Ask Karen: Aspartame dangers
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By Karen McNew
WSLS10 Anchor
Published: April 15, 2008
Click here to read past Ask Karen articles
I have condensed this week’s question because it was in e-mail form asking about an e-mail going around regarding Aspartame and possible dangers associated with it. It basically blamed Aspartame for everything from Gulf War Syndrome to Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus and ADHD. That being said here’s what I have been able to find from a local dietitian regarding aspartame and any complications that may come from ingesting it.
Registered Dietitian, Dorothy Shaver says, “If someone has PKU (phenylketonuria) they are unable to metabolize phenylalanine (which is in aspartame), and some fibromyalgia/MS symptoms have occurred in people with PKU when they ingest something that contains phenylalanine.”
She says, approximately 1 in 20,000 people will notice fibromyalgia/MS symptoms because of PKU.
“As far as being dangerous for others, I have not heard that and no studies say that it causes sickness such as MS, Cancer or Fibromyalgia. There have been many studies that show it causes cancer in animals (rats), but not in humans. Epidemiological studies don’t provide clear evidence,” says Shaver
However, this is not a recommendation for people to ingest aspartame.
Shaver says, “I wouldn’t recommend eating and drinking items that contain aspartame all of the time because it is an unnatural, lab-made food, but it is generally recognized as safe.”
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