Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures

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Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures

 

Tuesday, July 19, 2005

Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures

You can't walk into a convenience store, grocery store or restaurant

without being offered a dose of aspartame. You can't buy a stick of

gum or a box of mints without having to read the label like a hawk,

because it's not always obvious that a product contains aspartame.

Restaurant condiment caddies are filled with white packets of sugar,

which is unhealthy in its own right, alongside pink and blue packets

of NutraSweet and Equal, both of which contain known excitotoxins.

Would you like some excitotoxin with your coffee?

 

Do you know what excitotoxins even are? Most people don't. They're

chemical substances, such as aspartame, that cause neurons to fire

spasmodically. This eventually burns out, or damages, the neurons.

Decades of research studies support the increasingly held belief that

aspartame causes these painful, often debilitating headaches.

 

If you're one of those people who drinks diet soda like water, you

could argue that you've been drinking diet soda for years and you've

never gotten a headache from it. Your experience might change,

however, if you were to stop using aspartame for a period of several

months. Then, your sensitivity to the chemical would probably be

heightened and consuming it again would more likely cause headaches.

 

Dr. James Braly, an allergy expert in Hollywood, Florida, says that 90

percent of all migraine headaches are caused by food allergies or

reactions caused by additives. Furthermore, according to Michael T.

Murray, ND, in his book Natural Alternatives, " There is little doubt

that food allergy/intolerance is the major cause of migraine headaches

… Aspartame is among the most common allergens. " Just as some people

may develop hives from eating peanuts, some people may develop

migraines from consuming aspartame.

 

If you do develop migraines after drinking or eating

aspartame-sweetened foods, you're definitely not alone. In her book,

The Doctor's Complete Guide to Vitamins and Minerals, Dr. Mary D.

Eades reports that aspartame is the trigger for migraines in roughly

10 percent of all migraine patients. If that percentage sounds high to

you, then you'll be floored by the results of a University of Florida

study. According to Jean Carper's Food: Your Miracle Medicine,

aspartame increased migraine frequency in more than 50 percent of the

migraine patients who participated in the study. Additionally, Carper

writes, " [The test subjects'] headaches lasted longer and some

subjects experienced an increase in 'unusual symptoms' during

aspartame-inspired headaches, such as dizziness, shakiness and

diminished vision. "

 

Though migraines are not fatal, even when accompanied by " unusual

symptoms, " they can be a precursor to potentially fatal grand mal

seizures and convulsions. " Most [convulsion sufferers] had additional

aspartame-associated complaints that also intensified prior to the

onset of convulsions. Migraine and related headaches were the most

impressive. In fact, half of the aspartame reactors with grand mal

convulsions who completed the survey questionnaire had suffered prior

migraine or other severe headaches, " writes Dr. H.J. Roberts in

Aspartame (NutraSweet): Is It Safe?

 

This susceptibility to seizures is biological and may be genetic. In

his book, Dr. Roberts offers an anecdote about a 15-year-old girl who

suffers from aspartame-induced seizures and whose mother suffers from

aspartame-induced migraines. If you experience aspartame-induced

migraines and you think you have them under control, be aware that

they may be an early warning sign of a more serious problem, such as

seizures.

 

Scientists do not know exactly how aspartame causes migraines, but

many believe it has something to do with the biochemical serotonin,

which controls everything from appetite to moods to sleepiness.

According to Gary Null's book, Get Healthy Now, aspartame may lower

serotonin levels, exacerbating disorders like depression and, of

course, contribute to migraines. If you suffer from any of these

illnesses and you want to consume foods that will raise the level of

serotonin in your brain, be sure to read through the articles on

NewsTarget's serotonin archive.

 

If you're an aspartame junky and can't imagine giving up your favorite

aspartame-sweetened foods and drinks, try using a natural sweetener

like stevia. NewsTarget features many informative articles on stevia

so you can easily make the switch from aspartame. You don't have to

sacrifice your sweet tooth to be free from migraines.

 

The experts speak on aspartame:

Dr. Richard Wurtman (1986), a researcher at the Massachusetts

Institute of Technology, stated that he had been contacted by more

than 100 people with alleged aspartame-associated seizures. He also

was impressed by the frequency of previous migraine in such

individuals, and the intensification of their headaches prior to

convulsions. Furthermore, his experimental studies indicate that low

doses of aspartame enhance seizures in animals predisposed to abnormal

brain activity (Wurtman 1987c).

Aspartame Is It Safe? by H J Roberts MD, page 90

 

The NutraSweet® manufactures have marshaled scientific studies which

disclaim a connection to headaches. And, as with seizures, much of the

human connection is anecdotal. In a letter to the New England Journal

of Medicine, Dr. Donald R. Johns reported what appeared to be a

connection between a case of migraines and the consumption of large

amounts of NutraSweet®-containing beverage.458 It involved a

thirty-one-year-old woman with a known history of well controlled

migraine headaches, that is, well controlled until she began to drink

six to eight 12 ounce cans of diet cola sweetened with NutraSweet®, 15

tablets of aspartame and other foods containing aspartame

(approximately 1000 to 1500 mg) daily. Approximately two hours after

ingesting the drinks she noticed stomach upset and a throbbing headache.

Excitotoxins by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 199

 

Can aspartame (NutraSweet) trigger headaches? Its makers say the

artificial sweetener is blameless. But enough complaints received by

the federal government and by headache experts make many conclude that

aspartame can cause headaches in susceptible persons. " aspartame may

be an important dietary trigger in a significant proportion of

headache sufferers, particularly migraineurs, " insists Dr. R. B.

Lipton, a neurologist with the Headache Unit of Montefiore Medical

Center in New York City, who studied aspartame's impact on headaches

in 117 patients.

Food Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper, page 314

 

Based on his own clinical experience,James Braly, M.D., an allergy

expert in Hollywood, Florida, states that 90% of all migraine

headaches are directly linked to food allergies or to reactions caused

by additives, particularly certain preservatives and colorings,

caffeine, and chocolate. According to Dr. Chaitow, MSG and aspartame

(NutraSweet™) have been implicated in many headache cases, as has

excessive salt intake.

Alternative Medicine by Burton Goldberg, page 732

 

Most had additional aspartame-associated complaints that also

intensified prior to the onset of convulsions. Migraine and related

headaches were the most impressive. In fact, half of the aspartame

reactors with grand mal convulsions who completed the survey

questionnaire had suffered prior migraine or other severe headaches.

Aspartame Is It Safe? by H J Roberts MD, page 83

 

A 48-year-old-woman with mild migraine experienced severe headaches

after drinking diet beverages. They subsided when she avoided

aspartame products. Her 15-year-old daughter suffered two seizures

under similar conditions.

aspartame Is It Safe by H J Roberts MD, page 85

 

The cause-and-effect relationship between aspartame intake and the

precipitation of migraine has been confirmed in a controlled

double-blind randomized cross-over study by Koehler et al (1987).

Aspartame Is It Safe? by H J Roberts MD, page 91

 

The continued use of moderate or large amounts of aspartame products

by patients with recurrent severe migraine frequently preceded a

convulsion (Chapter 9). Thirty persons completing my questionnaire

(Chapter 7) who experienced headache and convulsions while consuming

aspartame gave a history of migraine or other severe headaches.

Aspartame Is It Safe? by H J Roberts MD, page 98

 

First of all, migraines are commonly exacerbated by allergic reactions

to elements in the diet or the environment. Aspartame, an artificial

sweetener that reduces the level of serotonin in the body, have also

been implicated in migraines.

Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 198

 

Although some causes of migraines are beyond our control, others, such

as food allergies, can be effectively combated by avoiding certain

products. Caffeine and artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, have

also been found to promote migraines.

Complete Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Gary Null PhD, page 204

 

Aspartame, the sugar substitute in the sweetener NutraSweet, can

trigger headache in as many as 10% of migraine sufferers.

Recommendation: Undertake an elimination trial of aspartame to see if

it acts as a trigger in your migraines. Totally eliminate the

sweetener and all products made with it from your diet for 3 to 4

weeks. If you suffer no headaches during that period, you must

challenge yourself by eating or drinking products containing

aspartame. If doing so brings on a headache, you'll know with

certainty that this sweetener acts as a trigger for you.

Doctors Complete Guide Vitamins Minerals by Mary D Eades MD, page 354

 

When she was taken off of dietary aspartame she noticed a significant

improvement in her headaches, which eventually disappeared altogether.

To make sure that it was the aspartame that was precipitating her

migraine headaches, her doctor challenged her with a solution

containing 500 mg of pure aspartame, after which her headache

reappeared within one and one-half hours.

Excitotoxins by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 199

 

....the second letter was written by Dr. Robert Steinmetzer and Dr.

Robert Kunkel of the Cleveland Clinic and pointed out other equally

important shortcomings in the SchifFman study. They note that the

challenges using placebo or aspartame were separated by only 48 hours,

yet it is known that migraine can occur as late as 72 hours following

exposure to a known triggering substance. They also criticized the

study for using only a single challenge. They concluded that it was a

little premature to " exonerate " aspartame as a triggering substance

for migraine, and that persons with migraine and other vascular

headaches should be warned to avoid NutraSweet®.

Excitotoxins by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 200

 

I have discovered another flaw in the study, which may also help

explain their negative results. They designed the study so that the

subjects received normal meals for three to five days, and then after

a " washout " period, which I assume was a period of fasting lasting 24

hours, they were given the aspartame pills. It has been estimated that

anywhere from 10 to 15% of persons become hypoglycemic after a 24 hour

fast. Hypoglycemia is not only a trigger for migraine, but it also

triggers its own headache. And indeed Dr. Schiffmann reported that

those patients in the treatment group did have lower blood glucose

than those in the placebo group. Unfortunately, the figures for the

blood glucose were not given in the paper and since clinically

symptomatic hypoglycemia can occur within the lower range of so-called

" normal " blood sugar, this information would be important.

Excitotoxins by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 200

 

Another study, by Shirley M. Koehler, at the University of Florida,

showed that aspartame boosted migraine frequency in more than half of

a group of subjects. In fact, their overall number of migraines more

than doubled (from an average 1.55 to 3.55) after they took four doses

daily of 300 milligrams of aspartame for four weeks compared to taking

a placebo. Also, their headaches lasted longer, and some subjects

experienced an increase in " unusual symptoms " during

aspartame-inspired headache, such as dizziness, shakiness and

diminished vision. Why aspartame triggers migraines is unknown. But,

like other headache food triggers, it apparently strikes those with an

inborn vulnerability.

Food Miracle Medicine by Jean Carper, page 314

 

In a University of Parkinson's-Florida study, the incidence of

migraine doubled for the majority of participants when they took

aspartame, and their headaches lasted longer and were marked by

increased signs of shakiness and diminished vision. Headaches are the

most common side effect cited by those who consume

aspartame-containing products.

Headaches by Robert Milne MD and Blake More, page 109

 

There is also evidence that aspartame can worsen depression in those

already suffering from the condition, may cause weight gain and

insomnia, worsen diabetic control, aggravate multiple sclerosis and

other neurological diseases, precipitate migraine headaches…One

component of aspartame is aspartic acid, a known excitotoxin. Even

small concentrations in gum have been shown to precipitate headaches.

Health And Nutrition (see related ebook on nutrition) Secrets by

Russell L Blaylock MD, page 197

 

....one example comes from another Monsanto product, aspartame,

originally developed by Searle Pharmaceutical Company. Shocking

testimony reveals that thousands of volunteered complaints have been

received by the FDA from aspartame users, use of which has been

associated with hundreds of ailments. They include migraines,

seizures, vision problems, depression and memory loss.

Milk The Deadly Poison by Robert Cohen, page 136

 

Patients complaining of migraines or epileptic episodes are given EEGs

and referred to neurologists. They are rarely asked whether they drink

diet soda or use aspartame, both of which have been associated with

headaches and seizures.

Milk The Deadly Poison by Robert Cohen, page 210

 

Dr. Richard Wurtman, a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of

Technology, reported in 1986 that he had been contacted by more than

100 persons who claimed to have experienced aspartame-associated

seizures. He said that he was struck by the frequency of previous

migraine headaches in these individuals. They noted that their

headaches intensify prior to their convulsions. In 1987, Dr. Wurtman

reported that his experiments indicated that aspartame in low doses

enhances seizures in animals that are predisposed to unusual brain

activity.

Miracle Of Stevia by James A May, page 187

 

There is little doubt that food allergy/intolerance is the major cause

of migraine headaches. These same factors may also play a role in

tension headaches. Aspartame is among the most common allergens.

Natural Alternatives To Drugs by Michael T Murray ND, page 192

 

Foods such as chocolate, cheese, beer, and wine, as well as aspartame,

precipitate migraine attacks in many people.

Natural Alternatives To Drugs by Michael T Murray ND, page 192

 

Aspartame, the artificial sweetener sold as NutraSweet and Equal, can

cause headaches and migraines, rashes, ringing ears, depression,

insomnia and loss of motor control, according to a study by the Food

and Drug Administration...

New Choices In Natural Healing by Prevention Magazine, page 48

 

After stress, food allergies are probably the most common cause of

both tension and migraine headaches, especially in children. Foods

that most often cause migraines are dairy products, wheat, citrus,

chocolate, coffee, nuts, eggs, the artificial sweetener aspartame, the

flavoring MSG (monosodium glutamate) and other artificial additives

and preservatives.

Prescription Alternatives by Earl Mindell RPh PhD and Virginia Hopkins

MA, page 291

 

All forms of estrogen are toxic to the body if not adequately balanced

by progesterone. Women in this category are much more likely to be

vulnerable to aspartame-related migraines and seizures as well.

The Enzyme Cure by Lita Lee with Lisa Turner & Burton Goldberg, page 208

 

In a study of 171 headache patients, 8.2 percent identified aspartame

as a cause. Aspartame was reported as a cause three times more often

by migraine patients than by those suffering from other kinds of

headaches.

Woman's Encyclopedia Of Natural Healing by Dr Gary Null, page 271

 

Overview:

 

* Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and

seizures

 

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