-
- Aspartame was not approved until 1981,
in dry foods. For over eight years the FDA refused to approve it because
of the seizures and brain tumors this drug produced in lab animals. The
FDA continued to refuse to approve it until President Reagan took office
(a friend of Searle) and fired the FDA Commissioner who wouldn't approve
it. Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes was appointed as commissioner. Even then there
was so much opposition to approval that a Board of Inquiry was set up.
The Board said: "Do not approve aspartame". Dr. Hayes OVERRULED
his own Board of Inquiry. Shortly after Commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes,
Jr., approved the use of aspartame in carbonated beverages, he left for
a position with G.D. Searle's Public Relations firm.
-
- Long-Term Damage. It appears to cause
slow, silent damage in those unfortunate enough to not have immediate reactions
and a reason to avoid it. It may take one year, five years, 10 years,
or 40 years, but it seems to cause some reversible and some irreversible
changes in health over long-term use. METHANOL (AKA WOOD ALCOHOL/POISON)
(10% OF ASPARTAME) Methanol/wood alcohol is a deadly poison. People may
recall that methanol was 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.
The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes
with DNA replication, and causes birth defects. 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." It has been pointed
out that fruit juices and alcoholic beverages contain small amounts of
methanol. It is important to remember, that the methanol in natural products
never appears alone. In every case, ethanol is present, usually in much
higher amounts. Ethanol is an antidote for methanol toxicity in humans.
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, 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). Much worse, on 27 June 1996, without public notice,
the FDA removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to be used
in everything, including all heated and baked goods. The truth about
aspartame's toxicity is far different than what the NutraSweet Company
would have you readers believe. In February of 1994, the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services released the listing of adverse reactions
reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994). Aspartame accounted for more than 75%
of all adverse reactions reported to the FDA's Adverse Reaction Monitoring
System (ARMS). By the FDA's own admission fewer then ONE PERCENT of those
who have problems with something they consume ever report it to the FDA.
This balloons the almost 10,000 complaints they once had to around a million.
However, the FDA has a record keeping problem (they never did respond
to the certified letter from the WEBMASTER of this site... a major victim!)
and they tend to discourage or even misdirect complaints, at least on
aspartame. The fact remains, though, that MOST victims don't have a clue
that aspartame may be the cause of their many problems! Many reactions
to aspartame were very serious including seizures and death. Those reactions
included:
-
- Abdominal Pain Anxiety attacks arthritis
asthma Asthmatic Reactions Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention) Blood Sugar
Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia) Brain Cancer (Pre-approval
studies in animals) Breathing difficulties burning eyes or throat Burning
Urination can't think straight Chest Pains chronic cough Chronic Fatigue
Confusion Death Depression Diarrhea Dizziness Excessive Thirst or Hunger
fatigue feel unreal flushing of face Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of
Hair Headaches/Migraines dizziness Hearing Loss Heart palpitations Hives
(Urticaria) Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) Impotency and Sexual Problems
inability to concentrate Infection Susceptibility Insomnia Irritability
Itching Joint Pains laryngitis "like thinking in a fog" Marked
Personality Changes Memory loss Menstrual Problems or Changes Migraines
and Severe Headaches (Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake) Muscle spasms
Nausea or Vomiting Numbness or Tingling of Extremities Other Allergic-Like
Reactions Panic Attacks Phobias poor memory Rapid Heart Beat Rashes Seizures
and Convulsions Slurring of Speech Swallowing Pain Tachycardia Tremors
Tinnitus Vertigo Vision Loss Weight gain
-
- Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or
Worsens the Following Diseases
-
- Fibromyalgia Arthritis Multiple Sclerosis
(MS) Parkinson's Disease Lupus Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) Diabetes
and Diabetic Complications Epilepsy Alzheimer's Disease Birth Defects Chronic
Fatigue Syndrome Lymphoma Lyme Disease Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Panic Disorder Depression and other Psychological Disorders
-
- How it happens: Methanol, from aspartame,
is released in the small intestine when the methyl group of aspartame
encounters the enzyme chymotrypsin (Stegink 1984, page 143).
-
- Free methanol begins to form in liquid
aspartame-containing products at temperatures above 86 degrees F.. also
within the human body (98.6).
-
- The methanol is then converted to formaldehyde.
-
- The formaldehyde converts to formic
acid, ant sting poison. Toxic formic acid is used as an activator to strip
epoxy and urethane coatings. Imagine what it does to your tissues!
-
- Phenylalanine and aspartic acid, 90%
of aspartame, are amino acids normally used in synthesis of protoplasm
when supplied by the foods we eat. But when unaccompanied by other amino
acids we use [there are 20], they are neurotoxic. That is why a warning
for Phenylketonurics is found on EQUAL and other aspartame products.
-
- Phenylketenurics are 2% of the population
with extreme sensitivity to this chemical unless it's present in food.
It gets you too, causing brain disorders and birth defects!
-
- Finally, the phenyalanine breaks down
into DKP, a brain tumor agent.
-
- In other words: Aspartame converts to
dangerous byproducts that have no natural countermeasures. A dieter's empty
stomach accelerates these conversions and amplifies the damage. Components
of aspartame go straight to the brain, damage that causes headaches, mental
confusion, seizures and faulty balance. Lab rats and other test animals
died of brain tumors.
-
- Despite the claims of Monsanto and bedfellows:
-
- 1. Methanol from alcohol and juices does
not get converted to formaldehyde to any significant extent. There is
very strong evidence to confirm this fact for alcoholic beverages and
fairly strong evidence for juices.
-
- 2. Formaldehyde obtained from methanol
is very toxic in *very small* doses as seen by recent research.
-
- 3. Aspartame causes chronic toxicity
reactions/damage due to the methanol to formaldehyde and other break down
products despite what is claimed otherwise by the very short, industry-funded
experiments using a test substance that is chemically different and absorbed
differently than what is available to the general public. "Strangely
enough", almost all independent studies show that aspartame can cause
health problems.
-
- 4. A common ploy from Monsanto is to
claim that aspartame is "safe" yet a few select people may have
"allergic" reactions to it. This is typical Monsanto nonsense,
of course. Their own research shows that it does not cause "allergic"
reactions. It is there way of trying to minimize and hide the huge numbers
of toxicity reactions and damage that people are experiencing from the
long-term use of aspartame.
-
- Summary
-
- Given the following points, it is definitely
premature for researchers to discount the role of methanol in aspartame
side effects:
-
- 1. The amount of methanol ingested from
aspartame is unprecedented in human history. Methanol from fruit juice
ingestion does not even approach the quantity of methanol ingested from
aspartame, especially in persons who ingest one to three liters (or more)
of diet beverages every day. Unlike methanol from aspartame, methanol from
natural products is probably not absorbed or converted to its toxic metabolites
in significant amounts as discussed earlier.
-
- 2. Lack of laboratory-detectable changes
in plasma formic acid and formaldehyde levels do not preclude damage being
caused by these toxic metabolites. Laboratory-detectable changes in formate
levels are often not found in short exposures to methanol.
-
- 3. Aspartame-containing products often
provide little or no nutrients which may protect against chronic methanol
poisoning and are often consumed in between meals. Persons who ingest
aspartame-containing products are often dieting and more likely to have
nutritional deficiencies than persons who take the time to make fresh
juices.
-
- 4. Persons with certain health conditions
or on certain drugs may be much more susceptible to chronic methanol poisoning.
-
- 5. Chronic diseases and side effects
from slow poisons often build silently over a long period of time. Many
chronic diseases which seem to appear suddenly have actually been building
in the body over many years.
-
- 6. An increasing body of research is
showing that many people are highly sensitive to low doses of formaldehyde
in the environment. Environmental exposure to formaldehyde and ingestion
of methanol (which converts to formaldehyde) from aspartame likely has
a cumulative deleterious effect.
-
- 7. Formic acid has been shown to slowly
accumulate in various parts of the body. Formic acid has been shown to
inhibit oxygen metabolism.
-
- 8. The are a very large and growing number
of persons are experiencing chronic health problems similar to the side
effects of chronic methanol poisoning when ingesting aspartame-containing
products for a significant length of time. This includes many cases of
eye damage similar to the type of eye damage seen in methanol poisoning
cases.
-
- Toxicity Effects of Aspartame Use Selection
of Health Effects from Short-term and/or Long-Term Use Note: It often
takes at least sixty days without any aspartame NutraSweet to see a significant
improvement. Check all labels very carefully (including vitamins and pharmaceuticals).
Look for the word "aspartame" on the label and avoid it. (Also,
it is a good idea to avoid "acesulfame-k" or "sunette.")
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. If you are a user of any products with aspartame, and you
have physical, visual, mental problems... take the 60-day no aspartame
test. If, after two months with no aspartame your symptoms are either
gone, or are much less severe, please get involved to get this neurotoxin
off the market. Write a letter to the FDA, with a copy to Betty Martini
(for proof of how the FDA doesn't keep proper records). Write your congressmen.
Return products containing aspartame to the point of purchase... for a
FULL refund. Make a big stink if they WON'T give you a full refund! Tell
all your friends and family... and if they stop using aspartame and also
"wake up well"... get them involved in the same way.
-
- Aspartame is an "approved sweetener"
because of a few greedy and dishonest people who place profits above human
life and well-being. With the FDA and our Congress culpable, only an
INFORMED and ACTIVE public will affects its reclassification from "food
additive" to TOXIC DRUG, and removed from the human food chain. Link
to a printable report form:
-
- http://www.dorway.com/reprtfrm.html
-
- Addresses:
-
- Commissioner Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane Rockville, Maryland 20857
-
- Mrs. Betty Martini Mission Possible International
9270 State Bridge Road Suite 215 Duluth, Georgia 30097 Internet E-mail:
bettym19@mindspring.com
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