My new video series - Foods that are killing you: Aspartame in Diet Soft Drinks

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

Please refer to my above post.

a reply to: rukia

Totally off-topic but I love me some Rukia.

originally posted by: TechUnique

originally posted by: Blue Shift
P.S. -- Of all the things to complain about, this ranks with complaining about chocolate cake being too fattening for people. I don't know of anybody who is forcing people to drink this stuff, and if you don't want to, don't. Problem solved. Otherwise, there are still plenty of people who smoke and eat cheeseburgers every day. Why not start with them?

I appreciate the sentiment but you have to understand that the items you discuss, such as cheeseburgers and cigarettes, AREN'T marketed as healthy. Diet drink ARE.

That's the primary difference above all else that makes this an important topic for debate. People are feeding their kids this because they think it is healthier than normal alternatives. This can often lead to the allowance of 'binge' consuming of diet products under the false pretense that they are somewhat 'healthy' for you.

Just because something is obvious to us does not mean it is obvious to all of your friends and family.

I second this. This issue is not about mcdonalds or whatever fast food crap that people gorge themselves on--since we all agree already that that stuff isn't the healthiest. This is about the fact that aspartame and other chemicals like it are deadly to human beings. And the fact that nobody seems to know or care (at least generally-speaking). You mention diet coke being poison in public, people are gonna look at you like you're a nutter. If you say hamburgers make you fat, nobody is going to disagree.

Just wanted to add that in our culture, the word, 'diet', has a positive connotation. There are no diet cheeseburgers or cigs. Diet things are probably not good for you--it does contain the word, 'die', after all


a reply to: ScientificRailgun

a reply to: TechUnique

I completely agree that diet sodas should not be offered up as a "healthier" alternative to normal soda. I guess I should have put that in my original post. It's deliberately misleading advertising.

a reply to: rukia

This issue is not about mcdonalds or whatever fast food crap that people gorge themselves on--since we all agree already that that stuff isn't the healthiest. This is about the fact that aspartame and other chemicals like it are deadly to human beings. And the fact that nobody seems to know or care (at least generally-speaking). You mention diet coke being poison in public, people are gonna look at you like you're a nutter. If you say hamburgers make you fat, nobody is going to disagree.

Just wanted to add that in our culture, the word, 'diet', has a positive connotation. There are no diet cheeseburgers or cigs. Diet things are probably not good for you--it does contain the word, 'die', after all

Couldn't have put it better myself..

Just an aside, I love how Subway advertises themselves as healthier fast food.

That is, if you get a plain turkey sandwich on wheat with no cheese, very little toppings, and no dressings or condiments.

Of course, everyone that goes there gets the toasted heartattack 6 meat combo with three different cheese tons of salt, and plenty of dressings and oils.

"But I'm eating HEALTHY guys!"

I load my salads up with eggs, cheese, olives, etc. I know it's not healthier than anything else, but damn does that salad taste good.

a reply to: TechUnique

Welcome to the world of Documentary film making. I have make a few docs but mainly interested in short narrative/dramas for the festival circuit. Good luck with Kickstarter and indygogo. I didn't have much luck with either and had to seek other sources of funding. [grants]
I'm currently working on a doc. about women in Law Enforcement, not as socially relevant perhaps as health issues but very eye opening just the same.
Good Luck!!!

btw...I only drink tea and alcohol.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: TechUnique

Welcome to the world of Documentary film making. I have make a few docs but mainly interested in short narrative/dramas for the festival circuit. Good luck with Kickstarter and indygogo. I didn't have much luck with either and had to seek other sources of funding. [grants]
I'm currently working on a doc. about women in Law Enforcement, not as socially relevant perhaps as health issues but very eye opening just the same.
Good Luck!!!

btw...I only drink tea and alcohol.

Thanks for your reply!

How did you go about getting a grant?

To go into a little tale of my own personal battles with diet soda..

As a youngster I didn't ever touch the stuff, it tasted like acid to me. When I was in my late teens for some reason I developed a taste for it.

As I got into college, diet soda (Diet Pepsi) became my outlet for caffeine. I was working 45 hours a week and starting work at 5 AM, and then doing college in the afternoon evenings. I had one of those super sized tanker jugs that I would refill at various convenience stores. I think it was a 52 ounce jug. I would fill that jug for 5-6 times a day during my college time.

As my dependency on diet soda built, I found that I always had this insatiable thirst that only diet soda could quench. When I got out of college, I ditched the mug to try to curb my intake, and wound up buying 1 liter bottles. Unfortunately this didn't help my intake as I wound up buying 2-6 per day to satisfy my thirst.

As I did this for 15 years or so, I started to develop some health issues. Mainly my digestive system started to get messed up. I developed diverticulitis, a hiatal hernia, and found that my body would digest food very strangely. I also would have all sorts of muscle twiches.

I decided about two years ago to kick the diet soda, and found that when I cut down I went through drastic withdrawals. Huge mood swings, lack of focus, cramps, digestive issues, brain fog.. I did eventually kick the habit. As my body adjusted to not having massive quantities of aspertame daily, I developed nodules on my thyroid. Thankfully they were not malignant, but I'm firm believer that diet soda messed up my hormones to deal with the having to process all of the acid I was taking in with diet soda consumption. My thyroid had to work very hard to help deal with me trying to mess up my ph levels. When I stopped, the thyroid didn't quite know what to do anymore.

I'm fairly clean of diet soda these days, I do occasionally partake, and then feel crappy afterwards. Body chemistry changes when you get addicted to substances, and in that nature aspertame isn't that much different to me than alcohol is to an Alcoholic.

originally posted by: TechUnique
I bought some Dr Pepper recently just for old times sake and guess what? It's got artificial sweeteners in it now. A lot of drinks that HAVE sugar in them are ALSO putting this in them! All of the kids diluting juices have it in them. Kids sweets (candy) has aspartame...

It's quite crazy indeed, now I need to avoid Brisk Lipton Ice Tea and other Brisk products because of this. They tasted fine before, why are they adding chemical sugars is beyond me other than some sort of conspiracy to get us dependent and sick.

As buyers, we vote everyday on what stays and what leaves from the shelves. Supply and demand can also be a poor's weapon. We need to say NO to these poisons and they will stop adding them to foods, simple as that.

originally posted by: graceunderpressure
I used to drink a popular brand of "fitness water" while exercising vigorously for 1-2 hours per day. I began experiencing dizziness, memory deficiencies, vision problems and was horrified when I looked up "Sucralose" and discovered its effects on the human body. I stopped drinking the water immediately, and if there were any withdrawal effects I didn't notice them. Maybe it was because the relief from the dizziness was so pronounced.



My mother-in-law is an overweight diabetic who refuses to give up her diet cola. She looks very unhealthy with thinning hair and bad skin -- at least ten years older than she really is.



My sister is on 100% disability for debilitating migraines and guess what she refuses to stop drinking? Yep. She downs the Diet Coke like it's going out of style.



In addition to my great concern for these family members, I am appalled that we will eventually be taking care of the MIL as her condition deteriorates and, as a taxpayer, I'm also paying for my sister to sit on her bum in a dark room when she could be out there enjoying a much better life.



This substance is evil, pure and simple.

My friend is just like your sister and gets debilitating migraines, too. She also has a whole host of problems, including asthma and Hashimoto's disease. I've been begging her to dump the diet soda and she has cut back but she still drinks 1 can a day.

I've been drinking regular coke on-and-off and can tell the difference. I get stomach aches when I drink it. When I stop, it goes away. I'm so much better after drinking a lot more water but sometimes I fall off the wagon when I'm with friends and don't want to drink alcohol.

I am one of those that can not use aspartame but i have many of the problems on the list.

I have not used aspartame since it came out and i read food labels because i also am sugar alcohol intolerant.

how do you explain why i have the problems like fibromyalgia ECT ECT.

originally posted by: ANNED
I am one of those that can not use aspartame but i have many of the problems on the list.

I have not used aspartame since it came out and i read food labels because i also am sugar alcohol intolerant.

how do you explain why i have the problems like fibromyalgia ECT ECT.

There are plenty of other poisonous ingredients in food! Stuff like MSG. MSG is what I will next be doing a video about in the series.

a reply to: graceunderpressure

oh yeah, that sucralose is bad news.....i learned about it the hard way years ago...

i like kettle corn..years ago, i worked in a video store. for the longest time we just had the microwave butter flavored popcorn...then they introduced Act II kettle corn...it's manufactured by ConAgra. i love me some kettle corn, so i started buying it, instead of the butter stuff(we got a great discount on concessions)...i noticed after a couple of weeks that i was feeling s**ttier than usual...and then the violent bowel movements started....the only new thing i was ingesting was the corn, so i looked at the ingredients, noticed the sucralose, knew that was marketed as "splenda"..i did a little research on sucralose, and i threw away my remaining bags...

i avoid sucralose like the plague, along with most other artificial sweeteners. Stevia is good, and if i'm gonna use sugar, it's raw, turbinado cane sugar...the only soda i drink is the pepsi that's made with actual sugar, and not that HFCS crap....and i drink it in moderation.

i now read the ingredients for ALL consumables, before i purchase them...it's really the only way to be sure..

Its highly likley that the "New" coke fiasco was a ploy to switch from sugar to the cheaper HFCS. When they bought back the old coke it was a different recipe.

a reply to: Daedalus

a reply to: nonspecific

oh, no doubt.

a reply to: ANNED

how do you explain why i have the problems like fibromyalgia ECT ECT.

MSG. I had at least 4 ailments clear up within a couple of weeks of getting off MSG, or any of the other dozens of excitotoxins they put in all processed food. Water fast for 3 days minimum, and eat really simple, wholesome food after, NOTHING out of cans, jars, or packets, NO processed food whatsoever!

@TechUnique

MSG is what I will next be doing a video about in the series.

Good, I'll be interested in that for sure.

originally posted by: TechUnique

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: TechUnique

Welcome to the world of Documentary film making. I have make a few docs but mainly interested in short narrative/dramas for the festival circuit. Good luck with Kickstarter and indygogo. I didn't have much luck with either and had to seek other sources of funding. [grants]
I'm currently working on a doc. about women in Law Enforcement, not as socially relevant perhaps as health issues but very eye opening just the same.
Good Luck!!!

btw...I only drink tea and alcohol.

Thanks for your reply!

How did you go about getting a grant?

I just fill out the required form for different organizations, foundations that have money to offer emerging and established artist of all types. Sometimes there is a Year delay till you are granted the money.

a reply to: olaru12

Thank you! I will definitely have to look into sorting something like that out.

Hey Tech! Thankfully I've never been addicted to aspartame, I avoid the stuff like the plague thanks to info like this

Even though I can't help you out with your research I just wanted to chime in to say I'm not surprised you've come through with this, I think you're the perfect person to carry out such a project... Nice one! Go Tech