Once and for All: Is Aspartame Dangerous to Your Health?

The following letter was sent in 2001 by a woman living in New York to her relatives in Holon, Israel.

“In October 2001, my sister fell ill. She was suffering from severe stomach pains, cramps, and could hardly walk. Even getting out of bed in the morning became a huge struggle. By March 2002, she had gone through many biopsies and was taking 24 different medications, but none of the doctors could identify what was wrong. She was in constant pain and felt like she was dying.

She began putting her affairs in order. She transferred her bank accounts, life insurance, and her house to her eldest daughter, who promised to take care of the younger children. Then she decided to take one last trip to Florida in a wheelchair at the end of March.

On March 19, I called her to ask about her latest test results. They were still inconclusive, but the doctors now thought she had a degenerative muscle disease.

I suddenly remembered an article by Dr. Roberts that friends had sent me. I asked her, ‘Do you drink diet drinks?’ She said, ‘Yes. I’m opening a bottle right now.’

I begged her to stop and sent her Dr. Roberts’ article online. Just 32 hours later, she called me back. She said that since she stopped drinking diet soda, she could walk again, even climb stairs! Her cramps were gone. She still didn’t feel completely back to normal, but there was a huge improvement.

She said she was taking the article to her doctor. When she came back, she called me again and said her doctor was amazed. He even said he would contact all his patients suffering from muscle disease to find out if they were using artificial sweeteners. In short, we discovered that she had been poisoned by the aspartame in diet cola and it nearly cost her her life. When she left for her trip at the end of March, she no longer needed all those medications. She just carried an antidote for the poisoning. She was on the path to recovery and walking on her own. That article saved her life.”

So what did that article say?

“Sugar-Free Sweeteners: Don’t Use Them!”

Dr. Roberts shared in his article: “I was attending a conference on global quality of life and the environment, where I gave a lecture on aspartame also known by its brand name NutraSweet.

During the main session, it was noted that in 2001, the United States experienced an unusual spike in degenerative muscle disease and lupus. No one could identify what toxic substance was behind it.

I stood up and said: That’s exactly what I came to talk about. The answer is aspartame. I explained that when aspartame is heated above 30°C (about 86°F), the alcohol in it enhances its chemical structure and turns into a poisonous substance also found in fire ants—methanol. This methanol leads to symptoms similar to muscle degeneration.

Many people who drink diet sodas like Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi without knowing the risk have reported symptoms that disappear once they stop using these drinks.

Even patients diagnosed with advanced muscle diseases, suffering from vision, hearing, and mobility issues experienced significant relief when they stopped consuming aspartame.

I said in the lecture: If you suffer from headaches, depression, joint pain, ringing in the ears, memory loss, or muscle cramps and you consume aspartame, you may have ‘aspartame disease.’

People in the room asked: ‘Is it reversible?’ I told them: ‘Yes! Stop drinking diet drinks. Read food labels and avoid products with aspartame.’

Aspartame also increases cravings for carbohydrates and contributes to weight gain so it’s especially harmful for diabetics. I’ve seen patients thought to have diabetic eye damage, but the real cause was aspartame.

Aspartame can damage the nervous system, lead to memory problems, anxiety, anger, and even violent behavior. It’s a major trigger for neurological issues.

It can also cause birth defects if consumed during pregnancy and may cause epileptic seizures in children.

Recently, the use of stevia, an herbal sweetener safe for diabetics was finally approved. For years, its approval was delayed because of loyalty to big aspartame manufacturers.

Sadly, Congress avoids discussing the risks of aspartame, partly because the companies that produce it fund many research institutions and even the Diabetes Association.

You've been warned. It’s better to have a little sugar than artificial sweeteners like aspartame.”

Synthetic Sweeteners Similar to Aspartame

All synthetic sweeteners are far sweeter than regular sugar, sometimes hundreds of times more. That means even small amounts may be harmful. The body struggles to break them down, and not all of the residue leaves the system. Some of it gets stored in fat cells, which encourages weight gain. Here are some of the most common synthetic sweeteners:

Saccharin
Sold under names like Sucaryl, Sweet-Diet, and Saccharin. It doesn’t break down in the body and is about 500 times sweeter than white sugar. In animal studies, saccharin was linked to cancer growth.

Acesulfame K
This sweetener doesn’t break down and is excreted whole. It’s not attacked by mouth bacteria and survives high heat. But in animal studies, it was shown to cause cancer.

Cyclamate
Stable under heat and water-soluble. It has no calories but has been linked to cancer. It’s banned in the United States but still allowed in some other countries.

Aspartame
Sold under names like NutraSweet and SugarTwin Gold. It doesn’t cause tooth decay and is about 200 times sweeter than sugar. But it breaks down in heat and in high-acid environments like the stomach. It even degrades on store shelves, which is why it has a short shelf life. The maximum safe dose is 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. It should not be used during pregnancy due to its phenylalanine content, which can harm the baby.

Sugar Alcohols Found in Food

There is also a category called sugar alcohols or polyols. They aren’t as harmful as synthetic sweeteners, but still come with some warnings.

Sorbitol
Naturally found in fruits like apples, peaches, dates, and cherries, and also made from glucose. It’s about 60% as sweet as sugar and is digested slowly. Diabetics can usually tolerate it. It's used in sugar-free gum and toothpaste. Consuming more than 50 grams a day can lead to digestive issues and diarrhea.

Xylitol
Made from plant fibers and slightly sweeter than sugar. It doesn’t raise blood sugar and is safe for diabetics. It’s also not used by bacteria in the mouth, so it's found in sugar-free gums. When heated, it gives a cool, minty feeling in the mouth.