When I first started my functional medicine practice over 18 years ago (yes, I have been doing this that long), I had a new patient with a recent history of being hospitalized for sudden mental deterioration, headaches and seizures. They finally determined she had aspartame poisoning as she had been drinking a full liter of diet sodas a day! This spurred me into looking into the effects of additives and I ultimately created a talk called “Toxic Foods”. I think it was one of my most powerful talks as I walked thru all the toxic foods/additives that were impacting our health. Unfortunately, out of a long list of foods/additives I discussed the only one that has been banned from our food supply in the US is transfats. European countries have made strides in some of these areas, so these are garnering more much needed attention.
Today, I want to highlight sugar substitutes and revisit new emerging studies that will help you discern the impact of these additives. Examples include aspartame, xylitol, monosodium glutamate (msg) and acesulfame potassium (acesulfame-K).
READ ON to learn what type of foods these are found in and the impact on your health…. Hint…recent study indicates cognitive decline!
Artificial sweeteners became popular when there was a sugar shortage during the world wars and saccharin made its’ debut. It was banned in 1970 by the FDA due to suspicions of causing cancer. Since then, other artificial sweeteners have been introduced with the thought it would reduce consumption of sugar impacting obesity and diabetes. However, the results have been surprising with some studies indicating it is actually increasing obesity and diabetes.
Studies into additives are difficult and controversial as it is very hard to isolate a single ingredient in humans and tie it to their disorder. Therefore, the scientific world relies heavily on mice/rat studies and even then these do not always give clear answers. So, when a recent study showed a 62% faster decline in overall thinking and memory skills with the consumption of artificial sweeteners in HUMANS it got my attention. This was especially significant in people younger than 60 years of age and even stronger in people with diabetes. The higher the consumption the faster the decline. This study included aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame-K, erythritol, sorbitol, xylitol and tagatose. Tagatose did not show a decline as this is a natural sweetener. This study was a prospective longitudinal study with a median of 8 years using questionnaires and cognitive testing. Questionnaires requiring self-reporting of use are always up for debate but typically people tend to under-report usage so the results showing the decline I believe is important.
Let’s take a deeper look at a few of these ingredients:
Aspartame – Aspartame was instructed in 1981 and was found to be almost 200 times sweeter than sugar. Aspartame contains two amino acids and when these are digested they release the following: Phenylalanine (50%), aspartic acid (40%) and methanol (10%). These byproducts are more toxic than aspartame itself. Methanol is oxidized by the liver to formaldehyde which has been known to damage the liver and cause destruction of liver cells. In addition, it can kick up homocysteine and related pathways which have been shown to be inflammatory. All of the metabolites of aspartame have been felt to be toxic to the brain and in large doses can result in psychological changes. Links to depression, behavioral disorder, headaches and seizures have all be reported with excess consumption. Studies during fetal development and breast feeding indicate the risk of future metabolic risks with alterations in the intestinal microbiome, development of obesity and metabolic syndrome later in life possible due to alteration in the regulation of appetite. People who have a genetic disease, phenylketonuria, are warned to avoid aspartame because they cannot clear these byproducts.
In addition, the structure of aspartame allows it to chelate heavy metals from food, drinks and the packaging in which these products are contained. Many products are aware of this risk and line the packaging with other materials like BPA or a plastic epoxy (which has a whole different level of risks) to prevent the leaching of heavy metals.
There is controversy over linking aspartame to cancer, obesity and diabetes with some studies proposing links. Aspartame has also been shown to assemble into an amyloid -like nanostructure. You may have heard of amyloid plaques as these are seen in people with Alzheimers!
Labeling: all products must be labeled with aspartame or “contains phenylalanine
Dose: FDA has set an acceptable daily intake of 40mg/kg per day of aspartame. A can of diet soda typically contains anywhere from 200mg to 600mg of aspartame. So, for example, a can contains 300mg a 154 pound person would need to consume approximately 9 cans a day (without other sources) to be considered too much by the FDA. Others are questioning if even smaller amounts can create problems.
Monosodium glutamate
MSG was developed over 100 years ago by a Japanese biochemist from edible seaweed. Today it is made from corn sugar or sugar beets. MSG contains glutamate which is different than natural foods containing glutamic acid in that MSG gets absorbed directly into the circulation and can cross the blood brain barrier while the natural glutamic acid needs to be broken down before absorption into circulation.
MSG has been shown to cause reproductive toxicity in males and a mouse study indicated that this toxicity does not spontaneously resolve over time. Other mice/rat studies show links to headaches, kidney toxicity and increasing obesity. A study in pregnant rats found MSG caused substantial increase in maternal abdominal fat, leptin resistance, dyslipidemia (cholesterol issues). When given to a newborn rat it caused obesity and increase leptin (which contributes to obesity) in adulthood and other studies indicate that MSG contributed to leptin resistance. Humans studies are mixed with many of the studies being done by MSG manufacturers.
Labeling: It will be labeled MSG or monosodium glutamate if the product has 100% MSG. If a seasoning contains less than 99% of the sodium salt of glutamic acid you may see other words tipping you off that it is present. These include hydrolyzed protein, gelatin, hydrolyzed corn gluten, autolyzed yeast, textured protein, sodium caseinate or yeast extract.
Acesulfame potassium
This additive is typically paired with aspartame in the same products. So please see that section for potential risks however there are studies in mice indicating links of this additive to inflammatory bowel disease.
Foods that contain this ingredient include diet sodas, flavored waters, energy and sports drinks as well as many foods.
Labeling: Often mixed in other artificial sweeteners so not labeled. Acesulfame potassium, Ace-K, acesulfame K, Sweet One, Sunett
Dose: FDA recommends this is safe up to a daily intake of 15mg/kg.
Xylitol
Emerging evidence is raising an alarm regarding this additive. Human studies are showing that xylitol can increase platelet reactivity and thrombosis leading to increase incidence of major cardiovascular risks. Products containing xylitol are very toxic to dogs potentially leading to liver failure, severe blood glucose drops and coagulopathies. Animal studies have reported hyperglycemia and intestinal dysbiosis. There are some studies that report the use of xylitol in the form of gums and rinses may actually help decrease dental cavities and may be beneficial in children prophylactically to prevent acute otitis media.
Labeling: Xylitol, birch sugar or wood sugar (particularly for animal labels)
I could go on and on. Bottom line is we do need more studies to help clear the air regarding these additives. In general, I lean toward sticking with real food and if you do buy something with a label you want as few ingredients listed with names you can hopefully pronounce and recognize.
To your health,
Laura
