Aspartame... the BAD news!

[Guest guest]

Aspartame... the BAD news!

 

Article courtesy of: Mark Gold mgold

(researcher for twenty years on such subjects)

 

Equal, Nutrasweet, Equal Measure, Spoonful, Canderal (E951)

Aspartame was not approved until 1981, in dry foods. For over eight

years the FDA refused to approve it because of the seizures and

brain tumors this drug produced in lab animals. The FDA continued to

refuse to approve it until President Reagan took office (a friend of

Searle) and fired the FDA Commissioner who wouldn't approve it. Dr.

Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed as commissioner. Even then there was

so much opposition to approval that a Board of Inquiry was set up.

The Board said: " Do not approve aspartame " . Dr. Hayes OVERRULED his

own Board of Inquiry.

Shortly after Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the use

of aspartame in carbonated beverages, he left for a position with

G.D. Searle's Public Relations firm.

Long-Term Damage. It appears to cause slow, silent damage in those

unfortunate enough to not have immediate reactions and a reason to

avoid it. It may take one year, five years, 10 years, or 40 years,

but it seems to cause some reversible and some irreversible changes

in health over long-term use.

METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON) (10% OF ASPARTAME) Methanol/wood

alcohol is a deadly poison. People may recall that methanol was 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.

The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision

problems. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage,

interferes with DNA replication, and causes birth defects. 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. "

It has been pointed out that fruit juices and alcoholic beverages

contain small amounts of methanol. It is important to remember, that

the methanol in natural products never appears alone. In every case,

ethanol is present, usually in much higher amounts. Ethanol is an

antidote for methanol toxicity in humans. The troops of Desert Storm

were " treated " to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages

which had been heated to over 86 degrees 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, 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°degrees F (30°Degrees C).

Much worse, on 27 June 1996, without public notice, the FDA removed

all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used in

everything, including all heated and baked goods.

The truth about aspartame's toxicity is far different than what the

NutraSweet Company would have you readers believe. In February of

1994, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the

listing of adverse reactions reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994).

Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all adverse reactions

reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS). By

the FDA's own admission fewer then ONE PERCENT of those who have

problems with something they consume ever report it to the FDA. This

balloons the almost 10,000 complaints they once had to around a

million. However, the FDA has a record keeping problem (they never

did respond to the certified letter from the WEBMASTER of this

site... a major victim!) and they tend to discourage or even

misdirect complaints, at least on aspartame. The fact remains,

though, that MOST victims don't have a clue that aspartame may be

the cause of their many problems! Many reactions to aspartame were

very serious including seizures and death. Those reactions included:

DORway documents now linked to SYMPTOM!

 

 

Abdominal Pain

Anxiety attacks

arthritis

asthma

Asthmatic Reactions

Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)

Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)

Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)

Breathing difficulties

burning eyes or throat

Burning Urination

can't think straight

Chest Pains

chronic cough

Chronic Fatigue

Confusion

Death

Depression

Diarrhea

Dizziness

Excessive Thirst or Hunger

fatigue

feel unreal

flushing of face

Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair

Headaches/Migraines dizziness

Hearing Loss

Heart palpitations

Hives (Urticaria)

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Impotency and Sexual Problems

inability to concentrate

Infection Susceptibility

Insomnia

Irritability

Itching

Joint Pains

laryngitis

" like thinking in a fog "

Marked Personality Changes

Memory loss

Menstrual Problems or Changes

Migraines and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)

Muscle spasms

Nausea or Vomiting

Numbness or Tingling of Extremities

Other Allergic-Like Reactions

Panic Attacks

Phobias

poor memory

Rapid Heart Beat

Rashes

Seizures and Convulsions

Slurring of Speech

Swallowing Pain

Tachycardia

Tremors

Tinnitus

Vertigo

Vision Loss

Weight gain

 

Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases

 

Fibromyalgia

Arthritis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Parkinson's Disease

Lupus

Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)

Diabetes and Diabetic Complications

Epilepsy

Alzheimer's Disease

Birth Defects

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Lymphoma

Lyme Disease

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)

Panic Disorder

Depression and other Psychological Disorders

 

How it happens:

Methanol, from aspartame, is released in the small intestine when

the methyl group of aspartame encounters the enzyme chymotrypsin

(Stegink 1984, page 143). Free methanol begins to form in liquid

aspartame-containing products at temperatures above 86 degrees F..

also within the human body.

The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde. The formaldehyde

converts to formic acid, ant sting poison. Toxic formic acid is used

as an activator to strip epoxy and urethane coatings. Imagine what

it does to your tissues!

Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, 90% of aspartame, are amino acids

normally used in synthesis of protoplasm when supplied by the foods

we eat. But when unaccompanied by other amino acids we use [there

are 20], they are neurotoxic.

That is why a warning for Phenylketonurics is found on EQUAL and

other aspartame products. Phenylketenurics are 2% of the population

with extreme sensitivity to this chemical unless it's present in

food. It gets you too, causing brain disorders and birth defects!

Finally, the phenyalanine breaks down into DKP, a brain tumor agent.

In other words: Aspartame converts to dangerous byproducts that have

no natural countermeasures. A dieter's empty stomach accelerates

these conversions and amplifies the damage. Components of aspartame

go straight to the brain, damage that causes headaches, mental

confusion, seizures and faulty balance. Lab rats and other test

animals died of brain tumors.

Despite the claims of Monsanto and bedfellows:

1. Methanol from alcohol and juices does not get converted to

formaldehyde to any significant extent. There is very strong

evidence to confirm this fact for alcoholic beverages and fairly

strong evidence for juices.

2. Formaldehyde obtained from methanol is very toxic in *very small*

doses as seen by recent research.

3. Aspartame causes chronic toxicity reactions/damage due to the

methanol to formaldehyde and other break down products despite what

is claimed otherwise by the very short, industry-funded experiments

using a test substance that is chemically different and absorbed

differently than what is available to the general public. " Strangely

enough " , almost all independent studies show that aspartame can

cause health problems.

4. A common ploy from Monsanto is to claim that aspartame is " safe "

yet a few select people may have " allergic " reactions to it. This is

typical Monsanto nonsense, of course. Their own research shows that

it does not cause " allergic " reactions. It is there way of trying to

minimize and hide the huge numbers of toxicity reactions and damage

that people are experiencing from the long-term use of aspartame.

Summary

Given the following points, it is definitely premature for

researchers to discount the role of methanol in aspartame side

effects:

1. The amount of methanol ingested from aspartame is unprecedented

in human history. Methanol from fruit juice ingestion does not even

approach the quantity of methanol ingested from aspartame,

especially in persons who ingest one to three liters (or more) of

diet beverages every day. Unlike methanol from aspartame, methanol

from natural products is probably not absorbed or converted to its

toxic metabolites in significant amounts as discussed earlier.

2. Lack of laboratory-detectable changes in plasma formic acid and

formaldehyde levels do not preclude damage being caused by these

toxic metabolites. Laboratory-detectable changes in formate levels

are often not found in short exposures to methanol.

3. Aspartame-containing products often provide little or no

nutrients which may protect against chronic methanol poisoning and

are often consumed in between meals. Persons who ingest aspartame-

containing products are often dieting and more likely to have

nutritional deficiencies than persons who take the time to make

fresh juices.

4. Persons with certain health conditions or on certain drugs may be

much more susceptible to chronic methanol poisoning.

5. Chronic diseases and side effects from slow poisons often build

silently over a long period of time. Many chronic diseases which

seem to appear suddenly have actually been building in the body over

many years.

6. An increasing body of research is showing that many people are

highly sensitive to low doses of formaldehyde in the environment.

Environmental exposure to formaldehyde and ingestion of methanol

(which converts to formaldehyde) from aspartame likely has a

cumulative deleterious effect.

7. Formic acid has been shown to slowly accumulate in various parts

of the body. Formic acid has been shown to inhibit oxygen

metabolism.

8. The are a very large and growing number of persons are

experiencing chronic health problems similar to the side effects of

chronic methanol poisoning when ingesting aspartame-containing

products for a significant length of time. This includes many cases

of eye damage similar to the type of eye damage seen in methanol

poisoning cases.

Toxicity Effects of Aspartame Use Selection of Health Effects from

Short-term and/or Long-Term Use Note: It often takes at least sixty

days without any aspartame NutraSweet to see a significant

improvement. Check all labels very carefully (including vitamins and

pharmaceuticals). Look for the word " aspartame " on the label and

avoid it. (Also, it is a good idea to avoid " acesulfame-k "

or " sunette. " ) Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from

junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations

that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food

industry such as the American Dietetic Association.

If you are a user of any products with aspartame, and you have

physical, visual, mental problems... take the 60-day no aspartame

test. If, after two months with no aspartame your symptoms are

either gone, or are much less severe, please get involved to get

this neurotoxin off the market. Write a letter to the FDA, with a

copy to Betty Martini (for proof of how the FDA doesn't keep proper

records). Write your congressmen. Return products containing

aspartame to the point of purchase... for a FULL refund. Make a big

stink if they WON'T give you a full refund! Tell all your friends

and family... and if they stop using aspartame and also " wake up

well " ... get them involved in the same way.

Aspartame is an " approved sweetener " because of a few greedy and

dishonest people who place profits above human life and well-being.

With the FDA and our Congress culpable, only an INFORMED and ACTIVE

public will affects its reclassification from " food additive " to

TOXIC DRUG, and removed from the human food chain.

 

 

http://www.dorway.com/badnews.html#symptoms

[Guest guest]

, " healrightnow "

<healrightnow> wrote:

> Aspartame... the BAD news!

 

" Long-Term Damage. It appears to cause slow, silent damage in those

unfortunate enough to not have immediate reactions and a reason to

avoid it. It may take one year, five years, 10 years, or 40 years,

but it seems to cause some reversible and some irreversible changes

in health over long-term use. "

 

Hi, for those of you who are fortunate enough to have avoided this

plague I will share my aspartame story so you can know what it may

look like at least in some.

 

About 6 years ago I went on the high protien low carb diet and it was

recommended th drink diet soda. (per Atkins - which I think he

stopped recommending after a time) The diet in general did great for

my weight and overall stamina (which included gym work outs 3x a

week) but for some reason that I could not discern at the time, as my

body got stronger and leaner my mind got weaker.

 

I drank about a half liter of diet coke a day, and please, I have

heard it all from my health conscious friends, including my own

beratement.. I started in September and by January I was having short

term memory problems. Like where were the car keys? my shoes? the

book I was reading 15 minutes ago? What was I going to do today

anyway?

 

Come May I was having anxiety attacks. Simple problems at work that

were really nothing created wild imaginings of failure and

insecurity. Insomnia became a big issue. I would stay awake worring

about irrelevant stuff.

 

Come June I called my most health conscious friend and burst into

tears on the phone because I couldn't remember who I was calling and

why I had called her. The anxiety attacks were more like full blown

pannick attacks with sweating, trembling and knots in the stomach.

She said " really Arrow, you've got to stop drinking that stuff before

you go insane. "

 

So I did. In about a week I was back to normal.

 

People who suffer from the symptoms listed don't even realize or

associate the sweetener as the cause of their problems. Always look

for the culprit in every case. Clear out the aspartame first and then

look to treat what remains. I was lucky that the symtoms went so

easily for others are not so fortunate. I followed a few weeks later

with comprehensive constitutional homeopathic care. I have not sensed

any long-term damage. If symptoms do not clear on their own you could

consider Aspartame in potency from Ainsworths.com from the UK or

herbalhealer.com.

 

I am very concerned for people who drink this stuff during their

reproductive years and pregnancy.

 

Best,

ARROW