day maybe? I'm not gonna worry about that lol. I have people who drink multiple cans of soda a day in my family though and agree the diabetes is a more immediate concern for them.
@@cybercraft5393 Wow... Still one glass of coke or tea with sugar a day ;-) Don't seem to be a big risk.
For me: about one or two small bottles or cans a year in average and no sugar or sweeteners in my tea or coffee since many years. Not that I'm healthy now... soo many other risks in live.
I’m a diabetic who works out plenty, and a diet soda every now and then is a lovely little treat and lets me have a cocktail out with friends without worrying about the sugar in the soda. If there was any health advise I would need, it’s not to cut out the diet sodas, but I could maybe use a salad a few more times than I do chicken or meat.
Meat is pretty much the best source of nutrients you can put into your body, so you really shouldn't swap that for a bunch of leaves
I had an aunt who ate only salads for a year and complained that she actually gained weight. I saw her prepare herself a salad once when the family went out to eat. After she'd loaded it with boiled eggs, olives, cheese, croutons, garbanzo beans, ham, and ranch dressing it had enough calories that she might as well have made it out of candy bars.
My mom was having some kidney troubles and the doctor advised her to stop eating meat until she could see a specialist and they could do more tests. Long story short, I now have a backlog of vegetarian recipes and have mostly cut out (red) meat from my diet - I haven't quite been able to give up fish or chicken. If you're looking for tasty non-meat recipe recommendations, a couple of my favorites are spinach fatayer and tzatziki sauce. Indian food also tends to have a relatively large selection of vegetarian and vegan options if you want to try something new, but don't want to cook.
Hopefully this was helpful, during Covid I may have gotten into cooking... 😅
@@Snargfargleolives are a healthy fat she should leave in, though.
Hold up. Did you just basically say chicken is worse for you than diet soda?
Sounds to me like your diabetes was diet induced.
I worked as a pharmacy tech right around the time they did that study on rats in 2006 and my pharmacist said they fed the rats more aspartame than any human could ever consume at once based on the amount given and the rat’s weight. Or something like that, haha. In summary, the “too much of anything can be bad for you” holds true.
They did the same thing with red dye years ago.
In animal studies that always happen to see the toxicity of a thing. I do animal studies. In normal resaerch in human aspartame is linked to cancer in Europe. But over here the rules for food is strict and differents then in the USA. Over here a lot of what you eat is forbidden and why, because it is cancer causing
I actually consume aspartame in quantities similar to the studies though. 6-8 liters of diet soda a day. Zero health issues after decades, so I'm always skeptical of those panicking about the horrors of the chemical.
@@bethgramkow5225 Are you speaking about Red Dye 40? ..Who told you it was safe? the skittle company?
@@patrickmccurry1563 Why would you possibly want to drink that much?
Not only did she explain objectively the research into aspartame, she explained it in a simplified easy to understand way but without talking down to the audience!
She has such a gift. She IS a gift.
That's what she always does. I love that about her 😊.
My main problem with aspartame is the taste and aftertaste. For me the taste is overpowering and the aftertaste can last for a couple days. This could be a genetic trait such as those associated with other compounds. The most egregious use of aspartame I found was in Belgian fruit flavoured beers. For me it destroyed the tasty flavours of the beers that I had enjoyed for years, all to save money.
While I like aspartame based drinks, I can immediately tell whether something has sucralose in it. It's aftertaste instantly hits me with strong, bitter note, for that reason anything, that has it, is ruined for me.
while the aftertaste doesn't last as long for me, I also can't stand the taste of aspartame or any artifical sweetener really. I always taste it and it's a deeply disgusting one for me. I think it's the neurodivergence in me that makes me more sensitive to these ingredients?! While others enjoy these beverages and say "tastes just like the original!" I have to pull myself together not to gag
After drinking half a can of diet soda (w/ aspartame) I get lightheaded, yet it doesn't happen with regular soda.
i don't mind aspartame TOO MUCH but yeah the aftertaste is awful
I think it's something your taste buds have to get used to. If you're not cutting out sugary drinks entirely, then it will be hard for the aspartame to become your taste buds' new "normal". I find if I have a sugar-based soda and then try an aspartame drink it will taste watered down and "off". But once I'm only drinking aspartame drinks my taste buds associate that as the dominant "sweet flavor" and it stops being something I notice as a difference.
Wow.
You do such AMAZING work, Ann. Thank you so much for this video. Every year or so I keep hearing conflicting reports on whether or not aspartame is bad for you, carcinogenic, etc. It's so nice having a professional make a video like this instead of some TikTok "influencer" telling us to eat plain sugar cause it's "better" for us. Love your work.
Thanks Thomas 😀
Thank you for this video and information, Ann! For years I was fear mongered into believing my dad would get cancer and d!e because of the diet Pepsi he always drank. I was legitimately so scared I'd lose my dad and there was no reason for it other than strangers, who are scientifically illiterate, wanted me to feel that way. It wasn't until I found other food scientists and their content that I was able to understand what these studies really meant. Now I understand that the dose makes the poison; that the dose they give rats or mice is not anywhere comparable to the amount a human has to consume for the same effects.
We desperately need more science based content creators like yourself to push back against the anti-science rhetoric that is so incredibly common online. "Wellness" and "natural" content creators are saturating social media with mis and even DISinformation in order to sell their products or scare people away from certain, harmless, replacements that improve their life, even if it seems insignificant to others.
I appreciate your content and the time, effort, and energy you put into your work. I originally came here for baking and chocolate content but have definitely stayed and been enthralled with the science content! Much love from a very long time viewer!
As someone at high risk of developing diabetes and therefore trying more sugar substitutes, I'm SO GLAD to see you make this video!
It seems that while aspartame may not cause cancers, it (and other low/no-calorie sweeteners) still causes the insulin spikes that contribute to the development of insulin insensitivity diabetes. (I'm not sure if I can post links here without spam filters booting me.)
As someone at high risk of developing diabetes, you should be consulting your doctor before trying sugar substitutes. NOT youtube. smh
Whilst I am sure you have consulted your doctor, its a better idea to wean yourself off sugars and carbs, and eat more greens and meats and dairy. Remove that need for cakes and sweets and its sooo much easier.
@@sinine1100 Thank you for some actually helpful information.
@@superlynnie Yeah, because I'm exclusively consulting YT about my health, not watching this video to get some information to talk to my doctor about. LOL WTF
I didn't realize they didn't euthanize the rats at a set date in that study. IIRC, they also gave them an enormous amount of aspartame relative to their size, which is problematic in itself. Rule of 0 of Toxicology, everything is a poison if you consume enough of it.
I'm so thankful that my kid introduced me to your channel. I'm relearning so many things that I was given misinformation about growing up and I feel secure in knowing that my kid has access to better info than I did (and interest in it as well). It allows us to have informed discussions and we both learn something! Love your channel and your videos ♥
As a diet coke addict, i feel like this video will be my saving grace
@@robertpedersen8217 damnnnn i only drink 8-10 per day
Ann is truly one of the best UA-camrs out there. So, so smart, and nice, and loving, and down to earth. She's so great!
This is why I like and trust her. She does the research and explains everything in an easily digestible manner. Thanks again Ann.
This video coming out now is a blessing ! I was just diagnosed with pregnancy diabetes and was told to consume more aspartame to replace the glucose doses I usually take, and while I strongly believe my doctors' are always right, I still wanted to know more about this subject, and I know I couldn't trust the whole internet for that, so thank you so much Ann for clarifying this topic for all of us non-scientific persons !
accidentally read this as "i was diagnosed with pregnancy" 😭😭😭
Have a healthy pregnancy 💜
You should try to not consume either. Just because it doesn't cause cancer (which is actually not proven) does not mean its good for you. Aspertame is linked with osteoarthritis for instance. I reccomend the Glucose Revolution book, teaches you how to eat in a way that causes less glucose spikes. You can do things like cut out soda completely, and start your day with a savory breakfast (veg and cheese omlette) to curb sugar cravings. I love Ann, but this video is sending the wrong message because its saying something is safe when in reality its just not a good thing to consume anyway.
@@junejunejuniejune As a Type one Diabetic? No. ❤ people can drink all the diet soda and eat all the crap they want.
@@junejunejuniejune It's not the aspertame itself that causes osteoarthritis. It's the products it's most consumed in, i.e, extremely acidic, calcium leeching carbonated drinks. Aspertame itself is absolutely safe.
"Just because it doesn't cause cancer (which is actually not proven) does not mean its good for you. " true, but that can be said about literally everything in existence.
I so appreciate how you make research accessible. I teach research methods and stats to PhD learners, and one of my constant struggles is getting past their tendency to jump to conclusions and over-simplify things. People want the scientific process to be so simple, but the process is anything but.
Thank you for treating this topic sanely. I did research on artificial sweeteners in my clinical nutrition class in nursing school, and the conclusion I came to on aspartame is that there's no current significant cause for concern UNLESS you are hypersensitive to it or if you have phenylketonuria. Another thing I found is that so many of the studies that seemed both frivolous and negative were in fact funded by the sugar industry. I found it super interesting that NO studies I found compared the toxicity of aspartame with the toxicity of sugar. For all that we can't be completely certain that aspartame is completely safe we have mountains of research documenting very significant and proven negative health impacts from sugar. I guess the take home message is that if you are that concerned about your health, try unsweetening your diet in general.
Thanks, Ann! I've always known the "causes cancer if you consume WAY more than one person should consume anything" but it's good to have a more specifically knowledgeable person explain the ins and outs of how studies are conducted and conclusions are made.
I remember when I was a kid when all the bad rumors came out about aspartame. My dad started panicking and threw out everything we had that contained aspartame. Thanks for another awesome video, Ann. I look forward to when you post every week.
I can say that I avoid aspartame & sucralose, not because of absolute science, but because of how it impacts me, in particular. In many allergy tests over the years, I've had severe reactions to both of these. My throat gets tight and hard to swallow, severe migraine, and difficulty with breathing. Funny thing is, I'm also diabetic, so many of the "sugar free" options aren't available to me, due to the U.S.'s extreme use of these two artificial sweeteners. I have to be hypervigilant about reading ingredient labels, and have come to recognize the smell and taste of these two sweeteners. So, while various organizations may say they are safe, they are absolutely NOT safe for everyone. I feel I must also add that an allergy to aspartame has led me to have a healthier, and more organic, eating lifestyle, overall. For this, I'm supremely grateful for! Thank you, Ann, for your diligence in bringing truth to us all. Much appreciated!!
I didn't even know what aspartame was until I noticed I started having adverse reactions to foods, candy and drinks I use to normally consume. The only ingredient that they all shared was aspartame. Realized that any time I had anything with aspartame I would have similar reactions that you did. Once I took a drink from my dad's soda, not realizing it had aspartame, and threw up almost right away.
So glad to find another person in the world that is allergic to Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners. It's so good to discover I am no longer alone. Like you, I am also diabetic. I eat organic too and cook from scratch so I know what's in my food.
I'm not allergic to it like that, but it definitely makes my joints very very unhappy. I really can't have any artificial sweeteners at all.
you're your own allergen detection dog
I'm not allergic (that I'm aware of) but it triggers my manic episodes so I avoid it for that reason. I've always hated sucralose too. Tastes like the highest C on a piano to me and that's not a good taste.
I was working at Atomic Energy and we did a study of cancer rates between 2 different markers. The first was around nuclear power plants, the second was around old Roman forts. Both came out with similar elevated cancer rates, leading to the conclusion that old Roman forts give you cancer & the phrase “Lies, dang lies & statistics”.
The realistic conclusion was if you look for a given outcome that you’ll find it.
The second observation we made was following Chernobyl, we have radiation detectors around all our facilities. This allowed us to monitor the radiation cloud from the fallout. And obviously I can’t discuss specifics, but I felt happy living where I did at the time & I can happily report all children & grandchildren still only have one head.
Children have one head, but adults in Ukraine have thyroid issues... Chernobyl was a crime, one of many ways russians destroyed and keep destroying Ukrainians, apart from the disaster itself, forcing people to have may day parade right after in Kyiv and Kharkiv was insane.
As a social scientist/sociologist and an statistic enthusiast I just love how you stressed the fact of how studies should be done (like just changing 1 thing at a time) and how one should always read everything not just the title or summary. And how cautious you should be reading studies or even looking at diagrams and stuff, because for the uneducated eye there might be a difference between two points but it doesn't have to be statistically significant!
Glad to hear its safe for those who can use it. Personally, I have to check every label on anything sweet for it because its an instant migraine trigger for me. I’m talking one sip of diet soda = migraine in minutes. Same with Sucralose. Luckily Eritherol and Stevia are gaining more use because they are zero cal and don’t give me the headaches. Stevia has an aftertaste I don’t particularly care for, but its not nearly as bad as the distinct aftertaste of sucralose or aspartame, and is actually pretty good in iced drinks like tea or lemonade, or anything with mint, because its a kinda sharp sweet flavor. Monkfruit (Eritherol) is earthy, behaves like sugar when cooked, but is sweeter so you don’t need as much, and tastes great in coffee and other rich things. I’ve not been as careful about sugar as I should be lately, but this vid made me remember what I’ve found helpful as a prediabetic whose supposed to be watching it but physically cannot touch Splenda.
I hear you. I also have Migraine problems with Aspartame, which is such a shame. I wish I could enjoy most chewing gum.
I personally use Monkfruit “sugar” because it’s also zero carbs, helpful for my low-carb neurology condition diet, zero calories, helpful for weight management, and it’s super sweet with no bitter aftertaste. It kinda tastes like fruity gum.
Monkfruit is easily my favourite sweetener, and I carry a container with me everywhere.
Monk fruit is NOT Eritherol. That is made from wood like birch bark. It's the sweetener that has that cooling mouth feel. But it's also responsible for gastrointestinal sensitivity in some. Real monk fruit extract is from the Luo Han Guo fruit, found in a very specific region in a high valley in China. So it's very expensive as a pure extract sweetener. A good brand that has high purity would have a mongroside percentage in the 60% or higher. And you only use 1/64th or 1/32nd of a teaspoon. You get a tiny bottle, but look at the serving size, from 425 to 650 (depending on % of purity)
If you are buying monk fruit in a big bag, it's cut with other sweeteners like Eritherol or now Allulose. While they are also natural sweeteners, zero on the glycemic index, no calorie etc... They are not the same as pure monk fruit extract powder. It really doesn't have an aftertaste like the low grade stevias do, and doesn't seem to have any of the downsides the other alternative "natural sweeteners" have. The only downside is it can only come from China, and we might find that some day in the future, it's no longer available to buy in our region.
It is so refreshing to hear someone present such an informed, level-headed and agenda free video about something like this! We need more resources like this to help us make truly informed health decisions. Thank you!
Such an underrated channel. No one takes the time to find facts and do real research like Ann does! Thank you ma'am!!!
As a truck driver, and a glass blower I appreciate you thoroughly reviewing the topics you talk about.
oh my gosh. even having seen so many of your videos, im still so frickin surprised when you pull out a whole ANT COLONY just to teach us something. i love it. so many people just expect to be taken at their word these days, but you take the time to show us, even when it takes a lot of work.
I love the way you are able to share facts about science. our society is so uninformed when it comes to methodology and it's so annoying to see people interpreting studies wrong!
Anne, you're like everyone's mom. I think I can speak for all your audience that we truly appreciate you and your drive to inform us on important matters. Sending many blessings from Mexico.
As always, amazing stuff. Having grown up with aspartame completely villainized it's nice to see a balanced view where the real concern is just "make healthy choices and everything in moderation". Thanks again Ann!
Ann, I love these types of videos you make. I think they're really important to educate the general public on how science is conducted and peer-reviewed, and generally how to be a more critical thinker with regard to what you're consuming on the internet. It's so valuable, and you make it so simple to understand!
Thank you so so much for this! A headline out of NCU around Aspartame finally convinced me to quit zero sugar soda cold turkey but my family still drinks it and it makes me sad for them. I'm relieved to get better clarity on the situation. I don't intend to go back, I'm drinking only water and cold kombucha (a sugar free kind) with a rare coffee with creamer only, but I definitely won't have to stress or nag my friends or family with my concerns.
Incredibly interesting.
I feel I really learn stuff when I watch Ann's debunking/instructing videos.
She is not afraid to go deep into the subject and is actually good at explaining it in words we can understand.
Thank you Ann !!!! ❤
Ann, know I'm late to the party but as a phenylketonuric I enjoyed the video. I think it was the warning on products that freaked people out. I had a coworker tell me once that she must have a "mild case of PKU" because she got a stomach ache after having some Nutrasweet. I tried to explain that you are diagnosed at birth with PKU and you don't "catch it" or "develop a case of it." Her reaction was that if it had any warning it must be sketchy for everyone.
Anyway, have you heard about Allulose? I have read that it is rare super low calorie natural sweetener and there is some evidence that it not only doesn't raise blood sugar but lowers it. It is also less likely to cause the laxative effect that occurs with many popular artificial sweeteners 16:17
When I was around 12-13 years old, something like that - I was driven to the hospital because I had horrific aches and pains in my stomach.
The hospital first thought my appendix was bursting, so they slotted me for surgery, but were going to do some preliminary tests just to be safe.
Tests turned up blank. They had no clue what it was, but it wasn't my appendix, so the surgery was canceled, and I was sent home.
Some days later it happened again. And it would keep happening every now and then for a few years before I finally realized the common denominator.
I generally didn't go for the artificial sweeteners, but once in a while I'd be offered something containing them and I'd be in agony at some point later that day.
Aspartame is one of the artificial sweeteners I seem to be very sensitive to, and I started reading about it, and got into some weird rabbit holes like what this video is debunking.
Took me a while to snap out of it, and for years I'm just thinking it's safe for most people, but i guess i have an intolerance or something. It's not just aspartame, but it's not all artificial sweeteners.
It always annoys the shit out of me that people try to use the word "chemical" to signify whether something is healthy or not. Water is a chemical.
Likewise for the natural/artificial thing. Natural is not a synonym for good, and artificial is not a synonym for bad. Smallpox is natural. Mercury is natural. Arsenic is natural. Honey is artificial, it's just that the bees are the artificers. If honey is natural, then so is gasoline I guess.
I'm the same way. Artificial sweeteners make me feel ill, but aspartame really messes with my stomach and g.i. tract. And it tastes weird. As bad as it sounds, I'm happy I have someone to commiserate with, lol!
Oh, and sucralose also gets me. Not as bad as aspartame, but it's definitely #2 on my "do not eat" list.
Pro tip: Honey is natural and gasoline is not.
@@fuglbirdYeah, I'm not so sure about their reasoning for why honey isn't "natural" lol, but I agree with the rest of it. Natural means occurring in nature, and bees are nature. If honey isn't natural then tree sap isn't natural, and trees are the "artificers".
@@ladybabbleon It's good to hear that there are other people out there who think aspartame tastes weird. I always get strange glances from people if I tell them I avoid aspartame for taste reasons. It's far easier to go down the "it causes cancer"-route, because I feel most people don't taste any diffrence. It is okay if the things are really hot or cold, but as soon as they got to a good eating/ trinking temperature they taste gross. I even once got into a fight with a waiter because they delivered diet coke instead of a normal one and they didn't believe me that I tasted the diffrence ...
Lol yes honey is natural…and of course natural is always going to be healthier than processed as our bodies just so happen to be natural. Conversely a processed construct like a car for instance would there for benefit from processed fuel like gasoline!
As always, great video. I remember in my College/Uni writing class, being a Biochem major I did an entire paper on Aspartame because I was curious about the claims. My poor writing professor I'm pretty sure just gave me a good grade because that certainly wasn't the class for it, but I remember finding a lot of the same conclusions even back then. Another, as you touched on was the dosing in the studies (at least back then), they were giving these poor rats nearly their body weight which would be improbable in humans regardless Keep up the good work, it's always refreshing and appreciated :)
Totally unrelated but I absolutely LOVE Ann’s hair! The perfect curl ringlets remind me of an AirWrap hairdo before you brush it out hehe
The tricky part is that those scientific studies are often funded by huge companies that are interested in that particular thing to be safe. And there have already been big stories how FDA approves very dangerous things. I would avoid aspartame anyway :)
There are other organising than fda whibhave approved of it (in Europe that is known to be much more strict). Also studies that haven't been funded by private companies
Really love how you explained this! Especially how the carcinogen groups work. I recently learned that aloe vera, asian pickled vegetables, and gasoline are also in group 2b!
I have fibromyalgia and everyone told me I would feel better if I cut out fake sugars and they were right- but they also said to go gluten free and I did for a year and felt no noticeable difference. If anything I gained more weight and felt worse because I kept craving decent bread and pizza and did have it so I was replacing it with more sugar
I think in the past ann actually did say that gluten free food (that is commercially produced) actually is worse in fat content because they need those to make the texture just right.
Gluten free is NOT healthy unless you’re allergic or intolerant to gluten. Gluten is needed by your body and you’re equipped with and supposed to digest it
Everyone I know with fibromyalgia that has quit fake sugar has felt better. Including myself. I’ve been in remission since 2009
My own research on the subject suggests that a lot of artifical sweeteners are highly inflammatory, it's part of why you end up with little to no calories from them. Many people can handle the irritation, but If you already are prone to inflammation or have auto immune conditions, it could contribute to your flare ups.
I think artificial sweeteners have their place especially for diabetics.
My issues which Ann does not address are the inflammation or the addictive nature of them. And that people who don't have diabetes may develop it from prolonged inflammation and use.
I had a relative that would love to point out that her sister was addicted to diet coke. I feel like we all know people addicted to that specific drink. I pointed out that the fruity flavor powder she drinks everyday is the exact same addictive artifical sweeteners so she has the exact same addiction. I begged her for years to try getting off the sweeteners because it seemed like she was inflammed and on her way to diabetes. Finally she did and lost about 10 lbs that she previously had struggled to shed and a lot of her inflammation is going down finally.
@iriswaldenburger2315 it depends on where the gluten comes from and how it's processed. If it's over processed, it's been cross contaminated with things you generally shouldn't have.
im against aspartame. not because it's bad for you, but i just dont like the taste
I suffer from Orthorexia - MUCH better now than I used to be - & I can't tell you how helpful information like this is for me!
Thanks so much, Anne. X
Oh ywah.. I had that hard ten or eight years ago when I ate only rawnfood for three years.
It's hard to see friends eliminate more and more food. Orthorexia is an isolating disease. I wish you all success in finding balance and that you are able to maintain connections. You probably experienced people would stop inviting you over for events where food was involved or you having to go through the awkward explanations of bringing your own food. Being set free from this bondage is important for your overall health.
THIS is the S Tier of online media! One of your best videos Ann, this is what needs to be shown to others. This, is proper research. Cannot appreciate this enough. ❤
People LOVE to tell me that diet soda is bad for me because it's full of chemicals. But isn't regular soda too?? It's very annoying to me because as someone who often has to read scientific papers at my job, I know that there have never been any studies that conclusively support the idea aspartame is any worse for a person than sugar. Should I drink more water? Yes. Should I cut out anything that's bad for me even if I enjoy it? No! So I'm going to keep drinking diet soda because I like how it tastes more than regular soda. Thank you for your videos, Ms. Reardon! You're the best! I love how accessible you make information like this to the public.
Thanks for making this info available. Even as a holistic nutritionist, I've found it very difficult to get accurate information on these subjects. I was told in school it was definitely a carcinogen. Turns out...not so much. People tend to gravitate towards info that buys into their personal beliefs and discount info that doesn't. You are a breath of fresh air. Thanks.
Keeping a queen ant for an entire year, only to risk killing it for science is a whole new level of dedication.
Love your work Ann!
I would've been extremely sad it anything bad happened to the ants :(
She knew it wouldn't be harmed.
She absolutely knew that ants would be fine.
Whilst the risk was really really really small, in terms of science, it was not absolute zero 😉
(pun intended)
I love how you research and explain things so thoroughly and present facts, not sides or conspiracies. To be honest, I've avoided aspartame most of my life like it was rat poison after a report I read which sounded like the FDA was basically bought off to legalize aspartame even though they knew it was carcinogenic. Later in life I've, quite frankly, given in to aspartame because I weighed the potential rumored miniscule risks of aspartame against the absolute proven immediate risks of being overweight. I must say your research and information makes me feel a lot better about my decision. lol.
If they were bought off to do something, the entire point of the FDA would be ruined. I never understood rumors like that. People saying some big health-centered government organization was bought off just to make something happen.. if that actually got out the ENTIRE thing would be done for. Why would they want that or do that? They're already government funded so it's not like there's literally any reason to. Also, like she said at the end, the odds are extremely likely you're doing far worse things for your health. It'd be like you cutting a sliver of a cake off then eating the rest of the cake and thinking: "Well I didn't eat the whole thing so it's healthier."
As a type 2 diabetic, I really appreciate this video! I wonder if you could do a video on other artificial sweeteners as well? The clutter on information surrounding them is truly mindboggling
Clear, concise, reliable and informative. I love listening to Ann break down complex topics, making it easier for anyone to understand.💕
I'm someone who did believe a lot of the myths about aspartame but this video completely got me to actually think about if any of that is legitimate. Thank you for doing the research and sharing this
That’s about cancer and toxicity but the main problem for me was drinking a lot of it made me realize I had trouble feeling satiety and created more cravings, probably because the body thinks it’s sugar and spikes insulin, but it’s not and the body is "tricked". I started drinking regular sugar sodas instead, I feel the hunger/satiety much better now and drink much less of it and don’t feel the munchies later on. Cutting out all sodas would be better, but slow steps!
THANK YOU ANN! I am diabetic and have cut out so, so much sugar and carbs from my diet. I have had the occasional iced coffee with aspartame in it and have heard that it was a carcinogen but it always made me wonder why it was still available to buy since there would be so many lawsuits of companies who produce these foods. Your explanation was very easy to understand and follow and now I won't be concerned when I have the occasional drink with aspartame. This really was another debunking video. Take care.
Aspartame in and of itself isn't too bad, but from what I've heard the issue is one of chemical degradation, just like fats exposed to heat and oxygen will go rancid, aspartame in liquids starts turning into formaldehyde at 30C/86F. So a diet drink that has been shipped in a standard shipping container on a truck that takes several days to get where it's going in the height of summer is going to have more issues than a packet of dry sweetener that sits maybe 10 minutes in your coffee before you drink it.
The other issue that was kinda brushed under the rug is that whole /kg part. It's becoming VERY common in the States at least to add artificial sweeteners to juice intended for small children. So while the safety limit for an "adult" might be 17 servings of soda (which btw, is less than 7 bottles) it's MUCH lower for a preschooler who weights 20 kg (45 lbs.)
Tacked on to that, is the cumulative effect. My cousin is a type 1 diabetic and fairly petite, she was diagnosed at age 5 or 6 and weighed probably 30 kg (or 67 lbs) at the time. If she got cookies as a snack at school and a juice box at lunch and then came home and after dinner got a sugar free lollipop or brownie, she might hit or excced the max limit every day for months or even years. If it makes you feel any better, she's 38 now and still doing fine.
I just want to say how much I appreciate your video. You are like an internet mum who I wish I grew up with. Scientific methodology and experimental control can be so dry, but you have highlighted why it's important to think critically. Thanks Ann!
Always such thorough and informative content. I always wanted to learn more about aspartame from a trusted source. Thank you for doing what you do!
Methanol being a metabolite of aspartame is also often bought up, but fruits, vegetables, fermented foods and wine also contain it, often at much higher amounts than you'd get from aspartame.
I’m one of those people who is physically intolerant to most sugar substitutes - practically every sugar substitute I’ve tried has left me either with a wicked migraine or nauseous for the entire day, and sometimes multiple days if I consumed enough of it without immediately realizing. The ones that didn’t cause me negative effects, I could taste and just hated the flavor 😂 I’ll personally stick to sugars since I’m not diabetic, and artificial sweeteners are usually actively harmful for me. Still good info, though!
Oof, my friend has something similar to that. We have to be careful not to get our drinks mixed up when we hang out, because I’m diabetic and always have the sugar-free! And they do taste bad 😅
maybe you want to check to the doc about sugar withdrawal, if you really need to substitute into "safer" sweetener, but otherwise as long as it's still within normal amount of daily intake, I'd say you don't need to
@@frick3417 it’s a shame there isn’t a sugar substitute that actually tastes nearly as good or as good as sugar :( yall deserve nice tasting stuff too!!!
@@DumbestDumbFool yeah I’m probably a bit over but I’ve already on my own cut back naturally - I don’t drink a lot of soda anymore (just doesn’t quench my thirst so I’d rather have water usually) and I generally prefer fresh or frozen fruit over candies and sweets when I’ve got the option. frozen cherries and grapes are fantastic snacks!
I am the same, aspartame will trigger migraines for me too. Everything else tastes awful.
Love this video. I think this highlights a few key points. Firstly, there's always the narrative some want to push that any time anything is done to "defile" nature, it must be unhealthy, meaning even a hint that something may have negative consequences, it'll end up spreading like wild fire. Secondly, the media in general is vastly under-qualified to report on most scientific papers, especially in light of the titles of the papers often being sensationalised in order to secure publicity / funding, meaning papers are often reported at the most superficial level, with the news outlets just reading the press releases verbatim.
To be honest, I think the scientific community could stand to learn alot from your measured / methodical take on presenting the information to those who may not understand it. When writing a paper or putting something into the wild, take the little finger approach, think of the worst possible interpretation of what you're writing, and assume that's going to be the norm, then work on addressing that.
In the meantime, business as usual. Mildly roll ones eyes at any sensationalist headlines around anything remotely scientific, and wait for respected individuals in the scientific community to take the time to give more reasoned analysis. Worst case, some people out there end up not being swept along with the sensationalism. Best case, people actually learn from this, learn the methodology and maybe even take the time to properly educate themselves (in the academic sense, not in the "do your own research on facebook sense") on the subject.
I so so appreciate how throughly you show things, not just what is the answer but why, and what are the studies, and how credible are the studies. We know we can trust your statements because you show your work!
Another great video as always, Ann. You're the smartest, most inspiring scientist to ever grace UA-cam.
G'day byron, I hope you're having a great week, thanks for always being so encouraging and positive.
@@HowToCookThat Sounds like the study I read, done by apartame competitor! They used juvenile rats for the control compared to 75 year old rats! The slight increase was so small it should have been ignored! Even after their cheating!
Its the most tested food in the world and never have they found any evidence its dangerous! I person once said its been proven it causes brain cancer! So I read the paper (sponsored by aspartames competing product) Dosing at the rate of 1250litres a day of the strongest drink with it! From conception to 75years (in mice) they found an insignificant increase in brain cancer well with probability because they compared to juvenile mice, so actually they proves it reduces the cancer! LOL
Interestingly if you tried to drink softdrink at that rate you would die
In 4 hours from Caffine
in 3 hours from Sugar
In 12 minutes from being poisoned from water!
in 6 minutes you would drown! LOL
Nitpick: changing multiple variables per experiment iteration is completely fine. You just need to follow a correct approach. For example, pairwise (or N-wise in general), orthogonal arrays etc. If done correctly, it will reduce the number of iterations significantly. If your experiment has a lot of variables (say, 100 with 5 variants each) the only sensible way to finish it is to change multiple variables at a time
as a graduate student focusing on nutrition, i had already come to my own conclusions and i don’t buy into the “aspartame is super toxic!” narratives, but i wanted to see your ant farm 🐜 😃 i also appreciate your ongoing efforts to improve scientific literacy for some of the general public.
I had lived with the asumption that aspartame drinks will give me cancer. Im glad to know that isnt the case. I would have loved to see some comparisons of drinks containing sugar vs aspartame to see which one is more/less healthy for you. People will obviously assume sugar is unhealthier but idk doesnt seem as clear cut.
Rebecca Watson did a video awhile back on artificial sweeteners - I don't remember the specifics, but I think normal sugar was significantly worse health-wise (or at least there was more data to support that it was bad for your health).
It's so funny to me when people go "that's not natural it's a chemiocal" as if literally not every thing that exists is made up 100% from chemicals
edit: I read it as "uh spart uh may" for the longest time tbh
I only consume baryonic matter
I found this particularly interesting because I've noticed here in the UK so many drinks companies are dropping aspartame and using something called sucralose... and unfortunately, sucralose doesn't seem to agree with me and makes me feel queasy. Being able to hear the real science behind aspartame is both reassuring and a little frustrating!
Thank you Ann for all your hard work you put into your videos ❤
I think a lot of fear mongering around aspertame is at least partially due to it's more subjective side effects; like being a migraine trigger for a lot of people who already experience migraines like myself, or being falsely associated with dental decay (it's actually the acid in fizzy drinks that does this). But in the end it's all it is: Fear mongering. High fructose syrup is much worse for our bodies than aspertame but one sounds more chemically than the other so people pick on it.
Even a lot of the people who claim it gives them headaches (there's tons in this comments section) are making a false association with caffeine
Worth noting that the sugar industry is notoriously vicious and false information is basically expected.
If companies had it their way, they'd replace every sweetener with aspartame. However, I'm not compatible with it. I guess the moment they do that, I stop drinking any kind of softdrinks/sports drinks.
@@complainer406 Considering a lot of aspertame free drinks are caffeine free I would assume someone who's narrowed it down enough would have tried that.
The migraine claim hasn't stood up to scrutiny. There's been blinded testing showing that people who thought they were consuming aspartame claimed they were having a migraine from it, despite not consuming it.
WOW so cool to see you working with 80,000 hours!!! truly the best sponsorship I've seen, recommend it to anyone looking to make positive change :)
I love all her videos, but I especially love these that teach us without scaring us. Thanks Anne for doing all the research so we don't have to! 😊
What do you mean without scaring us?
I was afraid for those poor ants at the start of the video....
That part was intense, I admit. I almost had to look away 😏
I think exercise is also the area in which I need to most improve 😅
Ann having an ant colony is very cute, maybe we could get a short video just on them, like an ant colony vlog?
Okay but Ann's hair looks amazing!
The best source for accurate and trustworthy information!!! Even if it does have me watching ant's doing what they do.
About 15 years ago, I was living with my parents and was losing weight at the same time as my mother (same diet with high protein and salad while minimising carbs and sugars). I lost 10+ kilos, and so did she. After all this time, I noticed on Friday nights/Saturdays that I was craving bread/cakes or high-carb items and dramatically slowed down in weight loss as a result. My mother also said that she had the same strange cravings but didn't have the heart to tell me as we were dieting together. It turns out that as a treat (after I lost approx 10kg), we would have one glass of diet ginger ale or diet coke per week on a Friday or Saturday during dinner as a reward for staying on track. We noticed on the nights we had the drinks that the cravings would happen. We cut the weekly diet treat out and never had these cravings again. I am not saying that Aspartame is a poison or bad for you, but for my mother, it had some strange effects on our food cravings, and we had to cut it out; after some online research, we were not the only ones with this peculiar effect. So I will say if you are trying to lose weight and are struggling with cravings but also having diet drinks, experiment if you notice a craving difference if you stop drinking them.
Consuming artificial sweetening makes your body produce insulin. Which in turn makes you hungry for carbs since the sweetening is empty calories so it is not really surprising that you had those cravings.
@@FreelighterYeah, that’s the theory I’ve heard too. Type one diabetics (like me) ought to be immune to that effect…that would be an interesting experiment!
as the other person say, insulin probably is the reason for the craving, but also might be your gut system or just plain ol serotonin making your brain ask for more carbs
Never had that problem.
@Nocturne22 not everyone reacts the same to everything
Your hair looks INCREDIBLE!!!!!
(And thank you so much for this video. You are an incredible teacher and asset to this platform!)
I love how your research video's skip all the bullcrap and just show the overal pictures. If I would search for the effects of aspartame online, I would get so many contradicting opinions that my head would spin.
You explain it so clear with examples and comparison.
Anne you are an amazing person!!!!
I drink watered down Crystal Light bc I drink more if it’s CL & not just plain water. My dr told me she’d rather I drink more CL than drink less plain water. I have issues staying hydrated & was passing out often bc of dehydration. Thanks for making me more comfortable drinking CL!
Here's the big problem though, nutritional scientists rely on medical research to get done so they know the 'facts' about how chemicals such as aspartame interact with people. What's not taught is that medical research on these chemicals are conducted by companies such as coca cola and other large corporations. Medical research is an absolute minefield right now. The people conducting the research, because they're hired by corporations that want to use the chemicals, are told to conduct test after test until they get a 'safe' amount. They will then only publish the safe amount and not show all the failed trials. So even if a chemical may cause cancer or other side effects, they're not publishing the results. You then get nutritional scientist speak about how it's not actually harmful and site the research, and so people believe it. I have friends who had to quit the toxic and fake medical research world because the harm they knew they were doing. I had a friend who specifically worked on aspartame and he said it is definitely not safe and they were constantly pushed to increase the amount that was classed as safe. Artificial sweetners and processed food need to be avoided at all costs.
I feel like Anne and the Maintenance Phase Podcast should get together and have an episode where they just dunk on horrible methodology in experiments. Methodology Queens Unite!
Reminds Me How "Mythbusters" Altered Experiments So Much They Were No Longer Testing Myths
Always so cozy to sit down and watch another one of Ann’s videos… It may be summer but I still like getting nice and comfy. I always learn something too! 🎉 ☕️
Can everyone appreciate that Ann isn’t money hungry, or desperate for attention, and that she continues to educate and create quality content rather than getting obsessed with views? It is so upsetting seeing good creators start losing themselves in creating bad content for money. But no! Ann continues to make such incredible content, and she even wrote a whole cookbook (Which is incredible) I just love everything about this channel. ❤❤