Aspartame: New Name, Same Bad Thing.

For anyone out there who hasn’t been on board with the idea that Aspartame (the artificial sweetener marketed as NutraSweet, Equal, etc.) is not good for us, I ask you this: Why do companies usually rename popular products? Not to be cynical, but I’m thinking it’s because people stopped buying the product and the company wants to convince people once again that they do want this product. And that’s exactly what happened when Ajinomoto, the company that makes aspartame, recently branded the name of their artificial sweetener: AminoSweet – doesn’t that sound natural and healthy? I mean, amino acids are good, right? And we all like sweets! And that’s better than listing the product as aspartame, an additive that has been connected to cancers, endocrine disorders, severe allergies and asthma, headaches/migraines, insomnia, depression, heart palpitations, memory loss, joint pain, and weight gain (to name a few of the 90 different symptoms reported to the FDA).

In 1965, the sweet taste of aspartame was accidentally discovered by a chemist working on production of an anti-ulcer medication. A long history followed, including coercion, lobbying, and concealing evidence proving that aspartame is unsafe for human consumption. So, here we are today with a new name for this popular food additive and carcinogen … AminoSweet!

I am posting today to let you know about the branding of aspartame as AminoSweet. I want you to be aware that this has happened so that you can check your ingredients lists for both names. Don’t be fooled. Aspartame, or AminoSweet, is found in many diet beverages (sodas, teas, etc.), sugar-free gums, “light” yogurts, and so much more. Please read the ingredients list before buying any product!

I will write about the nutritional benefits of natural sweeteners in upcoming posts, but for now I’ll just show you the comparative calorie counts (which is often the reason people choose an artificial sweetener like NutraSweet over a natural sweetener) of a variety of sweeteners.

Compare calories per 1 tsp for these sweeteners:
NutraSweet (Aspartame, AminoSweet), 2 cal.
White Sugar, 15 cal.
Brown Sugar, 15 cal.

Raw Sugar, 11 cal.
Date Sugar, 12 cal.
*Brown Rice Syrup, 20 cal.
*Molasses, 20 cal.
*Honey, 20 cal.
*Real Maple Syrup, 21 cal.

So, given all the wonderful benefits of choosing natural sweeteners* (trust me for now & stay tuned) and the risks of choosing artificial sweeteners (read above), is it really worth cutting those 18 calories per teaspoon? I probably burned 18 calories just writing this post! Well, maybe not, but what about this? ... Just eat less sweetener in general, choose a natural sweetener when you do have one, and enjoy it.

Are you willing to read ingredients lists from now on AND replace some of the artificial sweetener in your world with a yummy natural sweetener?

Eat Well.  Live Well.  Be Well.  Sweeten Well.