The Connection between Aspartame(Artificial Sweetener)and Panic Attacks, Depress

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The Connection between Aspartame(Artificial Sweetener)and Panic

Attacks, Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Memory Problems, and Other

Mental Symptoms

 

 

(The following article is a letter to the editor written to Time

Magazine. It is posted here because of its excellent references on

the relationship between aspartame and mental symptoms. Further

references are at the end of this article)

 

by Betty Martini,

Founder Mission Possible International

9270 River Club Parkway

Duluth, Georgia 30097

770 242-2599

www.dorway.com

 

I have read your article on Young and Bipolar, Aug 19, 2002. It

says: " Once called manic depression, the disorder afflicted adults.

Now it's striking kids. Why? "

 

I personally believe the answer is obvious, but Time has known the

true facts on aspartame for years and refuses to publish them.

 

If you had the ability to publish the truth, I would tell you to get

in touch with psychiatrist Ralph Walton, M.D.. He is Professor and

Chairman, Department of Psychiatry, Northeastern Ohio Universities

College of Medicine. In one statement he said:

 

" We have known for years that when aspartame is ingested with a

carbohydrate rich meal the usual physiologic increase in tryptophan

is blocked, while brain phenylalanine and tyrosine concentrations

are increased. These changes in amino acid neurotransmitter

precursors could, I believe, alter indoleamine/catecholamine

balance, and thus have a profound effect on mood and cognition ...

depressed mood, anxiety, dizziness, panic attacks, nausea,

irritability, impairment of memory and concentration. "

 

 

 

Of course, bipolar is an affective disorder in which the patient

exhibits both manic and depressive episodes.

 

Aspartame has 50% phenylalanine which as an isolate is neurotoxic

and goes directly into the brain. Dr. Richard Wurtman of MIT

explained this to Congress in l985 and has done a great deal of

research. He undoubtedly would not give an interview today. Perhaps

if you read about him in the United Press International 8 month

investigation of aspartame you would understand why. It's on

www.dorway.com You see the phenylalanine also lowers the seizure

threshold and Dr. Wurtman wanted to do seizure studies. He was

threatened by Searle that if he did his research funds would be

rejected and they were. But MIT is getting research funds now. The

phenylalanine also depletes serotonin. And when you deplete

serotonin it triggers MANIC DEPRESSION, anxiety, hallucinations,

panic attacks, insomnia, paranoia, mood swings and even suicidal

tendencies.

 

So Dr. Wurtman was very interested in the seizure issue and

serotonin issue. Back in l986 he was a real tiger and he understood

very well that if you wanted valid research you needed independent

studies. I have a copy of his introductory comments presented to the

FDA on April 21, l986 in which he said:

 

" The present system, in which the companies that sell our synthetic

foods - like NutraSweet - fund virtually ALL of the studies, FDA-

mandated or not, of their safety is too vulnerable to misuse: As we

can discuss, if you like, when outside investigators propose studies

that might yield the " wrong " answer, a large bag of " dirty tricks "

is available for derailing those studies. We hope that the evolving

aspartame study will provide impetus for a new mechanism, in which

companies that manufacture new, synthetic food constituents (like

NutraSweet's manufacturer, Monsanto), or those that insert it into

their foods (like Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola, or the makers of Kool-Aid

or Crystal Lite) will be obligated to support the research that

affirms their product's safety, but will not be allowed to choose

exactly what studies are done, nor who conducts them. "

 

Dr. Wurtman left us a lovely paper trail in the book Dietary

Phenylalanine and Brain Function, edited by Richard J. Wurtman and

Eva Ritter-Walker, Birkhauser.

 

H. J. Roberts, M.D., who declared Aspartame Disease to be a global

plague has written the medical text, Aspartame Disease: An Ignored

Epidemic, www.aspartameispoison.com or www.sunsentpress.com or 1 800

814 - 9800.

 

There are chapters on the psychiatric and behavioral problems

triggered by aspartame, drug interaction, and of course, the issue

of bipolar and aspartame. And he brings out that there is

considerable information existing concerning marked neuropsychologic

changes when dopamine-serotonin balance is altered. And he says that

decreased brain serotonin has been associated with insomnia,

depression, anxiety, panic attacks, hallucinations, suicidal

attempts, hostility and psychopathic states like Dr. Walton.

 

And Dr. Roberts also quotes Dr. Wurtman. He says that aspartame and

its components can lower brain serotonin levels through several

mechanisms:

 

" * Dr. Richard Wurtman demonstrated that aspartame inhibits the

carbohydrate-induced synthesis of serotonin (Congressional Record -

Senate 1985a, P. S 5511). Serotonin is an important component of the

feedback system that helps limit one's consumption of carbohydrate

to appropriate levels by blunting the carbohydrate craving.

 

* The amino acid tyrosine, derived from phenylalanine, reduces the

amount of tryptophan that can cross the blood-brain barrier for

utilization in serotonin production. "

 

Dr. Roberts says that the mounting scientific evidence for altered

brain dopamine concentrations in mental illness is relevant.

 

" * The injection of dopamine (a metabolite of phenylalanine) into

the brain ventricles of humans can precipitate psychotic epidoes,

including hallucinations.

 

* Wong et al (l986) studies the D2 dopamine receptor density in the

caudate nucleus of normal volunteers and patients with schizophrenia

by positron emission tomography (PET). Higher densities were noted

in the schizophrenic group, even without prior neuroleptic drug

treatment.

 

* Several aspartame reactors with severe neuropsychiatric features

evidence brain changes by SPECT imaging studies.

 

* .. Dopaminergic influences in aspartame and other addictions

(discussed in VII-G)

 

* More numerous D2 dopamine receptors have been found in the basal

ganglia of schizophrenic patients obtained at postmortem

examination, compared to persons having no history of neurologic or

psychiatric disease. "

 

He also quotes Dr. Walton and says with regard to other changes:

 

" Dr. Ralph G. Walton (l986) urged physicians to bear in mind " the

possible impact of aspartame on catecholamine and indolamine

metabolism, and inquire about use of this artificial sweetener when

assessing patients with affective disorders. "

 

The brain edema and vascular stasis due to chronic methanol intake (

10% of aspartame) could contribute to the neuropsychiatric

manifestations of aspartame reactors.

 

The observation that tryptophan depletion in nonalcoholic young men

can induce behavioral changes is pertinent in view of the depletion

of tryptophan by aspartame consumption. "

 

I might add at this point that Dr. Roberts says that suicide has

become a public health crisis. One occurs ever 17 minutes in the US,

ranking it third among causes of death for young people and second

for college students. Accordingly, any substance that may contribute

to suicide cannot be ignored, particularly when consumed in large

amounts.

 

Now consider that Parents Magazine in Sept, 1999 wrote an article

titled What's Happening To Our Children? They said that almost every

family in the US has been affected and that by the time a child

reaches the 4th level of high school, one out of four has

contemplated suicide.

 

Remember that aspartame is used by 2/3rds of the population and 40%

of our children. I hope this helps you to understand this epidemic.

So whatever is happening to adults will also happen to children.

Aspartame simply destroys the brain and this was proven in a study

by Searle in South America although they did not publish it. An

affidavit from the translator is on www.dorway.com A few months a

study in Norway also showed that aspartame destroys the brain,

especially in the areas of learning. In l970 the famed Dr. John

Olney who founded the field of neuroscience called excitotoxicity

did the studies on aspartic acid which is 40% of aspartame and found

that it caused lesions in the brains of mice. It is an excitotoxin.

 

Russell Blaylock, M.D., neurosurgeon wrote the book on

excitotoxicity: Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, www.amazon.com

And he too goes into the effect of aspartame on the brains of our

children and even admits that it triggers such things as ADD and

autism. I have heard both Doctors Roberts and Blaylock say that many

people in mental hospitals today are simply aspartame victims.

 

Aspartame also triggers such things as brain hemorrhage, stroke and

aneurysms, so you would expect the same thing in children. Not much

shocks me but I know industry had to stay up a lot of nights to come

up with the excuse heard on TV over two months ago. It was stated

that young children are having brain hemorrhages, aneurysms and

strokes in increasing proportions but researchers say that the cause

of this is that children get scared on roller coasters. Why they

used such stupidity I don't know as it definitely insults the

intelligence of the general public.

 

In Dr. Roberts discussion of Mania and " Bipolar " Depression in his

medical text are these comments:

 

" Several aspartame reactors in this series had " bipolar " depression

wherein the depression would alternate with periods of manic

behavioral characterized by intense excitement and overactivity. As

many as two million Americas suffer manic-depression.

 

" The ability of phenylalanine to stimulate the central nervous

system, directly or through its conversion to other

neurotransmitters is germane.

 

" Some studies suggest that bipolar and unipolar affective disorders

are distinct entities - that is, in terms of familial prevalence,

genetics (including twin studies), prognosis, and response to

treatment (Schwartz 1987). Several observations are pertinent

 

" * Women outnumber men with unipolar depression by about two to one.

* Difference in unipolar and bipolar depression are reinforced by

positron emission tomography studies (Schwartz 1987). Patients with

unipolar depression have significantly higher local cerebral

metabolic rates for glucose, but these are reduced in bipolar

depression. Accordingly, a further reduction of the cerebral

metabolic rate caused by aspartame or its by products might

precipitate clinical depression in pre-disposed individuals.

 

* A subset of manic-depression appears linked to a dominant gene on

the tip of the short arm of chromosome 11. The tyrosine hydroxylase

gene which cascades the synthesis of dopamine, exists in this

region. " * Whereas the cyclic antidepressants are more effective

than lithium in unipolar depression, they tend to cause more

behavioral disturbances in bipolar depression.

 

Dr. Roberts gives the case history of a 67 year old man that had

been treated for bipolar depression, essential tremor and a

labyrinthine syndrome. He fared well for several years on small

doses of propranolol and lithium. He says that one month prior to

his June 1986 visit, the tremor and vertigo intensified, coupled

with " increased mood elevation. " On direct questioning, he admitted

to recent consumption of aspartame products. His symptoms promptly

subsided when he avoid them and did not recur over the ensuing year,

notwithstanding enormous stress because of his wife's serious

illness during that period.

 

Dr. Ralph Walton did a study on aspartame discussed in this medical

text.

 

" Walton, Hudock, and Green-Waite (1993) dramatically demonstrated

the adverse effect of aspartame intake in patients with a history of

depression. They administered aspartame (30 mg/kg) daily or a

placebo for seven days in a double-blind challenge to 40 patients

with unipolar depression and a similar number of persons without a

history of psychiatric problems. The NutraSweet Company apparently

refused to supply these researchers with aspartame, so analytically

certified USP grade aspartame was purchased from a chemical

distributor.

 

" The frequency and severity of depression, headache, nervousness,

difficulty in remembering, insomnia, fatigue and malaise were

striking among patients with a history of depression after ingesting

aspartame, compared to the placebo, both in these patients and

nondepressed volunteers. Persons without a history of depression did

not manifest frequent or severe symptoms when given aspartame. The

severity of reactions among patients with a history of depression

proved sufficiently alarming that the Institutional Review Board had

to halt this project prematurely.

 

" * Three participants spontaneously volunteered that they

felt " poisoned " after taking the product later determined to be

aspartame. * A 42 year old Ph.D. psychologist with a history of

recurrent severe depression experienced pain in one eye, followed by

retinal detachment requiring emergency surgery. * Another depressed

patient evidenced conjunctival bleeding for the first time during

the week she ingested aspartame. * Individual patients with a

history of depression experienced swollen lips, a bad taste in the

mouth, facial numbness, weight gain and irritability - complaints

not reported by nondepressed volunteers.

 

" This experience also has raised questions about the nature of the

aspartame supplied for published " negative " double-blind studies. "

 

Perhaps you can understand now why aspartame manufacturers have

fought to prevent independent, corporate neutral research.

 

Dr. Roberts continues but since this is getting long I'm sure you

can see the bottom line. He is stresssing that the decrease of

serotonin by aspartame administration has considerable relevance to

depression and other psychological problems. He mentions that Smith

et al (1997) reported that the rapid lowering of brain serotonin can

precipitate clinical depressive symptoms in untreated individuals

vulnerable to major depression. Also that aspartame decreases the

availability of L-tryptophan (a precursor of serotonin) and alters

its balance with norepinephrine, another important neurotransmitter.

Also that some have likened its effects to that of a lesion in the

lateral hypothalamus causing depression, other psychiatric problems,

and eating disorders. Dr. Walton I know has written about this and

the report is on web.

 

You might want to read The Lancet 1987;2:949-950 where Dr. Roberts

says there is considerable evidence for the diminished turnover of

brain serotonin in depression and behavioral disturbances, including

suicide.

 

Could it get any worse? Yes, how could a physician treat these

patients if he didn't know about aspartame since it interacts with

antidepressants. For instance, the serotonin elevating action of

fluoxetine (Prozac) for treating depression could be counteracted by

aspartame. It can block tryptophan entry into the brain, thereby

inhibiting synthesis of serotonin! This is discussed in the chapter

on drug interaction and antidepressant drugs. Aspartame interacts

with just about every drug used to treat the problems it causes!

 

Obviously after 20 years on the market we know what aspartame does.

Doctors who have seen aspartame victims in the trenches of medical

practice for years are experts and constantly alert the public

through writings. But we have a reluctant press who could have done

something about this issue years ago. Dr. P. Maxwell Foshay, Editor,

Cleveland Journal of Medicine said it the best way back in 1900:

 

" It will thus be seen that medical journalism is in a state of

chaos ... The greed for advertising patronage leads, the editor only

too often to prostitute his pen or his pages to the advertiser, so

long as he can secure the coveted revenue. "

 

In 1999 Time Magazine was on www.dorway.com investigating an email

that made world news on the World Environmental Conference. It was

signed Nancy Markle but I was the one who lectured. Time's Mrs.

Gorman admitted that she had seen an almost identical post which was

my original. So she knew I was the author and instead of calling me

wrote that it was a hoax. Basically it read like a Monsanto

commercial down to " Sweeten Your Life Without Shortening It " . A good

example of reverse psychology. Flooded with mail Time refused to

retract their misinformation stumbling many consumers back on

aspartame only to suffer such things as grand mal seizures. Mission

Possible gave Time Magazine the award for The Most Irresponsible

Journalism - 1999, and were added to the Hall of Shame.

 

Monsanto could not put out the fire, however, because the email

saturated the globe and sold the NutraSweet Company. But as Mohammed

Ali once said: " They can run but they can't hide. " Today we are

taking case histories for class action having to do with the brain

tumors, blindness, eye deterioration and seizures.

 

Because aspartame is also an abortifacient millions of babies have

been murdered in their mother's womb. Dr. James Bowen said in

Aspartame Murders Infants on web:

 

" At every point in the fertility process aspartame destroys,

beginning with the gleam in Mom and Pop's eyes, it ruins female

sexual response and induces male sexual dysfunction. Beyond this,

aspartame disrupts fetal development by aborting it or inducing

defects. And if a live child is born aspartame may have heinously

damaged the DNA of the baby, cursing future generations. "

 

It's a shame that Time Magazine doesn't consider the lives of our

children to be more important than the advertising funds of such

companies as NutraSweet, Coke and Pepsi, for example.

 

Today aspartame is estimated to be in 9000 products and climbing and

100 countries of the world. It is in pediatric prescription drugs

like pediatric penicillin, Augmentin, chewable Tylenol, chewable

Benadryl, pediatric vitamins, etc. Our children don't have a chance.

 

If you go to www.greatfallspro.com (Mission Possible Maine) you can

download Dr. John Olney's entire report to the Board of Inquiry of

the FDA. Here you can read his prophecy of what will happen to the

brains of our children if aspartame is approved, and this prophecy

has now been fulfilled.

 

I don't expect for Time Magazine to expose the aspartame issue to

the public because they have known the real facts for years and only

added to misinformation. So I leave you with the words of Patrick

Henry:

 

" Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. "

 

Further References:

 

Book: Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic,

www.aspartameispoison.com or www.sunsentpress.com or 1 800 814 -

9800.

 

Web site: http://web2.airmail.net/marystod

 

The following posts cover various symptoms reportedly caused by

aspartame:

 

Anxiety - http://nancymarkle.com/hulse.txt Anxiety -

http://nancymarkle.com/wolverto.txt Nerve damage -

http://nancymarkle.com/raiford.txt Neuropsychiatric disorders -

http://nancymarkle.com/blayenn.txt Panic attacks -

http://nancymarkle.com/drake.html Psychiatric complaints -

http://nancymarkle.com/roberts-headach.txt