An important, albeit amateur, production. I’ve long had uneasy suspicions toward fake sugar. Does that make me a food moralist? Years ago, I tried diet sodas and couldn’t get used to the bitter aftertaste. Doesn't sweetness without cost just seem unnatural (pun intended) and counter to the American ethic that rewards are only earned through hard work?

Even though I decided to avoid all fake sugar, I couldn’t help noticing loved ones sacking it away, and in at least one case, displaying odd physical or mental issues I could not explain. So I researched the net. As far as the fake sugars go, aspartame appears to be the bad boy, and incredibly popular. My research led me to this DVD, so I requested a copy to review. Admittedly, that makes me already somewhat bias. I went into the production suspect of this chemical sweetener. I especially was interested in the political “shenanigans” required to get the FDA stamp of approval. This doc does its best work shedding some light there, albeit mostly slanted.

The film also includes anecdotal interviews with a handful of people who feel they’ve experienced aspartame related symptoms and sicknesses. These interviews go far too long for my taste and make for an awkward and uneven production. That said, perhaps audiences who are turned off by sound bites will appreciate the indulgence. At the end of the day, not surprisingly, the documentary showed me enough evidence to substantiate my aspartame fears. In fact, it inspired me to research alternative diet cola drinks to satisfy one relative's Caff-Free Diet Cola habit (which at the time of this writing uses aspartame). I picked up Zevia (uses Stevia) and Caff-Free Diet Rite (uses Sucralose) in hopes of encouraging him to switch. It’s too soon to say if that’ll work; he’s a wonderful, but stubborn man. (I have found anecdotal arguments against Sucralose as well, but currently it looks like the likely lesser of two possible evils.)

Btw, the doc does occasionally mention MSG as a similarly toxic FDA approved product. While what I’ve read sums this way “mostly ‘okay’ despite the fact that some people may have allergies to it,” I know for a fact that it affects me adversely. I aggressively keep it out of my diet. It gives me headaches, dry mouth, and occasionally disturbs my sleep. I know several other people who feel the same way. That’s enough for me to deem it not okay. Does anybody happen to know any double blind tests that can give an actual % count (IE: x people in 100 are affected)?

-- Books by Ross Anthony, Author/Illustrator --