The Hidden Harmful Substance: Aspartame, By Dr. Mercola

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The Hidden Harmful Substance

Dr. Mercola’s 2012 article about “Aspartame is, by Far, the Most Dangerous Substance on the Market that is Added To Foods” makes the readers re-think their eating “habit’s” they have maintained over the years. Mercola catches our attention by informing us what Aspartame is made of and the harmful side affects that come along with partaking of foods with Aspartame. Aspartame is known as natural sweetener or “ the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Sweet One and Spoonful”(Wells). Mercola challenges readers to look at why the FDA has passed this substance when “ aspartames is a synthetic chemical combination composed of 50% phenylalanine, 40% aspartic acid, and 10% methanol. This challenge makes sense. After all, why would the FDA pass something that they know is harmful to the human body? According to the Federal Register “The proposed amendments would assist in meeting several initiatives aimed at improving the nutrition and health profile of food served in the nation's schools. Those initiatives include state-level programs designed to limit the quantity of sugar served to children during the school day.”(Mercola) In conclusion the FDA is willing to cover up that aspartame is in diary products such as milk and yogurt. The reasoning for putting aspartame in dairy products is because no kid wants to drink “ reduced calorie” milk, so by adding aspartame and not including the ingredients on the table, kids will keep enjoying milk. However, Mercola’s article is written in an informational and realistic tone with his argument. He tries to motivate readers, by being aware of what’s in food and when consuming aspartame it is not passed through the digestive tract because of the loose methanol group that was originally bonded to phenylalanine. His frustration with the FDA and information of aspartame is understandable, which grabs readers’ attention to his side.
Mercola uses research to support his case. From the research he has done he tell us, “ About 99 percent of monosodium glutamate (MSG) in our food supply is causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms”(Mercola). We take from this quote that a lot of the food sold today in our local grocery stores is selling us something that can cause disorders or other harmful disorders. The 99 percent is compelling to our sense of logic and reason. But the problem is not being fixed or going away. The government’s response to Aspartame is that “ The FDA has approved of Aspartame, therefore it is okay for consumer consumption”(Mercola). Anyone who has read articles about what doctors have said is smart enough to know that the FDA is willing to pass anything that will keep the money income flowing, but it wont keep you healthy for long. The FDA approved aspartame for dry foods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. Since the FDA has passed the law, there have been has been an increase rate of adults and children having symptoms from aspartame. The many effects by partaking in aspartame are; Brain lesions, Hearing loss, Memory loss, Multiple sclerosis (MS), and Hormonal problems. “Olney a professor at Washington University tested mice that had been given aspartame for over a period of time. Once the research was finished Olney examined the brains of the mice all four mice had holes in the brain from the aspartic acid form aspartame”(Mercola). Another downfall to ingesting aspartame is that it can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain that causes the levels of seratonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional state such as depression. In addition, “pregnant women who regularly consume aspartame in diet soda put their babies at risk of brain damage or mental retardation”(Mercola). Because we are a democracy, we want citizens to be strong and healthy, not just fed what the FDA thinks is good for
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