More on Aspertame

[Guest guest]

This is the link with more info and a form if you want to complain to the

FDA. Also on this link you can view how many and the kinds of complaints

the FDA has received on Aspertame.

 

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

 

And here is an interesting read from the link:

Pam

 

 

 

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, 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. "

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:

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.

 

_______________

Get MSN 8 and enjoy automatic e-mail virus protection.

http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus