Aspartame- Evil or Good?

I would vote neither, unless you suffer with Migraines. Until recently that is. While I don't buy the whole hype against Aspartame as a lot of it is based on people over indulging on it and would require over the top consumption, I have recently been reading studies from both sides on it and there is one thing that has turned me away from aspartame.

"They" claim that it does not cause headaches/ migraines. They even go as far to say if you get one it is a placebo effect. Ummmm....

so your telling me that as a child when I got headaches after a fresco and had no idea Aspartame was supposed to be bad for you I was having a placebo effect?

Right.

I remember when my mother and I first linked the migraines to Aspartame. Mom had accidentally bought sugar free ice cream. I had a big dish of it and very shortly after had the sharpest, most severe migraine I had had to date. I remember grabbing my head and crying. I told my mom it felt very close to when I would drink a fresco only more severe this time. That was when we realized that Aspartame and me didn't mix well.

I have had other occurrences since then. When I would drink a diet pop because I decided it was in my head (well duh, that is where migraines happen). Or most recently when I was eating the chewy Gravol ginger candies while pregnant with O. Was having a persistent migraine. While sitting reading the box (I tend to read things when I am waiting) I learned that there was Aspartame in them.

This could have been all coincidence I am sure. I suffer with migraines. Air pressure being a big problem. And probably many other triggers I have such as stress, lack of sleep and O screaming all day. But, I know I am "allergic" even though the company may try to discredit people actually having a migraine from their product.

Because of this I don't trust them. Or the FDA. Or Health Canada. And if they try to cover this up you got to wonder how many other wackjobs and conspirators are actually right in their wildly ridiculous claims.

My conclusion on Aspartame before this was if you didn't get migraines don't worry about it. Don't believe all the hype against it... because seriously some of it is complete bullocks. Now my conclusion is pretty much the same except I say don't consume it. Not until they decide to admit that yes, some people can react negatively to it.

And if we "do everything in moderation"... I'd say enjoy sugar in all it's goodness... in moderation... like I said...