What's the deal with aspartame?

I think it is pretty safe to say that everyone has heard that they should not consume food or drinks containing aspartame, you know Coke Zero, chewing gum, Fat free Yoghurt, Monster Zero, Red Bull Zero, the list is endless. So is it really that bad? 

Well let us start from the beginning:

What is aspartame?

Aspartame is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners which is made by joining together the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are found naturally in many foods.
Aspartame is used in many foods and beverages because it is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, so much less of it can be used to give the same level of sweetness. This then makes it low in calories(Yay!).
Rumors claiming that aspartame causes a number of health problems, including cancer, have been around for many years.This is why whenever you are holding a can of Coke someone will tell you that it is bad for you. Ask them why and they won't be able to back it up because they just heard it somewhere and as with most things, if you read it on the internet then it must be true, right?
Aspartame is a highly studied food additive with decades of research showing that it is safe for human consumption.

Aspartame is also knows as E951 (and here comes a whole other discussion regarding E-numbers). Did you know many natural foods also contain E-numbers? If you look at the ingredients of an egg you will see that they contain E306 and E101. Or a banana: E515.Fun fact : E-numbers are not all bad! It's all about moderation. I believe in eating healthy (according to my own individual goals) but also enjoying.

Now I am not saying you should start drinking 5 liters a Coke Zero a day and you will have no health implications. I am simply saying that it not all that bad. Drinking an occasional energy drink does not make me less healthy or in more danger of some type of horrible disease. Do your research and then make the decision for yourself.

ENJOY RESPONSIBLY! 

I am counting calories and macros to achieve a specific goal and some of the above mentioned products containing aspartame are a big help in the process. I will for instance have a can of Coke Zero when I am craving something sweet. This to me is a much better solution than reaching for a bag of jellybeans. But this is me in my personal situation and this does not mean that someone else's way is not the right way. If you want to eat 100% clean and have only super-food smoothies then go for it! What I am getting at is that there is no right or wrong. If you want to have an occasional can of Coke Zero, go ahead and know that you are not serving  the devil. And don't let people who tell you that it is bad for you get you down - tell them that pretty soon oxygen will become toxic so they better watch out!

Another fun fact from a aspartame-will-kill-you-friend: I heard today that you can also clean your oven with Coke! This was used as an argument why you should not drink it. Another fun fact from my side: You can also clean your oven with an Orange or Lemon peel. 

X Natasha (while licking my spoon after my last bite of Optimel fat free yoghurt...)