- Headaches/Migraines
- Nausea
- Abdominal Pains
- Fatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain)
- Sleep Problems
- Vision Problems
- Anxiety attacks
- Depression
- Asthma/Chest Tightness
One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excititory amino acid damage.
Dr. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who are concerned about excititory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG. A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage being caused by aspartate and glutamate include:
* Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D. -- an experimental Psychologist specializing in research design.
* John W. Olney, MD -- a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University. He is a Neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brain of mice.)
* Francis J. Waickman, MD -- a recipient of the Rinkel and Forman Awards and Board certified in Pediatrics, Allergy and Immunology.
* John R. Hain, MD -- Board Certified Forensic Pathologist
* H.J. Roberts, MD, FACP, FCCP -- Diabetic Specialist, Who's Who in American, The World, Science and Technology, and selected by a national medical publication as "The Best Doctor in the U.S."
* John Samuels -- Compiled a listed of scientific research sufficient to show the dangers of ingesting excess free glutamic and aspartic acid.
... and many more.
Phenylalanine (50% of aspartame)
Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder, phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal).
It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU. This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of seratonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.[6] Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain, and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by humans.[7]
One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by aspartame was recently published the the "Wednesday Journal" in an article entitled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking 6 to 8 diet drinks every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss and frequent headaches. He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened drinks. His condition deteriorated so much that he experienced wide mood swings and violent rages. Even though he did not suffer from PKU, a blood test revealed a phenylalanine level of 80 mg/dl. He also showed abnormal brain function and brain damage. After he kicked his aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.[8]
As Dr. Blaylock points out in his book, early studies measuring phenylalanine buildup in the brain were flawed. Investigators who measured specific brain regions and not the average throughout the brain notice significant rises in phenylalanine levels. Specifically the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata, and corpus striatum areas of the brain had the largest increases in phenylalanine. Dr. Blaylock goes on to point out that excessive buildup of phenylalanine in the brain can cause schizophrenia or make one more susceptible to seizures.
Therefore, long-term, excessive use of aspartame may provided a boost to sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control schizophrenia and seizures.
Methanol (aka wood alcohol/poison) (10% of aspartame)
Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Some people may remember methanol as the poison that has caused some "skid row" alcoholics to end up blind or dead. Methanol is gradually released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame encounter the enzyme chymotrypsin.
The absorption of methanol into the body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested. Free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or when it is heated (e.g., as part of a "food" product such as Jello).
Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." The recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.[9]
Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. The most well knowm problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehye is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication, causes birth defects. [10]
Due to the lack of a couple of key enzymes, humans are many times more sensitive to the toxic effects of methanol than animals. Therefore, tests of aspartame or methanol on animals do not accurately reflect the danger for humans. As pointed out by Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, Director of the Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory at Arizona State University, "There are *no* human or mammalian studies to evaluate the possible mutagenic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic effects of chronic administration of methyl alcohol."[11]
He was so concerned about the unresolved safety issues that he filed suit with the FDA requesting a hearing to address these issues. He asked the FDA to "slow down on this soft drink issue long enough to answer some of the important questions. It's not fair that you are leaving the full burden of proof on the few of us who are concerned and have such limited resources. You must remember that you are the American public's last defense. Once you allow usage (of aspartame) there is literally nothing I or my colleagues can do to reverse the course. Aspartame will then join saccharin, the sulfiting agents, and God knows how many other questionable compounds enjoined to insult the human constitution with governmental approval."[10] Shortly thereafter, the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages and then left for a position with G.D. Searle's Public Relations firm.[11]
It has been pointed out that some fruit juices and alcoholic beverages contain small amounts of methanol. It is important to remember, however, that methanol never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in much higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in humans.[9]
The troops of Desert Storm were "treated" to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages which had been heated to over 86 F in the Saudi Arabian sun. Many of them returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has been seen in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these illnesses.
In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable," the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86 F (30 C).
Diketopiperazine (DKP)
DKP is a breakdown product of aspartame. DKP has been implicated in the occurance of brain tumors. Dr. John Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound which was similar to N-nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumor causing chemical. G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA found numerous experimental errors occured, including "clerical errors, mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed to get, pathological specimens lost because of improper handling," and many other errors.[12] These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both the test and control animals had sixteen times more brain tumors than would be expected in experiments of this length.
Here is some breakdown info:
Date of 6 Months 36 Months Bottling After Bottling After Bottling Aspartame 550.0 mg 155.34 mg 19.70 mg L-phenylalanine methylester 0.0 mg 28.62 mg 13.01 mg DKP 0.0 mg 135.66 mg 173.28 mg L-aspartylphenylalanine 0.0 mg 158.31 mg 189.05 mg L-phenylalanine 0.0 mg 42.22 mg 101.27 mgReference: Tsang, Wing-Sum, et al., 1985. "Determination of Aspartame and Its Breakdown Products in Soft Drinks by Reverse-Phase Chromatography with UV Detection," Journal Agriculture and Food Chemistry, Vol. 33, No. 4, page 734- 738.
In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommened by G.D. Searle to devlop the Industry-wide FDA standards for Good Laboratory Practies.[11]
DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes in blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr. Jacqueline Verrett in her testimony before the U.S. Senate.[13]
The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some of these problems occur gradually, others are immediate, acute reactions. There is an enormous population of people who are suffering from symtpoms contributed to by aspartame, yet they have no idea why herbs or drugs are not helping relieve their problems. There are other users of aspartame who *appear* not to be suffering immediate reactions to aspartame. But even these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP.
A *few* of the many disorders that are of particular concern to me include the following.
Birth Defects
Dr. Diana Dow Edwards, a researcher was funded by Monsanto to study possible birth defects caused by the ingestion of aspartame. After preliminary data showed damaging information about aspartame, funding for the study was cut off. A Gentetic Pediatrician at Emory University has testified that aspartame is causing birth defects. [7]
In the book, "While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook" by George R. Verrilli, M.D. and Anne Marie Mueser, it is stated that aspartame is suspected of causing brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus may be at risk for these effects...some researchers have suggested that high doses of aspartame may be associated with problems ranging from dizziness and subtle brain changes to mental retardation."
Cancer (Brain Cancer)
In 1981, Satya Dubey, an FDA statistician, stated that the brain tumor data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval of NutraSweet.[14] In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of aspartame, twelve of the 320 rates fed a normal diet and aspartame developed brain tumors while none of the control rats had tumors. Five of the 12 tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame.[15]
The approval of aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment which was supposed to prevent cancer-causing substances such as Methanol (formaldehye) and DKP from entering our food supply. The late Dr. Adrian Gross, an FDA toxicologist, testified before the U.S. Congress that aspartame was capable of producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable daily intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies were "to a large extent unreliable" and that "at least one of those studies has established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental animals...." He concluded his testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? .... And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?"[16]
In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to cut tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had actually died as surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was likely worse than discussed above. In addition, a former employee of the manufacturer of aspartame, Raymond Schroeder told the FDA on July 13, 1977 that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats could dicriminate between the DKP and their normal diet.[12]
It is interesting to note that the incidence of brain tumors in persons over 65 years of age has increase 67% between the years 1973 and 1990. Brain tumors in all age groups has jumped 10%. The greatest increase has come during the years 1985-1987.[17] In his book, "Aspartame (NutraSweet). Is it Safe?" Dr. H.J. Roberts gives evidence that aspartame can cause a particularly dangerous form of cancer -- primary lymphoma of the brain.
Diabetes
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this chemical poison to persons with diabetes. According to research conducted by H.J. Roberts, a diabetes specialist, a member of the ADA, and an authority on artificial sweetners, aspartame:
- Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes.
- Causes poorer diabetic control in diebetics on insulin or oral drugs.
- Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy, cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis.
- Causes convulsions.
In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartain by persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, Dr. Roberts says:
"Unfortunately, many patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed serious metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be specifically attributed to using aspartame products. This was evidenced by:
"The loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia, the occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or simulation of diabetic complications (especially impaired vision and neuropathy) while using these products."
"Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, *and* the prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently."
Dr. Roberts goes on to state:
"I regret the failure of other physicians and the American Diabetes Association (ADA) to sound appropriate warnings to patients and consumers based on these repeated findings which have been described in my corporate-neutral studies and publications."
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi has stated that excitotoxins such as that found in aspartame can precipitate diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the disease.[5]
Emotional Disorders
A double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood disorders was recently conducted by Ralph G. Walton. Since the study wasn't funded/controlled by the makers of aspartame, The NutraSweet Company refused to sell him the aspartame. Dr. Walton was forced to obtain and certify it from an outside source.
The study showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the Institutional Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the participants had said that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Dr. Walton concludes that "individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener; its use in this population should be discouraged."[18] Aware that the experiment could not be repeated because of the danger to the test subjects, Dr. Walton was recently quoted as saying, "I know it causes seizures. I'm convinced also that it definitely causes behavioral changes. I'm very angry that this substance is on the market. I personally question the reliability and validity of any studies funded by the NutraSweet Company."[19]
There are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels, depression and other emotional disorders that have been linked to aspartame and often are relieved by stopping the intake of aspartame. Researchers have pointed out that increasing in phenylalanine levels in the brain, which can and does occur in persons without PKU, leads to a decreased level of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which leads to a variety of emotional disorders. Dr. William M. Pardridge of UCLA testified before the U.S. Senate that a youth drinking four 16-ounce bottles of diet soda per day leads to an enormous increase in the phenylalanine level.
Epilepsy/Seizures
With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 80 people who had suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed. Community Nutrition Institute concluded the following about the survey: "these 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to the public health, which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a product from the market."
Both the Air Force's magazine "Flying Safety" and the Navy's magazine, "Navy Physiology" published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame including the cumlative deliterious effects of methanol and the greater likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo.[20]
Articles sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while flying have also appeared in the National Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest 1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer (1988), Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane & Pilot (1990) and a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (1986).
Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute reactions to aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported symptoms including some who have reported suffering grand mal seizures in the cockpit due to aspartame.[21]
One of the original studies on aspartame was performed in 1969 by an independent scientist, Dr. Harry Waisman. He studied the effects of aspartame on infant primates. Out of the seven infant monkeys, one died after 300 days and five others had grand mal seizures. Of course, these negative findings were not submitted to the FDA during the approval process.[22]
The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to aspartame is twofold:
- Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused diseases are not reported in the newspapers like plane crashes. This is because these incidents occur *one at a time* in thousands of different locations across the U.S.
- Most people do not associate their symptoms with the long-term use of aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage of the brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no way that they would normally associate such an illness with aspartame consumption.
How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical companies can manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe" organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, and flood the scientific community with flawed industry-sponsored studies funded by the makers of aspartame.
Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of Sussex University has compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of which have been obtained using the freedom of information act [23], stating:
- According to Millstone, laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed.
- Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were "restored to life" in laboratory records.
- False and misleading statements were made to the FDA
- The two U.S. Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges against the aspartame manufacturer took positions with the manufacturer's law firm, letting the statute of limitations run out.
- The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's own scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that decision, he took a position with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of public relations for G.D. Searle.
In 1980, the FDA formed an independent scientific Public Board of Inquiry to judge the safety of aspartame as a food additive. The Board unanimously recommended against approval. The FDA Commissioner then formed his own scientific team of experts to make a recommendation. His own team was against aspartame approval by a three to two margin. He then added a sixth member to his team and a re-vote was taken in order to make it look like their was a deadlock. Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, a Toxicologist and a senior member of an earlier FDA Investigation in G.D. Searle's aspartame research stated, "It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau officials were working up to a whitewash." In 1987, Dr. Verrett testified before the U.S. Senate stating that the experiments conducted by Searle were a "disaster." She stated that her team was instructed *not* to comment on or be concerned with the overall validity of the studies. She stated that questions about birth defects have not been answered. She continued her testimony by discussing the fact that DKP has been shown to increase uterine polyps and change blood cholesterol and that increasing the temperature of the product leads to an increase in production of DKP.[13]
The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a rovolving door of employment for many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and two U.S. Attorneys leaving to take positions with companies connected with G.D. Searle, four other FDA officials connected with the approval of aspartame took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979 and 1982 including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the Special Assistant to the FDA Commissioner, the Associate Director of the Bureau of Foods and Toxicology and the Attorney involved with the Public Board of Inquiry.[24] It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity has been going on for decades. The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92) reported on a study reveiling that 37 of 49 top FDA officials who left the FDA took positions with companies they had regulated. They also reported that over 150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies they were assigned to manage.
Many organizations and universities receive large sums of money from companies connected to the NutraSweet Association, a group of companies promoting the use of aspartame. In January 1993, the American Dietetic Association received a $75,000 grant from the NutraSweet Company. The American Dietetic Association has stated that the NutraSweet Company writes their "Facts" sheets.[25] Many other "independent" organizations and researchers receive large sums of money from the manufacturers of aspartame.
A researcher in New England who has pointed out the dangers of aspartame in the past is now a Monsanto consultant. Another researcher in the Southeastern U.S. had testified about the dangers of aspartame on fetuses. An investigative reporter has discovered that he was told to keep his mouth shut to avoid causing the loss of a large grant from a diet cola manufacturer in the NutraSweet Association.
What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?
Less than nothing.
In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages, breakfast cereals, and refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the FDA approved aspartame for use in hard and soft candies, non-alcoholic favored beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked goods and baking mixes, and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods.
In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of Stevia. The powder of the leaf has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative sweetner. It is used widely in Japan with *no* adverse effects. Scientists involved in reviewing Stevia have declared it to be safe for human consumption -- something which has been well known in many parts of the world where it is not banned. Everyone that I have spoken with in regards to this issue believes that Stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the U.S. and cutting into sales of aspartame.[26]
What is the U.S. Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?
Nothing.
What is the U.S. Administration (President) doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?
Nothing.
Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the U.S. It is being sold in over 70 countries throughout the world.
Aspartame can be found in:
- instant breakfasts
- beath mints
- cereals
- sugar-free chewing gum
- cocoa mixes
- coffee beverages
- frozen desserts
- gelatin desserts
- juice beverages
- laxatives
- multivitamins
- milk drinks
- pharmaceuticals and supplements
- shake mixes
- soft drinks
- tabletop sweeteners
- tea beverages
- instant teas and coffees
- topping mixes
- wine coolers
- yogurt
I have been told that aspartame has been found in products where it is *not* listed on the label. One must be particular careful of pharmaceuticals and supplements. I have been informed that even some supplements made by well-known supplement manufacturers such as Twinlabs contain aspartame.
The information I have related above is just the tip of the iceberg as far as the damaging information about aspartame. In order to find out more information, I have included some resources below.
Books
"Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D. Health Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1994 ISBN 0-929173-14-7
Dr. Blaylock is an Associate Professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi. One of the best books available on excitotoxins. Well worth reading!
"Aspartame (NutraSweet)-Is it Safe?" by H.J. Roberts, MD Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
"The Deadly Deception" edited by Mary Nash Stoddard Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
"Bittersweet Aspartame - A Diet Delusion" by Barbara Mullarkey Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
"The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Synopsis" Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
"Sweet'ner Dearest" by H.J. Roberts, MD Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
"The Bitter Truth About Artificial Sweetners" by Dennis Remington, MD and Barbara Higa, RD Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
Organizations
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network P.O. Box 780634 Dallas, Texas 75378 (214) 352-4268- Department of Health and Human Services. "Report on All Adverse Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System." (February 25 and 28, 1994).
- Compiled by researchers, physicians, and artificial sweetner experts for Mission Possible, a group dedicated to warning consumers about aspartame.
- "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills" by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.
- "Safety of Amino Acids" Life Sciences Research Office, FASEB, FDA Contract No. 223-88-2124, Task Order No. 8
- FDA Adverse Reaction Monitoring System.
- "Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function" Wurtman and Walker Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function., Washington, D.C., May 8 -10, 1987.
- Hearing Before the Committee On Labor and Human Resources United States Senate, First Session on Examing the Health and Safety Concerns of Nutrasweet (Aspartame). November 3, 1987
- Account of John Cook as published in Informed Consent Magazine. "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner" by Barbara Mullarkey, September/October 1994.
- Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D., R.D. "Aspartame: Methanol and the Public Health" Journal of Applied Nutrition, 36(1): 42-53.
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 84-1153 Community Nutrition Institute and Dr. Woodrow Monte v. Dr. Mark Novitch, Acting Commissioner, US FDA (9/24/85).
- Aspartame Time Line by Barbara Mullarkey as published in Informed Consent Magazine, May/June 1994.
- FDA Searle Investigation Task Force. "Final Report of Investigation of G.D. Searle Company." (March 24, 1976)
- Testimony of Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, FDA Toxicologist before the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. (November 3, 1987)
- Internal FDA memorandum.
- Analysis prepared by Dr. John Olney as a statement before the Aspartame Board of Inquire of the FDA. Also "Excitotoxins" by Russell Blaylock, M.D.
- Congressional Record SID835: 131 (August 1, 1985)
- National Cancer Institute SEER Program Data.
- Walton, Ralph G., Robert Hudak, Ruth Green-Waite "Adverse Reactions to Aspartame: Double-Blind Challenge in Patients from a Vulnerable Population" Biological Psychiatry, 1993:34:13-17.
- "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner" by Barbara Mullarkey, September/October 1994 issue of Informed Consent Magazine.
- U.S. Air Force. "Aspartame Alert." Flying Safety 48(5): 20-21 (May 1992).
- Reported by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
- "Bittersweet Aspartame, A Diet Delusion" by Barbara Mullarkey.
- Millstone, Eric "Sweet and Sour." The Ecologist 25 (March/April 1994).
- "The Deadly Deception" Edited by Mary Nash Stoddard. Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
- ADA Courier, January 1993, Volume 32, Number 1.
- "FDA Rejects AHPA Stevia Petition" by Mark Blumenthal Whole Foods, April 1994.
Article 1265 of alt.support.diet: Path: castle.nando.net!news.sprintlink.net!southwind.net!symbios.com!csn!nntp-xfer-2.csn.net!csn!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews From: Steve Jackson Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: NutraSweet Article 4 Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 17:17:33 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 58 Message-ID: <4b1jc5$hd0@cloner3.netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: irv-ca8-07.ix.netcom.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82
Nutrasweet Lies
Aspartame is the technical name for Nutrasweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident in 1965 by James Schlatter from Searle, in the search for anti-ulcer drugs.
Aspartame is composed of aspartic acid (40%), phenylalanine (50%), and methanol (10%). Documented side-effects include: headaches/migraine, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle fatigue and spasms, weight gain, rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, heart-palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and joint pain. Aspartame can also trigger or worsen: brain tumours, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyaglia, and diabetes.
Each of the ingredients is potentially harmful. Aspartic acid as aspartate when present in large quantities in the brain (aspartate readily crosses the blood-brain barrier) causes cell death (necrosis) by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells, causing excessive amounts of free-radicals which kill the cell. Aspartate is referred to as an "excitotoxin" as it "excites" or stimulated the neural cell to death. Phenylalanine, an amino acid normally found in the brain, can be harmful in high quantaties. A disorder known as phenylketonuria present in those unable to metabolise Phenylalanine, is potentially lethal. Ingestion of aspartame can lead to excess levels of Phenylalanine, even in those without phenylketonuria. This can cause levels of seratonin in the brain to decrease which can lead to depression. Excessive Phenylalanine ingestion can also lead to memory loss and headaches, and over long periods can trigger schizophrenia. Methanol, in humans, is excessively poisonous. Due to the lack of some key enzymes, humans are many time more succeptable to the toxic effects of methanol, thus animal tests of aspartane provide innaccurate results. Methanol injestion can cause headache, dizzineess, nausea, vertigo, memory lapses, ear buzzing (tinnitus), and gastrointestinal disorders. Methanol is a cummulatove poison, due a slow rate of excretion once absorbed. The EPA reccommend no more than 7.8 mg/day, whilst an average soft drink containing aspartame contains around 56 mg of methanol.
After bottling, aspartame begins to break down into its constituent ingredients. After 6 months the average can of say Coke will contain 28.62 mg of L-phenylalanine methyl ester, 158.31 mg of L-aspartyl-phenylalanine, and 42.22 mg of L-phenylalanine. These figures rise dramatically after a year, and have quadrupled in 3.
Softdrink companies (we need not mention their names) make huge amounts of money from diet softdrink. It is not in their interest, or the interests of their supplier, to make this information publically available. Aspartame is the most dangerous food additive on the market, and is responsible for over 75% of adverse reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug Adminsitration (FDA).
If you would like to know more about this topic, there is an extremely good article in the October-November (1995) issue of Nexus magazine.
Article 1266 of alt.support.diet: Path: castle.nando.net!news.sprintlink.net!southwind.net!symbios.com!csn!nntp-xfer-2.csn.net!csn!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews From: Steve Jackson Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: NutraSweet Article 5 Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 17:17:34 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 170 Message-ID: <4b1jc9$hd0@cloner3.netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: irv-ca8-07.ix.netcom.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82
Note: the following texts were provided by Elaine Fitchpatrick and Betty Martini of MISSION POSSIBLE, an organization dedicated to the eradication of NutraSweet.
The following is a letter presented before the U.S. Senate hearings on NutraSweet. It was written by Dr. Margan B. Raiford, M.D., Ps, Msc Med. Ophthalmology (Raiford 1987):
I had the opportunity, in Atlanta, Ga., to see the effects of methyl alcohol toxicity in 1952- 1953 which resulted in visual damage to the optic nerves and retina in over 300 cases and the deaths of over 30 persons.
I examined Shannon Roth on July 7, 1986, along with several other patients [65 cases as of July 10, 1986 (Roberts 1990, page 136)]. I observed evidence of effects in her eye and the eyes of the other patients that were comparable to the effects observed in the patients who suffered methyl alcohol toxicity in 1952-1953.
There was damage in the central fibers, 225,000 of the total 137,000,000 optic nerve fibers (resulting in optic nerve atrophy) in her case, which would be comparable to that observed from patients suffering methyl alcohol toxicity. The extent of damage to these fibers would explain partial to total blindness.
. . . .
But in the kind of chronic low dose exposure to methyl alcohol experienced by Shannon Roth (in NutraSweet consumption) and other NutraSweet consumers, it is likely that they would experience the impact on the optic nerve differently in each eye.
The important point is that the damage observed in Shannon Roth's eye was identical to the damage I observed repeatedly in the eyes of individuals whose eyes have been damaged by methyl alcohol toxicity.
Raiford, Morgan B., 1987. Letter from Dr. Morgan B. Raiford to the Office of Senator Howard Metzenbaum. The statement was put in the record before the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, November 3, 1987 regarding "NutraSweet Health and Safety Concerns." Document # Y 4.L 11/4:S.HR6.100, page 517-518.
Roberts, H.J. 1990. "Aspartame (NutraSweet¨):Is It Safe?" by H.J. Roberts, M.D. The Charles Press Publishers, Philadelphia, PA, c1990. Excerpt from page 91.
Dr. James Bowen, in a statement to the FDA:
Every known metabolite of aspartame is of marked or questionable toxicity and patently unsafe for human use. Methyl alcohol is metabolized to nascent formaldehyde in the eye, nervous system and other metabolically active organs. It immediately attacks and denatures the tissue structure proteins in which it is metabolized to nascent formaldehyde. This stimulates specific organ and subcellular autoimmunity which seems to be a preponderant source of the bad experiences reported by NutraSweet victims. Aspartic acid is a neuroexcitotoxin present in damaging amounts in its own right, at the ADI for aspartame. Simple logic tells one that it will vastly increase the metabolism of methyl alcohol to formaldehyde in the desinosomes of the periventricular cells of the central nervous system, thus focusing the nascent formaldehyde attack there. This corresponds well with the symptomatologies often experienced, such as Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), bulbar palsies, neurohormonal disorders, etc. Also visual disturbances, heart palpitations, infertility and fetal loss may be traced to aspartame ingestion. The diketopiperazine issue remains totally unresolved and dangerous. The amino acids that are released by hydrolysis, from eimers and isomers that are either not sufficiently studied, or which are known substrates in undesirable pathological states such as Alzheimer's disease....
In October, l986 the Community Nutrition Institute in Washington, D.C. filed a petition with the FDA to have it banned because of its link to blindness. Dr. H.J. Roberts was quoted in an article "Consumer Group Links NutraSweet to Blindness (Chicago Sun Times, Friday, October 17, 1986):
"Of 360 patients he has diagnosed as having aspartame-related problems, Roberts said, about one-fourth had decreased vision or blindness, nearly half had severe headaches and substantial numbers had epileptic seizures, confusion or memory loss, extreme depression and marked personality change."
Here's more info about methanol from an article by Dr. Ron Austin of Norwalk, California in his newsletter Back Issues, "NutraSweet: Friend or Foe?":
One man's (Nutra) Sweet is another man's poison! ...Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol), a poisonous substance, is added as a component during the manufacture of aspartame (NutraSweet). This methanol is subsequently released within hours of consumption in the small intestine. However, in humans this process is sped up tremendously if the methanol is ingested as a free methanol such as occurs in soft drinks after storage or in other foods after being heated. Regardless as to whether this happens or not 10% of the weight of aspartame intake of an individual will be absorbed by the bloodstream as methanol within hours after consumption. Important note: Up until date there has been no therapeutic (healing) properties of this substance (methanol) and it has been considered to be a poison. The ingestion of two (2) teaspoons is considered to be deadly in humans.
...Methyl alcohol has a selective action on the optic nerve and can cause blindness, the consumption of as little as 30 ml (two teaspoons) has caused death. Methyl alcohol is used as a polar solvent for plastics, paints, and varnishes, as an antifreeze, and in the manufacture of formaldehyde and other methyl compounds such as methyl amine, methyl chloride, and methyl methacrylate. Patients may complain of lethargy (extreme tiredness), confusion, and impairment of speech, all signs of nervous system involvement. The individual may suffer leg cramps, back pain, severe headache, abdominal pain, labored breathing, vertigo and visual loss, the latter being a very important clue to making a diagnosis of this type (methanol) poisoning. In severe cases the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs show dangerous signs of degeneration.
Dr. Austin goes on about CHRONIC OR PROLONGED EXPOSURE IN HUMANS:
Many of the signs and symptoms of intoxication due to methanol ingestion are not specific to methyl (wood) alcohol. For example, headache, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea and unsteady gait (intoxicated or drunk type of walking), gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the lower extremities, hands and forearms, behavioral disturbances and neuritis. The most distinctive signs and symptoms of this type of poisoning in humans are the various visual disturbances such as: misty vision, progressive contraction of the visual fields (tunnel vision) mist before the eyes, blurring of vision and indistinct vision."
And they are having a great deal of problems with methanol even in the plants. Dr. Austin quotes one case:
A 21 year old non-drinking male who had been exposed daily to the fine dust of aspartame (NutraSweet) at the packaging plant he had been working at for over one year, was complaining of blurred vision, headaches, dizziness, and depression before his sudden death. An autopsy revealed liver, kidneys, heart and lungs degeneration (disease). The damage to the heart was as if the man had been an alcoholic between the ages of 30 and 50 and up to 50% of his food intake for over a 10 to 15 year period was alcohol. Mind you, he was a 21 year old non-drinker!! But I only have one soft drink daily with NutraSweet, surely that can't kill me, right?
Merck Index, Tenth Edition:
5816: Methanol: Methyl alcohol..wood alcohol... "Poisoning may occur from ingestion, inhalation or percutaneous absorption. Acute Effects: Headache, fatigue, nausea, visual impairment or complete blindness (may be permanently), acidosis, convulsions..respiratory failure, death. Death from ingestion of less than 30 ml. has been reported. ... Industrial solvent: Raw material for making formaldehyde and methyl esters of organic and inorganic acids ...
Fundamentals of Chemistry by Jean Bogert, eighth edition, p 286:
"Methyl Alcohol or "wood alcohol" taken internally is a dangerous poison. It paralyzes the optic nerve and as little as 10 cc may cause blindness. Its use as a solvent in industries causes a hazard for workmen unless forced ventilation is installed, since continual breathing of the vapors, may result in blindness. A similar hazard exists when it is used as an antifreeze agent in automobile radiators, since it is vaporized by engine heat and the toxic vapor may be swept back into the car. Methyl (wood) alcohol is sometimes present in improperly prepared distilled liquors and is added to ethyl alcohol to render it unfit for beverage purposes. ("denatured alcohol").
Article 1267 of alt.support.diet: Path: castle.nando.net!news.sprintlink.net!southwind.net!symbios.com!csn!nntp-xfer-2.csn.net!csn!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews From: Steve Jackson Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: NutraSweet Article 6 Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 17:17:37 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 174 Message-ID: <4b1jcc$hd0@cloner3.netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: irv-ca8-07.ix.netcom.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82
Mission Possible
by Betty Martini
You say toxicity is a matter of degree. When NutraSweet was in 600 products there was great concern for safety and hearings in Washington on its deadly affects. It is quoted in one book where Senator Metzenbaum said: "You would think people would be dropping like flies, but they aren't." Yes, they are. But its called the "hidden epidemic" because no one associated all the neurological symptoms and diseases, and the endocrine disorders, and cancers with NutraSweet. Searle and Monsanto have funded so many organizations that even the physicians at the American College of Physicians didn't know until I provided them with some of the documents and case histories. They were aghast and one replied "we're recommending the very thing that is making our patients sick".
Going back to to toxicity. Today NutraSweet is in 5000 products and climbing, not 600, and the patent has expired. Like one professor said: "Why are people saying they are going blind on coffee?" Well, they are putting Equal in it. Now Maxwell House is putting it in their vanilla roast which goes in a coffee maker - double whammy.
Consider that NutraSweet is in coffee, juice, vitamins and several products you have for breakfast. Then people drink diet soda. It's in their baked goods, many times, without their knowing it. It's in their medicines and even over the counter medicines. Even your gum is "sugar free".
At one of those safety meetings the late FDA toxicologist, Dr. Adrian Gross said:
"In view of all these indications that the cancer causing potential of aspartame is a matter that had been established way beyond any reasonable doubt, one can ask: what is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act Is it not clear beyond any shadow of a doubt that aspartame had caused brain tumors or brain cancer in animals, and is this not sufficient to satisfy the provisions of that particular section of the law? Given that this is so (and I cannot see any kind of tenable argument opposing the view that aspartame causes cancer) how would the FDA justify its position that it views certain amount of aspartame as constituting an ADI (Allowable Daily Intake) or 'safe" level of it? Is that position in effect not equivalent to setting a 'tolerance' for this food additive and thus a violation of that law? AND IF THE FDA ITSELF ELECTS TO VIOLATE THE LAW WHO IS LEFT TO PROTECT THE HEALTH OF THE PUBLIC?"
Obviously, we have no protector. One of the women who testified before Congress was Joyce Wilson. Again, she did not associate her medical problem with NutraSweet until someone as blunt as I am got on TV and said "this is poison - I'm already blind in one eye". Joyce said: "Thats me - it must be the NutraSweet". Because she knew what was doing it she could tell her doctor and Dr. Morgan Raiford, highly respected ophthalmologist, saw the methanol toxicity, and medically documented her case.
But Joyce had used it too long and with her last breathe she tried to warn the world like I'm doing. In April, 1994 her husband Richard wrote this message in a local newspaper:
"Aspartame killed my wife. No words can express the agony and horror sweet Joyce endured. This poison destroyed her brain, ravaged all her organs and blinded her. She died at age 46 in 1991.
When we filed suit we were harrassed and threatened. Our gung-ho attorneys with a medically documented case suddenly seemed scared away. The case had to be dropped. Joyce deteriorated so quickly she would not have been able to participate in the legal proceedings anyway.
Don't listen to the paid Judas-goats and TV celebrities who say its safe. Save your life and those you love, and avoid the grief I endured. The makers of this poison considered her death an acceptable cost of business. I'm a man without a wife because the NutraSweet Company is a business without a consciece. April is anti-aspartame month. Take dead serious the warnings you will hear. The life you save may be your own. Richard Wilson."
The last week in September Joyce Wilson's son married and on her empty chair lay a long stem rose. On October 1 MISSION POSSIBLE exposed the American Diabetic Assn. for taking megabucks from Monsanto and endorsing this products for diabetics with full knowledge of its deadly effects. Press packs were covered with black lace and sympathy cards and garnished with one long stem rose.
Mission Possible volunteers walked along side almost 1000 diabetics in black berets representing mourning and outcry for those sick and dying from aspartame. They were given a position paper on aspartame and diabetes written Dr. H. J. Roberts, diabetic specialist, who had given research to the ADA who refused to print it. They were also given our warning flyer.
Diabetics started getting off of NutraSweet and they began to call saying how their vision was returning, their memory was returning, their depression was gone anda their blood sugar was under control. One lady met me on the street and hugged me: "How could they do this to us. I was so sick for so long. I could have died."
Joyce Wilson will never know her grandchildren. She died like an Alzheimer patient with no memory, the most common symptom of NutraSweet. Dr. Roberts says that aspartic acid and phenylalaine cannot be tolerated by the brain in large amounts without the other amino acids in protein.
When NutraSweet was approved Dr. Roberts being a diabetic specialist immediately noticed the memory loss, confusion and severe vision loss of his diabetic patients.
The Congressional Record that contains the protest of the National Soft Drink Assn. admits Searle used the wrong test that would not even pick up aspartic acid, the wrong solution (buffered solution instead of beverage matrix), did not test for temperature elevation and did not test for the witches brew of breakdown products. Books say that "someone" told the Board of Inquiry the FDA convened "not to get into carbonated beverages". Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes, head of the FDA over-ruled the Board of Inquiry that said not to approve NutraSweet because of the brain tumors and seizures. He then went to work for Searle's PR firm and didn't speak to the press for 10 years.
Because we deal with this daily and see the symptoms over and over and over again, we have it down to a science. We just say "take the no aspartame test". They are startled to see their symptoms disappear in a matter of weeks as they return to normal health - at least the ones you get in time.
On June 2 I hand-carred to Newt Gingrich a letter from Dr. Roberts that said:
"I am writing you to request a new Congressional hearing in the near future concerning the documented harm being inflicted on many Americans, probably in the millions, from the use of products containing aspartame (NutraSweet). .....
These asserts do not stem from personal gain or bias, but rather reflect extreme concern over damage being caused by a chemical that should not have been approved by the FDA in the first place. Other professionals and scientists who shared this view include in-house FDA scientists, consultants for the General Accounting Office and a Public Board of Inquiry...
..The severity of their neurological, intellectural, psychiatric, metabolic, endocrine, allergic and other reactions to aspartame products forces me to recommend that products containing this synthetic chemical supplement be removed as an "imminent public health hazard."
Believe it - its poison. And I'll be glad to email you the report on aspartame's history emailed to me if you want to see really how bad it is.
Do you really think 1 million people would make distributing warning flyers a way of life if the health of the world was not at stake. We're getting calls from other countries having the same problems. I just sent a packet to Norway. A man who distributes them in Moscow is coming to Dr. Roberts seminar here in Atlanta, July 29 on Alzheimers. We are the hush heard around the world - poison - poison - poison! We all give out the documentation at our expense. It takes up all our time and thousands and thousands of dollars to make copies and mail them.
Some people want to know, others don't care. We're trying to save those who want to be saved. If you talk to 5 people using NutraSweet 3 of them already have the symptoms or some disease triggered by aspartame according to the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network. I find that to be the case. The documentation cost you nothing but the postage on an envelope. It's available if you want it.
Betty Martini Domain: betty@pd.org
Article 1268 of alt.support.diet: Path: castle.nando.net!news.sprintlink.net!southwind.net!symbios.com!csn!nntp-xfer-2.csn.net!csn!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!ix.netcom.com!netnews From: Steve Jackson Newsgroups: alt.support.diet Subject: NutraSweet Article 7 Date: Sun, 17 Dec 1995 17:17:42 GMT Organization: Netcom Lines: 91 Message-ID: <4b1jcf$hd0@cloner3.netcom.com> NNTP-Posting-Host: irv-ca8-07.ix.netcom.com X-Newsreader: Forte Free Agent 1.0.82 From: catwoman@sequent.com (Kim "Meow" Muralt) Newsgroups: sci.med.nutrition Subject: Re: Aspartame (Nutrasweet) Date: 27 Jul 93 19:11:21 GMT
The below is an article that our learning center was handing out on Nutrasweet...it is very interesting...
Nutrasweet ----------
When my daughter was pregnant with her first child, her obstetrician sent her to a nutritionist for counseling about her diet. At the same time, she was drinking one or two cans of diet pop per day. The nutritionist was very concerned and told her that Aspartame or Nutrasweet, the sweetener found in all diet drinks was one of the worst things she could be putting into her body. In addition, she gave my daughter an informative report of over 80 pages detailing the research and concerns about this very popular product.
Aspartame is the basis for Nutrasweet, a food additive that is found in well over two thousand food products, from soft drinks and dry cereals to salad dressings and cake mixes. Equal is a sugar substitute that is dropped into millions of cups of coffee everyday.
We are told that Aspartame is made of naturally occurring amino acids, leading even the most health conscious individuals to believe that they are doing their bodies a favor to use Nutrasweet or Equal instead of sugar. The truth is that Aspartame is not a naturally occurring product, if it were, the only patent owned would be the process of extraction, not he actual product (which in fact does hold a patent).
When digested, Aspartame breaks down into sixteen different products, including formaldehyde, wood alcohol, diketopiperazine (DKP), and methanol.
DKP has been shown to cause brain tumors in test animals since Aspartame has been on the market, the number of brain tumors diagnosed has increased dramatically. Storage or heat (hot chocolate, for instance) causes an increase in the release of DKP.
The FDA and Searle, the manufacturer of Aspartame, are quick to point out that methanol is found naturally in fruit, fruit juices, and vegetables. They neglect to tell us that when consumed in natural foods, methanol is in bound form and the human body does not have the digestive enzymes that can break down the pectin and release the methanol into the bloodstream. In addition, natural methanol is always accompanied in higher concentration by ethanol. This protects the body from any damage. In Aspartame the methanol is found in it's free form and is immediately absorbed into the blood stream.
Symptoms of Aspartame reactions that you should be aware of include: blindness, visual blurring, bright flashes, tunnel vision, pain in one or both eyes, decreased tears, trouble with contact lenses, hearing impairment, severe intolerance to noise, tinnitus, epileptic seizures (especially in children), headaches, confusion, dizziness, memory loss, drowsiness, numbness of the limbs, slurring of speech, irritability, aggression, anxiety, severe depression, personality changes, insomnia, phobias, tachycardia, shortness of breath, sudden high blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea (sometimes with blood), abdominal pain, trouble swallowing, itching without a rash, hives, respiratory allergies, loss of control of diabetes, menstrual changes, thinning or loss of hair, weight loss or weight gain, low blood sugar, frequency of urination with burning, excessive thirst, fluid retention, leg swelling, bloating, increased susceptibility to infection, brain damage, birth defects including severe retardation (IQ as low as 20), peptic ulcers, increased cravings for sweets, Aspartame addiction, hyperactivity (especially children).
Eighty-five percent of all complaints registered with the FDA (including 73 different symptoms and five deaths) concern Aspartame's (Nutrasweet, Equal) reactions. It is interesting that since 1986 the FDA has listed Aspartame deaths as a symptom under "other".
Why, you ask, hasn't something been done to ban this dangerous and potentially deadly product? The answer is only too obvious. There are thousands of companies using Aspartame in diet sodas, powdered drinks, gelatin, tea, cocoa, juices, frozen desserts, even vitamins and medications. This translates to trillions of dollars worldwide. Far more than is needed to provide agency officials with gratuities, politicians with campaign funds, non-profit foundations with endowments, scientists with research grants, and the media with advertising dollars.
As consumers, we may have to conclude that what seems too good to be true usually is. For more information, contact:
The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network PO Box 780634, Dallas TX 75378
---a bookstore for democracy ---
The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly, and persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the Federation of American Societies For Experimental Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimmicks the FDA party-line, recently stated in a review that "it is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants, and children. The Existence of evidence of potential endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders."[4] Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious effects on the body as glutamic acid.
The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA, those reactions include [5]: