Diet Soda, Aspartame Shown to Destroy Kidney Function
by Lisa Garber,
In an 11-year study by scientists at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, there was a strong positive correlation found between degeneration of kidney function and consumption of aspartame-containing diet soda.
Published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the study followed 3,318 women for a number of years as they consumed diet soda containing artificial sweeteners like Aspartame. Scientists took into account each participant’s age, blood pressure, smoking habits (when applicable), and pre-existing conditions like heart disease or diabetes, and administered food frequency questionnaires in 1984, 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998. Two or more diet drinks daily, it was found, led to a doubled risk in fast-paced kidney decline.
A separate study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that, contrary to safety claims made by the manufacturers of aspartame, health-related concerns including non-Hodgkin lymphoma and leukemia still abound. While study authors at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School admitted that there were other variables to consider, such as the sex of the consumer in that particular case, they remained troubled by the risks associated with diet soda.
It’s worth noting that diet soda is also high in sodium—and in greater amounts than found in sodas sweetened with sugar or corn starch (which were not examined in either study).
Corruption: a Brief History of Aspartame
Is diet soda really that bad for you? This is neither the first nor will it be the last time diet soda and artificially sweetened goods will come under fire from the scientific community. The Food and Drug Administration quickly approved aspartame, called “NutraSweet,” in 1974 in use for limited foods, but only after examining studies provided by G. D. Searle Co.. Yes, the inventor of aspartame.
It was only after a research psychiatrist concluded that aspartic acid—a key ingredient in aspartame—made holes in mice brains that the FDA rounded up a task force to investigate Searle’s claims. The investigation unveiled a series of falsified claims, corrupted study results, and information that simply wasn’t there. Although the FDA moved for further investigation of Searle by grand jury, US Attorney Thomas Sullivan and Assistant US Attorney William Conlon didn’t lift a finger to help. Conlon, however, found a job at the law firm representing Searle.
Since then, the genetically modified creation, aspartame, has been implicated in a number of studies as potentially causing tumors, seizures, brain holes, and reproductive problems. But the mainstream media won’t report on the aspartame-cancer link.
Other Sweeteners, the Good and the Bad
Other artificial sweeteners, like sucralose (supposedly “made from sugar”), have been implicated in other health problems like changing the gut flora environment and preventing proper nutrient absorption, according to the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health.
Thus far, Stevia has drawn little fire comparative to artificial sweeteners, although excessive use might be cautioned as with anything. Stevia is, however, safer to use than artificial or GMO sugar, especially for diabetics.
Read more: Natural Society
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Jan 15, 2013 @ 22:06:19
wow….
Jan 15, 2013 @ 23:21:22
Been lied to all these years…Time for compensation to those who suffered from the aspartame effects. If the Tobacco companies had to pay, why not the soda companies?
Jan 30, 2013 @ 14:21:46
Because this isn't new news it's been talked about for years and people still consume it in the quest to be thin rather than healthy. That's how Weight Watchers and diet drinks companies make their money. People don't want to be healthy they want to be lied to and thin
Jan 16, 2013 @ 00:38:16
Diet Soda, Aspartame Shown to Destroy Kidney Function.
Jan 16, 2013 @ 13:05:51
Stevia is ok at the moment but I bet in 2-3 years studies will show it turns male rat to female or causing some weird cancer or something , better to stay away from all sweeteners and drink water.
Jan 17, 2013 @ 04:30:43
This article is misleading. Sure the study determined that diet soda had a positive correlation with a degeneration of kidney function in women, but they didn't compare the results with regular soda. So how can it be determined that aspartame is the culprit? Maybe it's the caramel colour, sodium benzoate, malic acid, etc.
For that matter the study only focused on women. Why were men excluded from the study? Something doesn't add up here.
Jan 17, 2013 @ 05:00:27
Roman . . .you're "over thinking this" son. If the study was done properly, all the variables you mentioned were accounted for and controlled. Just accept it. ASPARTAME is bad for humans. END OF STORY. Drink water and don't worry about sodas.
Jan 19, 2013 @ 01:19:55
Actually I'm not over thinking it. The study does NOT make any mention of aspartame at all. So you can't conclude that it is "bad for humans" from this study. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But this study doesn't make any contribution to that claim.
Jan 21, 2013 @ 01:09:30
I agree and maybe it was the building or the can, etc. In order to understand the study results we have to know everything about the study that produced the results (tweaking of numbers included).
Jan 24, 2013 @ 04:26:06
Spoken like someone who wants to believe diet soda is the answer. Come on now!! It's common knowledge!! It even says "aspartame has been implicated in a number of studies as potentially causing tumors, seizures, brain holes and reproductive problems."
Jan 30, 2013 @ 16:29:30
I agree with Roman. In my MIT statistics class, we had great fun looking at advertising and study claims. It appears that this study does not damn aspertame or any sweetener specifically, because there is no control group with sugar. But it certainly puts me off soda in general.
Jan 30, 2013 @ 19:13:16
If you look at the link to the actual study, they did test with normal sugar soda and found no eGFR decline, compared to the diet soda which causes a 30% or higher eGFR decline. Poorly written article, but true nonetheless. There are mountains of research showing aspartame is not pleasant stuff. Soda in general is bad for you, but don't be fooled into thinking diet soda is any better.
Mar 20, 2013 @ 18:41:48
Roman's right. A correlation doesnt mean the aspartame caused the kidney failure, it just means they are related. It may be a third variable that is also available in all sodas. I am not saying Aspartame is good. I am just pointing out that you can't jump from a correlation to a causal statement that quickly. Variables need to be controlled and compared. IF the study was done properly these variables will be controlled, but all to often studies are full of methodological issues.
Jan 21, 2013 @ 07:52:17
stay away from all artificial sweetners; they are all bad for you! get back to nature, the natural stuff except stuff that is naturally poisonous, and you'll be ok! Man-made anything tends to turn out to not be so great after all!
Mar 19, 2013 @ 15:56:06
My good friend died from a brain tumor after drinking cheap sodas with aspartame mixed with booze for years. It wasn't the booze, it was the aspartame that caused it.