Artificial sweeteners in drinks?!

[Uncertain27]

My dad reads conspiracy sites and especially in the last few weeks is always shouting about how artificial sweeteners in drinks cause brain damage, Parkinsons, etc. I don't drink pop nowadays anyway because I don't like it much and the dentist told me it would make my sensitive teeth worse. I used to drink it a lot when I was a kid though, and now I've noticed my concentration is quite bad on and off, and it's not just when I'm worried either. :wacko:
He was shouting about it today and it must have drawn my attention to it because I realised I was making obvious mistakes in what I was typing. My spelling and punctuation is normally excellent, people have commented on how good it is. I'm also failing Maths, but that's always been my worst subject anyway.

Could this have affected me? I was at the doctors last week with my nonexistant lymphoma :redface:, so surely I can't have anything that bad or he would have noticed? I haven't got any physical symptoms. I don't shake apart from my hands very slightly when I'm really freaking out, and certainly not other times. I don't think my ability to do maths and things is getting any worse either, it's just not improving as much as I would like it to!

[Edie]

As you gave up drinking pop some time ago, the problems you've started having recently can't be caused by brain damage done during childhood. Anxiety can massively affect your concentration, that is more likely to be the reason.

[AuntieMoosie]

Well I have been having sweeteners in my drinks and on my breakfast cereals since I was diagnosed with Diabetes years ago, my partner has too.

I really don't think that either one of us has suffered any brain damage due to the sweeteners, and if we have, we don't seem to be noticing it.......lol

There are many, many scare stories out there about so many different things, but we need to remember that they are only theories and peoples own opinions, they are not based on fact or proof otherwise these things would be banned :)

As Edie has so rightly said, both depression and anxiety cause a lack of concentration, so it is much more likely that it it this that is causing your problems :)