Aspartame Withdrawal: Side Effects and Role of a Nutritionist

Aspartame, in recent years, has grown in popularity among healthcare providers due to the potential implications for long term health issues in patients who consume the product regularly. If your doctor has recommended that you discontinue your aspartame consumption, it is important to become familiar with the symptoms of aspartame withdrawal and what you can do to alleviate the symptoms.

As an artificial sweetener found in many diet products and utilized in our foods, aspartame has some degree of dependency associated with it and for this reason patients are often warned against excessive consumption. Because aspartame may trick the body into believing a sugar based product has been consumed, patients who are at risk for diabetes are often warned against use as it may trigger insulin irregularity.

When experiencing aspartame withdrawal symptoms, it is not uncommon to feel lethargic, tired, experience a headache, and even develop complications associated with tremors and nausea. Individuals who are consuming large amounts of aspartame will experience these aspartame withdrawal symptoms longer, and stronger, than those who do not consume large amounts.

Before going through an aspartame detox program, be sure to consult with a nutritionist about the best way to overcome the potential side effects and withdrawal symptoms. In many cases, natural remedies can be provided that will mitigate some of the side effects, but a nutritionist will have to determine what those products may be for your particular healthcare needs. If you have other health conditions, such as Jacksonian seizure, then your nutritionist's guidance will be very important.

Aspartame is found in many beverages and food products we consume on a regular basis. In truth, the only way to totally avoid aspartame is to eat whole foods, fruits, and vegetables and to avoid products that are already processed in any way. Aspartame withdrawals can be quite severe and often result in patients returning to consumption. But, in the long term your health will benefit far more by going through the withdrawal and using the guidance of a nutritionist in the process.

Sources: Aspartame Disease, by H.J. Roberts