The Secret in Diet Soda
Found in diet sodas, aspartame is a common substitute for sugar. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1981, this chemical has found its way into our food and drink. When aspartame is broken down in the body, phenylalanine is created as a byproduct.
Phenylalanine is an inhibitor of IAP, or intestinal alkaline phosphatase. IAP is a gut enzyme responsible for preventing metabolic syndrome. Symptoms of metabolic syndrome include high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and more. By introducing aspartame – and therefor phenylalanine – to the body, it can increase the chances of creating these symptoms. IAP is also responsible for the absorption of calcium and healing the intestinal lining cells in the digestive tract. People with the Blood Type A who are “non-secretors”, or don’t attach their blood type sugars to other cells, have the naturally lowest level of IAP.
As a result of a recent study shows, having a higher level of IAP can cause weight gain in mice instead of weight loss. While further research is necessary, the implications of diet soda’s negative effect on the human body are hard to ignore. Despite the name, diet soda provides a very real health risk when it comes to weight management and metabolic syndrome.
Dr. Peter D’Adamo is to thank for bringing this recent study to the attention of the PNM staff.
To schedule an appointment, please contact the front desk at the Personalized Natural Medicine Clinic, located in a beautiful Victorian house in the heart of Newtown, Connecticut.
