Aspartame -- commonly known as NutraSweet -- is a neurostimulant linked to stimulating appetite, says nutritional toxicologist Dr. Peter Dingle, adding that NutraSweet can actually make you hungry.
Professor Dingle, associate professor in health and the environment at Murdoch University, went on to say, "Diet stuff doesn't satisfy hunger like conventional food, because hunger is linked to certain texture and taste sensations. If you don't get them, you don't feel satisfied."
Dr. Dingle said some people also ate more because they felt they had "done something healthy" by having diet products, adding that "they tend to consume just as much, if not more, than before."
He says there is little research to show that these foods have great benefit for long-term weight control, and that people focus too much on calories instead of nutrition. Rather than diet food, Dr. Dingle says people should eat healthier -- with fewer processed grains and more foods such as beans, nuts, vegetables and omega-3 oil products. He also says instead of diet or soft drinks, people should drink water, which is healthier.
The Aspartame Information Center website says scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows aspartame is safe and is in no way associated with adverse health effects. But Mike Adams, author of "Grocery Warning," strongly disagrees. "Diet sodas are not merely ineffective at promoting weight loss, they are also dangerous to the health of the nervous system," Adams said, adding that "Grocery Warning" details the toxic substances found in everyday foods and groceries.
"Did you ever notice that people who drink diet sodas never get thin? But they do increasingly suffer from depression and mood disorders, as well as eating disorders. That's all a result of the chemicals intentionally put into diet sodas," Adams explained.
"The food companies know that if they can get overweight people to eat even more, they'll sell more products, so foods and beverages become a delivery system for chemicals that actually stimulate appetite. It' just like Big Tobacco and nicotine: addiction is great for repeat business."
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