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Sunday, July 18, 2004 5:18:06 PM
Anyone here use Aspartame/Equal, etc?...
Aspartame Warning
This page exists solely to try and spread the word about the numerous & serious dangers of regular aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) consumption. Currently the 100+ articles on this page contain facts & opinions from over 50 doctors & nutritionists, many of which have each "cured" their patients of many symptoms (including weight gain) simply by removing aspartame from their diet. These 50+ doctors strongly recommend avoiding all aspartame products. Numerous articles detailing the unbelievable history of the aspartame approval are also provided, along with thousands of testimonials from former users. Some info. on the new sweetener Splenda (sucralose) found in Diet Rite soda is also provided.
The multi-billion dollar aspartame industry would like you believe that "aspartame kills" is an "urban legend" and that you'd have to drink 100 cans of diet soda a day to be harmed by aspartame. This is just simply not true. Their main claim is that the 3 components of aspartame are found in many natural foods and are therefore safe. This is kind of like saying carbon monoxide is safe because all it contains is carbon & oxygen, the same components of carbon dioxide. Methanol (wood alcohol), which makes up 10% of aspartame and is highly toxic (adult minimum lethal dose is 2 teaspoons), is also found in some fruits & vegetables like tomatoes. However, methanol is never found in natural foods without ethanol & pectin, its "antidotes" if you will (detailed facts below). Ethanol & pectin prevent methanol from being metabolized into formaldehyde (embalming fluid) & formic acid (same chemical as fire ant venom), both deadly toxins. An ethanol drip is even the standard emergency room treatment for methanol poisoning. Aspartame contains no ethanol or pectin, therefore the methanol is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, the other 2 components of aspartame, are amino acids found in natural foods but always as part of long chains of many different amino acids to form complex protein molecules that take humans 12 hours to gradually break down & assimilate. According to the doctors below, when consumed by themselves these 2 amino acids require no digestion and quickly enter the brain & central nervous system at abnormally high levels, overstimulating brain cells to death and causing many other health problems.
"Pro" aspartame people point to industry sponsored short term tests, ignoring independant tests. They point to "reliable" health sites, organizations, foundations etc. that are sponsored, funded & fed "facts" by companies that profit from aspartame. And of course, the FDA approved it so "it must be safe", neglecting to mention that the FDA denied aspartame approval for over 8 years until the newly appointed FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes overruled the final scientic review panel, approved aspartame, and then went to work for G.D. Searle's (initial owner of aspartame) public relations firm at $1,000 a day. Hayes has refused all interviews to discuss his actions. The FDA also urged Congress to prosecute G.D. Searle for "specific false statements or concealed facts" stemming from Searle's testing of aspartame. However, the 2 government lawyers assigned to the case decided against prosecuting G.D. Searle and then joined G.D. Searle's law firm! Even the National Soft Drink Assn. filed a strong protest letter (available below) in 1983 against the approval of aspartame for use in beverages, saying "aspartame is inherently, markedly and uniquely unstable in aqueous media." Also, the FDA still allows hydrogenated oils to be used, does that make them safe?
Our suggestion: First READ ALL THE QUOTES provided below, then go back and read some of the articles. And remember, they're talking about the CUMULATIVE effects of regular aspartame consumption and that some people are more affected than others (but everyone is affected) due to a few factors including the condition of their protective blood-brain barrier. Bookmark this page and email it to everyone you know, especially pregnant women. New: Print out our Flyers.
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JUMP TO: Health risk articles, Weight GAIN articles, Approval, testing, FDA ties to industry articles, Misc. articles
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Health risk articles
Symptoms List - Actual 1995 copy of aspartame related symptoms submitted to the FDA. The FDA has received well over 10,000 aspartame related complaints, more than all other complaints combined. Also keep in mind that less than 1 out of every 100 people actually file an official complaint and that of course, many people consume aspartame daily and have no clue that it may be the cause of their illnesses.
Dr. Christine Lydon, MD - Oxygen magazine article, easy to read. A good introductory overview on aspartame. "I stormed into my kitchen and fed every item of food containing aspartame to the garbage. Since that time, I have not had so much as a stick of aspartame sweetened gum...Experimentally, it has been determined that infants are four times more sensitive to excitotoxins than adults. " Dr. Lydon majored in neurobiology at Brown University and graduated the Yale School of Medicine. more biography info.
Dr. Michael Schachter, M.D. - Good introductory overview article from Healthy.net. "What kinds of symptoms may occur as a result of ingesting aspartame? They may involve almost any system of the body...The FDA & manufacturers of aspartame claim that all of the adverse symptoms reported are "anecdotal". Because it is common that a person will not experience noticeable illness from a short term usage of aspartame, this is taken as proof that there is no problem with safety. Unfortunately, this position ignores the fact that the effects of aspartame poisoning are cumulative. "
Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D., R.D. - Excellent detailed article on aspartame and methanol, a must read. "...ethanol slows the rate of methanol's conversion to formaldehyde and formate allowing the body time to excrete methanol in the breath and urine."
The Sunday Express, May 20, 2001 page 7 - UK national press article. "Action at last over additive Aspartame as fears grow of health risk in food and drink. The Government has ordered a top-level investigation into the safety of Britain's best-selling sweetener amid fears that the low calorie chemical is a health risk...Aspartame, used in thousands of diet food and drinks has been linked to more than 90 adverse reactions including brain tumours and blindness...Professor Ralph Walton of Northwestern Ohio Universities said: 'I dispute the assertion that there are no health risks. "I believe Aspartame increases risk of cancer. Virtually all the studies attesting to its safety have been funded by the industry.'"
Dr. Arthur Forman, M.D. neurologist - Short MSNBC article. "There are mechanisms to see this is causing serious problems for some folks...I don't recommend it for anyone, frankly....Many patients find it stimulates the appetite."
Dr. Janet Starr Hull, nutritionist - "As a nutritionist, over eighty percent of my clients experience some form of health problem associated with aspartame: weight gain, hair loss, severe medical ailments, eating disorders, mental disorders, fatigue."
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Good article mainly on aspartame & pregnancy risks. "...it ruins female sexual response and induces male sexual dysfunction. Beyond this, aspartame disrupts fetal development by aborting it or inducing defects. And if a live child is born aspartame may have heinously damaged the DNA of the baby, cursing future generations." 2nd article: Aspartame damages the hypothalamus.
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Excellent, long, detailed article on aspartame & sperm/DNA damage, as well as chemical hypersensitivity. A frightening but difficult read. "The quantity and quality of human sperm is plunging like a meteor, and with it humanity's future, announced a conference of 130 scientists in Montreal on Male Mediated Developmental Toxicity...The fire ant wields what is arguably the most potent venom of any terrestrial arthropod, formic acid. Exactly the same formic acid that is formed 10% by weight from aspartame in your body."
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Excellent, detailed article describing the difference between methanol from aspartame and natural sources. "...Thus fruit juice is highly protective of methanol poisoning rather than serving as a source of methanol as the Aspartame pundits would maintain."
Dr. J. Barua, M.D. (ophthalmic surgeon), Dr. Arun Bal, M.D.(surgeon) - Excellent detailed article. "Methanol is a deadly poison...Methanol, thus breaks down into formic acid (a venom in ant stings) and formaldehyde (embalming fluid) in the body....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. In aspartame there is no ethanol...Methanol & its by-products cause swelling of the optic nerve & degeneration of ganglion cells in the retina."
Hundreds of testimonials - Tons of testimonials from people who have discovered the dangers of aspartame. An absolute must read. "After completely quitting ...most all of my symptoms immediately disappeared and I have not been having any seizure activity."..."Almost immediately upon giving up Nutrasweet, my symptoms went away. No more fatigue and fog in the morning, and a clearer head throughout the day." "...My joints no longer ache, memory is better and I feel great." "...I have been waking up feeling rested. I'm not as achy. I'm not as tired. I don't crave sweets anymore."
View Our Guestbook which is constantly being added with new testimonials, feel free to sign it with your testimonial, opinions etc. Yahoo email group - Active support group about aspartame dangers, with hundreds more testimonials and aspartame related news. Feel free to join! Print out our Flyers and give them to friends, coworkers, doctors etc.
Dr. Morgan Raiford, M.D., D.Sc.(Med) Ophth. - Fairly short letter on vision damage. "Beyond the extensive visual damage that aspartame can and does create, other organ systems are affected. Nerve damage to the arms, legs,central nerve impairment, resulting in impaired nerve function as well as neurosis and learning difficulties in school work as well as behavior....Methyl alcohol has no place in a product, whole or in part,to be allowed to be produced by any manufactor for human usage." 2nd article: Serious vision damage.
Dr. David Edelberg, M.D. - Extremely accredited doctor's opinion found on Wholehealthmd.com. "FDA approval is no guarantee that a substance is risk-free...some people who use lots of aspartame might discover that their headaches, memory loss, mood swings, or fainting spells clear up when they sweeten with a little honey instead. In my practice, which covers a lot of people who just don't feel well, I routinely take patients off aspartame if they tell me they're using it."
Dr. H.J. Roberts, M.D. - An article on aspartame addiction. "The neurologic, psychologic, eye, endocrine, metabolic and pediatric ravages in my data base of over 1,200 aspartame reactors, comprised of both patients and correspondents, are impressive. Additionally, it is my increasing conviction that aspartame products can cause, aggravate or accelerate migraine, seizures, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and its complications, Alzheimer's disease, and even brain tumors....Addiction to aspartame products is as real as abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs." 2nd excellent article: Brain Cancer. 3rd article: Vision damage.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D., Neurosurgeon - Excellent detailed article about excitoxins including aspartame & MSG. A must read. "Over 100 million American now consume aspartame products...There is sufficient medical literature documenting serious injury by these additives in the concentrations presently in our food supply to justify warning the public of these dangers. The case against aspartame is especially strong." 2nd article: Hypothalamus damage. 3rd article: Neurotoxic Interaction of MSG, Aspartame & Other Toxins.
Dr. Blaylock is the author of the book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.
Smart-drugs.com - Another detailed article about excitoxins. "Yet there is a key difference between food-derived glutamate/aspartate and MSG/aspartame. Food glutamate/aspartate comes in the form of proteins, which contain 20 other amino acids, and take time to digest, slowing the release of protein bound glutamate/aspartate like a "timed-release capsule." This in turn moderates the rise in blood levels of glutamate/aspartate. Also, when glutamate and aspartate are received by the liver (first stop after intestinal absorption) along with 20 other aminos, they are used to make various proteins. This also moderates the rise in blood glutamate/aspartate levels."
Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. - Short opinion by the famous doctor. "First of all, I would stop using NutraSweet..." Drweil.com is an excellent resource for all health & diet related issues. Bookmark it!
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center - MEDLINE/PubMed case(June 2001) "Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome for two to 17 years are described. All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete, resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet...All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested...Excitotoxins are molecules, such as MSG and aspartate, that act as excitatory neurotransmitters, and can lead to neurotoxicity when used in excess..."
The Barcelona Report - A Univ. of Barcelona study on lab rats that proves that aspartame is converted to formaldehyde in vivo. Not an easy read. " ...the amount of formaldehyde adducts coming from aspartame in tissue proteins and nucleic acids may be cumulative. It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts....Formaldehyde is a highly reactive small molecule which strongly binds to proteins and nucleic acids forming adducts which are difficult to eliminate through the normal metabolism pathways. As a result, formaldehyde induces severe functional alterations, including the development of cancer."
Dr. Julian Whitaker, M.D. - Fairly short article."..aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets...damage is likely cumulative. Aspartame is particularly harmful to children and the developing fetus." Drwhitaker.com - The doctor's health site.
Dr. Richard J. Sabates, M.D. - A doctor's personal story on his aspartame poisoning and recovery. "Never again will I touch artificial sweeteners and I will try to educate my patients as to the very important reasons why....The FDA is intimately related to the pharmaceutical industry. It is important to let the consumers know that many retired FDA officials go to work as special counselors to the pharmaceutical industry. FDA Commissioner Dr. Charles C. Edwards has said " It is not our purpose to endanger the financial interest of the pharmaceutical companies." FDA ex-commissioner Dr. Robert Liz put it more directly. "What bothers me most is that people believe that the FDA is protecting them...""
Dr. Erik Millstone - Excellent detailed article on aspartame & brain tumors, read this one! "After aspartame was introduced, however, the opposite pattern can be found. The incidence of glioblastomas rose sharply, and starting in the late 1980s the number of astrocytomas declined even more sharply. Since those latter changes run counter to the direction which could be attributed to the introduction of better diagnostic technologies, it is hard to see how the reported changing tumour incidence could be ascribed to innovations in diagnosis. If the apparent increase in overall incidence had been due to improved diagnostics, then we should expect a marked change in post- diagnostic survival rates, but no such change was evident."
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune - "Aspartame, the popular artificial sweetener sold most often as NutraSweet, is a leading suspect in an upsurge of deadly brain tumors in the United States, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have concluded. Dr. John Olney, lead author of the paper, is a noted neuropathologist and psychiatrist who has challenged aspartame's safety since the 1970s."
Dr. Louis J. Elsas, M.D., Director, Division of Medical Genetics - Statement for the U.S. Senate. "I have considerable concern for the increased dissemination and consumption of the sweetener, aspartame... in our world food supply."
Dr. Pardridge, M.D., endocrinologist - Congressional testimony, mainly about phenylalanine in aspartame. "One study shows that when blood phenylalanine in pregnant mothers is increased five-fold, there is a 10-point drop in the I.Q. of the baby born of that mother...And a more recent study by Dr. Elsas has shown that there are quantitative changes in the human electroencephalogram when the blood phenylalanine is raised three-fold." 2nd article: Aspartame & Pregnancy dangers
Dr. Wurtman, M.D., MIT Neuroscientist, & Dr. Maher - Detailed article, mainly about phenylalanine in aspartame. "Anecdotal reports suggest that some people suffer neurologic or behavioral reactions in association with aspartame consumption." 2nd article: Aspartame & Seizures
Dr. Madelon Price, Professor of Neurobiology - "Aspartic acid (aspartate) has been known to be a neurotoxin for 30 years. Rodent studies demonstrated that when ingested at doses of 0.5 g/kg or greater, the circumventricular organs that surround the ventricles of the brain become necrotic." 2nd short article: Aspartame causes infertility
Dr. James B. Hays, M.D. - "For the past five years, numerous side-effects have been observed due to Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)..."
Dr. Bill Misner, Ph.D., nutritionist - "Before eating or drinking anything with Aspartame on the run or just for "fun", give serious thought to its proven toxic accumulative-use side effects shown in a wide assortment of related reliable research as stated below. Possibly due to its methyl alcohol content according to Dr. Ralph Golan, M.D., constant use amounting to large intake over time may result in headaches, fainting, seizures, memory loss, mood swings, depression, nausea, and gastrointestinal stress." e-caps.com: Ask Dr. Bill - The doctor's website, he specializes in endurance training.
Dr. George R. Schwartz, M.D., toxicologist - Rebuttal letter to Monsanto. "you have presented a one-sided self-serving polemic defending your potentially dangerous product...There is overwhelming scientific evidence that Nutrasweet can pose a serious health danger."
Dr. Paula Rhodes - News4jax.com article. "The results can be dramatic...We've got people who sought care from neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists. They're on a whole grocery list of medications for complaints that end up being traced to aspartame."
David E. Polen, D.C. - "I have noted in my practice that removing Nutra-Sweet from the diet can have a positive effect on many patients from these other aspartame-related neuro-psychiatric complaints: seizures, headaches, dizziness, disorientation, confusion, severe anxiety, hyperactivity, sleeplessness, insomnia, numbness, paresthesias, atypical facial pain, severe depression, slurred speech and migrating joint pain. "
Dr. Milt Hammerly, MD - "I think it is prudent to avoid consuming aspartame. For those who have chronic health problems that have not responded to other interventions a trial of avoiding aspartame for several months may produce noticeable benefits."
Dr. Joseph Mercola, osteopathic medical doctor - Over 20 articles written by Dr. Mercola about the dangers of aspartame. "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."
Dr. Siegfried Schmidt, M.D. - Short 12/18/2001 article. "'These people are back to normal life, which is, when you come from chronic pain, to be normal, this is a miracle.' Doctor Schmidt thinks the chemicals in the food could affect the brain and cause the pain."
Dr. Joe Esposito - Short opinion. "There is also strong evidence that it can cause brain tumors, depression, and even mimic multiple sclerosis symptoms, which can lead to misdiagnosis and improper treatment. I can go on and on about the dangers of aspartame, but the bottom line is avoid it at all costs."
Dr. Karl Smith - Short, not very detailed article. "Unfortunately, formaldehyde is stored in fat cells and Aspartame causes increased cravings for carbohydrates. So drink diet soda and eat diet foods with Aspartame, get fat now; and later develop seizures, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, alzheimers disease, and eventually death."
Dr. Jay Mazzella, D.C - Short article. "Doctors are finding relief of symptoms when patients are removed from aspartame, yet it is still on the market. Senator Howard Hetzenbaum recently wrote a bill that would have instituted independent studies, but it was killed by the powerful drug and chemical lobbies. This is just another example of how important it is for consumers to not blindly trust the government or any other organization to always look after the health interest of the consumer."
Dr. Tom Lee, N.M.D. - General aspartame overview article. "Considering what is now known about brain chemistry, as well as, the now numerous documented reports of adverse reactions to aspartame, it would be prudent to eliminate aspartame from the diet."
Dr. Bryan T. McConnell, ND - Short, general opinion. "It is best advised to stay away from aspartame containing products. Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic Association."
Dr. G. M. Wolverton, M.D. - Short article. "Very frequently, when you put a designer drug into the human body for the purpose of "fooling" an organ system, the consequences are far reaching and sometimes quite disastrous."
Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., addictive nutrition specialist. - Very short article. "I encourage my clients to stay away from products with aspartame both for their addictive potential and their reinforcement of the dependence upon sweet taste."
Dr. Lendon Smith, M.D. - "These ingredients may not actually cause mental problems but can certainly trigger them by interfering with the ratio of the various brain neurotransmitters. A person may be susceptible to brain chemical alterations, but the reaction only occurs when there is stress plus the ingestion of ASP."
Dr. Laura Thompson, metabolic nutritionist - An article on ADD & nutrition that briefly mentions aspartame. "By all means don’t give your kids artificial-anything, especially artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or Nutrasweet TM. These products can negatively affect brain function, behavior, and their health."
MEDLINE/PubMed case(Oct 2001) - Tiny report: "Aspartame, an artificial sweetener added to many foods and beverages, may trigger headaches in susceptible individuals."
Karinya.com - Good article. "In neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock's book "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills," he writes that aspartame causes major neurological changes, and in heavy users, may even precipitate lupus and methanol toxicity, which at first appears to be multiple sclerosis. The ingredients in NutraSweet literally stimulate the neurons of the brain to death causing brain damage of varying degrees."
Femail.co.uk: Daily Mail article - Short article on artificial sweetner dangers. "Concerns were first raised about aspartame in 1978 when researchers in Barcelona found a link between high intakes of the substance and brain tumours when fed to rats."
Bitter Truth of aspartame - Another article. "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."
Radio Interview Transcript - A transcript of a 1997 Dallas, Texas radio interview with Mary Nosh Stoddard, Founder of ACSN. "..It was first approved in 1974, but the approval was rescinded because of the brain tumor issue....We compare this to the cigarette issue because it's a very close parallel. How many cigarettes does it take to cause lung cancer or a stroke, or a heart attack? How many diet drinks do you have to consume to get a brain tumor? How many spoonfuls of Equal do you have to take to have a pancreatic tumor or liver damage? The answer is: We don't know exactly what amount because it does not show up in short term testing. It's the long term effect. "
Weight Gain articles
Note: Many of the articles above deal with the weight gain effects of aspartame as well. Ironically, overweight & obesity rates in the U.S. remained virtually unchanged from 1960 to 1980, only to skyrocket from 1980 - 2000, the same period "diet" products with aspartame were introduced.
Dr. Sandra Cabot, M.D. Liver specialist - "Aspartame makes you fatter... After having been consulted by thousands of overweight people suffering with problems concerning the liver and/or metabolism I can assure you that aspartame will not help you in any way, indeed it will help you to gain unwanted weight." Liverdoctor.com - Dr. Cabot's website. Dr. Cabot's books on the liver and diet.
Ann Louise Gittleman, nutritionist - "Within a month of quitting the NutraSweet and all the products it was found in, Jan's symptoms (and the extra weight) disappeared...I suggest you completely avoid any foods with added NutraSweet or any other artificial sweetener." Ann Louise Gittleman is a well known and respected nutritionist, author of dozens of popular nutrition books.
Rebecca Ephraim, RD, CCN - "Aspartame = Diet-astrous Results. "...the amino acid phenylalanine, blocks production of serotonin, a nerve chemical that, among other activities, controls food cravings... Nutritionist Susan Allen...believes that when they consume them, the sweet taste of no-calorie sweeteners triggers their bodies to release insulin, even though there is no food to feed the cells. The problem Allen sees is that an "insulin-sensitive" person who uses artificial sweeteners teases his or her body into thinking food is on its way, so insulin is released. But when the body discovers it was cheated out of food, it revolts by throwing a food-craving tantrum that can only be quelled by eating blood sugar food that will more than likely be high-calorie sugary snacks.
Hundreds of testimonials - "Getting of Nutrasweet has taken away my excessive appetite. I eat a big lunch, but have little desire for supper and now that I'm off diet drinks, I've lost 10 pounds in the first month...."
History of Aspartame: approval, lack of testing, FDA ties to industry
Arthur M. Evangelista, former FDA investigator - Excellent easy to read letter. "Prior to the approval of aspartame, the FDA sent two specialized teams to G.D. Searle, and found an ghastly 95% level of mis-directed testing, concealed tests, collusion between corporate and their company-funded research, inappropriate antemortum issues, withholding of material facts, alteration of records, lying to investigators, lost records, no records, falsification of reports, bribery, poor test methodology or design....et al...Former corporate officials, who began working for the Food and Drug Administration (and vice versa), were very cavalier about issues uncovered at Searle regarding their drug processing, and about aspartame. Some, with a hidden agenda of promised secret money or better industry jobs, actively hindered the investigation into G.D. Searle's laboratory practices. It is obvious when you see the records and numbers, and WHERE those jobs were."
UPI report part #1, Part #2, Part #3 - Excellent, detailed 1987 8 month UPI investigative report on the history of aspartame. A must read. "Dr. Reuben Matalon, a pediatrician and geneticist....said, 'Let us say cigarettes were invented today, and you give 20 people two packs a day and after six weeks, no one has cancer, would you say that it was safe? That’s what they did with NutraSweet.'...'There are virtually no studies,' Turner said, 'that have been done by individuals using resources other than the industry’s that have given a clean bill of health to aspartame.'"
History of Aspartame approval #2 - Detailed timeline showing how aspartame got approved. An excellent read. "Shortly after the FDA approval for aspartame in carbonated beverages, FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes left the FDA under charges of improprieties...and was hired as a consultant ($1,000 per day) with G.D. Searle's public relations firm, Burson Marsteller...The United Press reported on October 12, 1987 that more than 10 federal officials involved in the NutraSweet decision took jobs in the private sector linked to the aspartame industry."
History of Aspartame approval #3 - Excellent, extremely detailed article about the aspartame approval. "Dr. Gross, the chief scientist on the FDA task force, told the CBS *Nightly News* staff in January, 1984, that Searle made "*deliberate* decisions" to cloak the toxic effects of aspartame. "They took great pains to camouflage these shortcomings of the study,'' Gross said, "as I say, filter and just present to the FDA what they wished the FDA to know. And they did other *terrible* things. For instance, animals would develop tumors while they were under study-well, G.D. Searle would *remove these tumors from the animals*," surgically masking the cancerous effects of aspartame.....Despite what one FDA scientist described as 'very serious' questions concerning pivotal brain tumor tests, Hayes eagerly approved aspartame for use in dry foods in July 1981...Hayes acknowledged in his 1981 decision that he had only consulted a preliminary report of the Japanese evaluation, and only *skimmed* it. More serious, Hayes violated federal law by basing approval on the test, as it had not been reviewed by the FDA board.....James Turner, representing the Community Nutrition Institute in Washington, D.C., said that Arthur Hull Hayes, to arrive at his decision that aspartame is safe, firewalked apath "through a mass of scientific mismanagement, improper procedures, wrong conclusions and general scientific inexactness".
History of Aspartame approval #4 - "Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, a former FDA toxicologist, and member of an FDA task force that investigated the authenticity of research done by Searle to establish the safety of aspartame, says she believes the original aspartame studies were 'built on a foundation of sand.' " Dr. Jacqueline Verrett Congressional testimony
disinfo.com(disinformation): Another long, detailed article.
NSDA Protest - A must read 1983 National Soft Drink Assn. protest letter put in Congressional Record in 1985. Note that this was written AFTER the FDA approved aspartame for use in dry foods. The NSDA later changed their mind and started making billions in diet drink sales. "G. D. Searle and Company has not demonstrated to a reasonable certainty that the use of aspartame in soft drinks, without quantitative limitations, will not adversely affect human health as a result of the changes such use is likely to cause in brain chemistry and under certain reasonably anticipated conditions of use....Aspartame is inherently, markedly and uniquely unstable in aqueous media."
The Bressler Report - Detailed scathing 1977 FDA Report on Searle and the incredible number of disparities, missing information, and improper procedures in their aspartame tests. You're fed the quote: "Aspartame is the most tested product in the world" often. It's a bunch of garbage, especially with tests like these: "Observation records indicated that animal A23LM was alive at week 88, dead from week 92 through week 104, alive at week 108, and dead at week 112." All it took was one corrupt FDA commissioner to overrule the FDA board and approve aspartame.
Wall Street Journal article - "Two government lawyers who decided against prosecuting the maker of NutraSweet for allegedly falsifying test results later joined the law firm that represented the company during the criminal investigation, Senate investigators charged."
Star Tribune Article - Excellent article on the FDA and the lack of aspartame testing. "Food and Drug Administration officials have for years resisted proposals from government scientists for comprehensive studies of the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, which 100 million Americans consume as NutraSweet....FDA officials said that, since 1981, about 8,000 consumers have complained to the agency that the sweetener has caused them physical ailments.... Huff said that the number of reports is worrisome, though, because "if 100 people have a headache after chewing NutraSweet gum, only one's going to report it...In 1976, the FDA's general counsel requested a federal grand jury investigation of the company because of alleged irregularities in its laboratory. (Such an investigation was never undertaken.)"
News4jax.com article - "One person who doesn't call it safe: former FDA investigator Arthur Evangelista. Evangelista says he left the FDA in the late 19-80's because of its practices. "On several issues -- including Aspartame -- I was told to keep my mouth shut.," Evangelista said. "The FDA was not following a public health policy that was protecting the public itself. but rather, seemed to be in collusion with corporations that were marketing substances that were detrimental to public health."
http://www.321recipes.com/aspartame.html
Aspartame Warning
This page exists solely to try and spread the word about the numerous & serious dangers of regular aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) consumption. Currently the 100+ articles on this page contain facts & opinions from over 50 doctors & nutritionists, many of which have each "cured" their patients of many symptoms (including weight gain) simply by removing aspartame from their diet. These 50+ doctors strongly recommend avoiding all aspartame products. Numerous articles detailing the unbelievable history of the aspartame approval are also provided, along with thousands of testimonials from former users. Some info. on the new sweetener Splenda (sucralose) found in Diet Rite soda is also provided.
The multi-billion dollar aspartame industry would like you believe that "aspartame kills" is an "urban legend" and that you'd have to drink 100 cans of diet soda a day to be harmed by aspartame. This is just simply not true. Their main claim is that the 3 components of aspartame are found in many natural foods and are therefore safe. This is kind of like saying carbon monoxide is safe because all it contains is carbon & oxygen, the same components of carbon dioxide. Methanol (wood alcohol), which makes up 10% of aspartame and is highly toxic (adult minimum lethal dose is 2 teaspoons), is also found in some fruits & vegetables like tomatoes. However, methanol is never found in natural foods without ethanol & pectin, its "antidotes" if you will (detailed facts below). Ethanol & pectin prevent methanol from being metabolized into formaldehyde (embalming fluid) & formic acid (same chemical as fire ant venom), both deadly toxins. An ethanol drip is even the standard emergency room treatment for methanol poisoning. Aspartame contains no ethanol or pectin, therefore the methanol is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid. Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, the other 2 components of aspartame, are amino acids found in natural foods but always as part of long chains of many different amino acids to form complex protein molecules that take humans 12 hours to gradually break down & assimilate. According to the doctors below, when consumed by themselves these 2 amino acids require no digestion and quickly enter the brain & central nervous system at abnormally high levels, overstimulating brain cells to death and causing many other health problems.
"Pro" aspartame people point to industry sponsored short term tests, ignoring independant tests. They point to "reliable" health sites, organizations, foundations etc. that are sponsored, funded & fed "facts" by companies that profit from aspartame. And of course, the FDA approved it so "it must be safe", neglecting to mention that the FDA denied aspartame approval for over 8 years until the newly appointed FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes overruled the final scientic review panel, approved aspartame, and then went to work for G.D. Searle's (initial owner of aspartame) public relations firm at $1,000 a day. Hayes has refused all interviews to discuss his actions. The FDA also urged Congress to prosecute G.D. Searle for "specific false statements or concealed facts" stemming from Searle's testing of aspartame. However, the 2 government lawyers assigned to the case decided against prosecuting G.D. Searle and then joined G.D. Searle's law firm! Even the National Soft Drink Assn. filed a strong protest letter (available below) in 1983 against the approval of aspartame for use in beverages, saying "aspartame is inherently, markedly and uniquely unstable in aqueous media." Also, the FDA still allows hydrogenated oils to be used, does that make them safe?
Our suggestion: First READ ALL THE QUOTES provided below, then go back and read some of the articles. And remember, they're talking about the CUMULATIVE effects of regular aspartame consumption and that some people are more affected than others (but everyone is affected) due to a few factors including the condition of their protective blood-brain barrier. Bookmark this page and email it to everyone you know, especially pregnant women. New: Print out our Flyers.
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JUMP TO: Health risk articles, Weight GAIN articles, Approval, testing, FDA ties to industry articles, Misc. articles
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Health risk articles
Symptoms List - Actual 1995 copy of aspartame related symptoms submitted to the FDA. The FDA has received well over 10,000 aspartame related complaints, more than all other complaints combined. Also keep in mind that less than 1 out of every 100 people actually file an official complaint and that of course, many people consume aspartame daily and have no clue that it may be the cause of their illnesses.
Dr. Christine Lydon, MD - Oxygen magazine article, easy to read. A good introductory overview on aspartame. "I stormed into my kitchen and fed every item of food containing aspartame to the garbage. Since that time, I have not had so much as a stick of aspartame sweetened gum...Experimentally, it has been determined that infants are four times more sensitive to excitotoxins than adults. " Dr. Lydon majored in neurobiology at Brown University and graduated the Yale School of Medicine. more biography info.
Dr. Michael Schachter, M.D. - Good introductory overview article from Healthy.net. "What kinds of symptoms may occur as a result of ingesting aspartame? They may involve almost any system of the body...The FDA & manufacturers of aspartame claim that all of the adverse symptoms reported are "anecdotal". Because it is common that a person will not experience noticeable illness from a short term usage of aspartame, this is taken as proof that there is no problem with safety. Unfortunately, this position ignores the fact that the effects of aspartame poisoning are cumulative. "
Dr. Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D., R.D. - Excellent detailed article on aspartame and methanol, a must read. "...ethanol slows the rate of methanol's conversion to formaldehyde and formate allowing the body time to excrete methanol in the breath and urine."
The Sunday Express, May 20, 2001 page 7 - UK national press article. "Action at last over additive Aspartame as fears grow of health risk in food and drink. The Government has ordered a top-level investigation into the safety of Britain's best-selling sweetener amid fears that the low calorie chemical is a health risk...Aspartame, used in thousands of diet food and drinks has been linked to more than 90 adverse reactions including brain tumours and blindness...Professor Ralph Walton of Northwestern Ohio Universities said: 'I dispute the assertion that there are no health risks. "I believe Aspartame increases risk of cancer. Virtually all the studies attesting to its safety have been funded by the industry.'"
Dr. Arthur Forman, M.D. neurologist - Short MSNBC article. "There are mechanisms to see this is causing serious problems for some folks...I don't recommend it for anyone, frankly....Many patients find it stimulates the appetite."
Dr. Janet Starr Hull, nutritionist - "As a nutritionist, over eighty percent of my clients experience some form of health problem associated with aspartame: weight gain, hair loss, severe medical ailments, eating disorders, mental disorders, fatigue."
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Good article mainly on aspartame & pregnancy risks. "...it ruins female sexual response and induces male sexual dysfunction. Beyond this, aspartame disrupts fetal development by aborting it or inducing defects. And if a live child is born aspartame may have heinously damaged the DNA of the baby, cursing future generations." 2nd article: Aspartame damages the hypothalamus.
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Excellent, long, detailed article on aspartame & sperm/DNA damage, as well as chemical hypersensitivity. A frightening but difficult read. "The quantity and quality of human sperm is plunging like a meteor, and with it humanity's future, announced a conference of 130 scientists in Montreal on Male Mediated Developmental Toxicity...The fire ant wields what is arguably the most potent venom of any terrestrial arthropod, formic acid. Exactly the same formic acid that is formed 10% by weight from aspartame in your body."
Dr. James Bowen, M.D. - Excellent, detailed article describing the difference between methanol from aspartame and natural sources. "...Thus fruit juice is highly protective of methanol poisoning rather than serving as a source of methanol as the Aspartame pundits would maintain."
Dr. J. Barua, M.D. (ophthalmic surgeon), Dr. Arun Bal, M.D.(surgeon) - Excellent detailed article. "Methanol is a deadly poison...Methanol, thus breaks down into formic acid (a venom in ant stings) and formaldehyde (embalming fluid) in the body....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. In aspartame there is no ethanol...Methanol & its by-products cause swelling of the optic nerve & degeneration of ganglion cells in the retina."
Hundreds of testimonials - Tons of testimonials from people who have discovered the dangers of aspartame. An absolute must read. "After completely quitting ...most all of my symptoms immediately disappeared and I have not been having any seizure activity."..."Almost immediately upon giving up Nutrasweet, my symptoms went away. No more fatigue and fog in the morning, and a clearer head throughout the day." "...My joints no longer ache, memory is better and I feel great." "...I have been waking up feeling rested. I'm not as achy. I'm not as tired. I don't crave sweets anymore."
View Our Guestbook which is constantly being added with new testimonials, feel free to sign it with your testimonial, opinions etc. Yahoo email group - Active support group about aspartame dangers, with hundreds more testimonials and aspartame related news. Feel free to join! Print out our Flyers and give them to friends, coworkers, doctors etc.
Dr. Morgan Raiford, M.D., D.Sc.(Med) Ophth. - Fairly short letter on vision damage. "Beyond the extensive visual damage that aspartame can and does create, other organ systems are affected. Nerve damage to the arms, legs,central nerve impairment, resulting in impaired nerve function as well as neurosis and learning difficulties in school work as well as behavior....Methyl alcohol has no place in a product, whole or in part,to be allowed to be produced by any manufactor for human usage." 2nd article: Serious vision damage.
Dr. David Edelberg, M.D. - Extremely accredited doctor's opinion found on Wholehealthmd.com. "FDA approval is no guarantee that a substance is risk-free...some people who use lots of aspartame might discover that their headaches, memory loss, mood swings, or fainting spells clear up when they sweeten with a little honey instead. In my practice, which covers a lot of people who just don't feel well, I routinely take patients off aspartame if they tell me they're using it."
Dr. H.J. Roberts, M.D. - An article on aspartame addiction. "The neurologic, psychologic, eye, endocrine, metabolic and pediatric ravages in my data base of over 1,200 aspartame reactors, comprised of both patients and correspondents, are impressive. Additionally, it is my increasing conviction that aspartame products can cause, aggravate or accelerate migraine, seizures, multiple sclerosis, diabetes and its complications, Alzheimer's disease, and even brain tumors....Addiction to aspartame products is as real as abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs." 2nd excellent article: Brain Cancer. 3rd article: Vision damage.
Dr. Russell Blaylock, M.D., Neurosurgeon - Excellent detailed article about excitoxins including aspartame & MSG. A must read. "Over 100 million American now consume aspartame products...There is sufficient medical literature documenting serious injury by these additives in the concentrations presently in our food supply to justify warning the public of these dangers. The case against aspartame is especially strong." 2nd article: Hypothalamus damage. 3rd article: Neurotoxic Interaction of MSG, Aspartame & Other Toxins.
Dr. Blaylock is the author of the book Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills.
Smart-drugs.com - Another detailed article about excitoxins. "Yet there is a key difference between food-derived glutamate/aspartate and MSG/aspartame. Food glutamate/aspartate comes in the form of proteins, which contain 20 other amino acids, and take time to digest, slowing the release of protein bound glutamate/aspartate like a "timed-release capsule." This in turn moderates the rise in blood levels of glutamate/aspartate. Also, when glutamate and aspartate are received by the liver (first stop after intestinal absorption) along with 20 other aminos, they are used to make various proteins. This also moderates the rise in blood glutamate/aspartate levels."
Dr. Andrew Weil, M.D. - Short opinion by the famous doctor. "First of all, I would stop using NutraSweet..." Drweil.com is an excellent resource for all health & diet related issues. Bookmark it!
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center - MEDLINE/PubMed case(June 2001) "Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome for two to 17 years are described. All had undergone multiple treatment modalities with limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete, resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet...All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested...Excitotoxins are molecules, such as MSG and aspartate, that act as excitatory neurotransmitters, and can lead to neurotoxicity when used in excess..."
The Barcelona Report - A Univ. of Barcelona study on lab rats that proves that aspartame is converted to formaldehyde in vivo. Not an easy read. " ...the amount of formaldehyde adducts coming from aspartame in tissue proteins and nucleic acids may be cumulative. It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts....Formaldehyde is a highly reactive small molecule which strongly binds to proteins and nucleic acids forming adducts which are difficult to eliminate through the normal metabolism pathways. As a result, formaldehyde induces severe functional alterations, including the development of cancer."
Dr. Julian Whitaker, M.D. - Fairly short article."..aspartame has been proven to increase appetite, especially cravings for sweets...damage is likely cumulative. Aspartame is particularly harmful to children and the developing fetus." Drwhitaker.com - The doctor's health site.
Dr. Richard J. Sabates, M.D. - A doctor's personal story on his aspartame poisoning and recovery. "Never again will I touch artificial sweeteners and I will try to educate my patients as to the very important reasons why....The FDA is intimately related to the pharmaceutical industry. It is important to let the consumers know that many retired FDA officials go to work as special counselors to the pharmaceutical industry. FDA Commissioner Dr. Charles C. Edwards has said " It is not our purpose to endanger the financial interest of the pharmaceutical companies." FDA ex-commissioner Dr. Robert Liz put it more directly. "What bothers me most is that people believe that the FDA is protecting them...""
Dr. Erik Millstone - Excellent detailed article on aspartame & brain tumors, read this one! "After aspartame was introduced, however, the opposite pattern can be found. The incidence of glioblastomas rose sharply, and starting in the late 1980s the number of astrocytomas declined even more sharply. Since those latter changes run counter to the direction which could be attributed to the introduction of better diagnostic technologies, it is hard to see how the reported changing tumour incidence could be ascribed to innovations in diagnosis. If the apparent increase in overall incidence had been due to improved diagnostics, then we should expect a marked change in post- diagnostic survival rates, but no such change was evident."
Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune - "Aspartame, the popular artificial sweetener sold most often as NutraSweet, is a leading suspect in an upsurge of deadly brain tumors in the United States, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have concluded. Dr. John Olney, lead author of the paper, is a noted neuropathologist and psychiatrist who has challenged aspartame's safety since the 1970s."
Dr. Louis J. Elsas, M.D., Director, Division of Medical Genetics - Statement for the U.S. Senate. "I have considerable concern for the increased dissemination and consumption of the sweetener, aspartame... in our world food supply."
Dr. Pardridge, M.D., endocrinologist - Congressional testimony, mainly about phenylalanine in aspartame. "One study shows that when blood phenylalanine in pregnant mothers is increased five-fold, there is a 10-point drop in the I.Q. of the baby born of that mother...And a more recent study by Dr. Elsas has shown that there are quantitative changes in the human electroencephalogram when the blood phenylalanine is raised three-fold." 2nd article: Aspartame & Pregnancy dangers
Dr. Wurtman, M.D., MIT Neuroscientist, & Dr. Maher - Detailed article, mainly about phenylalanine in aspartame. "Anecdotal reports suggest that some people suffer neurologic or behavioral reactions in association with aspartame consumption." 2nd article: Aspartame & Seizures
Dr. Madelon Price, Professor of Neurobiology - "Aspartic acid (aspartate) has been known to be a neurotoxin for 30 years. Rodent studies demonstrated that when ingested at doses of 0.5 g/kg or greater, the circumventricular organs that surround the ventricles of the brain become necrotic." 2nd short article: Aspartame causes infertility
Dr. James B. Hays, M.D. - "For the past five years, numerous side-effects have been observed due to Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal)..."
Dr. Bill Misner, Ph.D., nutritionist - "Before eating or drinking anything with Aspartame on the run or just for "fun", give serious thought to its proven toxic accumulative-use side effects shown in a wide assortment of related reliable research as stated below. Possibly due to its methyl alcohol content according to Dr. Ralph Golan, M.D., constant use amounting to large intake over time may result in headaches, fainting, seizures, memory loss, mood swings, depression, nausea, and gastrointestinal stress." e-caps.com: Ask Dr. Bill - The doctor's website, he specializes in endurance training.
Dr. George R. Schwartz, M.D., toxicologist - Rebuttal letter to Monsanto. "you have presented a one-sided self-serving polemic defending your potentially dangerous product...There is overwhelming scientific evidence that Nutrasweet can pose a serious health danger."
Dr. Paula Rhodes - News4jax.com article. "The results can be dramatic...We've got people who sought care from neurologists, psychologists, psychiatrists. They're on a whole grocery list of medications for complaints that end up being traced to aspartame."
David E. Polen, D.C. - "I have noted in my practice that removing Nutra-Sweet from the diet can have a positive effect on many patients from these other aspartame-related neuro-psychiatric complaints: seizures, headaches, dizziness, disorientation, confusion, severe anxiety, hyperactivity, sleeplessness, insomnia, numbness, paresthesias, atypical facial pain, severe depression, slurred speech and migrating joint pain. "
Dr. Milt Hammerly, MD - "I think it is prudent to avoid consuming aspartame. For those who have chronic health problems that have not responded to other interventions a trial of avoiding aspartame for several months may produce noticeable benefits."
Dr. Joseph Mercola, osteopathic medical doctor - Over 20 articles written by Dr. Mercola about the dangers of aspartame. "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."
Dr. Siegfried Schmidt, M.D. - Short 12/18/2001 article. "'These people are back to normal life, which is, when you come from chronic pain, to be normal, this is a miracle.' Doctor Schmidt thinks the chemicals in the food could affect the brain and cause the pain."
Dr. Joe Esposito - Short opinion. "There is also strong evidence that it can cause brain tumors, depression, and even mimic multiple sclerosis symptoms, which can lead to misdiagnosis and improper treatment. I can go on and on about the dangers of aspartame, but the bottom line is avoid it at all costs."
Dr. Karl Smith - Short, not very detailed article. "Unfortunately, formaldehyde is stored in fat cells and Aspartame causes increased cravings for carbohydrates. So drink diet soda and eat diet foods with Aspartame, get fat now; and later develop seizures, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, alzheimers disease, and eventually death."
Dr. Jay Mazzella, D.C - Short article. "Doctors are finding relief of symptoms when patients are removed from aspartame, yet it is still on the market. Senator Howard Hetzenbaum recently wrote a bill that would have instituted independent studies, but it was killed by the powerful drug and chemical lobbies. This is just another example of how important it is for consumers to not blindly trust the government or any other organization to always look after the health interest of the consumer."
Dr. Tom Lee, N.M.D. - General aspartame overview article. "Considering what is now known about brain chemistry, as well as, the now numerous documented reports of adverse reactions to aspartame, it would be prudent to eliminate aspartame from the diet."
Dr. Bryan T. McConnell, ND - Short, general opinion. "It is best advised to stay away from aspartame containing products. Finally, avoid getting nutrition information from junk food industry PR organizations such as IFIC or organizations that accept large sums of money from the junk and chemical food industry such as the American Dietetic Association."
Dr. G. M. Wolverton, M.D. - Short article. "Very frequently, when you put a designer drug into the human body for the purpose of "fooling" an organ system, the consequences are far reaching and sometimes quite disastrous."
Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons, Ph.D., addictive nutrition specialist. - Very short article. "I encourage my clients to stay away from products with aspartame both for their addictive potential and their reinforcement of the dependence upon sweet taste."
Dr. Lendon Smith, M.D. - "These ingredients may not actually cause mental problems but can certainly trigger them by interfering with the ratio of the various brain neurotransmitters. A person may be susceptible to brain chemical alterations, but the reaction only occurs when there is stress plus the ingestion of ASP."
Dr. Laura Thompson, metabolic nutritionist - An article on ADD & nutrition that briefly mentions aspartame. "By all means don’t give your kids artificial-anything, especially artificial sweeteners such as aspartame or Nutrasweet TM. These products can negatively affect brain function, behavior, and their health."
MEDLINE/PubMed case(Oct 2001) - Tiny report: "Aspartame, an artificial sweetener added to many foods and beverages, may trigger headaches in susceptible individuals."
Karinya.com - Good article. "In neurosurgeon Dr. Russell Blaylock's book "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills," he writes that aspartame causes major neurological changes, and in heavy users, may even precipitate lupus and methanol toxicity, which at first appears to be multiple sclerosis. The ingredients in NutraSweet literally stimulate the neurons of the brain to death causing brain damage of varying degrees."
Femail.co.uk: Daily Mail article - Short article on artificial sweetner dangers. "Concerns were first raised about aspartame in 1978 when researchers in Barcelona found a link between high intakes of the substance and brain tumours when fed to rats."
Bitter Truth of aspartame - Another article. "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."
Radio Interview Transcript - A transcript of a 1997 Dallas, Texas radio interview with Mary Nosh Stoddard, Founder of ACSN. "..It was first approved in 1974, but the approval was rescinded because of the brain tumor issue....We compare this to the cigarette issue because it's a very close parallel. How many cigarettes does it take to cause lung cancer or a stroke, or a heart attack? How many diet drinks do you have to consume to get a brain tumor? How many spoonfuls of Equal do you have to take to have a pancreatic tumor or liver damage? The answer is: We don't know exactly what amount because it does not show up in short term testing. It's the long term effect. "
Weight Gain articles
Note: Many of the articles above deal with the weight gain effects of aspartame as well. Ironically, overweight & obesity rates in the U.S. remained virtually unchanged from 1960 to 1980, only to skyrocket from 1980 - 2000, the same period "diet" products with aspartame were introduced.
Dr. Sandra Cabot, M.D. Liver specialist - "Aspartame makes you fatter... After having been consulted by thousands of overweight people suffering with problems concerning the liver and/or metabolism I can assure you that aspartame will not help you in any way, indeed it will help you to gain unwanted weight." Liverdoctor.com - Dr. Cabot's website. Dr. Cabot's books on the liver and diet.
Ann Louise Gittleman, nutritionist - "Within a month of quitting the NutraSweet and all the products it was found in, Jan's symptoms (and the extra weight) disappeared...I suggest you completely avoid any foods with added NutraSweet or any other artificial sweetener." Ann Louise Gittleman is a well known and respected nutritionist, author of dozens of popular nutrition books.
Rebecca Ephraim, RD, CCN - "Aspartame = Diet-astrous Results. "...the amino acid phenylalanine, blocks production of serotonin, a nerve chemical that, among other activities, controls food cravings... Nutritionist Susan Allen...believes that when they consume them, the sweet taste of no-calorie sweeteners triggers their bodies to release insulin, even though there is no food to feed the cells. The problem Allen sees is that an "insulin-sensitive" person who uses artificial sweeteners teases his or her body into thinking food is on its way, so insulin is released. But when the body discovers it was cheated out of food, it revolts by throwing a food-craving tantrum that can only be quelled by eating blood sugar food that will more than likely be high-calorie sugary snacks.
Hundreds of testimonials - "Getting of Nutrasweet has taken away my excessive appetite. I eat a big lunch, but have little desire for supper and now that I'm off diet drinks, I've lost 10 pounds in the first month...."
History of Aspartame: approval, lack of testing, FDA ties to industry
Arthur M. Evangelista, former FDA investigator - Excellent easy to read letter. "Prior to the approval of aspartame, the FDA sent two specialized teams to G.D. Searle, and found an ghastly 95% level of mis-directed testing, concealed tests, collusion between corporate and their company-funded research, inappropriate antemortum issues, withholding of material facts, alteration of records, lying to investigators, lost records, no records, falsification of reports, bribery, poor test methodology or design....et al...Former corporate officials, who began working for the Food and Drug Administration (and vice versa), were very cavalier about issues uncovered at Searle regarding their drug processing, and about aspartame. Some, with a hidden agenda of promised secret money or better industry jobs, actively hindered the investigation into G.D. Searle's laboratory practices. It is obvious when you see the records and numbers, and WHERE those jobs were."
UPI report part #1, Part #2, Part #3 - Excellent, detailed 1987 8 month UPI investigative report on the history of aspartame. A must read. "Dr. Reuben Matalon, a pediatrician and geneticist....said, 'Let us say cigarettes were invented today, and you give 20 people two packs a day and after six weeks, no one has cancer, would you say that it was safe? That’s what they did with NutraSweet.'...'There are virtually no studies,' Turner said, 'that have been done by individuals using resources other than the industry’s that have given a clean bill of health to aspartame.'"
History of Aspartame approval #2 - Detailed timeline showing how aspartame got approved. An excellent read. "Shortly after the FDA approval for aspartame in carbonated beverages, FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes left the FDA under charges of improprieties...and was hired as a consultant ($1,000 per day) with G.D. Searle's public relations firm, Burson Marsteller...The United Press reported on October 12, 1987 that more than 10 federal officials involved in the NutraSweet decision took jobs in the private sector linked to the aspartame industry."
History of Aspartame approval #3 - Excellent, extremely detailed article about the aspartame approval. "Dr. Gross, the chief scientist on the FDA task force, told the CBS *Nightly News* staff in January, 1984, that Searle made "*deliberate* decisions" to cloak the toxic effects of aspartame. "They took great pains to camouflage these shortcomings of the study,'' Gross said, "as I say, filter and just present to the FDA what they wished the FDA to know. And they did other *terrible* things. For instance, animals would develop tumors while they were under study-well, G.D. Searle would *remove these tumors from the animals*," surgically masking the cancerous effects of aspartame.....Despite what one FDA scientist described as 'very serious' questions concerning pivotal brain tumor tests, Hayes eagerly approved aspartame for use in dry foods in July 1981...Hayes acknowledged in his 1981 decision that he had only consulted a preliminary report of the Japanese evaluation, and only *skimmed* it. More serious, Hayes violated federal law by basing approval on the test, as it had not been reviewed by the FDA board.....James Turner, representing the Community Nutrition Institute in Washington, D.C., said that Arthur Hull Hayes, to arrive at his decision that aspartame is safe, firewalked apath "through a mass of scientific mismanagement, improper procedures, wrong conclusions and general scientific inexactness".
History of Aspartame approval #4 - "Dr. Jacqueline Verrett, a former FDA toxicologist, and member of an FDA task force that investigated the authenticity of research done by Searle to establish the safety of aspartame, says she believes the original aspartame studies were 'built on a foundation of sand.' " Dr. Jacqueline Verrett Congressional testimony
disinfo.com(disinformation): Another long, detailed article.
NSDA Protest - A must read 1983 National Soft Drink Assn. protest letter put in Congressional Record in 1985. Note that this was written AFTER the FDA approved aspartame for use in dry foods. The NSDA later changed their mind and started making billions in diet drink sales. "G. D. Searle and Company has not demonstrated to a reasonable certainty that the use of aspartame in soft drinks, without quantitative limitations, will not adversely affect human health as a result of the changes such use is likely to cause in brain chemistry and under certain reasonably anticipated conditions of use....Aspartame is inherently, markedly and uniquely unstable in aqueous media."
The Bressler Report - Detailed scathing 1977 FDA Report on Searle and the incredible number of disparities, missing information, and improper procedures in their aspartame tests. You're fed the quote: "Aspartame is the most tested product in the world" often. It's a bunch of garbage, especially with tests like these: "Observation records indicated that animal A23LM was alive at week 88, dead from week 92 through week 104, alive at week 108, and dead at week 112." All it took was one corrupt FDA commissioner to overrule the FDA board and approve aspartame.
Wall Street Journal article - "Two government lawyers who decided against prosecuting the maker of NutraSweet for allegedly falsifying test results later joined the law firm that represented the company during the criminal investigation, Senate investigators charged."
Star Tribune Article - Excellent article on the FDA and the lack of aspartame testing. "Food and Drug Administration officials have for years resisted proposals from government scientists for comprehensive studies of the safety of the artificial sweetener aspartame, which 100 million Americans consume as NutraSweet....FDA officials said that, since 1981, about 8,000 consumers have complained to the agency that the sweetener has caused them physical ailments.... Huff said that the number of reports is worrisome, though, because "if 100 people have a headache after chewing NutraSweet gum, only one's going to report it...In 1976, the FDA's general counsel requested a federal grand jury investigation of the company because of alleged irregularities in its laboratory. (Such an investigation was never undertaken.)"
News4jax.com article - "One person who doesn't call it safe: former FDA investigator Arthur Evangelista. Evangelista says he left the FDA in the late 19-80's because of its practices. "On several issues -- including Aspartame -- I was told to keep my mouth shut.," Evangelista said. "The FDA was not following a public health policy that was protecting the public itself. but rather, seemed to be in collusion with corporations that were marketing substances that were detrimental to public health."
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