Orbit, Coca-Cola, Diet, and Pepsi Max: Poison or not?

Is that stuff in Crystal Light too?

There’s also that whole whole other story about those synthetic vitamins...

Ryan Sanchez55 said:Is that stuff in Crystal Light too?

Nope, just the Crystal Light—you won't find aspartame in the other ones.

There’s also some talk about those synthetic vitamins...

I don't know enough about that one to say...

Personally, even though I don’t suffer from any specific allergies to aspartame or similar additives, I find myself feeling absolutely wretched all day long after just two sips of Diet Coke.

And whenever I’m dealing with that kind of malaise, accompanied by those ridiculous, uncontrollable bouts of burping, I make it a point to check the label on whatever I just consumed—and what do I find? Good old fashioned phenylalanine.

The solution is simple: I don't touch anything containing artificial sweeteners. Period.

Thomas Edwards82 said:And all I see here is just some good old-fashioned phenylalanine.

As far as I know—and correct me if I'm wrong—that warning is only there for people with PKU (phenylketonuria... is that how you spell it???)

Andrew Anderson6 said:From what I gather, that warning is really just there for people who have PKU (phenylketonuria—is that how you spell it???)

But hey, please tell me... do you actually know if you're a phenylketonuric or not? (You aren't, obviously, but still—I had to start with a sharp question, 😉 so don't take offense). I actually asked my doctor if I was tested for it when I was a baby... he said no (honestly, he doesn't know much about it—he just knows for sure I wasn't screened). In many places here in the US, that testing is mandatory! But around here, they barely even know what phenylalanine or phenylketonuria is (or maybe I'm wrong?).

Look, if we were "real" phenylketonurics, we wouldn't be sitting here right now—we’d be suffering from Intellectual Disability (or might even face DEATH !!) after eating food containing phenylalanine (I think it's in meat and other animal products). But at the same time, none of us were tested to see if phenylalanine bothers us—meaning, are we allergic or hypersensitive to it? It wouldn't be weird if it didn't bother us as babies, but then developed into a sensitivity over time... practically nobody is allergic to anything as an infant, right? Allergies show up later. As far as I can tell, the only way to check if it affects us is to drink stuff with aspartame. Of course, there's always the chance of autosuggestion... but if someone played a trick on you and poured regular Coca-Cola instead of Diet Coke, you might not even notice. When I was drinking Coca-Cola more often, I felt a massive difference between the regular stuff and Diet Coke, or Pepsi and Pepsi Max... I could even tell the difference between our Coca-Cola and the stuff from Canada. Now that I haven't been drinking it for a while, I'm not quite sure I'd notice the difference between Diet Coke and regular Coca-Cola just by tasting it. About a month ago, when I was drinking Coca-Cola, I totally messed up! 😁 Two months ago, there was no way that would have happened.

dustycanyon6 said:Look, just tell me straight—do you actually know if you're phenylketonuric or not?

Here’s the thing: if you were actually born with phenylketonuria and hadn't been on a strict diet since day one, you'd be dealing with intellectual disability right now...

And honestly, if you went to get tested for every single thing you come into contact with, the stress of the testing itself would probably kill you first.

Man, there's really no point in explaining this further; I might as well just rename this thread to "Hypochondria—if not outright paranoia..."

dustycanyon6, how much time have you wasted theorizing about what diseases you have (and while you're at it, finding allergies to aspartame, aluminum, mercury fillings, the start of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's, whatever else)? You could've spent all that time actually improving your quality of life—maybe then you'd feel better.

Or what, are you saying the solution is to live under a glass dome?

Sorry, no hard feelings, but spending your whole life terrified and theorizing about what allergic reaction you'll trigger tomorrow is just 👎

I remember you from the PC forums—you had a ton of useful posts back then—so what is all this for now? 😕 ???

Get a life!!!

You forgot about Multiple Sclerosis too 😁

Andrew Anderson6 said:dustycanyon6; how much time have you actually spent spiraling, trying to figure out what's making you sick? You know, theorizing about everything from aspartame allergies and aluminum issues to amalgam concerns, or even worrying if it's the start of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's... just writing endlessly about it all. You could've taken all that energy and actually put it toward improving your quality of life. Maybe then you’d actually feel better...

So, what you're saying is the only solution is to live under a glass dome???...

Look, no hard feelings at all... but honestly? Spending your entire life living in fear and constantly overthinking whether you’re going to wake up with some kind of allergic reaction tomorrow is just... well, it's not exactly the way to live... 👎

You're painting me in a bad light (just like our lovely moderator Casey Palmer5 does) — though, I can't say I'm not partly to blame myself... but seriously, just go take a look at my last post in this thread... Life is just... unpredictable. It’s dangerous out there. One minute you're cruising along, and the next, everything changes... turns upside down. You really have to watch your step. Everything feels so fragile sometimes... Just so we're clear... what I'm posting here isn't exactly a mirror of my actual life. It's just how things come out when I'm typing... nothing more than that... 😉 In my second to last post, I was talking about Dr. Mercola’s site... basically saying we need to take everything we read online with a grain of salt. People tend to swing between extremes, you know? One side goes too far one way, the other side goes too far the other... it's all a bit much sometimes. Honestly, if you just read my posts, you might think I’m living under a microscope or something... like I'm constantly terrified of everything. But that's not really the case. If you actually knew me—and didn't just judge me based on all those things I've written over on the health forums—you wouldn't see me any differently than anyone else. Though, I guess there is one thing... I probably wouldn't join you for a coffee date. I don't drink it... 🙂 I guess I’m a bit of a "philosopher" at heart, so I tend to wander off into deep thoughts and theories quite often... In my last post on this topic, I think you might have missed the smiley face—that little thing was just my way of showing I was being friendly... (I just wanted to get my point across...)...even if his content comes off pretty harsh.

I’m not exactly living in fear of what my next allergic reaction might be. Honestly, once I start breaking out, I just try to play detective... figure out what triggered it, and then stay far away from that thing. Isn't that how it's supposed to work? Usually, the first thing everyone tells you when you find out you're allergic to something is to just avoid the allergen. It's common sense, right? Anyway, I was diagnosed with a pretty intense allergy to dust mites about three years ago... and I only finally cleared the antihistamines out of my bedroom three months ago. That’s a long way from living under a glass dome...

My posts turn out the way they do because I feel totally let down by "modern" medicine and the mainstream media. You turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper and it’s just a bunch of nonsense... while the stuff that actually matters gets buried, glossed over, or straight-up lied about. Thank God we have the Internet, though... at least we can find some truth there. It really frustrates me how both government and non-profit health organizations handle things. Our local agencies seem completely passive, just blindly copying what happens elsewhere, and even the ones here in the US make some pretty questionable calls. Take the latest example: on one hand, they want to speed up the approval process for new drugs—which basically means medications aren't being tested nearly enough—but then on the other hand, they want to put more oversight on supplements. It’s getting to the point where if you just wanted to buy some essential, healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, you might actually need a doctor's prescription first... I'm exaggerating a bit, but that's essentially where we're heading. I've always been a very rational, logical person. When someone brings me a tech problem, I do everything in my power—and then some—to fix it. That's why it's so hard for me to accept that "solutions" for many health issues just aren't being found. Everyone is so obsessed with treating symptoms or side effects rather than the actual root causes... mostly because digging for the cause doesn't turn a profit for the big pharma companies. It's even harder to stomach the fact that sometimes, a solution isn't even being sought, or if it is, it's immediately dismissed... junk science...But hey, that’s just my take on things. That's exactly why we have this forum... a place where everyone can say what's on their mind. If I happen to get something wrong and someone calls me out with some solid arguments—well, that's totally fine by me. It actually helps... gives me a chance to learn something new...

Hey, just wanted to give you guys an update—I’m feeling a whole lot better. I’m still a long way from being totally cured of everything, but things are definitely looking up. Honestly, I think the biggest game-changer was cutting dairy out of my diet... turns out I was allergic to it all along. Another huge relief came from getting those old dental fillings pulled. My back and shoulder muscles aren't constantly clenched anymore (probably because of that weird electrical current issue). We'll see how it goes from here. And what would I have done if I hadn't started paying attention to my health? Oh, one more thing: I’m finally dreaming again! In the last two weeks alone, I've dreamed more than I have in the last five years! I can't say for sure what triggered it since I haven't had dreams in ages, but my best guess is that the old amalgam fillings were the culprit... basically, that constant galvanic current in my mouth...

Thomas Edwards82 said:Personally, even though I don't have an allergy to aspartame or anything like it, I feel like crap all day after just two sips of Diet Coke.

And whenever I feel sick like that—and when I start burping like crazy—I check the label on whatever I just drank, and what do I find? Good old phenylalanine.

My solution: I don't touch anything with artificial sweeteners. Period.

Look, since you only feel sick from Diet Coke (and other artificial sweeteners), you can't really pin the blame on phenylalanine. It’s an amino acid found in basically every protein source. By that logic, you should be feeling sick from eating meat, soy, or milk too...

Besides, phenylalanine is only harmful to people with phenylketonuria. In the US, they screen newborns for that condition right at birth because those kids have to stick to a special diet from day one. As Andrew Anderson6 mentioned, if they aren't managed, they end up with an Intellectual Disability.

Anyway, do you go out and poop black after you eat something containing phenylalanine? No. So your metabolism is handling that amino acid just fine.

It seems to me you’re feeling sick from Diet Coke for some other reason entirely—maybe you can't handle the acidity, maybe you just hate the flavor, or maybe it's the caramel coloring...

darkbison81 said:Since you only have an issue with Diet Coke (and artificial sweeteners), you can't really blame the Phenylalanine. It's just an amino acid found in all proteins. By that logic, meat, soy, and milk would be bad for you too...

Besides, Phenylalanine is only harmful to people with phenylketonuria, but they screen for that at birth because babies need a special diet from day one. Like Andrew Anderson6 said, if they aren't managed, they face Intellectual Disability.

Anyway, do you go to the bathroom after eating something containing phenylalanine? No. So your metabolism for that amino acid seems fine.

Maybe your problem with Diet Coke comes from somewhere else entirely—maybe you don't handle acidity well, maybe it’s just the flavor, or even the caramel coloring...

Mercola reports on a doctor's testimony before the U.S. Congress: Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by humans.(7)
Maybe Phenylalanine isn't the main culprit here—when we drink sodas with aspartame, we aren't consuming pure phenylalanine, we're consuming aspartame molecules. It's a bit like how salt (NaCl) isn't inherently dangerous, but chlorine itself is. I don't know... just a thought.

It might be a good idea for Thomas Edwards82 to try some Orbit Drops. If he gets the same symptoms, then he'll know for sure it's the aspartame. I don't think there's anything in those drops that's also in Diet Coke (except citric acid, obviously—but that's everywhere... in most sodas, candies, gums... even bouillon cubes have citric acid since it's used as a flavor enhancer. Honestly, citric acid seems way safer than MSG, and a quarter of a bouillon cube is basically pure MSG!).

dustycanyon6 said:It’s a similar logic to saying NaCl isn't dangerous, even though chlorine itself is. I don't know—just speculating here.

(though this isn't exactly a great comparison)

Anyway, I agree. Someone should just try it—you know, skip the Diet Coke, avoid any gum containing aspartame, or just toss some aspartame into your tea or water and see what happens...

HYPOCHONDRIAC 🙂 I think, no offense dustycanyon6, but that might actually be the core of your problem. You mentioned yourself that you’ve bounced from doctor to doctor and spent countless hours researching all these supposed causes for your symptoms—only to come up empty-handed. It seems to me that when someone is truly sick and consumed by their condition like you are, they usually pinpoint the source fairly quickly. A hypochondriac, on the other hand, often struggles to admit that might be the issue because, subconsciously, they already know what's really going on.
As for those "conspiracies," well, they're basically an open secret that everyone is aware of. We're just small fish in a massive pond; we don't have a clue about everything happening behind the scenes. Of course, massive corporations exploit ignorance, leverage technology, and even use questionable methods just to pad their profit margins. At the end of the day, it's up to us to try and navigate around that once we spot the red flags. We should aim to live as healthily as possible, though let's be honest—that’s a massive uphill battle given how fast-paced life is and how broken our legal system can be.
I could honestly sit here and type about this for hours; I just couldn't resist jumping in to respond to this.

dustycanyon6 says:.......

Did you know all those symptoms and signs could actually be manifestations of a whole bunch of different conditions and illnesses!!!??...Aspartame, I think...
🙄

Seriously, don't go trying to diagnose yourself or prescribe your own treatment. Based on how you're thinking and jumping to conclusions, that's definitely not in your best interest!

Btw: I can't even look at Coca-Cola or any of that junk, let alone drink it... And artificial sweeteners? Good grief...

It never even crossed my mind that I might have poisoned myself with aspartame, man, I feel so clueless...😁

Thomas Edwards82 says:
Whenever I feel off like that, and I start burping like crazy, I check the label on whatever I just ate—and sure enough, there’s good old phenylalanine right there.

Phenylalanine is an ESSENTIAL AMINO ACID!!!
I mean, you probably know what amino acids are, what they do, and what "essential" actually means...
Extra phenylalanine is only harmful to people with phenylketonuria (meaning an excess!, since it's still an essential amino acid for them too)—those who lack the specific enzyme needed to break down the extra stuff.
In the amounts added to food products, it isn't harmful to everyone else because it won't hit the saturation point for that enzymatic system!
The label lists phenylalanine just to warn anyone living with phenylketonuria.
It isn't some mysterious warning about some incredibly dangerous substance!

P.S. This is the first time I've ever heard of someone getting burps from phenylalanine!
🙄

dustycanyon6 says: Hey, please tell me—do you actually know if you have phenylketonuria or not? (You don't, but hey—I figured I should start with a sharp question 😉 hope you don't mind). I actually asked my doctor if I was tested for it as a baby, and he said no (well, he doesn't really know anything about it—he just knows for sure I wasn't tested). In many parts of the US, that testing is mandatory! But here, people don't even seem to know what phenylalanine or phenylketonuria is...

You're misinformed!

Phenylketonuria shows up during the first few months of life! It's a really serious condition with permanent consequences, which is why mandatory newborn screening is standard almost everywhere in the world!
There's no need to worry about having phenylketonuria!

In the US, it's mandatory to test all newborns for phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism (that thyroid hormone deficiency).
I mean, you shouldn't be living in the dark!...

I've read all sorts of nonsense and total gibberish on here!
And don't even get me started on the conclusions...

Folks, please don't take this the wrong way, but this feels a bit like watching hair stylists try to debate atomic physics...
😁

If I happened to offend any hairstylists out there, my apologies in advance!😁

dustycanyon6 says:

Exactly, we haven't been tested to see if phenylalanine actually bothers us—like, whether we're allergic or just hypersensitive to it...

I really have to weigh in on this, I just can't help myself...

Anyone with even a basic grasp of biochemistry or immunology would be absolutely floored by these vague conclusions...

A single amino acid simply cannot be an allergen based on its structure and form!
So there’s no way you can become sensitized or develop antibodies against one specific amino acid.... I don't even feel like explaining why
but based on this, it's pretty clear you don't really know what you're talking about; you're using terms incorrectly and clearly don't understand what they mean...

PKU isn't about some kind of hypersensitivity to anything; it's a metabolic disorder (not an allergic hypersensitivity!!!)
caused by a missing enzyme responsible for breaking down the amino acid phenylalanine, which leads to it building up in the system!

etc, etc.....

Richard Moore3 said:Anyone with even a basic grasp of biochemistry or immunology would be stunned by such vague conclusions...

A single amino acid, based on its structure alone, simply cannot be an allergen!
So there's no possibility of sensitization or developing antibodies against a single amino acid... I don't feel like explaining why
but looking at this, it’s clear you don't really know what you're talking about. You're misusing terms and clearly don't understand what they actually mean...

Phenylketonuria isn't about any kind of hypersensitivity; it's a metabolic disorder (not an allergic hypersensitivity!!!)
caused by a missing enzyme responsible for breaking down the amino acid phenylalanine, which results in it building up!

etc, etc.....

Thanks for the corrections and the extra, more precise info. I actually learned something here. 😉 I should point out that my comments regarding how the broken-down parts of aspartame work were pretty layman... Especially the part about phenylketonuria, which was based on assumptions and guesswork—it looks like I messed up by presenting the aspartame issue (only) as a phenylalanine problem... But I did that because of this:

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU. This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause serotonin levels to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.

So, according to that text, it turns out people don't need to have PKU to be "sensitive" to the phenylalanine in aspartame. I interpreted that as hypersensitivity, and hypersensitivity as some kind of allergy. You know, back when I was writing all that, I wasn't exactly being the sharpest tool in the shed... 😁 But regardless, aren't you denying that people's phenylalanine levels "spike" after chronic consumption of aspartame?

Any extra info is welcome—where have you been hiding all this time? 🙂

dustycanyon6 said:Thanks for the corrections and the more precise info. I actually learned something new here. 😉 Just a heads up, my comments about how the broken-down parts of aspartame work are pretty amateurish... especially the stuff regarding phenylketonuria, which is mostly based on assumptions and guesswork. I guess I messed up by presenting the aspartame issue as being solely about phenylalanine... but I did it because of this:

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU. This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause serotonin levels to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.

So, according to that text, people don't necessarily need to have PKU to be "sensitive" to the phenylalanine in aspartame. I interpreted that as hypersensitivity, almost like an allergy. You know, I wasn't exactly being super sharp when I was writing all that... 😁 But anyway, aren't you still saying that people's phenylalanine levels spike after chronic aspartame consumption?

Any extra info is welcome—where have you been hiding all this? 🙂

I'll try to dig up more if I find anything else...

I’m sitting here sipping my Coke when this pops up in my inbox...
I’m certainly not going to stop drinking it because of this—not now, not ever—but I suppose I could try experimenting with some of these "hacks" to see if my toilet actually ends up sparkling... 😁

To health!

1. In many parts of the US, police patrols reportedly carry two gallons of Coca-Cola in their cruisers just to scrub bloodstains off the pavement after accidents.
2. If you take a raw steak and submerge it in a bowl filled with Coca-Cola, check back in two days—it’ll be gone!!!!
3. For cleaning the toilet: just pour a can of Coca-Cola into the bowl, let it sit for an hour, and flush. The citric acid in Coca-Cola eats through limescale stains.
4. To get rid of rust spots on a car: soak some crumpled aluminum foil in Coca-Cola and rub the spot.
5. Corrosive buildup on a car battery: pour a can of Coca-Cola over the battery terminals and watch the corrosion vanish.
6. You can clean almost any rust stain by soaking a rag in Coca-Cola and holding it against the spot for a few minutes.
7. How to cook a juicy roast: pour a can of Coca-Cola into a pan, wrap your roast in aluminum foil, and bake. About 30 minutes before it's done, peel back the foil, pour the "soda" over the meat, and let it caramelize to a golden brown.
8. Removing grease stains: dampen your clothes with Coca-Cola, add some detergent, and toss them in the washing machine. Coca-Cola supposedly helps break down those oily messes.
9. If your car windows are fogging up, try coating them with Coca-Cola.

And now, just for your information.......!

1. Coca-Cola contains phosphoric acid (pH 2.8). It can dissolve a fingernail in four days. That same phosphoric acid dissolves calcium from your bones, which is a primary driver of osteoporosis.
2. When transporting the concentrate—the actual Coca-Cola syrup—distributors have to use specialized tankers designed specifically to resist rusting.
3. For twenty years now, Coca-Cola distributors have been using the soda itself to clean their trucks and engines!

What do you all think?