The Straight Dope: What’s the skinny on artificial sweeteners like aspartame?

[View this message as a web page]( [The Straight Dope]( 11/17/2017 Dear Cecil: Is there a general consensus on aspartame's health effects? — MichaelEmouse, via the Straight Dope Message Board Cecil replies: You’d think, wouldn’t you? It’s not like we haven’t had time to study the subject. The artificial sweeteners aspartame (marketed as NutraSweet) and sucralose (Splenda) were first synthesized in the 1960s and ’70s respectively, though they’re mere babies compared to saccharin, the ingredient in Sweet ’n Low — Teddy Roosevelt was a fan of that stuff. By now, surely, there’s settled science on all of them. No dice. For more, see: [( STRAIGHT DOPE STAFF REPORT — 10/19/1999 Dear Straight Dope: Is it true that after a few days a common cold is no longer contagious? — Mitch Rubenstein, Chicago, IL SDStaff Jillgat replies: The "common cold," acute viral rhinitis, is actually caused by more than a hundred different agents. (The same symptoms can also be caused by coronaviruses, influenza virus, adenoviruses, and respiratory syncytial viruses [RSV].) That's why we get colds over and over again, and it's also why immunity against some of these bugs can be short-lived. About half the time, the cause of a common cold cannot be identified. For more, see: [( STRAIGHT DOPE CLASSIC — 06/17/2005 Dear Cecil: In the column in your online archive about why the missionary position is called that, you repeat the myth that the term missionary position was coined by unidentified natives as a reaction to shocked missionaries' proselytization against unorthodox sexual positions. To your credit, you mention that there is no hard evidence supporting this assertion. However, Robert J. Priest (yes, the coincidence is amusing) in his article "Missionary Positions: Christian, Modernist, Post-Modernist" (Current Anthropology, February 2001) carefully picks this story apart. [Lengthy explanation omitted because I'm about to go through it below. — C.A.] Priest even cites the Straight Dope as one of the many sources perpetuating the missionary position story. Anyway, this is my contribution to the fighting of ignorance. — Zoinks, via the Straight Dope Message Board Cecil replies: Now, Zoinks. I didn't just "repeat the myth." I told the story, then remarked, "That's the legend, at least. It may not be true." As it turns out, my caution was amply justified. Thanks to you and Robert Priest, we now appear to have the full story on missionary position. For more, see: [( YOUR AD HERE! Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks. For rates and details contact Rich at [rhummel@suntimes.com](. Copyright © 2017 Sun-Times Media, LLC. This email was sent by The Straight Dope, Sun-Times Media, LLC., 350 N. Orleans, 10th Floor, Chicago, IL 60654 [Unsubscribe/update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. To change or update your newsletter subscription preferences, or to unsubscribe from all Chicago Reader and Straight Dope newsletters and promotional communications, [click here](. Please allow 72 hours for this change to take effect.