NationStates Jolt Archive

I found this interesting and decided to share.

STUDY: JUNK FOOD ADDITIVES STOP NERVE CELL GROWTH

Mixing the common additives aspartame an artificial sweetener and
monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes nerve cell damage, say researchers at
the University of Liverpool. The results from a two-year study were
recently published in the journal Toxicological Sciences. The researchers
found the additives were much more potent in combination with each other
than on their own. Mice were exposed to concentrations of MSG and
aspartame relative to what a child would receive in an average snack and
drink. Researchers were surprised to see the additives interfered with
nerve signaling systems and actually stopped the nerve cells from growing.
Aspartame is commonly found in diet drinks, candies and flavored
medicines, while MSG is frequently found in chips, processed cheese and many processed foods.

Learn more:

Felicity Lawrence, consumer affairs correspondent
Wednesday December 21, 2005
Guardian
http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,1671821,00.html


I don't know how much experience you have with aspertame but everytime I have ever had anything with aspertame in it I had a headache the next day. :( Why did I continue to try things with aspertame? I don't know.

OK so this thread has nothing to do with the end of the world and ooops with the grammatical mistakes in the poll

I find it strange that people say they can't distinguish between sugar and (non-polyalcohol) sweeteners. To me, "light" drinks and candies have an intense chemical taste, not like sugar at all. I never buy them.

Perhaps people keep eating these, because they really have a different sense of taste than me.

Glutamate is a nutrient the last time I checked. Negative effects produced by combining it with an artificial chemical are the fault of the artificial chemical, not the nutrient.

I read the first option and didn't even have to go on. Pass me a Joe Louis, it's time to arm the Lithium Fusion missiles.

I don't use aspartame at all, so no problem. Can't say the same about MSG, though.

I found this interesting and decided to share.

I don't know how much experience you have with aspertame but everytime I have ever had anything with aspertame in it I had a headache the next day. :( Why did I continue to try things with aspertame? I don't know.

OK so this thread has nothing to do with the end of the world and ooops with the grammatical mistakes in the poll
None of those additives were in food when I was little.

None of those additives were in food when I was little.


So what's your excuse then? :p :D


@Perkeleenmaa - yeah the taste of aspertame bugs me in the same way. WHen those Listerine dissolvable breath strips came out I loved them but they gave me headaches too, and thats when I finally looked at the ingrediants and discovered aspertame.

also LOL @ "had more sense than the OP" being the most popular choice so far.

None of those additives were in food when I was little.
they had food back then? :p

and isn't hydrogenated margerine like one molecule away from being plastic?

I find it strange that people say they can't distinguish between sugar and (non-polyalcohol) sweeteners. To me, "light" drinks and candies have an intense chemical taste, not like sugar at all. I never buy them.
They definitely taste different: I had to give up sugary drinks and stick to the diet stuff, and when I've drank non diet pop since I've noticed it.

I wonder what the implications of the breakdown of nerve signaling systems and the stopping of nerve growth would be.

Meh, everything'll kill ya these days. Apparently propanone(acetone), and organic solvent and ingredient in most nail varnish removers, might be carcinogenic.

Makes me glad I have little interest in the state of my nails

Interesting how they use undigested MSG and Aspartame. Once they're digested they're just your everyday amino acids. Same as if you digested them from protein, afaik.
I can think of a few other things that might do considerable damage in the body if undigested; I suppose that's rather the point of our digestive system breaking it down into it's constitutive components..

Our household is MSG free because of my girls. As far as aspertame, we don't use it, it's gross anyway.


now, I use Saccharin (I know big no-no, but I have been hooked since I was a kid.) I don't let my kids use it though. I have been thinking to switching to Stevia, but it's very expensive I can get Sweet and Low for $2.00 for a box of 144.


actually the only "artifical" thing my girls really get is Asorbic acid, but you try finding some fruit juice without it.

Interesting how they use undigested MSG and Aspartame. Once they're digested they're just your everyday amino acids. Same as if you digested them from protein, afaik.
I can think of a few other things that might do considerable damage in the body if undigested; I suppose that's rather the point of our digestive system breaking it down into it's constitutive components..


what is undigested aspertame?

wouldn't it be digested once they feed it to the mice?

Our household is MSG free because of my girls. As far as aspertame, we don't use it, it's gross anyway.


now, I use Saccharin (I know big no-no, but I have been hooked since I was a kid.) I don't let my kids use it though. I have been thinking to switching to Stevia, but it's very expensive I can get Sweet and Low for $2.00 for a box of 144.


actually the only "artifical" thing my girls really get is Asorbic acid, but you try finding some fruit juice without it.


do you allow your kids much junk food?

As for the fruit juice, I have found juice without asorbic acid; I found it pouring out of my juicer :)

what is undigested aspartame?Aspartame that has not been broken down by the digestive system. It's pretty much a dipeptide (a compound of two amino acids).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame

wouldn't it be digested once they feed it to the mice?Yes, but that's not what they did. They tested it directly on the nerves cells (in vitro) from what I read.

As for the fruit juice, I have found juice without asorbic acid; I found it pouring out of my juicer :)Really.. That removes all the vitamin C?

They tested it directly on the nerves cells (in vitro) from what I read.

I didn't see it mention "in vitro" anywhere in that article, but if that's what they did then I think that's a silly way to test the way our body reacts to digested foods.

Really.. That removes all the vitamin C?

oh is that what that is? then no it must have it and I would have to wonder why Smunkee wouldn't want her kids to have vitamin C :confused:

I thought perhaps it was an additive and I meant my juice is additive free.

I thought perhaps it was an additive and I meant my juice is additive free.Well, many packaged juices have extra vitamin C added. So it's also an additive in that sense. (It might also just compensate for losses in processing, but I'm not sure about that)

But fresh juice always tastes better anyway.

Well, many packaged juices have extra vitamin C added. So it's also an additive in that sense. (It might also just compensate for losses in processing, but I'm not sure about that)

But fresh juice always tastes better anyway.

I see.

yeah it does, since I got my juicer I have made so many delicious new fruit and veggie blends (and some disgusting ones).

I didn't see it mention "in vitro" anywhere in that article, but if that's what they did then I think that's a silly way to test the way our body reacts to digested foods.
The article doesn't mention it explicitly, but at the end it says the following:
<snip>it "did not provide any meaningful information" because it exposed mouse cells in the laboratory to undigested aspartame. "When we consume aspartame it is broken down in the digestive system to common dietary components.<snip>
We're lucky to even get that much information about the research, usually media skip over any relevant information about the circumstances.
They don't even mention what the point of the research was. It may not have been intended to test how our body reacts to digested food. Because as you say, that'd be quite a silly way to go about it.
At least it shows you shouldn't let people inject MSG and aspartame into your bloodstream. ;)

The article doesn't mention it explicitly, but at the end it says the following:

We're lucky to even get that much information about the research, usually media skip over any relevant information about the circumstances.
They don't even mention what the point of the research was. It may not have been intended to test how our body reacts to digested food. Because as you say, that'd be quite a silly way to go about it.
At least it shows you shouldn't let people inject MSG and aspartame into your bloodstream. ;)


yeah but that is what the company selling aspertame is saying. It could be true but I am more skeptical of a companies defense of their product they are trying to sell than I am of research done in the name of figuring out if something is harmful to our health or not. Of course it could be flawed science or done out of some sort of conspiracy to bring down a sweetner manufacturer, but I usually err on the side of caution in cases like this.

I'm totally going to stop with the aspertame/MSG injections though, or at least inject them seperately from now on.

I couldn't care less about aspertame, I don't use it. Aspertame does not taste anything like sugar.

MSG (bound glutamate, free glutamate). The amount of glutamate we get from food naturaly and that our body produces is far more than what we get from MSG that is added to foods.
We get about 10 grams of bound glutamate and about 1 gram of free glutamate daily that occurs naturally in foods. Our bodies produce about 50 grams of free glutamate daily. We only get about 1/2 gram of free glutamate daily from foods that have MSG added to them. The added glutamate is the EXACT same as the naturally occuring glutamate.
No matter the source of glutamate our blood glutamate level returns to normal 3 hours after consuming it.
So anyone that claims that MSG is causing them problems is full of IT.

yeah but that is what the company selling aspertame is saying.True, but I doubt they would say this if the research was done in live mice eating the stuff. (Because then it would quite obviously be a bullshit argument). Besides, it makes sense that they study the nerve cells in vitro, because it's difficult to study the growth if they're still inside a mouse.
What I'd really like from the journalists is that they actually give these details about the research. So that I can see what they actually did, rather than what a clueless reporter makes of it. (The first thing journalists seem to do is cut out all the nuances researches put in their reports.)

hmmm thats a good point.

well it doesnt actually matter to me personally because I no longer use products with either of those things in them anyway. I just thought it might be a good heads up for others in case there was any validity to it, plus since peple love to debate I was hoping to see the counter-points to it like what you have posted.

Our household is MSG free because of my girls. As far as aspertame, we don't use it, it's gross anyway.


now, I use Saccharin (I know big no-no, but I have been hooked since I was a kid.) I don't let my kids use it though. I have been thinking to switching to Stevia, but it's very expensive I can get Sweet and Low for $2.00 for a box of 144.


actually the only "artifical" thing my girls really get is Asorbic acid, but you try finding some fruit juice without it.

Ascorbic acid (vitamine c) is not artificial.

Ascorbic acid (vitamine c) is not artificial.
oh well, good to know. ;) thanks.

I think the biggest problem is that if you look at every food item or additive, you can always fidn a problem with it.
Fruits often contain pesticides, which can even get inside (so peeling doesn't necessarily help). Aside from that most fruits are acidic, which softens the teeth and can cause tooth erosion (especially if you brush them while they're 'soft', which'll wear off). Tooth erosion is usually attributed to acidic soft drinks, but fruit acids are just as bad.
Then there's the fact pretty much everything seems to be carcinogenic. And of course 'carbs' are evil incarnate (except they're not incarnate because that means 'made flesh' and it's not flesh, but that's totally besides the point).
I don't think there's anything left that's safe to eat. And not eating isn't a very good solution either. :p

Ascorbic acid (vitamine c) is not artificial.It's not synthesized?!? Where do they get it from in such large quantities then?
And even if it were artificial, as long as it's chemically identical it shouldn't matter.

they had food back then? :p

and isn't hydrogenated margerine like one molecule away from being plastic?

Try this. Take a stick of margerine, unwrap it, put it in a place were it will not melt and forget about it for a couple of months. Then check the condition of it. Other than a little bit of dust it will be exactly the same when you put it there. You could leave it there indefinatly and nothing will happen to it. Bacteria will not even touch the stuff. What does that tell you?
Hodrogenated oils/fats are not to be consumed. Use butter, it has nutritional values and it will not eventually kill you.

You could leave it there indefinatly and nothing will happen to it. Bacteria will not even touch the stuff. What does that tell you?Very little. Bacteria won't touch pure sugar either, or salt, or salted dried meats, etc.
If there's any reason not to eat margerine it's that it doesn't tasted as nice as real butter. I don't know where you get the idea it'd kill you, though..

I think the biggest problem is that if you look at every food item or additive, you can always fidn a problem with it.
Fruits often contain pesticides, which can even get inside (so peeling doesn't necessarily help). Aside from that most fruits are acidic, which softens the teeth and can cause tooth erosion (especially if you brush them while they're 'soft', which'll wear off). Tooth erosion is usually attributed to acidic soft drinks, but fruit acids are just as bad.
Then there's the fact pretty much everything seems to be carcinogenic. And of course 'carbs' are evil incarnate (except they're not incarnate because that means 'made flesh' and it's not flesh, but that's totally besides the point).
I don't think there's anything left that's safe to eat. And not eating isn't a very good solution either. :p
okay, now I am afraid to feed my kids anything........thanks:headbang:

I don't think there's anything left that's safe to eat. And not eating isn't a very good solution either. :p
I could surgically modify your body so it uses solar power for energy*, as opposed to clumsy human digestion, but it will run you a few grand. As an added bonus the process doesn't generate a single fat cell, and some users have lost as much as 200 lbs!
While lay person's have claimed that all I am doing is stapling a piece of cardboard covered in aluminum foil to people's backs, I assure you that the whole process is much more complex and delicate.

Potential side effects include: Back Pain, Sensations of Hunger, and Dying in 1-2 months.

I don't know how much experience you have with aspertame but everytime I have ever had anything with aspertame in it I had a headache the next day. :( Why did I continue to try things with aspertame? I don't know.

OK so this thread has nothing to do with the end of the world and ooops with the grammatical mistakes in the poll

I have amost the same thing, only instead of the next day its... all of 30 seconds later. Allow me to demonstrate.

*takes a sip of diet soda*...OUCH!! :headbang: :headbang: :headbang:

I dont know why it does that to me, it just does, and its dam annoying.

Oh well :confused: