Politics and Medicine - 7-Up's Audacious New Ads Exceed Outrageous Limits-FTC does nothing

Author

7-Up's Audacious New Ads Exceed Outrageous Limits-FTC does nothing

Jan Drew

2006-10-14, 9:34 pm

http://www.mercola.com/2006/sep/28/...eous_limits.htm

A few months ago, I warned you about the deceptive reformulation of
7-Up, allowing soft-drink manufacturer Cadbury Schweppes to market their
uncool "Uncola" as a natural product.

Despite warnings to the contrary and the threat of a lawsuit from the
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 7-Up sales have risen an amazing
18 percent since the campaign began nearly four months ago versus the
previous year.

No wonder, considering this deceptive advertising campaign shows
people treating 7-Up products like natural produce (picked from trees in an
orchard or treated like a fruit in your neighborhood grocery store's produce
department).

It is very clear the food industry continually seeks to manipulate and
deceive you so you will purchase their conveniently tasty wares to make them
richer and you sicker. Typically, it is a bit more subtle and less obvious
than the blatant attempts by Young and Rubicam to capitalize on natural
foods.

7-Up has clearly gone over the edge with their blatant and fraudulent
attempt to gain market share. It is shocking to me that the FTC doesn't slap
them with the huge fines they deserve for this deception. Fortunately, we
don't need the FTC to punish them. We can do it.

I don't believe anyone can justify drinking soda, and hopefully those
of you who are reading this don't drink any, but I'm sure you know someone
who does, which is why Cadbury Schweppes' actions clearly call for a
boycott.

Of course, soft drink companies won't tell you consuming one extra can
a day over the course of a year can add up to 15 pounds. Nor do they mention
their products displaced white bread as the leading source of calories in
the American diet last year.

Fortunately, making the switch from soft drinks to pure water is one
of the best and easiest steps you can make to improve your health. Because
soft drinks can be as addictive as nicotine, making quitting all the harder,
I encourage you to learn Turbo Tapping, a modification of the Emotional
Freedom Technique that can speed up your transition to healthier living.

7-Up's Audacious New Ads Exceed Outrageous Limits

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Articles:

The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop

Soda Causing Nutritional Deficiencies in Children

Another Reason Sodas Cause Cancer

2006-10-16, 2:31 am

Jan Drew wrote:
> http://www.mercola.com/2006/sep/28/...eous_limits.htm
>
> A few months ago, I warned you about the deceptive reformulation of
> 7-Up, allowing soft-drink manufacturer Cadbury Schweppes to market their
> uncool "Uncola" as a natural product.
>
> Despite warnings to the contrary and the threat of a lawsuit from the
> Center for Science in the Public Interest, 7-Up sales have risen an amazing
> 18 percent since the campaign began nearly four months ago versus the
> previous year.
>
> No wonder, considering this deceptive advertising campaign shows
> people treating 7-Up products like natural produce (picked from trees in an
> orchard or treated like a fruit in your neighborhood grocery store's produce
> department).
>
> It is very clear the food industry continually seeks to manipulate and
> deceive you so you will purchase their conveniently tasty wares to make them
> richer and you sicker. Typically, it is a bit more subtle and less obvious
> than the blatant attempts by Young and Rubicam to capitalize on natural
> foods.
>
> 7-Up has clearly gone over the edge with their blatant and fraudulent
> attempt to gain market share. It is shocking to me that the FTC doesn't slap
> them with the huge fines they deserve for this deception. Fortunately, we
> don't need the FTC to punish them. We can do it.
>
> I don't believe anyone can justify drinking soda, and hopefully those
> of you who are reading this don't drink any, but I'm sure you know someone
> who does, which is why Cadbury Schweppes' actions clearly call for a
> boycott.
>
> Of course, soft drink companies won't tell you consuming one extra can
> a day over the course of a year can add up to 15 pounds. Nor do they mention
> their products displaced white bread as the leading source of calories in
> the American diet last year.
>
> Fortunately, making the switch from soft drinks to pure water is one
> of the best and easiest steps you can make to improve your health. Because
> soft drinks can be as addictive as nicotine, making quitting all the harder,
> I encourage you to learn Turbo Tapping, a modification of the Emotional
> Freedom Technique that can speed up your transition to healthier living.
>
>
> 7-Up's Audacious New Ads Exceed Outrageous Limits
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Related Articles:
>
>
> The Amazing Statistics and Dangers of Soda Pop
>
> Soda Causing Nutritional Deficiencies in Children
>
> Another Reason Sodas Cause Cancer

Bowcatz

2006-10-16, 9:35 pm

7 Up is sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. HFCS is not a natural
substance. It's jacked up corn syrup full of enzymes that's fermented. Bad
for your liver. Bad for your health. Bad for you sufferers of GERD or acid
reflux, as some call it.HFCS increases appetite, so you eat and eat and
don't understand why you have an unnatural appetite. When natural corn syrup
was first introduced in the early 1900's, the appetite inducing factor was
one of its selling points. A simple search engine looksee will help you find
links condemning HFCS.

Bowcatz

2006-10-16, 9:35 pm

http://www.thenutritionreporter.com...se_dangers.html

Hope the above link helps explain the dangers of HFCS.

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

"Bowcatz" <bowhunter154@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:ZLWYg.69$um6.50@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>7 Up is sweetened with High Fructose Corn Syrup. HFCS is not a natural
>substance. It's jacked up corn syrup full of enzymes that's fermented. Bad
>for your liver. Bad for your health. Bad for you sufferers of GERD or acid
>reflux, as some call it.HFCS increases appetite, so you eat and eat and
>don't understand why you have an unnatural appetite. When natural corn
>syrup was first introduced in the early 1900's, the appetite inducing
>factor was one of its selling points. A simple search engine looksee will
>help you find links condemning HFCS.

Exactly.

Jeff

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

"Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:BpXYg.18502$7I1.10366@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> "Bowcatz" <bowhunter154@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:ZLWYg.69$um6.50@tornado.texas.rr.com...
>
> Exactly.

Actually, I don't think fermentation is part of the making of HFCS. One of
the enzymes comes from a mold (aspergillus) when that mold is fermented, but
HFCS itself is not fermented, as far as I can tell.

Chemically, HFCS is just corn starch enzymatically broken down with natural
enzymes. I don't see whether it is "natural" or not matters. HFCS also
contains 45% glucose. If you got the fructose and glucose from apple juice,
chemically it would be identical.

What matters is that HFCS and other forms of sugar are unhealthy additions
to our diets.

That's why I always drink diet drinks.

Jeff

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

"Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:0FXYg.14724$UG4.6012@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:BpXYg.18502$7I1.10366@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> Actually, I don't think fermentation is part of the making of HFCS. One of
> the enzymes comes from a mold (aspergillus) when that mold is fermented,
> but HFCS itself is not fermented, as far as I can tell.
>
> Chemically, HFCS is just corn starch enzymatically broken down with
> natural enzymes. I don't see whether it is "natural" or not matters. HFCS
> also contains 45% glucose. If you got the fructose and glucose from apple
> juice, chemically it would be identical.
>
> What matters is that HFCS and other forms of sugar are unhealthy additions
> to our diets.
>
> That's why I always drink diet drinks.
>
> Jeff
>

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

Peter Bowditch

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

"Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote:

>
>"Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>news:0FXYg.14724$UG4.6012@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>So you ignore the Warning on Artificial Sweeteners.
>

If Jeff doesn't have PKU then of course he can ignore the warnings.
Why not? Just because Betty Martini is mad it doesn't mean that
everyone else has to be mad too.

I only use artificial sweeteners, and I'm not blind or lame.
--
Peter Bowditch aa #2243
The Millenium Project http://www.ratbags.com/rsoles
Australian Council Against Health Fraud http://www.acahf.org.au
Australian Skeptics http://www.skeptics.com.au
To email me use my first name only at ratbags.com

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 2:30 am

"Peter Bowditch" <myfirstname@ratbags.com> wrote in message
news:l6o8j2h2r7pq5ko6ri6vgjhpqn5thfl0oh@4ax.com...
> "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
>
>

[ ]
>
> I only use artificial sweeteners
> Peter Bowditch

Sure you do, you also ignore the warnings of them.

Drivel deleted.

Mark Probert

2006-10-17, 4:28 pm

Peter Bowditch wrote:

> If Jeff doesn't have PKU then of course he can ignore the warnings.
> Why not? Just because Betty Martini is mad it doesn't mean that
> everyone else has to be mad too.
>
> I only use artificial sweeteners, and I'm not blind or lame.

Betty (She's had one too many) Martini was bleating and braying years
ago about how aspartame makes people blind. I have yet to see an
epidemic of blind people.

Of course, in my town we have had a recent influx of people who are
blind. However, I attribute it to the installation of the audible
traffic signals across a major road. They are the only ones for miles in
either direction.

Vernon

2006-10-17, 4:28 pm

Jeff

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

"Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:v_XYg.18521$7I1.11792@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> "Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:0FXYg.14724$UG4.6012@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> So you ignore the Warning on Artificial Sweeteners.

No, I haven't. I have read the warnings carefully and evaluated them. I have
found the warnings to be without merit. Aspartame have been, IMHO, proven to
be safe in the quantities I use.

Jeff

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

Ooops, UDP failed again.

*I* posted this thread title.

"Mark Probert" <markprobert@lumbercartel.com> wrote in message
news:YW4Zg.4870$IW6.1150@trndny01...
> Peter Bowditch wrote:
>
>
> Betty (She's had one too many) Martini was bleating and braying years ago
> about how aspartame makes people blind. I have yet to see an epidemic of
> blind people.
>
> Of course, in my town we have had a recent influx of people who are blind.
> However, I attribute it to the installation of the audible traffic signals
> across a major road. They are the only ones for miles in either direction.
>
>

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

"Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:L_bZg.8411$Lv3.4112@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:v_XYg.18521$7I1.11792@newssvr27.news.prodigy.net...
>
> No, I haven't. I have read the warnings carefully and evaluated them. I
> have found the warnings to be without merit. Aspartame have been, IMHO,
> proven to be safe in the quantities I use.
>
> Jeff
>
Some opinion are better than others.

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aspartame.html

THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT
ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Aspartame sugar substitutes cause worrying symptoms from memory loss to
brain tumours. But despite US FDA approval as a 'safe' food additive,
aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever to be foisted upon an
unsuspecting public.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Extracted from Nexus Magazine,Volume 2, #28 (Oct-Nov '95) and Volume 3, #1
(Dec '95-Jan '96).
PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@nexusmagazine.com
Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

© 1995 by Mark D. Gold, 35 Inman St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
Phone: (617) 497 7843,
E-mail: mgold@holisticmed.com
Web page: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

Originally published in Blazing Tattles, Vol. 4, Nos. 4, 5, 6, April-June
1995
PO Box 1073, Half Moon Bay,
CA 94019 USA.
Email: blazing@igc.apc.org
www.concentric.net/~blazingt

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names, NutraSweet, Equal,
Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame 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 US 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 is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is
added to foods. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse
reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death
as recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department of Health and Human
Services report.(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.

ASPARTIC ACID (40% 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. [Ninety nine percent of monosodium glutamate 9MSG) is glutamic
acid. The damage it causes is also documented in Blaylock's book.] Blaylock
makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free
excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid in our food
supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of
other acute symptoms.(3)

SUMMARY OF HOW ASPARTATE (AND GLUTAMATE) CAUSE DAMAGE
Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by
facilitating the transmittion 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%+) 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 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 lessions, and 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 mimmicks 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, and 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
excititory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and
physicians who are concerned about excititory 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 brain of
mice.) Also included is Francis J. Waickman, M.D., a recipient of the Rinkel
and Forman Awards, and Board certified in Pediatrics, Allergy, and
Immunology.

Other concerned scientists include: John R. Hain, M.D., Board Certified
Forensic Pathologist, and H.J. Roberts, M.D., FACP, FCCP, Diabetic
Specialist, and selected by a national medical publication as "The Best
Doctor in the US"

John Samuels is concerned, also. He compiled a list of scientific research
sufficient to show the dangers of ingesting excess free glutamic and
aspartic acid.

And there are many more who can be added to this long list.

PHENYLALANINE (50% 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 US
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 the "Wednesday Journal" in an article
entitled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking 6 to 8 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 provided a boost to
sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control
schizophrenia and seizures.

METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON) (10% 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." 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.(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 knowm 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. Formaldehye is a known carcinogen, causes
retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication, 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 degrees F (30 degrees C).

DIKETOPIPERAZINE (DKP)
DKP is a by-product of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in the
occurance of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the
gut, produced a compound which 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
definately 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 occured, 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 recommened by
G.D. Searle to devlop the Industry-wide FDA standards for Good Laboratory
Practies.(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 US Senate.(13)

AILMENTS RESULTING FROM ASPARTAME
The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some of
these problems occur gradually, others are immediate, acute reactions. There
is an enormous population of people who are suffering from symtpoms
contributed to by aspartame, yet they have no idea why herbs or drugs are
not helping relieve their problems. There are other users of aspartame who
appear not to be suffering immediate reactions to aspartame. But even these
individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by excitatory
amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP. A few of the many disorders
that are of particular concern to me include the following.

Birth Defects.
Dr Diana Dow Edwards, a researcher was funded by Monsanto to study possible
birth defects caused by the ingestion of aspartame. After preliminary data
showed damaging information about aspartame, funding for the study was cut
off. A Gentetic Pediatrician at Emory university has testified that
aspartame is causing birth defects.7360-367.

In the book, While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook by George R. Verrilli, M.D.
and Anne Marie Mueser, it is stated that aspartame is suspected of causing
brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus may be at risk for these
effects. Some researchers have suggested that high doses of aspartame may be
associated with problems ranging from dizziness and subtle brain changes to
mental retardation.

Cancer (Brain Cancer).
In 1981, Satya Dubey, an FDA statistician, stated that the brain tumor data
on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval of
NutraSweet.(14) In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of
aspartame, twelve of the 320 rats fed a normal diet and aspartame developed
brain tumors while none of the control rats had tumors. Five of the twelve
tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame.(15) The approval of
aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment which was supposed to
prevent cancer-causing substances such as methanol (formaldehye) and DKP
from entering our food supply. The late Dr Adrian Gross, an FDA
toxicologist, testified before the US Congress that aspartame was capable of
producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for the FDA to set an allowable
daily intake at any level. He stated in his testimony that Searle's studies
were "to a large extent unreliable" and that "at least one of those studies
has established beyond any reasonable doubt that aspartame is capable of
inducing brain tumors in experimental animals...." He concluded his
testimony by asking, "What is the reason for the apparent refusal by the FDA
to invoke for this food additive the so-called Delaney Amendment to the
Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? .... And if the FDA itself elects to violate
the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?"(16)

In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame
falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to cut
tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another technique
used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had actually died as
surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was likely worse than
discussed above. In addition, a former employee of the manufacturer of
aspartame, Raymond Schroeder told the FDA on July 13, 1977 that the
particles of DKP were so large that the rats could dicriminate between the
DKP and their normal diet.(12)

It is interesting to note that the incidence of brain tumors in persons over
65 years of age has increase 67% between the years 1973 and 1990. Brain
tumors in all age groups has jumped 10%. The greatest increase has come
during the years 1985-1987.(17)

In his book, Aspartame (NutraSweet). Is it Safe?, Roberts gives evidence
that aspartame can cause a particularly dangerous form of cancer - primary
lymphoma of the brain.

Diabetes.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this
chemical poison to persons with diabetes. According to research conducted by
H.J. Roberts, a diabetes specialist, a member of the ADA, and an authority
on artificial sweetners, aspartame:
1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes.
2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diebetics on insulin or oral drugs.
3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy,
cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis.
4) Causes convulsions.

In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartain by
persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, Roberts says: "Unfortunately, many
patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed serious
metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be specifically
attributed to using aspartame products. This was evidenced by:
"The loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia, the
occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that
proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or
simulation of diabetic complications (especially impaired vision and
neuropathy) while using these products.

"Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and the
prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed
aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently."

Roberts goes on to say:
"I regret the failure of other physicians and the American Diabetes
Association (ADA) to sound appropriate warnings to patients and consumers
based on these repeated findings which have been described in my
corporate-neutral studies and publications."

Blaylock stated that excitotoxins such as that found in aspartame can
precipitate diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the
disease.(5)

Emotional Disorders.
A double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood
disorders was recently conducted by Dr Ralph G. Walton. Since the study
wasn't funded/controlled by the makers of aspartame, The NutraSweet Company
refused to sell him the aspartame. Walton was forced to obtain and certify
it from an outside source.

The study showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking
aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the Institutional
Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the participants had said that
they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Walton concludes that "individuals
with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this artificial sweetener;
its use in this population should be discouraged."(18) Aware that the
experiment could not be repeated because of the danger to the test subjects,
Walton was recently quoted as saying, "I know it causes seizures. I'm
convinced also that it definitely causes behavioral changes. I'm very angry
that this substance is on the market. I personally question the reliability
and validity of any studies funded by the NutraSweet Company."(19)

There are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels, depression
and other emotional disorders that have been linked to aspartame and often
are relieved by stopping the intake of aspartame. Researchers have pointed
out that increasing in phenylalanine levels in the brain, which can and does
occur in persons without PKU, leads to a decreased level of the
neurotransmitter, serotonin, which leads to a variety of emotional
disorders. Dr William M. Pardridge of UCLA testified before the US Senate
that a youth drinking four 16-ounce bottles of diet soda per day leads to an
enormous increase in the phenylalanine level.

Epilepsy/Seizures.
With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is sad
to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of aspartame.
At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 80 people who had suffered
seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed. Community Nutrition
Institute concluded the following about the survey:

"These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to the
public health, which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a product from
the market."

Both the Air Force's magazine Flying Safety and the Navy's magazine, Navy
Physiology published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame
including the cumlative deliterious effects of methanol and the greater
likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of
aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo. Twenty
articles sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while flying have also
appeared in the National Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA Digest
1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer (1988),
Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988), General
Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane and Pilot
(1990) and a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th Annual
Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).

Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute reactions to
aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported symptoms including some
who have reported suffering grand mal seizures in the cockpit due to
aspartame.(21)

One of the original studies on aspartame was performed in 1969 by an
independent scientist, Dr Harry Waisman. He studied the effects of aspartame
on infant primates. Out of the seven infant monkeys, one died after 300 days
and five others had grand mal seizures. Of course, these negative findings
were not submitted to the FDA during the approval process.(22)

Why don't we hear about these things?

The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to aspartame is
twofold:
1) Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused diseases
are not reported in the newspapers like plane crashes. This is because these
incidents occur one at a time in thousands of different locations across the
US.
2) Most people do not associate their symptoms with the long-term use of
aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage of the
brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no way that they
would normally associate such an illness with aspartame consumption. How
aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical
companies can manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe"
organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, and flood the
scientific community with flawed and fraudulent industry-sponsored studies
funded by the makers of aspartame.

Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of Sussex
University has compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of which have
been obtained using the freedom of information act 23, showing:
1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed.
2. Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were "restored
to life" in laboratory records.
3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA.
4. The two US Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges against the
aspartame manufacturer took positions with the manufacturer's law firm,
letting the statute of limitations run out.
5. The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's own
scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that decision, he took a position
with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of public relations for G.D.
Searle.

A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were three
scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to the approval
of aspartame. They voted unanimously against aspartame's approval. The FDA
Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. then created a 5-person Scientific
Commission to review the PBOI findings. After it became clear that the
Commission would uphold the PBOI's decision by a vote of 3 to 2, another
person was added to the Commission, creating a deadlocked vote. This allowed
the FDA Commissioner to break the deadlock and approve aspartame for dry
goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the Senior Scientist in an FDA Bureau
of Foods review team created in August 1977 to review the Bressler Report (a
report that detailed G.D. Searle's abuses during the pre-approval testing)
said:
"It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau officials
were working up to a whitewash." In 1987, Verrett testified before the US
Senate stating that the experiments conducted by Searle were a "disaster."
She stated that her team was instructed not to comment on or be concerned
with the overall validity of the studies. She stated that questions about
birth defects have not been answered. She continued her testimony by
discussing the fact that DKP has been shown to increase uterine polyps and
change blood cholesterol and that increasing the temperature of the product
leads to an increase in production of DKP.(13)

Revolving doors
The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a rovolving door of
employment for many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and two US
Attorneys leaving to take positions with companies connected with G.D.
Searle, four other FDA officials connected with the approval of aspartame
took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979 and 1982
including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the Special Assistant to the FDA
Commissioner, the Associate Director of the Bureau of Foods and Toxicology
and the Attorney involved with the Public Board of Inquiry.(24)

It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity has
been going on for decades. The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92) reported
on a study revealing that 37 of 49 top FDA officials who left the FDA took
positions with companies they had regulated. They also reported that over
150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies they were assigned to
manage. Many organizations and universities receive large sums of money from
companies connected to the NutraSweet Association, a group of companies
promoting the use of aspartame. In January 1993, the American Dietetic
Association received a US$75,000 grant from the NutraSweet Company. The
American Dietetic Association has stated that the NutraSweet Company writes
their "Facts" sheets.(25)

Many other "independent" organizations and researchers receive large sums of
money from the manufacturers of aspartame. The American Diabetes Association
has received a large amount of money from Nutrasweet, including money to run
a cooking school in Chicago (presumably to teach diabetes how to use
Nutrasweet in their cooking).

A researcher in New England who has pointed out the dangers of aspartame in
the past is now a Monsanto consultant. Another researcher in the
Southeastern US had testified about the dangers of aspartame on fetuses. An
investigative reporter has discovered that he was told to keep his mouth
shut to avoid causing the loss of a large grant from a diet cola
manufacturer in the NutraSweet Association.

What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of aspartame?
Less than nothing.

In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages, breakfast
cereals, and refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the FDA approved
aspartame for use in hard and soft candies, non-alcoholic favored beverages,
tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked goods and baking mixes,
and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods.

In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of stevia. The powder of the leaf
has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative sweetner. It is used
widely in Japan with no adverse effects. Scientists involved in reviewing
stevia have declared it to be safe for human consumption - something which
has been well known in many parts of the world where it is not banned.
Everyone that I have spoken with in regards to this issue believes that
stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the US and cutting
into sales of aspartame.(26)

What is the US Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of
aspartame? Nothing.

What is the US Administration (President) doing to protect the consumer from
the dangers of aspartame? Nothing.

Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the US. It is being sold in
over 70 countries throughout the world.

ASPARTAME CAN BE FOUND IN:
- instant breakfasts
- breath mints
- cereals
- sugar-free chewing gum
- cocoa mixes
- coffee beverages
- frozen desserts
- gelatin desserts
- juice beverages
- laxatives
- multivitamins
- milk drinks
- pharmaceuticals and supplements
- shake mixes
- soft drinks
- tabletop sweeteners
- tea beverages
- instant teas and coffees
- topping mixes
- wine coolers
- yogurt

I have been told that aspartame has been found in products where it is not
listed on the label. One must be particular careful of pharmaceuticals and
supplements. I have been informed that even some supplements made by
well-known supplement manufacturers such as Twinlabs contain aspartame.

The information I have related above is just the tip of the iceberg as far
as damaging information about aspartame. In order for the reader to find out
more, I have included some resources below.

BOOKS:
a.. Blaylock, Russell L., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (Health
Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1994). One of the best books available on
excitotoxins. Well worth reading!

b.. H. J. Roberts, M.D., Aspartame (NutraSweet), Is it Safe? Available
from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.

c.. Sweet'ner Dearest, Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety
Network

d.. Mary Nash Stoddard, The Deadly Deception, Available from the Aspartame
Consumer Safety Network.

e.. Barbara Mullarkey, Editor, Bittersweet Aspartame - A Diet Delusion,

f.. Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.

g.. The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, The Aspartame Consumer Safety
Network Synopsis.

h.. Dennis Remington, M.D. and Barbara Higa, R.D., The Bitter Truth About
Artificial Sweetners, Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
ASPARTAME CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK
PO Box 780634
Dallas, Texas 75378, USA.
Phone: (214) 352-4268

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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).
(14) Internal FDA memorandum.
(15) Analysis prepared by Dr John Olney as a statement before the Aspartame
Board of Inquire of the FDA. Also Excitotoxins by Russell Blaylock, M.D.
(16) Congressional Record SID835: 131 (August 1, 1985)
(17) National Cancer Institute SEER Program Data.
(18) Walton, Ralph G., Robert Hudak, Ruth Green-Waite "Adverse Reactions to
Aspartame: Double-Blind Challenge in Patients from a Vulnerable Population,"
Biological Psychiatry, 1993:34:13-17.
(19) Barbara Mullarkey, "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner,"
September/October 1994 issue of Informed Consent Magazine.
(20) US Air Force. "Aspartame Alert." Flying Safety, 48 (5): 20-21 (May
1992).
(21) Reported by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
(22) Barbara Mullarkey, Bittersweet Aspartame, A Diet Delusion.
(23) Millstone, Eric "Sweet and Sour." The Ecologist, 25 (March/April 1994).
(24) Mary Nash Stoddard, Editor, "The Deadly Deception," Aspartame Consumer
Safety Network.
(25) ADA Courier, January 1993, Volume 32, Number 1. (26) "FDA Rejects AHPA
Stevia Petition" by Mark Blumenthal, Whole Foods, April 1994.

Jeff

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

"Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:vBeZg.14985$vJ2.4750@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
>
> "Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:L_bZg.8411$Lv3.4112@newsread1.news.pas.earthlink.net...
> Some opinion are better than others.
>
> http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aspartame.html

How about peer-reviewed research that shows that aspartame is dangerous?

Jeff

<copyrighted material / garbage deleted>

BrentB

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

Jeff wrote:

>
> How about peer-reviewed research that shows that aspartame is dangerous?
>
> Jeff
>
> <copyrighted material / garbage deleted>

The cry of the corporate thieves because only they have the ability to
publish.

Jan Drew

2006-10-17, 9:34 pm

"Jeff" <jeff@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:YnfZg.15380$UG4.6136@newsread2.news.pas.earthlink.net...
>
> "Jan Drew" <jdrew1374@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
> news:vBeZg.14985$vJ2.4750@newssvr12.news.prodigy.com...
>
> How about peer-reviewed research that shows that aspartame is dangerous?
>
> Jeff

FACTS:

> http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/aspartame.html
>
> THE BITTER TRUTH ABOUT
> ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
> Aspartame sugar substitutes cause worrying symptoms from memory loss to
> brain tumours. But despite US FDA approval as a 'safe' food additive,
> aspartame is one of the most dangerous substances ever to be foisted upon
> an unsuspecting public.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Extracted from Nexus Magazine,Volume 2, #28 (Oct-Nov '95) and Volume 3, #1
> (Dec '95-Jan '96).
> PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor@nexusmagazine.com
> Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381
> From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com
>
> © 1995 by Mark D. Gold, 35 Inman St, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
> Phone: (617) 497 7843,
> E-mail: mgold@holisticmed.com
> Web page: http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
>
> Originally published in Blazing Tattles, Vol. 4, Nos. 4, 5, 6, April-June
> 1995
> PO Box 1073, Half Moon Bay,
> CA 94019 USA.
> Email: blazing@igc.apc.org
> www.concentric.net/~blazingt
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names, NutraSweet, Equal,
> Spoonful, and Equal-Measure. Aspartame 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 US 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 is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is
> added to foods. Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse
> reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug
> Administration (FDA). Many of these reactions are very serious including
> seizures and death as recently disclosed in a February 1994 Department of
> Health and Human Services report.(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.
>
> ASPARTIC ACID (40% 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. [Ninety nine percent of monosodium glutamate 9MSG) is glutamic
> acid. The damage it causes is also documented in Blaylock's book.]
> Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess
> free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid in our
> food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a
> myriad of other acute symptoms.(3)
>
> SUMMARY OF HOW ASPARTATE (AND GLUTAMATE) CAUSE DAMAGE
> Aspartate and glutamate act as neurotransmitters in the brain by
> facilitating the transmittion 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%+) 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 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 lessions, and 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 mimmicks 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, and 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
> excititory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and
> physicians who are concerned about excititory 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 brain of mice.) Also included is Francis J. Waickman, M.D., a
> recipient of the Rinkel and Forman Awards, and Board certified in
> Pediatrics, Allergy, and Immunology.
>
> Other concerned scientists include: John R. Hain, M.D., Board Certified
> Forensic Pathologist, and H.J. Roberts, M.D., FACP, FCCP, Diabetic
> Specialist, and selected by a national medical publication as "The Best
> Doctor in the US"
>
> John Samuels is concerned, also. He compiled a list of scientific research
> sufficient to show the dangers of ingesting excess free glutamic and
> aspartic acid.
>
> And there are many more who can be added to this long list.
>
> PHENYLALANINE (50% 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 US 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 the "Wednesday Journal" in an article
> entitled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook began drinking 6 to 8 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 provided a boost to
> sales of seratonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control
> schizophrenia and seizures.
>
> METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON) (10% 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." 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.(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 knowm 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. Formaldehye is a known carcinogen, causes
> retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication, 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 degrees F (30 degrees C).
>
> DIKETOPIPERAZINE (DKP)
> DKP is a by-product of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in
> the occurance of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in
> the gut, produced a compound which 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 definately 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 occured, 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
> recommened by G.D. Searle to devlop the Industry-wide FDA standards for
> Good Laboratory Practies.(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 US Senate.(13)
>
> AILMENTS RESULTING FROM ASPARTAME
> The components of aspartame can lead to a wide variety of ailments. Some
> of these problems occur gradually, others are immediate, acute reactions.
> There is an enormous population of people who are suffering from symtpoms
> contributed to by aspartame, yet they have no idea why herbs or drugs are
> not helping relieve their problems. There are other users of aspartame who
> appear not to be suffering immediate reactions to aspartame. But even
> these individuals are susceptible to the long-term damage caused by
> excitatory amino acids, phenylalanine, methanol, and DKP. A few of the
> many disorders that are of particular concern to me include the following.
>
> Birth Defects.
> Dr Diana Dow Edwards, a researcher was funded by Monsanto to study
> possible birth defects caused by the ingestion of aspartame. After
> preliminary data showed damaging information about aspartame, funding for
> the study was cut off. A Gentetic Pediatrician at Emory university has
> testified that aspartame is causing birth defects.7360-367.
>
> In the book, While Waiting: A Prenatal Guidebook by George R. Verrilli,
> M.D. and Anne Marie Mueser, it is stated that aspartame is suspected of
> causing brain damage in sensitive individuals. A fetus may be at risk for
> these effects. Some researchers have suggested that high doses of
> aspartame may be associated with problems ranging from dizziness and
> subtle brain changes to mental retardation.
>
> Cancer (Brain Cancer).
> In 1981, Satya Dubey, an FDA statistician, stated that the brain tumor
> data on aspartame was so "worrisome" that he could not recommend approval
> of NutraSweet.(14) In a two-year study conducted by the manufacturer of
> aspartame, twelve of the 320 rats fed a normal diet and aspartame
> developed brain tumors while none of the control rats had tumors. Five of
> the twelve tumors were in rats given a low dose of aspartame.(15) The
> approval of aspartame was a violation of the Delaney Amendment which was
> supposed to prevent cancer-causing substances such as methanol
> (formaldehye) and DKP from entering our food supply. The late Dr Adrian
> Gross, an FDA toxicologist, testified before the US Congress that
> aspartame was capable of producing brain tumors. This made it illegal for
> the FDA to set an allowable daily intake at any level. He stated in his
> testimony that Searle's studies were "to a large extent unreliable" and
> that "at least one of those studies has established beyond any reasonable
> doubt that aspartame is capable of inducing brain tumors in experimental
> animals...." He concluded his testimony by asking, "What is the reason for
> the apparent refusal by the FDA to invoke for this food additive the
> so-called Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act? .... And
> if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the
> health of the public?"(16)
>
> In the mid-1970s it was discovered that the manufacturer of aspartame
> falsified studies in several ways. One of the techniques used was to cut
> tumors out of test animals and put them back in the study. Another
> technique used to falsify the studies was to list animals that had
> actually died as surviving the study. Thus, the data on brain tumors was
> likely worse than discussed above. In addition, a former employee of the
> manufacturer of aspartame, Raymond Schroeder told the FDA on July 13, 1977
> that the particles of DKP were so large that the rats could dicriminate
> between the DKP and their normal diet.(12)
>
> It is interesting to note that the incidence of brain tumors in persons
> over 65 years of age has increase 67% between the years 1973 and 1990.
> Brain tumors in all age groups has jumped 10%. The greatest increase has
> come during the years 1985-1987.(17)
>
> In his book, Aspartame (NutraSweet). Is it Safe?, Roberts gives evidence
> that aspartame can cause a particularly dangerous form of cancer - primary
> lymphoma of the brain.
>
> Diabetes.
> The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is actually recommending this
> chemical poison to persons with diabetes. According to research conducted
> by H.J. Roberts, a diabetes specialist, a member of the ADA, and an
> authority on artificial sweetners, aspartame:
> 1) Leads to the precipitation of clinical diabetes.
> 2) Causes poorer diabetic control in diebetics on insulin or oral drugs.
> 3) Leads to the aggravation of diabetic complications such as retinopathy,
> cataracts, neuropathy and gastroparesis.
> 4) Causes convulsions.
>
> In a statement concerning the use of products containing aspartain by
> persons with diabetes and hypoglycemia, Roberts says: "Unfortunately, many
> patients in my practice, and others seen in consultation, developed
> serious metabolic, neurologic and other complications that could be
> specifically attributed to using aspartame products. This was evidenced
> by:
> "The loss of diabetic control, the intensification of hypoglycemia, the
> occurrence of presumed 'insulin reactions' (including convulsions) that
> proved to be aspartame reactions, and the precipitation, aggravation or
> simulation of diabetic complications (especially impaired vision and
> neuropathy) while using these products.
>
> "Dramatic improvement of such features after avoiding aspartame, and the
> prompt predictable recurrence of these problems when the patient resumed
> aspartame products, knowingly or inadvertently."
>
> Roberts goes on to say:
> "I regret the failure of other physicians and the American Diabetes
> Association (ADA) to sound appropriate warnings to patients and consumers
> based on these repeated findings which have been described in my
> corporate-neutral studies and publications."
>
> Blaylock stated that excitotoxins such as that found in aspartame can
> precipitate diabetes in persons who are genetically susceptible to the
> disease.(5)
>
> Emotional Disorders.
> A double blind study of the effects of aspartame on persons with mood
> disorders was recently conducted by Dr Ralph G. Walton. Since the study
> wasn't funded/controlled by the makers of aspartame, The NutraSweet
> Company refused to sell him the aspartame. Walton was forced to obtain and
> certify it from an outside source.
>
> The study showed a large increase in serious symptoms for persons taking
> aspartame. Since some of the symptoms were so serious, the Institutional
> Review Board had to stop the study. Three of the participants had said
> that they had been "poisoned" by aspartame. Walton concludes that
> "individuals with mood disorders are particularly sensitive to this
> artificial sweetener; its use in this population should be
> discouraged."(18) Aware that the experiment could not be repeated because
> of the danger to the test subjects, Walton was recently quoted as saying,
> "I know it causes seizures. I'm convinced also that it definitely causes
> behavioral changes. I'm very angry that this substance is on the market. I
> personally question the reliability and validity of any studies funded by
> the NutraSweet Company."(19)
>
> There are numerous reported cases of low brain serotonin levels,
> depression and other emotional disorders that have been linked to
> aspartame and often are relieved by stopping the intake of aspartame.
> Researchers have pointed out that increasing in phenylalanine levels in
> the brain, which can and does occur in persons without PKU, leads to a
> decreased level of the neurotransmitter, serotonin, which leads to a
> variety of emotional disorders. Dr William M. Pardridge of UCLA testified
> before the US Senate that a youth drinking four 16-ounce bottles of diet
> soda per day leads to an enormous increase in the phenylalanine level.
>
> Epilepsy/Seizures.
> With the large and growing number of seizures caused by aspartame, it is
> sad to see that the Epilepsy Foundation is promoting the "safety" of
> aspartame. At Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 80 people who had
> suffered seizures after ingesting aspartame were surveyed. Community
> Nutrition Institute concluded the following about the survey:
>
> "These 80 cases meet the FDA's own definition of an imminent hazard to the
> public health, which requires the FDA to expeditiously remove a product
> from the market."
>
> Both the Air Force's magazine Flying Safety and the Navy's magazine, Navy
> Physiology published articles warning about the many dangers of aspartame
> including the cumlative deliterious effects of methanol and the greater
> likelihood of birth defects. The articles note that the ingestion of
> aspartame can make pilots more susceptible to seizures and vertigo. Twenty
> articles sounding warnings about ingesting aspartame while flying have
> also appeared in the National Business Aircraft Association Digest (NBAA
> Digest 1993), Aviation Medical Bulletin (1988), The Aviation Consumer
> (1988), Canadian General Aviation News (1990), Pacific Flyer (1988),
> General Aviation News (1989), Aviation Safety Digest (1989), and Plane and
> Pilot (1990) and a paper warning about aspartame was presented at the 57th
> Annual Meeting of the Aerospace Medical Association (Gaffney 1986).
>
> Recently, a hotline was set up for pilots suffering from acute reactions
> to aspartame ingestion. Over 600 pilots have reported symptoms including
> some who have reported suffering grand mal seizures in the cockpit due to
> aspartame.(21)
>
> One of the original studies on aspartame was performed in 1969 by an
> independent scientist, Dr Harry Waisman. He studied the effects of
> aspartame on infant primates. Out of the seven infant monkeys, one died
> after 300 days and five others had grand mal seizures. Of course, these
> negative findings were not submitted to the FDA during the approval
> process.(22)
>
> Why don't we hear about these things?
>
> The reason many people do not hear about serious reactions to aspartame is
> twofold:
> 1) Lack of awareness by the general population. Aspartame-caused diseases
> are not reported in the newspapers like plane crashes. This is because
> these incidents occur one at a time in thousands of different locations
> across the US.
> 2) Most people do not associate their symptoms with the long-term use of
> aspartame. For the people who have killed a significant percentage of the
> brain cells and thereby caused a chronic illness, there is no way that
> they would normally associate such an illness with aspartame consumption.
> How aspartame was approved is a lesson in how chemical and pharmaceutical
> companies can manipulate government agencies such as the FDA, "bribe"
> organizations such as the American Dietetic Association, and flood the
> scientific community with flawed and fraudulent industry-sponsored studies
> funded by the makers of aspartame.
>
> Erik Millstone, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Unit of Sussex
> university has compiled thousands of pages of evidence, some of which have
> been obtained using the freedom of information act 23, showing:
> 1. Laboratory tests were faked and dangers were concealed.
> 2. Tumors were removed from animals and animals that had died were
> "restored to life" in laboratory records.
> 3. False and misleading statements were made to the FDA.
> 4. The two US Attorneys given the task of bringing fraud charges against
> the aspartame manufacturer took positions with the manufacturer's law
> firm, letting the statute of limitations run out.
> 5. The Commissioner of the FDA overruled the objections of the FDA's own
> scientific board of inquiry. Shortly after that decision, he took a
> position with Burson-Marsteller, the firm in charge of public relations
> for G.D. Searle.
>
> A Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) was conducted in 1980. There were three
> scientists who reviewed the objections of Olney and Turner to the approval
> of aspartame. They voted unanimously against aspartame's approval. The FDA
> Commissioner, Dr Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr. then created a 5-person Scientific
> Commission to review the PBOI findings. After it became clear that the
> Commission would uphold the PBOI's decision by a vote of 3 to 2, another
> person was added to the Commission, creating a deadlocked vote. This
> allowed the FDA Commissioner to break the deadlock and approve aspartame
> for dry goods in 1981. Dr Jacqueline Verrett, the Senior Scientist in an
> FDA Bureau of Foods review team created in August 1977 to review the
> Bressler Report (a report that detailed G.D. Searle's abuses during the
> pre-approval testing) said:
> "It was pretty obvious that somewhere along the line, the bureau officials
> were working up to a whitewash." In 1987, Verrett testified before the US
> Senate stating that the experiments conducted by Searle were a "disaster."
> She stated that her team was instructed not to comment on or be concerned
> with the overall validity of the studies. She stated that questions about
> birth defects have not been answered. She continued her testimony by
> discussing the fact that DKP has been shown to increase uterine polyps and
> change blood cholesterol and that increasing the temperature of the
> product leads to an increase in production of DKP.(13)
>
> Revolving doors
> The FDA and the manufacturers of aspartame have had a rovolving door of
> employment for many years. In addition to the FDA Commissioner and two US
> Attorneys leaving to take positions with companies connected with G.D.
> Searle, four other FDA officials connected with the approval of aspartame
> took positions connected with the NutraSweet industry between 1979 and
> 1982 including the Deputy FDA Commissioner, the Special Assistant to the
> FDA Commissioner, the Associate Director of the Bureau of Foods and
> Toxicology and the Attorney involved with the Public Board of Inquiry.(24)
>
> It is important to realize that this type of revolving-door activity has
> been going on for decades. The Townsend Letter for Doctors (11/92)
> reported on a study revealing that 37 of 49 top FDA officials who left the
> FDA took positions with companies they had regulated. They also reported
> that over 150 FDA officials owned stock in drug companies they were
> assigned to manage. Many organizations and universities receive large sums
> of money from companies connected to the NutraSweet Association, a group
> of companies promoting the use of aspartame. In January 1993, the American
> Dietetic Association received a US$75,000 grant from the NutraSweet
> Company. The American Dietetic Association has stated that the NutraSweet
> Company writes their "Facts" sheets.(25)
>
> Many other "independent" organizations and researchers receive large sums
> of money from the manufacturers of aspartame. The American Diabetes
> Association has received a large amount of money from Nutrasweet,
> including money to run a cooking school in Chicago (presumably to teach
> diabetes how to use Nutrasweet in their cooking).
>
> A researcher in New England who has pointed out the dangers of aspartame
> in the past is now a Monsanto consultant. Another researcher in the
> Southeastern US had testified about the dangers of aspartame on fetuses.
> An investigative reporter has discovered that he was told to keep his
> mouth shut to avoid causing the loss of a large grant from a diet cola
> manufacturer in the NutraSweet Association.
>
> What is the FDA doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of
> aspartame? Less than nothing.
>
> In 1992, the FDA approved aspartame for use in malt beverages, breakfast
> cereals, and refrigerated puddings and fillings. In 1993 the FDA approved
> aspartame for use in hard and soft candies, non-alcoholic favored
> beverages, tea beverages, fruit juices and concentrates, baked goods and
> baking mixes, and frostings, toppings and fillings for baked goods.
>
> In 1991, the FDA banned the importation of stevia. The powder of the leaf
> has been used for hundreds of years as an alternative sweetner. It is used
> widely in Japan with no adverse effects. Scientists involved in reviewing
> stevia have declared it to be safe for human consumption - something which
> has been well known in many parts of the world where it is not banned.
> Everyone that I have spoken with in regards to this issue believes that
> stevia was banned to keep the product from taking hold in the US and
> cutting into sales of aspartame.(26)
>
> What is the US Congress doing to protect the consumer from the dangers of
> aspartame? Nothing.
>
> What is the US Administration (President) doing to protect the consumer
> from the dangers of aspartame? Nothing.
>
> Aspartame consumption is not only a problem in the US. It is being sold in
> over 70 countries throughout the world.
>
> ASPARTAME CAN BE FOUND IN:
> - instant breakfasts
> - breath mints
> - cereals
> - sugar-free chewing gum
> - cocoa mixes
> - coffee beverages
> - frozen desserts
> - gelatin desserts
> - juice beverages
> - laxatives
> - multivitamins
> - milk drinks
> - pharmaceuticals and supplements
> - shake mixes
> - soft drinks
> - tabletop sweeteners
> - tea beverages
> - instant teas and coffees
> - topping mixes
> - wine coolers
> - yogurt
>
> I have been told that aspartame has been found in products where it is not
> listed on the label. One must be particular careful of pharmaceuticals and
> supplements. I have been informed that even some supplements made by
> well-known supplement manufacturers such as Twinlabs contain aspartame.
>
> The information I have related above is just the tip of the iceberg as far
> as damaging information about aspartame. In order for the reader to find
> out more, I have included some resources below.
>
> BOOKS:
> a.. Blaylock, Russell L., Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills (Health
> Press, Santa Fe, New Mexico, c1994). One of the best books available on
> excitotoxins. Well worth reading!
>
> b.. H. J. Roberts, M.D., Aspartame (NutraSweet), Is it Safe? Available
> from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
>
> c.. Sweet'ner Dearest, Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety
> Network
>
> d.. Mary Nash Stoddard, The Deadly Deception, Available from the
> Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
>
> e.. Barbara Mullarkey, Editor, Bittersweet Aspartame - A Diet Delusion,
>
> f.. Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
>
> g.. The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, The Aspartame Consumer Safety
> Network Synopsis.
>
> h.. Dennis Remington, M.D. and Barbara Higa, R.D., The Bitter Truth About
> Artificial Sweetners, Available from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
> ASPARTAME CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK
> PO Box 780634
> Dallas, Texas 75378, USA.
> Phone: (214) 352-4268
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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).
> (14) Internal FDA memorandum.
> (15) Analysis prepared by Dr John Olney as a statement before the
> Aspartame Board of Inquire of the FDA. Also Excitotoxins by Russell
> Blaylock, M.D.
> (16) Congressional Record SID835: 131 (August 1, 1985)
> (17) National Cancer Institute SEER Program Data.
> (18) Walton, Ralph G., Robert Hudak, Ruth Green-Waite "Adverse Reactions
> to Aspartame: Double-Blind Challenge in Patients from a Vulnerable
> Population," Biological Psychiatry, 1993:34:13-17.
> (19) Barbara Mullarkey, "How Safe Is Your Artificial Sweetner,"
> September/October 1994 issue of Informed Consent Magazine.
> (20) US Air Force. "Aspartame Alert." Flying Safety, 48 (5): 20-21 (May
> 1992).
> (21) Reported by the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.
> (22) Barbara Mullarkey, Bittersweet Aspartame, A Diet Delusion.
> (23) Millstone, Eric "Sweet and Sour." The Ecologist, 25 (March/April
> 1994).
> (24) Mary Nash Stoddard, Editor, "The Deadly Deception," Aspartame
> Consumer Safety Network.
> (25) ADA Courier, January 1993, Volume 32, Number 1. (26) "FDA Rejects
> AHPA Stevia Petition" by Mark Blumenthal, Whole Foods, April 1994.

For More Information GO TO
Aspartame (NutraSweet) Toxicity Home Page:
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/

12. Scientific Research or Public Relations?

The manufacturer of aspartame, Monsanto/NutraSweet, has
literally flooded the scientific community with fatally
flawed "scientific" studies. The number of studies are in
the hundreds. Unfortunately, the trickle of a few
independent studies per year gets lost in the NutraSweet-
propogated "research." The company literally controls the
"scientific" opinion of aspartame (much the same way the
Glutmate Association controls scientific opinion on MSG and
food-based excitotoxins) since it can afford to fund 10
flawed studies to "disprove" every single study by an
independent researcher who finds problems with aspartame.

There is almost no money available for independent
researchers to perform studies despite researchers pleading
to the U.S. Congress for money to study aspartame. Here's an
excerpt that discusses this issue (Lisa 1994):

Dr. Richard Wurtman, Director of the Clinical
Research Center and Professor at Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, in April 1988 urged the
FDA to issue warnings to physicians that aspartame
may be associated with a syndrome including severe
headaches, and in some cases, grand mal seizures.
Wurtman had received over 1,000 complaints at
M.I.T. directly into his department
. . . . .
Wurtman tried for over a year to get support for
his research [to study aspartame and seizures], to
no avail. 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...is too vulnerable to
misuse...when outside investigators propose
studies that might yield the 'wrong' answer, a
large bag of 'dirty tricks' is available for
derailing those studies."

Looking at the NIH Current Research Information System
(CRISP), one can see that in 1995, there are essentially no
indenpendent studies on the health effects of aspartame. The
chance of NIH funding an independent study on aspartame (or
MSG) are almost zero. The chance of getting funding for a
quality, long-term study (i.e., over one year) is zero.
Therefore, based upon the horrendous quality of studies put
out by industry researchers as discussed in this document
and upon the lack of independent studies, we are at the
mercy of whatever NutraSweet wants to convince us about
aspartame.

Researchers are continuing to put out badly flawed studies
such as:

1. Stokes (1991) and Stokes (1994) published studies
purporting to show that aspartame had no effect on the
cognitive performance of pilots.

Selected Flaws
--------------
a. The 1991 study was only a single dose study. No one is
suggesting that a single dose of aspartame in a lifetime
is going to lead to major brain chemistry changes.
Unfortunately, many industry experiments are worthless
single-day studies when the major concern is the
ingestion of aspartame for months and years. This is
especially the case when considering the phenylalanine
from aspartame since it is believed by some researchers
to cause a gradual change in brain chemistry.

The 1994 study was slightly better in this regard, but
still only 9 days long. This can hardy be regarded as
"chronic" aspartame dosing. I would not even consider it
a medium length experiment. It is closer to an acute
dosing study. On the other hand, if it didn't have all
of the major flaws discussed below, it might be an
acceptable acute dosing study.

b. The aspartame was given in capsules. This was a
particularly bad mistake. Stegink (1987a) showed the
major differences between ingesting aspartame in liquid
form and in capsules. The plasma phenylalanine spikes to
extremely high levels when ingesting aspartame in
liquids, but the spike is much lower when ingested in
capsules. Since the hypothesis involved the concern for
spiking the plasma phenylalanine levels, this mistake,
by itself, renders this test questionable at best, and
probably worthless.

c. The tests given the pilots started 45 minutes after
aspartame capsule ingestion. The Stegink (1987a)
experiment cited above shows that plasma phenylalanine
levels do not peak (using capsules) until 123 minutes
(average) and it takes as much as 240 minutes until it
peaks in some persons. In addition, simply because the
plasma phenylalanine level has peaked, does not mean
that enough time has passed for a) small changes in
brain chemistry to take place and b) slight changes in
neurotransmission (from the single dose of aspartame).

d. Substances were given with aspartame that are likely to
reduce any possible biochemical changes and toxicity
from the aspartate and the methanol. The aspartame was
mixed with orange juice which would help prevent any
problems from low-level methanol effects such as that
shown in Cook (1991). One hypothesis (discussed earlier
in the Methanol section) presented by Dr. Phil Moskal is
that the high altitude may potential the negative
effects of methanol from aspartame, causing it to bind
to hemoglobin (like carbon monoxide) and thereby
inducing hypoxia (Moskal 1990, Stoddard 1994).

A small amount of sweet product was given with the
aspartame and orange juice, allegedly to increase the
phenylalanine/LNAA ratio. The sweetener would likely
cause some or all of the aspartic acid to be converted
to alanine before absorption. Therefore, two of the
three major constituents of aspartame (methanol and
aspartic acid) were not even being tested!

e. Fresh aspartame was used, eliminating the possibility
that DKP, beta-aspartame, or other breakdown products
might cause or contribute to a degradation of pilot
cognitive performance. Therefore, these protocol designs
carefully eliminated any possibility of problems with
aspartame's breakdown products. The protocols seemed to
be designed to avoid finding problems with aspartame.

f. The study was funded by two organizations that have had
a history of turning their backs on the dangers of
aspartame -- the FDA (see history section) and the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (Stoddard 1995a,
page 19). In fact, the Transportation Secretary under
the Bush Administration was none other than Samuel
Skinner, the former U.S. Attorney who negotiated and
took a job with G.D. Searle's law firm while he was
supposed to be preparing to present fraud cases against
G.D. Searle for their aspartame pre-approval studies. In
addition, Harriet Butchko of the NutraSweet Company had
some unknown role in support. I find it difficult to
believe that protocols could have been this poorly
designed without the imput of the NutraSweet Company.

Conclusion
----------
It is sad to see that the FDA and the FAA would ignore the
seriousness of the aspartame problem for so long and then
turn around and fund protocols this poorly designed.

2. Four studies were presented at the "Aspartame:
Cognitive, Behavioral, and Electrophysiological Aspects
Conference" (Spiers 1993a). While the introductory
paragraph claimed that the studies were conducted by
"independent" investigators, that was definately not the
case. Three of the four studies (De Sonneville 1993,
Benninger 1993a, and Shaywitz 1993) had researchers who
have conducted flawed research funded by the NutraSweet
Company (e.g., Trefz 1994, Shaywitz 1994b).

The Trefz (1994) study involved the same exact set of
investigators (Trefz, de Sonneville, Matthis, Benninger,
Lanz-Englert, and Bickel), had the same protocol as the
combination of the de Sonneville (1993) and Benninger
(1993a) studies, and appeared to have been conducted
around the same time period! The Trefz (1994) study was
funded in part by the NutraSweet Company. How these
researchers could be considered "independent"
investigators is beyond me.

The Shaywitz (1994b) study also involved the same exact
investigators as their purportedly "independent"
investigation presented at this conference, Shaywitz
(1993) (B.A. Shaywitz, C. Sullivan, Anderson, Gillespie,
B. Sullivan, S. Shaywitz). The protocol for boths
studies appears to be the same. The Shaywitz (1994b)
study was funded by the NutraSweet Company.

I suspect that the abstracts presented at this
conference from "independent" researchers were from
studies funded by the NutraSweet Company and published
in full form at a later date. It seems clear that some
researchers who get their money from the NutraSweet
Company are attempting to convince people that they are
"independent" researchers.

Without going into detail about each study, which might
be impossible anyhow since they were only published in
abstract form, they seem to repeat many of the same
standard aspartame industry experimental errors
discussed throughout this document.

It is very disappointing that Paul Spiers and Richard
Wurtman conducted such a short study on relatively
healthy individuals using what appears to be (as far as
I can determine) capsule administration of fresh
aspartame. It is even more disappointing that these
individuals would pretend that the research presented at
this conference was "independent" when, in fact, it was
performed by industry-supported researchers.

3. Trefz (1994) published a study testing
neuropsychological and biochemical responses to
aspartame in heterozygotes for phenylketonuria. Forty-
eight adult subjects were given either 15 or 45
mg/kg/day of aspartame or placebo for 12 weeks. The
researchers found no difference in EEG analyses, urinary
organic acid concentrations, or adverse experiences
between the aspartame and placebo periods.

Selected Flaws
--------------
a. The aspartame was given in capsules. Once again, as
shown in Stegink (1987a), this significantly reduced the
spikes on plasma amino acid levels. This is obviously
one reason that the plasma phenylalanine measurements
showed no change at 15 mg/kg/day and only a minor change
at 45 mg/kg/day. It is hard to believe that these
NutraSweet-funded investigators did not know of this
fact.

b. "Coincidentally," the aspartame doses were given near
mealtime (7 a.m, 1 p.m., and 7 p.m.). This would further
reduce the spikes in the plasma amino acid levels and
lessen the toxicity from the methanol (Posner 1975). A
protocol seemingly designed to reduce reactions.

c. Fresh aspartame was used. So much for testing breakdown
products!

d. The phenylalanine measurements were taken at 1 and 3
hours after dosing. Stegink (1987a) showed that while
the time for phenylalanine to reach its peak varies
considerably, the average time when aspartame was taken
with capsules is 123 minutes or ~ 2 hours. Therefore,
the investigators took the measurements at the wrong
time further contributing to an apparent lower spike in
phenylalanine levels.

e. Averages measurements for all of the subjects were
presented a each time period. This is a common
NutraSweet flaw discussed earlier in this document.

f. The dosages given was very low in one group and barely
passable in the other group (45 mg/kg/day). The
researchers cite Butchko's ridiculous review of
aspartame consumption surveys to claim that the study
tested 20 times the average intake.

g. The length of the study was only 12 weeks. Had the other
major flaws not been part of the protocol (and real
indepedent investigators conducted the study), 12 weeks
may have just barely been long enough to notice
significant neuropsychological effects from aspartame
ingestion.

4. Shaywitz (1994b) conducted an experiment to test the
effects of aspartame on children with Attention Deficit
Disorder (ADD). Aspartame capsules containing
approximately 34 mg/kg/day of aspartame were given to
children each morning in either week 1 or 2 and week 3
or 4 of the study. No significant difference was found
between the aspartame and placebo weeks except for a
small difference in the activity category.

Selected Flaws
--------------
a. The aspartame was given in capsules. Once again, as
shown in Stegink (1987a), this significantly reduced the
spikes on plasma amino acid levels. This is obviously
one reason that the plasma phenylalanine measurements
showed only a moderate change 1 hour after aspartame
administration.

b. "Coincidentally,"