Aspartame: Is the sweet taste worth the harm?

The Ingredients

• Aspartic Acid

• Phenylalanine

• Methanol

• Formaldehyde

Interesting Aspartame Statistics

• In 1984, 6,900,000 lbs of aspartame were consumed in the U.S.
• In 1985, G.D. Searle (NutraSweet) was bought out by Monsanto, 14,400,000 lbs. of aspartame were consumed in the U.S. that same year.
• 15,700,000 lbs of aspartame were consumed in the U.S. in 1986.
  
• 17,100,000 lbs were consumed in 1987.
  
• NutraSweet stopped providing consumption data to the USDA after 1987!!! (Can you imagine what it is today!)
  
• In 1996, the FDA removed all restrictions on aspartame and authorized its use in all products, including heated and baked goods. This was done in spite of the fact that aspartame breaks down into formaldehyde above 86 degrees F.
• Today, aspartame accounts for over 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. How sweet it is?A few of the 90 different documented symptoms include: headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss and joint pain. Which one are you ready for?

Recent studies have found a link between physical fitness and academic performance in children. Studies have also shown that children, who eat breakfast daily, do better in school. But there's surprisingly little research focused on the link between a child's overall diet and his or her performance in school. Dr. Paul J. Veugelers of the University of Alberta in Edmonton and his colleagues have recently completed such a study. Their findings are published in the April, 2008, issue of the Journal of School Health. They studied the eating habits of 4,600 Nova Scotia 5th graders, noting that about 20% of them had failed the standard 5th grade reading test.

The findings indicate that healthy eating habits were associated with significantly better test scores. The healthy habits turned out to be a quality diet, adequate amounts of food, variety of food, plenty of fruits and vegetables, enough protein, enough fiber and getting fewer calories from fat. The results held even after adjusting the data for the effects of household income, parental education, school, and gender.

As parents, we all want our children to have the advantages and opportunities of a good education. Wholefood Farmacy foods can be a big part of your solution. Kids love them because they taste great - parents love them because they're convenient.

Check it out on the web www.wholefoodfarmacy.com

As parents we recommend the Phi Plus and the Veggilicious instead of a bag of chips! 

Giving up the daily soda habit is a hard thing, just like coffee, ect... This was an interesting, but lengthy article that came accross my desk that I hope everyone reads. 

- Dr. Scott

Bubbling Over: New Research Shows Direct Link Between Soda and Obesity

While health officials have long suspected the link between obesity and soda consumption, research released today provides the first scientific evidence of the potent role soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages play in fueling California’s expanding girth.

In their landmark study: Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California, researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) discovered a strong correlation between soda consumption and weight. Based upon data from more than 40,000 interviews conducted by the California Health Interview Surveys (CHIS), researchers found that adults who drink a soda or more per day are 27 percent more likely to be overweight than those who do not drink sodas, regardless of income or ethnicity.

"The science is clear and conclusive: soda is fueling California’s $41 billion a year obesity epidemic," says CCPHA Executive Director Dr. Harold Goldstein, an author of the research brief. "We drink soda like water. But unlike water, soda serves up a whopping 17 teaspoons of sugar in every 20-ounce serving."

Research shows that over the last 30 years Americans consumed 278 more calories per day even as physical activity levels remained relatively unchanged. One of the biggest changes in diet during that period was the enormous increase in soda consumption, accounting for as much as 43 percent of all new calories. According to Goldstein, that research, combined with this new data on soda consumption, offers conclusive proof of the link between soda and obesity.

And while adult soda consumption is troubling, consumption trends among children paint an even more alarming picture for the future health of California. The study found that 41 percent of young children (2-11 years of age) are drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage every day. Adolescents (12-17) represent the biggest consumers, with 62 percent (over 2 million youths) drinking one or more sodas every day – the equivalent of consuming 39 pounds of sugar each year in soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

"Soda is cheap, sweet and irresistibly marketed to teens," says the study’s lead author, Dr. Susan H. Babey, a research scientist with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. "Not enough teens know about the health and dietary risks of drinking huge quantities of what is essentially liquid sugar while television and advertising tell them it is ‘cool’ to do so."

"If we are serious about tackling the obesity crisis, cutting back soda consumption has to be the top priority," Goldstein asserts. "Parents, communities, businesses and government all have a role to play in helping to reduce consumption. We cannot afford to raise another ‘Pepsi Generation.’"

Funding for the study was provided by The California Endowment, a private statewide health foundation that is a national leader in the childhood obesity prevention movement.

"This research clearly shows the very serious health risks of drinking soda and other sweetened beverages. I hope policymakers will read this report closely and think about what they can do to combat the obesity epidemic that is clearly tied to consuming too many sodas," says Dr. Robert K. Ross, president and CEO of The California Endowment.