Aspartame is Safe & TikTok Dietitians Aren't

+++

+++

ABOUT: Rebecca Watson is the founder of the Skepchick Network, a collection of sites focused on science and critical thinking. She has written for outlets such as Slate, Popular Science, and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry. She's also the host of Quiz-o-tron, a rowdy, live quiz show that pits scientists against comedians. Asteroid 153289 Rebeccawatson is named after her (her real name being 153289).

+++

[AdamGrandt]

Im sure I cased some damage to some people in varsity of ways. Mostly unintentionally. Still I think I can safely say I never cussed cancer in laboratory animals.

Also I was excited to find you in the fediverse!

[Erinski]

My mom's really into this dietician, Barbara O'Neill, who according to my mom is "anti-vaxx, but not *crazy* anti-vaxx", as if there's a difference. This woman has my mom convinced my brother can undo years of drinking by applying cod liver oil to the skin approximately where his liver is, by pulling toxins ou - I can't even finish. It's too stupid. Still, she'll chide me for ordering a diet coke at lunch. I'm just trying to figure out a way to trick her into watching videos like this, to un-brainwash her. Like "Check this lady out. She's really smart and funny, like irl Daria. You remember Daria, right? Yeah, just watch..."

[Champigne]

Tik Tok is out of control. So many obvious ads and sponsored content where the sponsorship is not disclosed.

[Bob_Lennart]

Breaking news! Being alive may cause cancer

[NealBauer]

In keeping with my "only watch one minute of content per day" resolution, I am happy to learn the secret to longevity is whiskey and bird husbandry.

[kaemincha]

People getting shocked that drinking 10 damn bottles of something in one sitting makes them sick 🥴 Totally agree that moderation is key.

[lauraweiss]

I gave up trying to save people from their own delusions, but I admire you for continuing to fight the good fight. I had a friend who was obsessed with the alleged toxicity of food dyes and swore it caused her child to be hyperactive, but she smoked and her husband worked on car parts in their house, using products that contained benzene. I’m just going to crack open my one Coke Zero I drink per day and enjoy the rest of this video.

[jamesrule]

This makes me wonder how hard it would be to convince a large company that I'm an influencer so I can steal their money.

[TheMKCrab]

Buster Baxter voice: "You really think someone would do that? Just go on the internet and tell lies?"

[bencoomer]

One thing I hate about this paying of influencers is that it also undercuts science trust in general. Which has deadly consequences for everyone.

[DJDiskmachine]

Remember hearing about aspartame and its claimed harmfulness in high school. Made an examination of the topic and found the majority of reports coming from people who drank several bottles a day. I reached the conclusion that if you're drinking that much soda every day you're probably having other habits that might affect your health.

[callusklaus]

Thanks Rebecca! I have taken your legal and medical advice and moved into the Hadron Collider. The science team seems pretty angry, but I won't be getting cancer in here! Thanks again!

[Zosio]

Even speaking as someone who works in Healthcare, it's amazing to be continually shocked by how corrupt the system is in the US.

For-profit healthcare is a crime against humanity.

[FTZPLTC]

I'm assuming that the list of substances that are not "possibly carcinogenic" - as in, it is impossible for them to be carcinogenic - is really really short. Like, it could never be long, because you'd have to do insane amounts of testing to ever prove that.

[ileanagarcia-soto]

I do not drink diet drinks because I hate the taste of aspartame, but I hate the taste of stevia even more.

[Ethan-ivfs]

Concerns with aspartame have been around as long as it has been put into products in the US. If it did cause serious disease we would have seen.. something in the decades of study and scrutiny.

[sarahwatts]

I'm not sure if "there's even sugar in bread" is the best example - sugar has been used in certain types of bread for ages, not just to make them sweet but often to help the yeast rise. Sugar is hidden in lots of foods we wouldn't expect (canned tomato soup is inedible to me), but I'd say that the sugar in bread is only sometimes egregious, as there is such diversity in the market

[jmwild]

Also of note: consuming large quantities of water can cause adverse health effects and potentially death.

[jamesmcmillan]

I’m an alcoholic. 23 years sober. I’m pretty sure that I am addicted to the sugar and not the alcoholic effects . When someone cracks open a beer I salivate, when the pour a scotch, nothing.

[awhite]

Iif you've developed a taste for excessive quantities of sugar in your drinks, you need to ween yourself off those drinks. Replacing with Aspartame means you will still crave the sugar but your body isn't getting it when you drink it, and will still want more.