Aspartame how long to detox

Symptoms include:. If you're looking to cut aspartame out of your diet, there may be ways to do it that don't feel so bad. One way is to start by cutting back, and slowly decrease your consumption, rather than quit cold turkey. Another thing she says can help is to try to find a substitute. For example, if it's diet cola you're into, maybe there's an unsweetened iced tea that you might like to try instead.

Bruning says that changing your daily habits isn't easy. Whether you realize it or not, you may get a lot of comfort from your favorite drink, she says.

She suggests that if you want to cut it out of your diet but are having a hard time, sometimes getting help from a registered dietitian or nutritionist can help. The global health advice is to reduce sugar intake, yet much of the food industry — especially soft drinks - maintains the sweetness by substituting artificial sweeteners. The healthy strategy is surely to tackle the cultural reinforcement of sweetness and to encourage less sweet foods and drinks, full stop.

Surely we should now argue: reduce both sugar and artificial alternatives. When going through aspartame withdrawal, people often experience gastrointestinal issues. This may include:. Consuming or trying to detox from aspartame can cause diarrhea. As with any sugar substitute, aspartame can cause laxative effects because many people have problems properly digesting them. When aspartame is paired with certain foods or drinks, it can cause even greater negative withdrawal symptoms. Aspartame can affect your energy levels.

And quitting may leave you feeling fatigued — even lethargic. Consuming aspartame can cause many people to have increased energy levels even though those increases can lead to crashes , so it stands to reason that aspartame withdrawal can cause fatigue. It can take days to get through the often debilitating symptoms of aspartame withdrawal. You know by now that aspartame is bad for your health.

But before you jump back over to sugar — which is high in calories and has zero nutritional value — consider natural alternatives. Instead of aspartame, try one of these to sweeten your foods or drinks with:. While natural alternatives to aspartame are a better option, they can have a higher calorie count and also little to no nutritional value , so you should still consume them in limited quantities.

You can also consider using fresh fruits or spices and even vegetables to add a bit of sweetness to your foods and drinks. These are great natural alternatives to sugar or sugar substitutes:. And that aspartame withdrawal symptoms can feel even worse. HealthierU can help. Struggling with an aspartame addiction? Already trying to quit on your own and battling withdrawal symptoms? Donna Sergi believes in a holistic approach to nutrition.

She offers more than 25 years of experience and a lifetime committed to health and wellness. Schedule your free consultation today. Table of Contents. What Is Aspartame? Where Is Aspartame Found? What Are the Symptoms of Aspartame Withdrawal? Time Span of Consumption. Amount Consumed Daily. Individual Physiology. In a powdered soft drink there is approximately mg of aspartame, while in a stick of gum, there is only 6 to 8 mg per stick.

It is thought that if you consume a lot of aspartame on a daily basis, you may experience more significant withdrawals than someone who consumes a very low amount. Much of the withdrawal experience will be based on individual circumstances. Some people will naturally have a more difficult time coping with the cravings that they experience when withdrawing.

People who have consumed large quantities of aspartame for an extended period of time may have a tougher time with the withdrawal. It should also be noted that some people tend to have nervous systems that recover at quicker rates than others.

However, most of the time when people gradually taper off of a drug or something that is having an influence on their physiology, tapering results in less withdrawal effects.

You could conduct a gradual taper if you think it will help or if you cannot handle quitting cold turkey. Below are a list of possible symptoms that you may experience during withdrawal from aspartame.

Keep in mind that compared to serious drugs, these symptoms are likely not going to be nearly as intense or severe. It is thought that when this dopamine influence is initially removed, a person may experience some sort of discontinuation symptoms.

There is no predictable duration for withdrawal symptoms from aspartame. Some people have reported feeling completely recovered within one week. Others have reported that it took up to a full month for them to feel psychologically recovered with normal energy levels. In any event, the withdrawal will likely not last more than a month as this is not some serious psychiatric drug — it is merely a food additive.

In any event, it is recommended to make sure your nutrition is balanced, that you are getting adequate exercise, and are allowing your body to get some extra rest during withdrawal.

Additionally your neurotransmission in the brain should reset and transition to functioning without the influence of aspartame. During aspartame withdrawal it is recommended to avoid all artificial sweeteners.

If you end up having strong cravings, choose some sort of natural sweetener or avoid all sweeteners if you can. Have you successfully withdrawn from aspartame consumption?

If so, feel free to share your experience in the comments section below. What did you experience when you initially cut aspartame from your diet?

How long was your withdrawal process? Do you feel healthier overall or did you not really notice much of any change? The first two days were the hardest, terrible headaches, muscle aches, mood swings, anxiety, sleep cycle all jacked up. I have lost weight though. I stopped Diet Coke last week. I have been drinking it for years.