Is Neotame More Dangerous than Aspartame?

Neotame is a little-known artificial sweetener derived from aspartame. Introduced in 2002 by NutraSweet, neotame is about 7,000-13,000 times sweeter than sugar and 30-60 times sweeter than aspartame.

NutraSweet was a subsidiary of biotechnology giant Monsanto at the time of neotame’s approval. As far as natural health expert Dr. Joseph Mercola is concerned, anything produced by Monsanto usually spells bad news for your health.

Dr. Mercola believes that neotame is potentially more dangerous than aspartame. The neotame formula is based on aspartame’s ingredients with one glaring addition: 3,3-dimethylbutyl, a highly flammable toxic compound found in the Environment Protection Agency’s most hazardous chemical list. This toxin is known to irritate your eyes, skin, and respiratory system.

NutraSweet claims that neotame, now used in 67 countries, is safe for human consumption. But it has not funded double-blind safety studies to determine neotame’s toxicity in animals or humans, Dr. Mercola points out. Since neotame is just modified aspartame, it could potentially lead to the same health problems associated with the latter, including:

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Emotional disorders
• Epilepsy/seizures
• Fatigue
• Headaches/migraines
• Insomnia
• Memory loss
• Premature birth

Artificial Sweeteners Promote Weight Gain

Artificial sweeteners are non-caloric alternatives to sugar and supposedly help you lose weight. Ironically, the majority of the studies that have carefully analyzed their supposed weight loss benefits revealed that you may actually gain more weight if you consume diet foods and beverages. Examples of such studies are:

• A 2004 Purdue University study, which found that rats given artificially-sweetened liquids consumed more high-calorie foods compared to rats given high-calorie sweetened liquids
• The 25-year San Antonio Heart Study (published in 2005), which showed that drinking diet soda increased the likelihood of serious weight gain compared to drinking regular soda
• A 2010 Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine review, which stated that “artificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence.”

Aspartame, neotame, and other artificial sweeteners will never be useful in the battle against obesity. Avoid all forms of artificial sweeteners because you value your family’s health. You can help prompt the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take another look at the safety of artificial sweeteners by reporting any adverse reaction you experience after consuming them.

Grab a copy of Dr. Mercola’s book, Sweet Deception: Why Splenda®, Nutrasweet®, and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health, for more information on the dangers of artificial sweeteners.

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Tags: artificial sweetener, aspartame, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Neotame