When people found out that lots of sugar was bad for them, they turned to artificial sweeteners. The artificial sweetener craze sent brands like Equal and Splenda into the spotlight as the new health trend.

Not too long after, however, research started to chase the trend. They found that most artificial sweeteners are not only not helping you, but they are harming you.

One artificial sweetener, in particular, Aspartame, is downright harmful.

Aspartame Increases Body Mass and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

A very recent study from July 2017 shed some bright light on the effects of aspartame. The study had over 400,000 participants, making it a very reputable source of information.

The study concluded that there is no benefit to opting for “diet” foods over the regular foods. When you choose a “diet” soda, for example, there are no known benefits.

Not only that, but the study also suggested that artificial sweeteners are bad for you.

In fact, they found that the participants who used Aspartame had higher waist circumferences, higher rates of obesity, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart issues.

It Can Also Make You Sad

When Aspartame is ingested, it is broken down further into amino acids. One such amino acid, phenylalanine, can cross the blood-brain barrier, giving it direct access to the brain. When this happens, it may interfere with neuronal processes by causing them to fire more rapidly or not at all.

As is the case with a can of diet soda, it has enough phenylalanine to cause a significant drop in serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter.

So, yeah, it can bring you down.

Aspartame is a Known Carcinogen

The breakdown of Aspartame eventually leads to free methanol in the body, which is then converted to formaldehyde. Both methanol and formaldehyde are known carcinogens, which are substances that can cause cancer.

What’s even scarier is that humans don’t have the proper enzymes to break down formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, so it remains free range in your bloodstream.

The worst part is that this substance can cross the blood-brain barrier, bringing in its cancer-causing effects right into the brain.

To avoid these harmful effects, avoid foods with Aspartame. Not sure which foods have it? Usually, they can be found in these:

• Diet soda
• Sugar-free anything
• Low-sugar yogurt
• Meal-replacement foods
• Flavored water
• Flavored cough syrups
• Sports drinks