Need A Survey, Please Reply!

[SOFcowgirl]

I am doing a paper in my English class, and I need a survey as one of my sources. I'm having trouble finding the time to ask these questions, so I thought I would get some answers here!!

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?

Don't look up anything before you answer these questions, just tell me what you already know. Thanks a lot for the help!!:D

[eggplant]

I am doing a paper in my English class, and I need a survey as one of my sources. I'm having trouble finding the time to ask these questions, so I thought I would get some answers here!!

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?

Don't look up anything before you answer these questions, just tell me what you already know. Thanks a lot for the help!!:D

I'm pretty sure saccharine has been linked to cancer.

I think I've heard some people get headaches from aspartame, and that there are other health risks as well, but I can't remember what.

This falls under the category of "things I knew in the past, but have since forgotten the details". Now I'm going to look them up and see if I'm even close!

[SOFcowgirl]

Well... I'd tell you if you were close or not... but then people would read what I wrote and it would skew the survey... not that many people have replied yet... but you know what I mean! Thanks for the reply, though!

[juno]

I don't know anything about saccharin, but I've read that aspartame can be harmful - just can't remember how exactly, I don't use it anyway.

[Iria]

All I know is that saccharin has gotten a negative reputation. I can't remember what it's supposed to do to you.

I've heard all kinds of nasty things about aspartame, including that it can aggravate existing health conditions (especially digestive problems or headaches) and I think I've also heard some extreme rumors about it causing cancer. I've also read that it would take a large amount of aspartame, more than a person could possibly consume, to cause these problems. Mostly, a lot of conflicting information.

[*AHIMSA*]

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?

Saccharin has been deemed safe by the FDA, after extensive animal and human testing. It is the oldest artificial sweetener currently on the market in the US. As a child, I remember reading warning labels on products containing saccharin. Scary.

If you heat up saccharin in a teaspoon and then pour the melted chemical residue on to a smooth, flat surface, placing the spoon on top of it, it will bond like Superglue. Scarier still.

Aspartame has been deemed safe by the FDA, after extensive animal and human testing. It contains L-phenylalanine and people with PKU cannot tolerate it. In some people, horrible side effects have attributed to the use of aspartame and it is considered an 'excitotoxin', especially in natural health circles. It is found in so many products, unless you eat a whole foods diet, you can't escape it.

I would never eat either, in any form. Both are unhealthy, potentially toxic substances, in my opinion. I educate my clients on these topics.

[SOFcowgirl]

thanks guys, my survey is much more varied than I thought it would be! Something interesting: everyone I've surveyed who isn't on veggie boards knew little or nothing about either of these two, and most of you seem to be moderately knowledgeable, at the least!

[chryssiie718]

I remember hearing that saccharin caused cancer in the past, but it is back on the shelves now. I wouldn't use it; it has a nasty aftertaste anyway. Aspartame is another no calorie sweetener that is rumored to cause all kinds of things but I think there is more research needed. I do use this product in small amounts. (only to sweeten my coffee in the morning) I do not drink diet sodas which is a major source of aspartame.

[spectrum42]

Do you still need more responses or is the paper done now?

[QUOTE=SOFcowgirl;1749641
What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?
[/QUOTE]

Saccharin is in the pink packets on tables at restaurants. It's used in Sweet-N-Low and has been used in many diet products. It has a bitter aftertaste. There have been studies linking it to cancer, especially an increase in bladder cancers.

Aspartame is in the blue packets. (I don't buy either product, so the packets are what I associate them with. LOL) It's used in Nutrasweet/Equal. It seems to have less of an aftertaste than saccharin. There are reports of health related problems with this one too, especially headaches. I've seen long lists of other suspected links to health problems too. This one was approved by the FDA in the late 70's or early 80's.

[SOFcowgirl]

Yes, I still need replies! I need 100 people in this survey, so far I only have about 50.

[NotYet]

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

I've not researched a lot about saccharin. I'm fairly sure that it has been linked to cancer.


What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?

If I'm not mistaken it was originally meant to be an ant poison. If I consume anything that is artificially sweetened I get horrible headaches that can turn into a migraine. I wouldn't touch either of these with a ten foot pole. I certainly wouldn't eat it.

Rebbecca

[Kiz]

Well, the first thing is that popped into my head is "neither taste as good as sugar" and neither are any good for cooking. Two, these artificial sweeteners are many, many times sweeter than sugar. Both have had "health scares" in the media. Saccharine was greatly in vogue a decade or so back I think, aspartame is more popular now. Animals studies have indicated that gigantically huge amounts of saccharine fed to lab animals such as mice may induce cancer. I also have heard that massive amounts of aspartame cause problems, too, but I do not remember what. The amount I'd drink in my occasional can of diet soft drink are not going to kill me, though. Saccharine I believe, is called that because of uh.. saccharides, which are derived from sugars. Saccharine is low calorie partly because it is so massively sweet you only need a tiny fraction of the amount compared to the amount of sugar you'd use. Aspartame is more "naturally" low calorie. Saccharine has a funny undertaste.

Whew! That's basically the urban legends, misinformation, and real information my brain seems to have collected about these two substances. Not much, eh? Can you come back after the survey and mark our tests please? :D

[GothicCandle]

I am doing a paper in my English class, and I need a survey as one of my sources. I'm having trouble finding the time to ask these questions, so I thought I would get some answers here!!

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?

Don't look up anything before you answer these questions, just tell me what you already know. Thanks a lot for the help!!:D


no idea about saccharin. the only thing i know about aspartame is its "paint thiner" and it is in diet soda.

[illyrianmoon]

I know that saccharine has mostly been replaced by other chemical sweeteners that people think taste better. I've also heard it has some negative, potentially cancer-causing effects and that it is all-around bad for you.

Aspartame = severe migraines for me. As AHIMSA mentioned, it is an excitotoxin (as is MSG), a substance that, when it hits a cell, stimulates it until it dies. That is how I understand it, at least (I'm neither a scientist nor a doctor). :) I also want to say that, when it reaches a certain high temp, aspartame converts to a substance that resembles antifreeze. In any case, I go nowhere near the stuff. :no:

[Beachbnny]

What do you know about the artificial sweetener saccharin?

What do you know about the artificial sweetener aspartame?



I'll tell ya what I know about both. Like Ahimsa, I remember the warning labels associated with saccharin. I avoid it. Aspartame has always freaked me out for the same reasons. I don't trust that these products are safe so I avoid them as best I can. I fully believe that regular, raw sugar is much much healthier.

That's not a lot of knowledge on the subject but I've always felt confident that it's not something I should consume so I've never looked into it further.

HTH!

[SOFcowgirl]

Thanks guys, I'm getting close to the end of the survey...
illyrianmoon: the methane in aspartame molecule turn into formaldehyde when in the body, but that's no worry. Most fruits and veggies have higher levels of methane, and thus higher levels of formaldehyde, than does aspartame.

[ShellyT]

I remember saccharin being pulled from the shelves when I was a kid. My parents used to use it and I was afraid they would get cancer. I understand it is back, but I would never touch the stuff.

As far as aspartame, I stay away from it too. I researched it in the past and can't remember the specifics, but it made it to the top of my list of things not to buy.

I'd rather eat sugar. I know what it is and I know what it does. It is nowhere as scary as a mixture of chemicals put together by a corporation.