A 30-year-old mother of two fell into a coma after suffering a severe allergic reaction while taking just a sip of Diet Coke, according to the UK Metro News. Elizabeth Perkins and her sons are severely allergic to artificial sweeteners aspartame and asphetame, which are found in thousands of products and are used in high quantities in diet soft drinks, the report said. Perkins was in a pub and ordered a regular coke, but the staff mistakenly gave her a Diet Coke.
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Although the sale of diet soda has plummeted over the past 30 years, most people are unaware that aspartame is readily available as a tabletop sweetener and is in over 6,000 processed food products. It’s so dangerous that California is considering requiring a labeled warning on products noting that aspartame may cause cancer.
In addition to cancer, the artificial sweetener has been linked with other health conditions including migraine headaches, neurodegenerative conditions, brain lesions, depression and more.
Sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose (Splenda) came into play after researchers discovered that regular sugar can contribute to neurodegenerative disorders, metabolic dysfunction and weight gain, so they turned to sugar substitutes to reduce calories and meet public demand.
Even though the processed food and fast food industries use slick advertising to persuade you to use aspartame for weight loss and weight management, obesity is on the rise. More than one-third of U.S. adults are obese and slightly more than 70% are either overweight or obese, which puts them at risk for heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.
The good news is that diet soda continues to fall out of favor with consumers who are in the know about the harmful effects of aspartame and sucralose. The annual consumption of carbonated soft drinks in 2015 was the lowest rate since 1985.
Soda companies continue to use harmful artificial sweeteners, changing the name, color and taste of their products and rebranding them with slick advertising.
But all of the relabeling and reintroducing is missing the point, which is not only that soda is detrimental to your health — no matter what shade, flavor or color — but also that diet soda is just plain bad for you.
The best — and safest — no calorie, natural sweeteners to use are stevia and luo han guo.
Stevia is a plant with South American origins and is known for its incredibly sweet-tasting leaves. You can find stevia in most supermarkets. A single serving alone is 100 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, which is why it's used in moderation. Research suggests it may help manage diabetes, promote healthy weight, fight bacteria and regulate blood pressure.
Luo han guo is a fruit from China and is about the size of an orange or large lemon. It can be purchased at most natural health food stores or online. Luo han guo is incredibly sweet, being 150 to 250 times sweeter than regular sugar. Luo han guo is loaded with vitamin C, which may help boost your immune system, has anti-inflammatory properties and helps with weig