One thing I must point out before you listen in on my video below is, do not get me wrong or misunderstand what I am saying. I’m all about living life and having guilty pleasures when it comes to certain foods or drinks that I decide I want that may not be supportive to my fitness and nutrition goals however the difference is being conscious of the habits that are formed.
The phrase we’ve heard occasionally that seems to have become cliché but it always holds true is be mindful and do in moderation. If there happens to be a food or a drink that isn’t anywhere close to or Supportive to your goals please know to be careful in turning it into a habit.
With that said… listen in…
Health & Fit Tip
When I do my research I look at a few sources to see if information lines up- I try researching under any medical or prescription based sites that are well known and trusted. If information I am reading is consistent and makes sense then I form a general conclusion of what I was looking for. With that being said, I wanted to highlight some ingredients listed on this product to get a better understanding of exactly what it is and what it is meant to do-These are 3, but not limited to, ingridents that have some controversy attached to it.- Resources I looked into were from Dr. Mercola, Healthline, RXList and Medical News Today, below:
- Phenylalanine is an amino acid, a “building block” of protein. There are three forms of phenylalanine: D-phenylalanine, L-phenylalanine, and the mix made in the laboratory called DL-phenylalanine. D-phenylalanine is not an essential amino acid, and its role in people is not currently understood. L-phenylalanine is an essential amino acid and is the only form of phenylalanine found in proteins. Major dietary sources of L-phenylalanine include meat, fish, eggs, cheese, and milk.
Phenylalanine is used for depression, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Parkinson’s disease, chronic pain, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and a skin disease called vitiligo.
Some people apply it directly to the skin for vitiligo.
HOW DOES PHENYLALANINE WORK?
The body uses phenylalanine to make chemical messengers, but it is not clear how phenylalanine might work.
ARE THERE SAFETY CONCERNS?
L-phenylalanine is LIKELY SAFE for most people when consumed in amounts commonly found in foods.
Phenylalanine is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth as medicine.
2. Acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K, or ace K) is an artificial sweetener, sometimes referred to in Europe as E950.
It is around 200 times sweeter than sugar and is used to give food and drinks a sweet taste without adding calories (2).
It works by stimulating the sweet-taste receptors on the tongue, so you can enjoy the taste of sweetness without consuming sugar
there are claims that is can disrupt metabolic processes, appetite disruption, weight gain, and contain possible carcinogenic properties.
Examples of foods containing acesulfame potassium include:
- Beverages (including soda, fruit juices, non-carbonated beverages and alcohol).
- Tabletop sweeteners.
- Dairy products.
- Ice cream.
- Desserts.
- Jam, jelly and marmalade.
- Baked goods.
- Toothpaste and mouthwash.
- Chewing gum.
- Marinades.
- Yogurt and other milk products.
- Breakfast cereals.
- Salad dressings and sauces.
- Condiments.
Should you avoid acesulfame potassium?
Artificial sweeteners may be useful for some people to include in their diet, especially if they have a sweet tooth and already consume high amounts of sugar.
However, even though they may appear safe, no one knows the risk if you consume them regularly for years.
Critics still maintain that the studies on acesulfame K aren’t good enough, and we can’t be confident that it won’t cause harm in the long term. But at the same time, long-term animal studies have shown us that even very high doses are well-tolerated.
At the end of the day, there doesn’t seem to be any compelling reason to avoid acesulfame K – or any other artificial sweetener, for that matter.
The decision to consume them or not should be made on an individual basis.
Aspartame is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners available on the market.
Products with Aspartame
Whenever a product is labeled “sugar-free,” that usually means it has an artificial sweetener in place of sugar. While not all sugar-free products contain aspartame, it’s still one of the most popular sweeteners. It’s widely available in a number of packaged goods.
Some examples of aspartame-containing products include:
- diet soda
- sugar-free ice cream
- reduced-calorie fruit juice
- gum
- yogurt
- sugarless candy
Using other sweeteners can help you limit your aspartame intake. However, if you want to avoid aspartame altogether, you’ll also need to make sure to look out for it in packaged goods. Aspartame is most often labeled as containing phenylalanine.
Other associated risks
News reports over the last few decades have claimed that aspartame causes or increases the risk of:
- headaches
- dizziness
- seizures
- depression
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- multiple sclerosis
- cancer
- lupus
- congenital disabilities
There is insufficient scientific evidence, however, to confirm or refute claims of aspartame’s involvement in any of the above.
By Dr. Mercola
If you’re still holding out hope that science will eventually prove artificial sweeteners to be beneficial, or at the very least harmless, you’re likely to be disappointed. Again and again, research shows no-calorie sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose cause the same problems as excess sugar, and then some.
According to the latest statistics1 nearly 40 percent of American adults, over 18 percent of teens and nearly 14 percent of young children are now obese, not just overweight, and processed foods and sweetened beverages are clearly driving factors. Unfortunately, many make the mistake of thinking artificially sweetened products are a healthier option as it cuts down your calories, but nothing could be further from the truth.
The international trend of taxing sugary beverages to discourage sugar consumption has also had the unfortunate side effect of causing beverage makers to switch to artificial sweeteners rather than sugar and other calorie-rich sweeteners. However, when it comes to health, artificial sweeteners cause just as many health problems as sugar does.