Why is diet soda dangerous for anorexics? One word: Cholesterol.

Inflammatory Toxins

I talk a lot about inflammation. There are a number of additives that have been shown to be inflammatory. Here are a few of the most common ones.

• Aspartame – H.J. Roberts, M.D., coined the term “aspartame disease” in a book filled with over 1,000 pages of information about the negative health consequences of ingesting aspartame, which included headache, dizziness, vomiting, memory loss, and fibromyalgia among other disorders. Aspartame is composed of Aspartic Acid, Phenylalanine, and Methanol, all of which have serious side effects.

• Aspartic Acid. Aspartic acid, or aspartate, makes up about 40 percent of aspartame. In the brain, aspartate acts as a neurotransmitter, helping information get from one neuron to another. An excess amount of aspartate in the brain releases free radicals and, in turn, kills the neurons by allowing an excess of calcium to be absorbed. Multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dementia and Parkinson’s disease are only a few of the chronic illnesses linked to excessive amounts of aspartate over an extended period of time. The FDA has also reported nausea, vision, sleeping problems, migraines and more as side the effects of excessive aspartate consumption too.

• Phenylalanine, an amino acid, makes up about 50 percent of aspartame. Phenylalanine raises blood phenylalanine levels, which can decrease serotonin and lead to depression, seizures and even schizophrenia.

• Methanol. Methanol, also known as wood alcohol makes up the remaining 10 percent of aspartame. This is where things get especially dangerous. Methanol breaks down into formic acid, which is harmless for all animals except humans. In humans, the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) enzyme converts methanol into formaldehyde, which wreaks havoc with sensitive proteins and DNA. The formaldehyde, or methanol poisoning, is a neurotoxin causing such conditions as:
• Headaches
• Ear buzzing
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Gastrointestinal disturbances
• Weakness
• Vertigo
• Chills
• Memory lapses
• Numbness and shooting pains in the extremities
• Behavioral disturbances
• Neuritis

The most well-known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems, including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehyde is also a known carcinogen that causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and may cause birth defects. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends a daily limit of 7.8 mg a day of methanol, which equals half of an 8 oz. aspartame-sweetened beverage.^[1]

If you don’t believe that there is formaldehyde in your Coke just smell it when it is warm.

By-Products of Aspartame

Diketopiperazine (DKP) is produced by the body when aspartame is metabolized. Uterine polyps and increased cholesterol levels have been linked to DKP.

Many of us in the eating disorders field are seeing anorexic patients with high cholesterol levels, especially among those who also binge and purge. Perhaps this is due in part to the fact that most patients suffering from anorexia live on diet soft drinks, thus influencing DKP levels. DKP may also help to explain this paradox of high cholesterol and low body fat among the bulimarexic population . ^[2]

Are you drinking diet soda?

-Dr. Norton

#GetSunEatCleanBeWell

^[1] Documentary: Sweet Misery

June 29, 2013 | 230,764 views

^[2] Rigaud D. Diabete Metab. 2009;35:57-63.

Ohwada R. Int J Eat Disord. 2006;39:598-601.

Dr. J. Renae Norton is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the outpatient treatment of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, bulimarexia, and binge eating disorder (BED), as well as obesity. She is also the author of The Sun Plus Diet, due out in 2017. 

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Medical Advice Disclaimer: The information included on this site is for educational purposes only. It is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. The reader should always consult his or her healthcare provider to determine the appropriateness of the information for their own situation or if they have any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment plan. Reading the information on this website does not create a physician-patient relationship. This information is not necessarily the position of Dr. J. Renae Norton or The Norton Center for Eating Disorders and Obesity.

©2016, Dr. J. Renae Norton. This information is intellectual property of Dr. J. Renae Norton. Reproduction and distribution for educational purposes is permissible. Please credit ‘© 2017, Dr. J. Renae Norton. http://www.eatingdisorderpro.com/