My acupuncturist doesn't want me to use any artificial sweeteners, and I
have so many troubles with chemicals (MSG, sulfites, etc.) that I try to
avoid anything I can. In a Medline search, I did find aspartame associated
with headaches in some people, and in a study of people with mood disorders
(e.g., depression), the study had to be suspended only part way through
because the participants were seriously affected by the aspartame. In
another study, the cells exposed to aspartame aged at a faster rate than the
control, but not as fast as the cells exposed to some other chemicals. On
top of that, one of our own, Maria, totally stopped her grand mal seizures
by stopping aspartame use.
I have to restrict my sugar intake because of my allergies, although I
haven't tried stevia yet. I have heard good things about it for years,
though. It is a natural plant product approved in many countries outside
the U.S. for use in colas, etc. In the U.S., it's only available in its
pure form for home use in beverages, cooking, etc., but not as a sweetener
of prepared foods. The web site above, which I got to from Andrew Weil's
site, cites the possibility that the manufacturer of aspartame has been
instrumental in blocking FDA approval of stevia for years.
Other ways to avoid artificial sweeteners are to drink fruit juices diluted
with sparkling water or to drink just plain water (or with lemon, lime, or
orange slices). Staying away from sugar strengthens the immune system,
which I need in any case. I save my sugar indulgences for Godiva chocolates
:-).
Aurore