Fwd: Dangers of aspartame

[Guest guest]

SSRI-Research , JustSayNo wrote:

What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of

aspartame?

 

www.nexusmagazine.com

Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 2, #28 (Oct-Nov '95) and Volume

3, #1

(Dec '95-Jan '96). PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia.

editor@n...

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

 

_________________

 

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names, NutraSweet,

Equal,

Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame was discovered by accident in

1965,

when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company was testing an

anti-ulcer drug.

 

Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated

beverages in

1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974, but

objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W. Olney and

Consumer

attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D.

Searle's research practices caused the US Food and Drug

Administration (FDA)

to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985,

Monsanto

purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The

NutraSweet

Company separate subsidiaries.

 

Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that

is

added to foods. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse

reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug

Administration

(FDA).

 

Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death

as

recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department of Health and Human

Services report.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms

listed in

the report as being caused by aspartame include:

 

Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle

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.

 

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects

of

aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or

worsened by

ingesting of aspartame:(2)

 

Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome,

parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation, lymphoma, birth

defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

 

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: Aspartic acid,

phenylalanine, and

methanol.

 

The book, Prescription for Nutritional Healing, by James and Phyllis

Balch,

lists aspartame under the category of " chemical poison. " As you shall

see,

that is exactly what it is.

 

ASPARTIC ACID (40% OF ASPARTAME)

 

Dr Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of Neurosurgery at the Medical

University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly

detailing

the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid

from

aspartame. [Ninety nine percent of monosodium glutamate 9MSG) is

glutamic

acid.

 

The damage it causes is also documented in Blaylock's book.] Blaylock

makes

use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free

excitatory

amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid in our food

supply are

causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other

acute

symptoms.(3)

 

SUMMARY OF HOW ASPARTATE (AND GLUTAMATE) CAUSE DAMAGE

 

Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by

facilitating the transmittion of information from neuron to neuron.

Too much

aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing

the

influx of too much calcium into the cells.

 

This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals which kill the

cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive

aspartate and

glutamate is why they are referred to as " excitotoxins. "

They " excite " or

stimulate the neural cells to death.

 

Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to

proteins)

it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and

glutamate.

The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after

ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate

precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in

certain areas

of the brain.

 

The blood brain barrier (BBB) which normally protects the brain from

excess

glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins 1) is not fully developed

during

childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is

damaged

by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4)allows seepage of

excess

glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.

 

The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons.

The

large majority (75%+) of neural cells in a particular area of the

brain are

killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed.

 

A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be

contributed

to by long-term exposure excitatory amino acid damage include:

 

Multiple sclerosis (MS), ALS, memory loss, hormonal problems, hearing

loss,

epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, hypoglycemia,

AIDS,

dementia, brain lessions, and neuroendocrine disorders.

 

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)

 

Headaches/migraines, nausea, abdominal pains, fatigue (blocks

sufficient

glucose entry into brain), sleep problems, vision problems, anxiety

attacks,

depression, and 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. 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.

 

Another is Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, School

of

Medicine, Washington University, 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.)

 

Also included is Francis J. Waickman, M.D., a recipient of the Rinkel

and

Forman Awards, and Board certified in Pediatrics, Allergy, and

Immunology.

 

Other concerned scientists include: John R. Hain, M.D., Board

Certified

Forensic Pathologist, and H.J. Roberts, M.D., FACP, FCCP, Diabetic

Specialist, and selected by a national medical publication as " The

Best

Doctor in the US "

 

John Samuels is concerned, also. He compiled a list of scientific

research

sufficient to show the dangers of ingesting excess free glutamic and

aspartic acid.

 

And there are many more who can be added to this long list.

 

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 US 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 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. 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, 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, he 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 everycase, 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 86o 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. Other breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP

(discussed

below) may also have been a factor.

 

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°ree;F (30°ree;C).

 

DIKETOPIPERAZINE (DKP)

 

DKP is a by-product of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated

in the

occurance of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in

the

gut, produced a compound which was similar to N-nitrosourea, a

powerful

brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors have said that DKP is

produced

after aspartame ingestion. I am not sure if that is correct.

 

It is definately true that DKP is formed in liquid aspartame-

containing

products during prolonged storage.

 

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.

 

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 US Senate.(13)

 

AILMENTS RESULTING FROM ASPARTAME

 

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.7360-367.

 

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 rats fed a normal diet and aspartame

developed

brain tumors while none of the control rats had tumors.

 

Five of the twelve 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 US

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?, 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:

 

1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes.

2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diebetics on insulin or oral

drugs.

3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as

retinopathy, cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis.

4) Causes convulsions.

 

In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartain by

persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, 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. "

 

Roberts goes on to say:

 

" 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. "

 

Blaylock 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 Dr Ralph G. Walton. Since the

study

wasn't funded/controlled by the makers of aspartame, The NutraSweet

Company

refused to sell him the aspartame. 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. 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, 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 US

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.

 

Twenty 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 and

Pilot

(1990) and a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th

Annual

Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).

 

Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute

reactions to

aspartameingestion. 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)

 

Why don't we hear about these things?

 

The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to

aspartame is

twofold:

 

1) 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

US.

 

2) 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 and fraudulent 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, showing:

 

1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed.

2. Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died

were " restored

to life " in laboratory records.

3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA.

4. The two US 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.

5. 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.

 

A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were

three

scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to the

approval

of aspartame. They voted unanimously against aspartame's approval.

The FDA

Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. then created a 5-person

Scientific

Commission to review the PBOI findings.

 

After it became clear that the Commission would uphold the PBOI's

decision

by a vote of 3 to 2, another person was added to the Commission,

creating a

deadlocked vote. This allowed the FDA Commissioner to break the

deadlock and

approve aspartame for dry goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the

Senior

Scientist in an FDA Bureau of Foods review team created in August

1977 to

review the Bressler Report (a report that detailed G.D. Searle's

abuses

during the pre-approval testing)said:

 

" It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau

officials

were working up to a whitewash. " In 1987, Verrett testified before

the US

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)

 

Revolving doors

 

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 US

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 revealing 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

US$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. The American Diabetes

Association

has received a large amount of money from Nutrasweet, including money

to run

a cooking school in Chicago (presumably to teach diabetes how to use

Nutrasweet in their cooking).

 

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 US had testified about the dangers o 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 takin

--- End forwarded message ---