In a world of processed foods and artificial ingredients, toxins and chemicals can easily accumulate in the body. These built-up chemicals can lead to obesity, heart disease, migraines, high blood pressure, and diabetes, among many other ailments. Because people are now understanding the negative effects of these chemicals, they are trying to be more health conscious and live a healthier lifestyle.
Aspartame is one of the worst chemicals to put in your body. Aspartame is an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener that is made from phenylalanine and aspartic acid, both of which are amino acids. Aspartame is technically a neurotoxin, but the FDA has deemed it to be a food additive. We are pretty sure that diet soda probably wouldn’t sell as well if it said that it contained a harmful drug.
Side Effects of Aspartame
Believe it or not, aspartame is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. Continued aspartame consumption, including drinking diet soda or using artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Equal, or Nutrasweet, can pollute the body and cause adverse side effects. These side effects include:
- Decreased Vision
- Impaired Hearing
- Tinnitus
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Abdominal Pain
- Memory Loss
- Hear Palpitations/Irregular Heartbeat
Symptoms of Aspartame Withdrawal
Yes, this is a real thing. If your body gets used to a chemical, or in this case, a drug, discontinuing it from your diet can cause withdrawal symptoms. During the time it takes for the body to detox aspartame from its systems, one can experience the following symptoms:
- Anxiety
- Appetite Changes
- Cravings
- Inability to Concentrate
- Depression
- Insomnia
- Mood Swings
- Restlessness
- Sleep Changes
- Weight Fluctuation
How Long Do Withdrawal Symptoms Last?
This can vary depending on the person and the amount of aspartame that has been consumed. Some people experience symptoms that last a week or so, others have symptoms that can last up to a month, and the lucky ones don’t experience any symptoms at all. The body’s energy and blood sugar levels should return to normal once aspartame is fully detoxed.
Detoxing From Aspartame
One of the best things you can do while you are detoxing from aspartame is to maintain proper nutrition levels. It’s best to cut out processed foods, other artificial sweeteners, meat, and dairy products from your diet and switch to a more plant-based diet. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds can provide you all the proper nutrients that your body desires without unnecessary chemicals that are added to other foods. You can use great natural sweeteners instead of aspartame such as stevia, agave, maple syrup, or raw organic honey.
Activated charcoal is a great option to help your body detox from aspartame. You can put a little bit in water, mix it in, and consume it daily. It is designed to help naturally extract heavy metals and chemicals from your body. You can also try taking B-Complex vitamins or consuming 3 drops of 3% hydrogen peroxide in a glass of water every day to aid the detox process.
While you are detoxing from aspartame, it is beneficial to replenish the body with taurine, since aspartame robs the body of this nutrient. Taurine, which is synthesized by the body from the amino acid cysteine, can be found in many seaweeds, spirulina, and sesame and sunflower seeds.
Once you have completely eliminated the aspartame from your system, you may notice that headaches disappear, managing your weight is easier, kidney function improves, and your attitude towards food changes. Ridding your body of aspartame lowers your risk of developing diabetes and your bones start getting healthier.
Did you eliminate aspartame from your diet? Let us know in the comments section below. How do you feel now and what did you do to stop consuming it?
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
