This article is the fourth and final article in the series about the artificial sweetener, aspartame. For the previous articles, see: What Is Aspartame and How Was It Invented? Why is There a Warning About Phenylketonurics on Diet Soda Labels? Exaggerated Claims About the Harmful Effects of Aspartame One thing that has continually amazed me […]
food fear
Exaggerated Claims About the Harmful Effects of Aspartame
This is the third article in a series of articles about the artificial sweetener aspartame. You may want to first read about how aspartame was invented and how it’s made, as well as the warning on phenylketonurics regarding aspartame. As stated previously, aspartame is the subject of a protracted mythinformation campaign, causing many to unreasonably fear and […]
Why is There a Warning About Phenylketonurics on Diet Soda Labels?
Diet drinks and any other products which contain aspartame must bear the following health warning: “Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine.” This has led many to jump to the conclusion that phenylalanine is poisonous. Why else would they put a warning about it on a label? Well, because it is dangerous to some people who have a very rare disease […]
What Is Aspartame and How Was It Invented?
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener used in many sugar-free or diet food and beverage products, most famously in Diet Coke, which is also available with Splenda. This non-nutritive sugar substitute gets such a great deal of bad press and is the subject of a very intensive misinformation campaign. The myths about this non-nutritive sweetener are so ingrained […]
Food Babe, et al. and the Goliath Effect
Ever since Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” we’ve had constant examples of “The Goliath Effect,” referring to the biblical legend of David and Goliath. The term was originally coined by Gary Alan Fine who pointed out that more [American] urban legends than can be attributed to chance refer to the largest and most dominant corporations. In […]
Azodicarbonamide: A Yoga Mat Toxin In Bread?
There are thousands upon thousands of chemicals in the foods we eat. This sounds alarming until you realize that everything is made of chemicals, including yourself. Some chemicals are, however, added to foods for various effects. These are called food additives. It is very easy to incite an emotional response by highlighting one food additive […]