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What’s Lurking in Your Chewing Gum? – Aspartame

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chewing gums
Image via Wikipedia

I do not regularly chew gum, but sometimes, I like to chew gum.  Whenever I buy chewing gum, I usually buy it from a health food store.

I was in a store (not a health food store) picking up a few items and while standing in the checkout line, I thought I wanted some chewing gum.

Note, ‘I thought’ I wanted some chewing gum.  It is a habit for me to read the labels and I read the labels.

To my surprise every package of chewing gum I picked up, had aspartame listed in the ingredients.

I know the man behind me must have thought I was crazy.  Because at one point, I said out loud, “They all have aspartame, wow?”

Once I discovered that every package of chewing gum I checked had aspartame listed in the ingredients, I did not buy any chewing gum.

I know aspartame is in many food products, but chewing gum, come on!

I have a relative who drinks diet coke like it is going out of style, need I say more.

Today, you will learn about aspartame.

What is Aspartame?

Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener used as a sugar substitute in some foods and beverages.

It was first sold under the brand name NutraSweet; since 2009 it has also been sold under AminoSweet.

Aspartame was discovered in 1965 by James M. Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company.  He was testing an antiulcer drug at the time and accidentally discovered aspartame.

Make Reading Labels a Priority

Aspartame is in many food products.  I accidentally discovered aspartame in chewing gum.  None of the chewing gum I picked up was sugar-free.  Well, I was not intentionally looking for sugar-free chewing gum.

Aspartame is in many pre-packed foods including some laxatives and multivitamins.  If you see aspartame listed as an ingredient, leave it on the shelf.  Find a healthier alternative.

Side Effects of Aspartame

Excess aspartame slowly destroys neurons (nerve cells) because it is an excitatory amino acid.  Aspartame as an excitotoxin.

Excitotoxins excite or stimulate the neural cells to death.  Long-term exposure to an excitotoxin cause side effects and possibly chronic illnesses.

A Few Disorders Resulting with Aspartame
  • Birth Defects
  • Cancer (Brain Cancer)
  • Diabetes
  • Emotional Disorders
  • Epilepsy/Seizures
Conclusion

It is very important that you read the ingredient labels.  You never know what you will find after reading an ingredient label.  Take charge of your health and be an informed consumer.

Your health is your wealth!

If you are unable to view the above video, please click here.
Aspartame: The Dangers and Side Effects (Part 2 of Video)

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame
http://aspartame.mercola.com/
http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/hidden_dangers.htm

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Luckily, I don’t chew gum anymore, but I used to love it like crazy when I was younger. I never would have thought that aspartame lurked among the ingredients. I will definitely spread the word. Thanks, Evelyn.

  2. Considering the fact that chewing gum is not food and doesn’t try to sell as food, it’s easy to notice that all its components are artificial and without nutritional value.
    The consistency is obtained with chemicals, the color with chemicals, the taste with chemicals, the only natural thing is the wrapper made of paper (wood).
    I occasionally chew dental gum when i don’t have a toothbrush with me after meals, but i’m aware of the possible consequences.

  3. Some time back I read in magazine that chewing sugar free gum can burn 4 calories a day. May be it is not worth burning 4 calories, if it contains aspertame for sweetening agent.

    • Most sugar free gum does have aspartame/nutrisweet in it. I don’t know how much is in it, but whatever the amount, I think it should be avoided.

      This sweetener is in a lot of things.

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Evelyn

  4. I have been tooting the anti-Aspartame horn for quite awhile. I NEVER EVER consume diet products or anything containing this strange chemical. I can’t believe they still include it in so many things.

    fred

  5. uhhhh ohhh…I am chomping on some chewing gum right now … or should I say some aspartame. Thanks for the info Evelyn. I really do always try to make a concerted effort not to put too many weird or bad chemicals in my system. I didn’t know all this information about aspartame so I appreciate it.

  6. Good info, Evelyn. I have told my patients NOT to use aspartame for years and feel more strongly about it as time goes by. The evidence keeps piling up of aspartame’s harmfulness, yet it seems to only get more popular with factory-food manufacturers.
    Reading labels is ALWAYS the place to start when turning your health around. Because food chemicals are so common and so harmful, I think the next step should be buying local and organic as much as possible. The factories put the chemicals in, not the mom-and-pop places.

    • Hi Dr. Eric,

      Welcome!

      I think it is great that you tell your patients not to use aspartame. There are some that don’t.

      I totally agree with you about buying local and organic. There’s a fruit & veggie stand not far from me and I can’t wait to make my first purchase. 🙂

      Thanks for sharing and stopping by.

      Take care,

      Evelyn

  7. The use of aspartame was discontinued for diabetic patients once the harmful effects of it came to be known, yet it is finding its use in many food items. And yes you’re right, reading labels,at least for food items should be a habit.

    • Hi Joshua,

      I didn’t know that. I wonder why some doctors recommend diet coke to those who are diabetic. Things that make me go hmmm??

      Thanks for chiming in and stopping by.

      Evelyn

      • Actually, use of aspartame as an all the time sweet alternative has been discontinued, however for packaged items, they do not have any other option.