Aspartame Linked to Kidney Disease

Thu, 17 Dec 2009

Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have disclosed results from a study outlining some of the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body.

Conducted on a group of 3,000 women, the results showed that those who drank two or more artificially-sweetened beverages a day doubled their risk of more rapid than normal kidney function decline.

The study accounted for various other risk factors including the woman's age, her blood pressure, whether or not she smoked, any pre-existing conditions like diabetes or heart disease .

The 11-year study considered the effects of all sweetened drinks on progressive kidney decline and uncovered that two or more diet drinks leads to double the increase in rapid kidney decline incidents.

Even though study results did not highlight any correlation between sugar or corn syrup sweetened drinks and the onset of rapid kidney decline, these ingredients are implicated in causing diabetes and obesity and should not be perceived as safe merely because they did not have a direct correlation in this particular study topic.

High sodium intake is also considered by this study as promoting progressive kidney decline.

As diet soda contains excessive amounts of sodium, higher than sugar soda, it is not surprising that diet sodas were the primary offenders in the study.

However it is not clear from this particular study which ingredient plays the more significant role in progressive kidney decline, the artificial sweeteners or the sodium content.

When aspartame was first approved in the 1970s under the name "NutraSweet", study results were provided as apparent proof that the artificial chemical was safe.

The FDA initially approved the chemical in 1974 for use in a limited number of foods based upon the studies submitted by G.D. Searle Co., the company which invented aspartame.

Shortly thereafter a discovery was made by a research psychiatrist who discovered that aspartic acid, a primary ingredient in aspartame, caused holes to form in the brains of mice, the FDA decided to form its own internal task force to investigate the initial claims made by the Searle Co.

Further studies were submitted to the FDA which supposedly cleared the negative effects of aspartame on health. However, the FDA has persistently failed to recognise these studies and has been in favour of studies which clear aspartame of any negative effects.
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