MSG or aspartame, anyone?

[JanetF]

http://society.guardian.co.uk/healt...1671820,00.html

Quote: The Liverpool team reported that when mouse nerve cells were exposed to MSG and brilliant blue or aspartame and quinoline yellow in laboratory conditions, combined in concentrations that theoretically reflect the compound that enters the bloodstream after a typical children's snack and drink, the additives stopped the nerve cells growing and interfered with proper signalling systems.

[Horseymum]

Hi Janet

I couldn't get the link to work so i didn't get to read the article. What sort of snacks were they talking about???

I have a good deal of mistrust with most processed foods as far as babies are concerned and am trying really hard to offer home made, organic options - this is not always as easy as it sounds!

Unfortunately our social conditioning and mass marketing encourages people to turn a blind eye to what is really in our food....

Karen

[JanetF]

Oh bum! It's moved on :( You might find it with a google though. I just don't buy or eat processed foods and that cuts out most of the worry about that. There are some lovely baby snacks in the health food aisle at the supermarket with pretty good ingredients but we tend to stick to basics here. :)

[Ky]

Aspartame is one of the items that I was warned to avoid at all costs in pregnancy! It is far worse for you and your bub than the phenylalanine that is found in most diet drinks etc.

Why would anyone give their children something that is artificially sweetened? I remember that in NZ, anything artificially sweetened had the warning "not for consumption of children under 12 years of age" printed on it ... I was disappointed when I moved over here and found that it wasn't on labels!

I give my children full fat, naturally sweetened and mostly healthy snacks. Of course, occasionally they have some junk, but I figure that if they have it occasionally, they won't make themselves sick on it if they go to other kids places, birthday parties etc. So far it has worked ... they are the only kids I know who can be given a snack size pasket of chips, eat 2 or 3, say thankyou and then put the packet back on the bench! They would rather have a gherkin, some fruit or a slice of cheese!

[Pixie]

Myself and my DB are so aware of these things that for the past year or so we inspect everything we buy..it amazes me how many people use artifical sweetners, drink coke, diet coke etc..and eat fast food which all contains the secret spice MSG lol

More people should be aware of it..aspartame can give you brain tumours!!!

[Ky]

OK ... since my last post, a friend of mine has done extensive research as he has always been bagged for drinking too much diet coke.

One can of diet coke contains less phenylalanine than one egg.

Unless you have pku (determined by the guthrie heel prick test as a newborn), phenylalanine should present no problems for you and you would have to consume a ridiculous amount (I think he said something like 15 litres a day!) of diet coke to get to dangerous levels!

[elissas]

Aspartame was originally created as a chemical warfare agent and adapted as a sweetener because of the taste.

My cousin has had 2 tumours removed from her brain, and was told by her neurologist to avoid diet products containing aspartame at all costs, because of the risk factor it poses. If it's good enough coming out of the mouth of a neurologist, I'll heed it.

Aspartame breaks down into fermeldehyde in the intestines, a chemical which is highly toxic and considered very bad news. A bit here and there is not the problem, but the build up of chemicals in our system over time is. Our bodies end up under stress because they're constantly trying to deal with the c**p we put in...

The other problem with artificial sweeteners is that over time they can affect the functionality of your liver, the very organ which processes fat. So the very thing that aspartame is designed to do (ie. reduce weight) can actually have the opposite effect in the long run if you go back onto a "normal" diet. One of the reasons I believe that so many weight watchers clients (and the like) have to keep going back, as their bodies have difficulty processing fats and sugars after they go off the diet.

I can't wait till they take this poison off the market - I reckon give it a good 5 years and it'll be off the shelves. Kind of like the FDA approving Vioxx and then taking it off the shelves last year. Wish they'd do the research first rather than try it out on public guinea pigs...

[Lil X-men]

I just bought a big box of Coke Zero yesterday thinking yay I now I can drink coke without the guilt!! DH went off at me when I got home as he said it will give us brain tumors!
So I googled the additives, 950, 951 and came up with a few biased sites (that use aparstme so were pro - sweeteners)
But I found this article:
http://www.mbm.net.au/health/worst_additives.htm

It has made me think about what I put in my mouth now. I think I'll stick to real sugar and naturally sweetened products from now on.
It is a killer, but a slow one thats gradually poisoning us. All artificial additives should be avoided to be fully safe, but that is no easy task, when you are at the supermarket hurredly doing the shopping with children in tow!
My son is only 9months old and now I feel terrible as he has had white bread, cracker's and several other proccessed foods with artificial additives. I will stop it now!