Aspartame - No Laughing Matter

April 27, 2006

by Dawn Baumann Brunke

Aspartame may be one of the most toxic substances in our food supply today!

In the March/April 1999 issue of Alaska Wellness, I published three

articles on the artificial sweetener aspartame. Specifically, the

articles looked at the numerous health problems that may develop from

our ingestion of aspartame (the key ingredient in NutraSweet and Equal)

and how it is added to so many of our everyday products - nearly 6,000 -

in everything from low-calorie drinks and sugar-free snacks to chewing

gum, yogurt, cereal, and even children's vitamins.

The toxic effects of aspartame are varied. It has been connected to

mimicking the signs of or worsening the following: chronic fatigue and

immune deficiency syndrome, arthritis, Parkinson's disease, epilepsy,

attention deficit disorder, panic disorder and more. The toxic effects

of aspartame use may include dizziness, ringing in the ears, migraines,

confusion, irritability, depression, insomnia, rapid heart beat, chest

pains, memory loss, weight gain, hair thinning/loss, abdominal pains,

food cravings, hypertension, increased infections and much more. (See

links below for further information.)

The following article includes a summary of the history of aspartame as

we printed it in our 1999 issue, along with some new research and

information. As with the history of many other known toxins (such as MSG

and fluoride), it is distressing to see our government's involvement in

allowing such substances to be used by big industries and sold (and, in

some cases, even touted as 'healthy') to the general public - every one

of us! It has been said that aspartame may be one of the most toxic

substances in our food supply today and that aspartame related problems

may be seriously compromising our health, often without our knowledge.

A Controversial History

Aspartame was discovered accidentally in 1965 by a scientist at the G.

D. Searle Company. Because it is nearly 200 times as sweet as sugar and

has no calories, it looked to have enormous potential, especially in the

diet industry.

Searle began safety testing aspartame in 1967, in hopes of getting FDA

approval, but encountered many problems - the animals that were fed

aspartame (most usually small monkeys) kept dying. Searle spent tens of

thousands of dollars in testing, and applied for FDA approval in 1973.

Although several scientists found Searle's testing "shoddy" and

recommended that further testing was necessary, the FDA granted approval

for use in dry foods.

Objections from consumer advocacy groups finally sparked the FDA to

re-investigate aspartame in 1976, leading to a Grand Jury proceedings

against Searle for "concealing material facts and making false

statements" in their safety tests.

Now, get this: In 1977, Searle's law firm offered a job to the U. S.

Attorney in charge of the investigation, Samuel Skinner. Skinner

accepted the job and left the government, thus stalling the

investigation so long that the statute of limitations ended and the

investigation was dropped.

In 1980, a Board of Inquiry asserted that aspartame should not be

approved due to the possibility of its causing brain tumors in animals.

However, in yet another sneaky government-big business move, the CEO of

Searle became part of Ronald Reagan's transition team. This former head

of Searle handpicked Dr. Arthur Hayes, Jr., as the new FDA Commissioner.

Over the strong objection of three FDA scientists, Hayes approved the

use of aspartame in dry products.

Can the story get any worse? Yes, it can. In 1983, the National Soft

Drink Association urged the FDA to delay the approval of aspartame in

beverages since it was known to be very unstable in liquid form. (When

stored above 85 degrees F., aspartame breaks down into diketopiperazine

and formaldehyde, two known toxins.) Other objections were also filed

with the FDA regarding aspartame approval. When a controversy regarding

taking unauthorized rides on a General Foods jet (General Foods being a

major customer of NutraSweet) forced FDA Commissioner Hayes to resign in

1983, he was promptly hired as a consultant to Searle's public relations

firm.

Thus it happened that the first carbonated beverages containing

aspartame were sold for public consumption in 1983.

Current Findings

Aspartame is still under investigation and still very controversial.

Most recently, scientists at the independent European Ramazzini

Foundation for Cancer Research presented new results from their

three-year study of the effects of aspartame on nearly 2,000 rats. Their

research concluded that aspartame is a "multipotential carcinogen,"

causing dose-related cancer of the kidney and tumors in the peripheral

nerves, mainly the cranial nerves of the head. Earlier data from the

same study linked aspartame to an increased risk of leukemia and

lymphoma in female rats at doses that were "very close" to the

acceptable daily intake for humans.

Interestingly, the researchers also found that though the rats fed

aspartame ate less food than those rats in the control group, there was

no difference in weight between the two groups.

Although various manufacturers of aspartame have objected to these

latest findings, claiming insufficient investigation and biased results,

there is no denying that the same type of results with regards to the

dangers of aspartame has been found in study after study, in numerous

countries around the world.

In 1996, Dr. Ralph G. Walton, Chairman at the Center of Behavioral

Medicine and Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Northeastern Ohio

Universities College of Medicine conducted an analysis of peer-reviewed

medical literature regarding aspartame. Specifically, Walton

investigated 164 studies, 74 of which had aspartame industry-related

sponsorship and 90 which were funded without industry money.

Of the 90 non-industry studies, 83 (or 92%) found one or more problems

with aspartame. Of the remaining 7 studies, 6 were conducted by the FDA.

(And, given the history of how various government officials were offered

jobs by the aspartame industry following approval of the substance, many

consider these findings to be not much more than industry-sponsored

research.)

Of the 74 industry-sponsored studies, all claimed that no problems were

found with aspartame. No big surprise there, and many compare it to

tobacco industry research, in which tobacco companies don't find a link

between cigarettes and cancer, though independent studies most certainly do.

As two doctors noted in a 1995 Indian medical journal, "Scientific

reasoning and a large body of evidence indicate that this product should

not be in the market. However, paradoxically, use of products containing

aspartame is on the rise." The doctors suggest that there are many

reasons for this, the main being a lack of awareness of the adverse

effects of aspartame, both by the general public and the medical

community. In addition, aspartame is obviously well protected by the

strong clout of the billion-dollar drug and chemical companies which

manufacture and sell it, as well as by those companies who use it as an

ingredient in their products. The doctors conclude, "It must be kept in

mind that aspartame is not an essential life-saving drug but a food

additive meant to pamper our sweet tooth." It is for this reason that

some refer to aspartame as the "Sweet Poison."

What Can You Do?

There are several excellent websites that focus on the dangers of

aspartame, such as www.holisticmed.com. The following information on

avoiding aspartame comes from their site, as does the Healthy Sweetener

User Guide below.

Avoiding aspartame can sometimes be tricky as it is found in so many

products and because its existence is sometimes hidden on food labels.

That is, aspartame may be lumped with other ingredients as "inactive

ingredients" on a food label. Other times, it is not listed at all,

although you may spot it if you see the warning "Phenylketonurics:

Contains Phenylalanine," which indicates aspartame is used in the product.

Aspartame can be found on the ingredients list in the following

products: soft drinks, over-the-counter drugs and prescription drugs

(commonly listed under "inactive ingredients"), vitamin and herb

supplements, yogurt, instant breakfasts, candy, breath mints, cereals,

sugar-free chewing gum, cocoa mixes, coffee beverages, instant

breakfasts, gelatin desserts, frozen desserts, juice beverages,

laxatives, milk drinks, shake mixes, tabletop sweeteners, tea beverages,

instant teas and coffees, topping mixes, wine coolers - and the list

goes on.

It is important to check labels carefully and compare ingredients

against the list of known sweeteners to avoid (below). If you have

children, you may want to pay special attention to cereals, candy, gum,

etc. Also, be aware that your children may be given aspartame or other

artificial sweetener-containing foods or drugs at school without your

knowledge. Talk to the school director and to the local PTA to assure

that this does not happen.

Many people find it much easier to avoid toxic sweeteners by shopping at

health food stores or in the healthy foods section of your grocery. Many

health food stores have banned artificial sweeteners (especially

aspartame) for obvious reasons. But it is still important to check

labels as some health food stores are unknowingly selling aspartame,

acesulfame-k, and sucralose.

Healthy Sweetener Use Guide

Sweeteners to Avoid

Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel)

Neotame

Sucralose (Splenda)

Acesulfame-K (Sunette, Sweet & Safe, Sweet One)

Cyclamates

Saccharin

Refined sugar*

High fructose sweeteners*

*These can be used in very small amounts while transitioning to

healthier sweeteners.

Sweeteners to Use

Stevia (Stevia is also safe for diabetics)

Evaporated cane juice

Fruit juice

Rice syrup

Honey

Licorice Root (small amounts)

Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)

Amasake

Maple Syrup (Without Added Sugar)

Barley Malt

Sugar Alcohols (Xylitol*, Sorbitol)

*Use in small amounts. Avoid if you have bowel disease.

Note: Many diabetics can use some amount of healthy caloric sweeteners

such as evaporated cane juice. Check with your healthcare practitioner

for more information.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

www.alaskawellness.com - This is a link to Alaska Wellness Magazine's

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