4 ms·

Aspartame is the most studied chemical in history, and there has never been repeatable evidence of harm. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

Aspartame is the most studied chemical in history, and there has never been repeatable evidence of harm. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspartame_controversy

Rinzler89 2y ago
But Aspartame tastes like ass to me. It leaves that nasty chemical aftertaste in your mouth. I have no idea how people can't taste the difference between sugar and aspartame.
- jeroenhd 2y ago
  You're just unlucky. The taste issue is determined by genetics [1], although the grossest taste is often the result of sweeteners combined with aspartame, like Ace K. Sweetener mixes are made so that most people will not taste a gross aftertaste. Some people will experience a bitter aspartame taste, and others will experience a very chemical aftertaste for other sweeteners, but the majority of the market doesn't. [1]: https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/38/5/379/360864 https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/38/5/379/360864
  - Rinzler89 2y ago
    >You're just unlucky. Story of my life.
    - Zdechlak 2y ago
      On the contrary, I think we are extremely lucky for not being able to stomach aspartame.
- mnau 2y ago
  It's just how much you are used to it/individual preferences. Same thing as with any other taste, e.g. spicy food. To me, sugar drinks feel displeasing. Aspartame doesn't taste like sugar, but it's sweet and that's fine. Most of the taste is the sour one from CO2, citric acid and phosphoric acid anyway.
- Zanfa 2y ago
  Same here. It's not even the difference in sweetness, it's just the disgusting aftertaste that lingers forever. I've never gotten how people can drink Coke Zero voluntarily. Too bad they only sell caffeine-free Coke Zero and not the caffeine-free regular where I live, so I gave it another chance not long ago, but noped out after the first sip. It's undrinkable. Though I prefer actual sugar, some low-sugar drinks use stevia, which doesn't have the same drinking-chemical-runoff taste of aspartame.
- ekimekim 2y ago
  Yeah this is really starting to cause problems as things like this sugar tax push companies into adding sweetener to their "normal" versions. I now can't simply buy a Coke and know it will taste like Coke - I need to inspect the packaging and check if it will taste disgusting or not. It's fine that they exist but presenting them as being full sugar when they aren't is false advertising.
- Wolfenstein98k 2y ago
  The aspartame is the ass-part-ta-me.
shzhdbi09gv8ioi 2y ago
I referred to the sugar alcohol xylitol, not aspartame.
- jeroenhd 2y ago
  I've never seen a soft drink sweetened with Xylitol. Is this a store brand thing? Most soft drinks I encounter seem to be sweetened by a combination of aspartame and acesulfame K. Xylitol seems to be common in candy (especially chewing gum) and deserts, but I don't think that's relevant to a soda tax. Perhaps you know of a commercial soft drink sweetened with xylitol that I don't?
  - shzhdbi09gv8ioi 2y ago
    We were just discussing artificial sweeteners, not soft drinks sweeteners specifically.
imadierich 2y ago
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Rinzler89 2y ago

But Aspartame tastes like ass to me. It leaves that nasty chemical aftertaste in your mouth. I have no idea how people can't taste the difference between sugar and aspartame.

jeroenhd 2y ago
You're just unlucky. The taste issue is determined by genetics [1], although the grossest taste is often the result of sweeteners combined with aspartame, like Ace K. Sweetener mixes are made so that most people will not taste a gross aftertaste. Some people will experience a bitter aspartame taste, and others will experience a very chemical aftertaste for other sweeteners, but the majority of the market doesn't. [1]: https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/38/5/379/360864 https://academic.oup.com/chemse/article/38/5/379/360864
- Rinzler89 2y ago
  >You're just unlucky. Story of my life.
  - Zdechlak 2y ago
    On the contrary, I think we are extremely lucky for not being able to stomach aspartame.
mnau 2y ago
It's just how much you are used to it/individual preferences. Same thing as with any other taste, e.g. spicy food. To me, sugar drinks feel displeasing. Aspartame doesn't taste like sugar, but it's sweet and that's fine. Most of the taste is the sour one from CO2, citric acid and phosphoric acid anyway.
Zanfa 2y ago
Same here. It's not even the difference in sweetness, it's just the disgusting aftertaste that lingers forever. I've never gotten how people can drink Coke Zero voluntarily. Too bad they only sell caffeine-free Coke Zero and not the caffeine-free regular where I live, so I gave it another chance not long ago, but noped out after the first sip. It's undrinkable. Though I prefer actual sugar, some low-sugar drinks use stevia, which doesn't have the same drinking-chemical-runoff taste of aspartame.
ekimekim 2y ago
Yeah this is really starting to cause problems as things like this sugar tax push companies into adding sweetener to their "normal" versions. I now can't simply buy a Coke and know it will taste like Coke - I need to inspect the packaging and check if it will taste disgusting or not. It's fine that they exist but presenting them as being full sugar when they aren't is false advertising.
Wolfenstein98k 2y ago
The aspartame is the ass-part-ta-me.

shzhdbi09gv8ioi 2y ago

I referred to the sugar alcohol xylitol, not aspartame.

jeroenhd 2y ago
I've never seen a soft drink sweetened with Xylitol. Is this a store brand thing? Most soft drinks I encounter seem to be sweetened by a combination of aspartame and acesulfame K. Xylitol seems to be common in candy (especially chewing gum) and deserts, but I don't think that's relevant to a soda tax. Perhaps you know of a commercial soft drink sweetened with xylitol that I don't?
- shzhdbi09gv8ioi 2y ago
  We were just discussing artificial sweeteners, not soft drinks sweeteners specifically.

imadierich 2y ago

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