Aspartame - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

[Guest guest]

My Comment: Aspartame is a sugar substitute that goes by several barnd

names - NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure are a few.

 

Aspartame - What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

_http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm_

(http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm)

 

 

Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is

added to foods. Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names

NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. It was discovered by accident

in

1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an

anti-ulcer drug.

 

 

Aspartame was approved for dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages

in 1983. It was originally approved for dry goods on July 26, 1974, but

objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W. Olney and Consumer

attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D. Searle's

research practices caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to

put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto

purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company

separate subsidiaries.

 

 

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food

additives reported to the FDA. Many of these reactions are very serious

including seizures and death.(1) A few of the 90 different documented symptoms

listed in the report as being caused by aspartame include:

Headaches/migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms,

weight gain,

rashes, depression, fatigue, irritability, tachycardia, insomnia, vision

problems, hearing loss, heart palpitations, breathing difficulties, anxiety

attacks, slurred speech, loss of taste, tinnitus, vertigo, memory loss, and

joint pain.

 

 

According to researchers and physicians studying the adverse effects of

aspartame, the following chronic illnesses can be triggered or worsened by

ingesting of aspartame:(2) Brain tumors, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy,

chronic fatigue syndrome, parkinson's disease, alzheimer's, mental retardation,

lymphoma, birth defects, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.

 

 

Aspartame is made up of three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and

methanol. The book " Prescription for Nutritional Healing, " by James and

Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of " chemical poison. " As

you shall see, that is exactly what it is.

 

 

What Is Aspartame Made Of?

 

 

Aspartic Acid (40 percent of Aspartame)

 

Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical

University of Mississippi, recently published a book thoroughly detailing the

damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from

aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how

excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid

(about 99 percent of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is glutamic acid) in our food

supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of

other acute symptoms.(3)

 

 

How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage

 

Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by

facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much

aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx

of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of

free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be

caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as

" excitotoxins. " They " excite " or stimulate the neural cells to death.

 

 

Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to

proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and

glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after

ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor)

leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the

brain.

 

 

The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from

excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed

during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is

damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of

excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.

 

 

The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. The

large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of

the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are

noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be

contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:

 

 

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

ALS

Memory loss

Hormonal problems

Hearing loss

Epilepsy

Alzheimer's disease

Parkinson's disease

Hypoglycemia

AIDS

Dementia

Brain lesions

Neuroendocrine disorders

 

 

The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons

with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the

Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which

usually understates problems and mimics the FDA party-line, recently stated in

a

review that:

 

 

" It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid

by pregnant women, infants, and children. The existence of evidence of

potential endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and

differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a

neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by

women

of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders. " (4)

 

 

Aspartic acid from aspartame has the same deleterious effects on the body

as glutamic acid.

 

 

The exact mechanism of acute reactions to excess free glutamate and

aspartate is currently being debated. As reported to the FDA, those reactions

include:(5)

 

 

Headaches/migraines

Nausea

Abdominal pains

Fatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain)

Sleep problems

Vision problems

Anxiety attacks

Depression

Asthma/chest tightness.

 

 

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is

memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of

aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by

excitatory

amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who

are concerned about excitatory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of

aspartame and MSG.

 

 

A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage being

caused by aspartate and glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., an

experimental psychologist specializing in research design. Another is Olney, a

professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington

University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost

authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid

caused holes in the brains of mice.)

 

 

Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)

 

Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with

the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine.

This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain

(sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially

along

with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain

even in persons who do not have PKU.

 

 

This is not just a theory, as many people who have eaten large amounts of

aspartame over a long period of time and do not have PKU have been shown to

have excessive levels of phenylalanine in the blood. Excessive levels of

phenylalanine in the brain can cause the levels of seratonin in the brain to

decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression. It was shown

in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased

significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.(6)

 

 

Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In

his testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high

blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is

especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine

is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by humans.(7)

 

 

One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by

aspartame was recently published the " Wednesday Journal " in an article titled

" An Aspartame Nightmare. " John Cook began drinking six to eight diet drinks

every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss and frequent headaches.

He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened drinks. His condition

deteriorated so much that he experienced wide mood swings and violent rages.

Even

though he did not suffer from PKU, a blood test revealed a phenylalanine

level of 80 mg/dl. He also showed abnormal brain function and brain damage.

After he kicked his aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.(8)

 

 

As Blaylock points out in his book, early studies measuring phenylalanine

buildup in the brain were flawed. Investigators who measured specific brain

regions and not the average throughout the brain notice significant rises

in phenylalanine levels. Specifically the hypothalamus, medulla oblongata,

and corpus striatum areas of the brain had the largest increases in

phenylalanine. Blaylock goes on to point out that excessive buildup of

phenylalanine in the brain can cause schizophrenia or make one more susceptible

to

seizures.

 

 

Therefore, long-term, excessive use of aspartame may provid a boost to

sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control

schizophrenia and seizures.

 

 

Methanol (aka wood alcohol/poison) (10 percent of aspartame)

 

Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. Some people may remember

methanol as 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. " They 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.(9)

 

 

Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing,

dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills,

memory

lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral

disturbances, and neuritis. The most well known problems from methanol

poisoning

are vision problems including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual

fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and

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

interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects.(10)

 

 

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. " (11)

 

 

He was so concerned about the unresolved safety issues that he filed suit

with the FDA requesting a hearing to address these issues. He asked the FDA

to " slow down on this soft drink issue long enough to answer some of the

important questions. It's not fair that you are leaving the full burden of

proof on the few of us who are concerned and have such limited resources. You

must remember that you are the American public's last defense. Once you

allow usage (of aspartame) there is literally nothing I or my colleagues can

do to reverse the course. Aspartame will then join saccharin, the sulfiting

agents, and God knows how many other questionable compounds enjoined to

insult the human constitution with governmental approval. " (10) Shortly

thereafter, the Commissioner of the FDA, Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., approved the

use

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

G.D. Searle's public relations firm.(11)

 

 

It has been pointed out that some fruit juices and alcoholic beverages

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

methanol never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in

much higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in

humans.(9) 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 (discussed below) 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 degree F (30 degree C).

 

 

Diketopiperazine (DKP)

 

DKP is a byproduct of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in the

occurrence of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the

gut, produced a compound that was similar to N-nitrosourea, a powerful

brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors have said that DKP is produced

after aspartame ingestion. I am not sure if that is correct. It is definitely

true that DKP is formed in liquid aspartame-containing products during

prolonged storage.

 

 

G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA

found numerous experimental errors occurred, including " clerical errors,

mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed to get,

pathological specimens lost because of improper handling, " and many other

errors.(12) These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both the test and

control animals had sixteen times more brain tumors than would be expected in

experiments of this length.

 

 

In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were

discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommended by G.D. Searle to develop the

industry-wide FDA standards for good laboratory practices.(11)

 

 

DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes in

blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr. Jacqueline Verrett in her

testimony before the U.S. Senate.(13)

 

 

References

 

 

(1) Department of Health and Human Services, Report on All Adverse

Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System, (February 25 and 28,

1994).

(2) Compiled by researchers, physicians, and artificial sweetner experts

for Mission Possible, a group dedicated to warning consumers about

aspartame.

(3) Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills, by Russell L. Blaylock, M.D.

(4) Safety of Amino Acids, Life Sciences Research Office, FASEB, FDA

Contract No. 223-88-2124, Task Order No. 8.

(5) FDA Adverse Reaction Monitoring System.

(6) Wurtman and Walker, " Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function, "

Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Dietary Phenylalanine and

Brain

Function., Washington, D.C., May 8, 1987.

(7) Hearing Before the Committee On Labor and Human Resources United

States Senate, First Session on Examing the Health and Safety Concerns of

Nutrasweet (Aspartame).

(8) Account of John Cook as published in Informed Consent Magazine. " How

Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner " by Barbara Mullarkey, September/October

1994.

(9) Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D., R.D., " Aspartame: Methanol and the Public

Health, " Journal of Applied Nutrition, 36 (1): 42-53.

(10) US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, No. 84-1153

Community Nutrition Institute and Dr Woodrow Monte v. Dr Mark Novitch,

Acting Commissioner, US FDA (9/24/85).

(11) Aspartame Time Line by Barbara Mullarkey as published in Informed

Consent Magazine, May/June 1994.

(12) FDA Searle Investigation Task Force. " Final Report of Investigation

of G.D. Searle Company. " (March 24, 1976)

(13) Testimony of Dr Jacqueline Verrett, FDA Toxicologist before the US

Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, (November 3, 1987).

(http://www.papercut.biz/emailStripper.htm)