I was bummed to realize we had bought a whole kilo of protein supplement that also has aspartame in it! I react pretty strongly to this stuff, and wonder if anyone else does, too? If so, any good suggestions for brands that are aspartame free? Anyone in Stockholm want to buy a kilo of the 80 whey chocolate real cheap?





Lisa

Hm...I think Lean Body for Her (which is an MRP) has splenda rather than aspartame...I just checked and Biotest GROW! is made with sucralose and has no aspartame either.

Hey! Splenda (sucralose) is showing up in a LOT more products now - check here for a complete list:

http://www.splenda.com/library/asset...ithsplenda.pdf

I have never had a reaction to aspartame but I prefer the taste of Splenda.

Sorry!

JC

I just saw some of the pre-approval research done on Splenda (sucralose), and some of its potential problems make me a bit nervous.

(see http://www.holisticmed.com/splenda/ )

I guess I have seen enough of the sugar substitutes come up as cancer causing or toxic that I am leary.... and weary... it would be so much easier to throw anything in my body.... Nonetheless, does anyone know any protein drinks that are either naturally sweetened or (ick) unsweetened?

Thanks,
Lisa

Lisa,

I mailed you about buying the Whey 80

Tidey

Lisa - really nothing to worry about as far as aspartame goes - I've posted on this subject numerous times. My father was a chemist for over 40 years...making soda pop...and worked with aspartame from the late 60's until it was introduced in diet pop around 1981. During that entire time, me, my three sisters, and our friends consumed a LOT of aspartame, in the form of 'testers' (test beverages in 6-ounce cans), hard candy, and gumballs (we had a HUGE bag full of those NutraSweet gumballs that we would share with all our friends - my jaw aches just from thinking about it!)

Now, I notice that the page you referred to is written by one of the main blasters of Aspartame. There is a lot of controversy about it, mostly false. I know that there are some people out there who have headaches that they attribute to aspartame - IMO, it's a lot like Chinese Restaurant Syndrome which a few people get when they ingest MSG. Aspartame is one of the most researched products on the market. My Dad retired about 10 years ago and doesn't bother with the Internet, so didn't know about the 'controversy' surrounding aspartame. When I told him he couldn't believe it. You know the same thing happens with every artificial sweetener? Saccharin (which has been around for over 100 years now), cyclamates, aspartame, and now sucralose.

I'll never forget what Dad said when I told him about the brouhaha on Aspartame:

"Do you think I would give you girls POISON??" My father knows enough about science, medicine, and chemicals to know what is and what is not safe to let us ingest.


BTW, rather than relying on the studies listed on that site, I would refer to Medline. In fact I've already done a search of published peer-reviewed studies of sucralose for you:

http://www4.infotrieve.com/search/da...uery=Sucralose

And just for fun - here's the Urban Legends article on that aspartame 'warning' ...

http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/library/blasp.htm

There are a few ppl who react to aspertame, my dad is one of them so I know what Lisa means. I myself get headaches from certain food aditives (things in buljong cubes for example. i get splitting headaches if I buy the wrong kind)

Maybe its that type of thing Lisa is worried about

Tidey

I hear ya, Tidey - I think it's kind of like an allergic reaction. For me, it's the smell of White-Out and certain paints - one whiff and whammo - migraine time!

When my sister was pregnant, if she smelled eggs, she would toss her cookies - literally

It's when scaremongers (and I'm not directing that to ANYONE here BTW) start blaming aspartame and now Splenda for everything from cancer to multiple sclerosis - totally unfounded allegations - that's what gets MY goat. Personally I think a lot of the reason for these attacks has to do with deep pockets - now that NutraSweet's exclusive patent has run its course on aspartame, they're going after the Splenda company.

You think maybe lobbyists for Sugar Companies could have something to do with it? Remember how butter became SUCH an evil entity? Seems lots of margarine cos. had a bit to do with that.

I just know that I am pretty sensitive to it and to a lot of food additives, including MSG. It also has been shown to effect nerves, and as a chiropractor, I tend to pretty careful about what I let get on my nerves!

Many things have been thought safe at their introduction, but as time played out, new information comes to light. The link I listed before does not seem to blast sucralose so much as outline reasearch available, and point out that no long term research has been done at this point. That, in itself, throws up red flags for me! It may taste sweet, but to me, it's still a chemical my body is not used to consuming. With that stuff, whether we are talking off the street drugs or sugar substitutes, I draw the line. I want to get healthy, but not by polluting my body.

Mrs. Jim - You're wonderful on this site, and I sure don't want to get up your nose about aspartame. I've seen too many patients absolutely crippled by the headaches this stuff produces to lightly shrug it off. Following the links you gave me showed a lot of debunkin of the myths around aspartame, then led to a clinical trial at this address:

http://urbanlegends.miningco.com/gi/...6db=m%26Dopt=b

So even the folks debunking the rumours about aspartame have found followup research that shows the headaches are not imagined for those of us sensitive to aspartame. I just can't see putting something like that in my body in the name of health...

Respectfully,
Lisa

Lisa - don't worry about it.

My mom is hypersensitive to stuff too - things like chocolate really give her a migraine (so she takes it REALLY easy on that stuff) She's allergic to a lot of things - including (as I found out in December) horses. Thank goodness I don't have that allergy!

And of course, most of the world is lactose-intolerant - mostly in countries that don't use dairy products all that often. When I was a teenager, I used to babysit for a child who just COULD NOT EAT ANY DAIRY IN ANY FORM - otherwise she would get totally sick and if she didn't throw up, would cramp up and spend a few hours being totally miserable! Poor thing.

But MOST people can use aspartame and sucralose (along with saccharin, which has been in common use for over a century now) with no ill effects whatsoever. Fortunately we live in a world FILLED with choices - I don't think aspartame and sucralose should be banned from the markets, but then again I also don't want to cram it down people's throats, ya know? The choice to use these products is totally up to each and every one of us as individuals! If someone doesn't want to use aspartame - they don't have to IMO

Now as far as a protein powder without it - I'd bet that if you look hard enough, you'll find a straight whey protein with no flavoring SOMEWHERE for sale - after all, that is how the supplement companies buy it before they add their own ingredients to make it palatable...dunno how it would taste though!

Ack lol

I just had a thought!

Buy the "natural" flavored stuff. Its just plain whey. You'll have to add some cocoa or something to it, or blend it with something to sweeten it or whatever.

Wont taste very good but should be aspertame free

Tidey

I found some great stuff through one of the nutritionists at the clinic, the numbers match up protein and calorie and carbo wise, but no artificial stuff, and soy based protein, which is good for me at 37! And the taste, oh lordy, it tastes great! Whooo-hooo!!!

Fitmeal, hallon-smak! (raspberry flavor....) Richard, my DH, says it tastes like hallon-välling, which is a nourishing drink they give kids in this country, but with raspberry flavor! Very exciting. What have you thought about the Nutrilett bars, Tidey?

Lisa

Nutrilette is poison, just read the ingredients (fat, sugar, more fat, scary additives) I see their ads and it makes me so MAD that they are screwing up peoples metabolisms with their Very Low Calorie shake diets. Im getting militant about this so I will be quiet now LOL



Just be aware that soy contains micro-estrogens and should be used in moderation by men. Ive read a lot of stuff about it and Im sure someone here can give you the link if you want Since estrogen is a horomone that helps women hang onto fat it might slightly imepede fat loss (like the way the pill helps you put on 10lbs or so that are hard to lose while you're still on it) Your mileage may vary tho!

For bars I would contact Gymgrossisten and tell them what you need. They might be able to help you Not sure if Myoplex uses aspertame or not (anyone?)

But I as to nutrilette? no no and no

Tidey

Oh my gosh, is Richard gonna get boobs from the soy estrogens? *that* should be a sight!!!!

Lisa