[dentstudent]

However, when I cook (which is every day) I only use natural herbs and spices, with basic product, ie a piece of meat and veg. I don't use any processed stuff at all. AND I'M ABSOLUTLEY FINE Skrwark!

I thought I'd better quantify what I said her before George see's it! When I say I don't use processed stuff, I mean "out of a packet and microwave it" things. I know about the non-organically grown stuff, and prefer my state of denial that it's as close to "natural" as is possible (for a given value of "natural"). But we have the advantage here of buying at farmers markets, and so the produce is unlikely to have been tampered.

And the kind of natural smells you get after the farmers have slurried their fields really can bring tears to your eyes.......

[another_someone]

So why doesn't someone create a structure that tricks the brain into thinking something is salty? Then this could be used instead of salt, and reduce heart disease.....

You mean like Potassium Chloride (what you get when people sell things called low sodium salt).

[steelgraham]

I spotted a couple of articles about aspartame a couple of weeks ago and sought some advice from a Prof I know in Finland who knows all about sugars/synthetic sugars. Here's what he said:-

"Dear Graham:
 
I'm sorry that I was not able to respond to your quick question sooner; I have been out of town  and tried to have some vacation.
 
Aspartame, N-L-alpha-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine 1-methyl ester (Equal; Nutrasweet, etc.) is chemically a dipeptide (i.e. its consists of two amino acids) and closely resembles natural dipeptides. The only difference is the methyl group that regular dipeptides (such as those resulting from digestion of various proteins) do not have.
 
The U.S.A.'s FDA approved aspartame in 1981 for certain uses. FDA approved aspartame in soft drinks in 1983. Toxicological  investigation showed no pathological findings at a dose of 5000 mg per kg body weight (in rats).
 
As you know, the FDA has applied a 100-fold safety factor to this figure. Accordingly, a safe maximum allowable daily intake should then be 50 mg/kg body weight.
 
At an early stage the following problems rose:
1. The methyl group may, after demethylation, lead to the formation of methanol. The molecule can break down in the alimentary tract to diketopiperazine and methyl alcohol. But the amounts are normally small.
2. Phenylketonuric subjects cannot use aspartame owing to the presence of phenylalanine in the aspartame molecule. Labelling of foods containing aspartame has solved that problem. Phenylketonuric subjects know very well which foods contain this amino acid in abundance.
3. In the US, originally instigated by a Dr. Wurtman, some concern has arisen because of possible neurotoxicity. Rats fed large quantities of aspartame have displayed such reactions.  Dr. Wurtman and others have calculated that if, for example,  a 12-year old subject habitually drinks some 10 cans of aspartame-containing soda per day, the subject may receive similar amounts of aspartame that have turned out to be toxic in some esperimental animals.
 
Other schools have rejected the idea of neurotoxicity and the danger of the other possible chemical reactions, because very few subjects might consume those large quantities needed in rats and mice for toxicologic responses to occur.
 
I believe that diabetic and other patients need synthetic sweeteners. Normal people can use rational quantities of sweeteners. I use aspartame on a weekly basis, in light sodas, maybe 2_3 times a week, the total number of cans being perhaps two per week. I do not think that such a low intake has any negative bearing on my health. On the other hand, I do not deny the observations made in rodents. It is possible that some subjects who consume very large quantities of aspartame may exhibit some health problems later. But we need to consider the species differences. We are not rodents.
 
These issues are very complex. I hope that this first-hand information is of avail."

[neilep (OP)]

THANK YOU GRAHAM
...great post !

[kdlynn]

someone said that aspartame does not cause headaches. it does indeed cause headaches for me. i can have about half a can of diet drinks and then my head starts pounding. unless there's another ingredient that causes the headache?