Stoddard's POV

Aspartame: Possibly The World’s Deadliest Neurotoxin

2012-02-13T13:59:00.000-06:00

Medicine in Our Food?

Is Aspartame dangerous? Judging by the ingredient lists of over 5,000 food products that list Aspartame or NutraSweet/Equal™, one of its name brand versions, the average American believes this product must be completely safe and harmless. But according to Zoh Show guest, Mary Nash Stoddard, founder of The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and author of the source book, The Deadly Deception, Aspartame "has the potential of being the deadliest neurotoxin known to man." Mary has become the point woman for the citizens' "right to know" about the dangers of Aspartame and joined Zoh on July 2, 1997 to describe the work of the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network (ACSN) and what we can do to avoid this dangerous substance.

"Aspartame was discovered in the 60s as a drug for peptic ulcers," Mary explained. "What the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network is attempting to do is to call the FDA into responsibility and act upon the fact that it was discovered as a drug, still is a drug and [they should] recall and retest it as a drug. It will never pass those tests, and that is the reason it wasn't tested as a drug initially.... Aspartame is 50% Phenylalanine which lowers the seizure threshold in individuals. It's 40% Aspartic Acid which caused lesions in the brains of mice and lab animals, and it can cause silent lesions in the brain according to the top scientists in the amino acid studies. That further breaks down into methanol, 10% wood alcohol by weight, formaldehyde, formic acid and DKP [diketopiperazine] which is the brain tumor agent. So it's a toxic mix we have here and it breaks down in anything above 85º Fahrenheit. Remember [our] body temperature is 98.6º, so it breaks down within ten minutes of ingestion."

MYSTERIOUS REACTIONS

Mary was also having simultaneous mysterious reactions to the Weight Watchers products she was using with Aspartame in them. Weight Watchers also recommended using Equal™ and diet soft drinks, and she was becoming ill. "Mine started with a knee joint problem which was arthritic in nature, I thought, and progressed into severe muscle spasms, cramping, twitching, low grade fever [and] fibromyalgia symptoms." Mary was eventually diagnosed with eosinophilia myalgia, a potentially fatal condition. She began her exhaustive search for answers for her child and herself, and one of the results was a compiled 200 page fact report "which is simply reprints of articles from the medical and science journals. [They] were very difficult to find. It was almost hidden in the literature, but it was there, and that's how I got started."

Mary was asked, in 1987, to testify at the third Senate hearing on Aspartame safety in Washington, D.C. While she was there she met a lot of other people who were claiming the same symptoms. She remembered it being "kind of like that movie, 'Close Encounters Of The Third Kind' where everybody got together and said 'Wow, we thought we were the only ones.' " The long list of symptoms on Mary's website were compiled from her twelve years of research and interviews with other sufferers. Aspartame can be the cause of headaches, nausea, vertigo, hearing loss, tinitus, insomnia, numbness of extremities, eye problems, blurred vision, blindness, memory loss, slurred speech, mild to suicidal depression, personality changes, violent behavior, anxiety attacks, hyperactivity, gastro intestinal disorders, seizures, skin lesions, muscle cramps, joint pain, fatigue, PMS, menstrual irregularities, chest pain, arrhythmia, edema and INCREASED appetite. Death is also listed as a symptom. Mary's website continues, "Aspartame may trigger or mimic the following illnesses: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Epstein-Barr, Post-Polio Syndrome, Lyme Disease, Alzheimer's Disease, ALS Disease, Epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis, EMS, Hypothyroidism, mercury sensitivity from amalgam fillings, Fibromyalgia, Graves, Lupus, Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and ADD."

With the variety of symptoms and conditions Aspartame can trigger, Mary says it is essential for doctors to remove if from patients' diets before conducting neurological tests. She says they should take "all of their patients off of this substance and then do their MRIs, their CAT scans, their PET scans and diagnostic testing full speed ahead, but don't do that until the patient is taken off of Aspartame."

BRAIN TUMOR REGISTRY

After looking at lab animal studies, The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network created a brain tumor registry. Lab animals fed Aspartame had "brain tumors, mammary tumors, which translates into breast cancer in humans, they had uterine tumors and they had pancreatic cancer tumors. So the brain tumor registry is very interesting," she says. "We have discovered a 10% rise in the advent of the very kinds of brain tumors that occurred in the lab animals and those are Astrocytomas and Glioblastomas [glio cell cancers]. These have become almost epidemic in the population. If you go on the Internet and get into any brain tumor news group, you'll find that almost everybody there started with Astrocytomas and these people have been using the diet sodas and the powdered sweetener, Equal™.... Maybe that got them [started] into what they have developed."

READ THE LABELS

Aspartame is included in 5,000 products across 60 countries, so avoiding it is increasingly difficult. Become a careful label reader, advises Mary. "Even labels of over the counter medications and prescription meds, which it is in.... The Deadly Deception contains a list of some of the childrens' prescription medications it's in, like their pain medications that they're given for fevers, and their antibiotics that they're given for infections, ear infections and such, it's in those. You have got to either ask your pharmacist or see it on the label. Please, reject anything that has the word Aspartame [or] Phenylalanine on it. Sometimes it is listed as Phenylalanine."

DIABETICS DECEIVED

"Diabetics are some of the most insidiously affected people," Mary warned, "because they are not being told that Aspartame will harm them. They're being told that it's their lifeline [when] just the opposite is true." She suggests diabetics test themselves by drinking "two or three, preferably warm [room temperature], diet drinks and then begin testing about an hour later. You'll find [that] the blood sugar levels are not in control with Aspartame."

There are many alternatives for diabetics, however. Raw unrefined honey, tubinado sugar, which is an unrefined sugar, Stevia, a sweet, dietary supplement, and rice syrup, a grain sweetener that does not metabolize like a raw sugar. These and many others can be found in the health food stores in most areas.

WHERE IS THE HEALTH
CARE INDUSTRY?

Zoh reports the trouble had by medical researcher, Dr. Roberts, M.D., in publishing his brief study called "Aspartame Associated Confusion and Memory Loss: A Possible Human Model For Early Alzheimer's Disease". None of the standard medical peer reviewed journals would publish it. This was peculiar, he thought, "considering the increasing magnitude of Alzheimer's Disease and the relevance of my observations to newer biochemical findings and avenues of research." He can "personally vouch for the enormous difficulty in getting published [any] articles concerning reaction to Aspartame products.... The options are generally limited to burying the findings in a small circulation journal such as the bulletin of a county medical society, reporting the results as a letter to the editor or, unfortunately, discarding the project."

Unfortunately, the peer reviewed journals are not always about the latest findings in research. More often than not, the articles and research are slanted to benefit the companies who underwrite the studies. The articles that appear in the journals are censored by those who sit on the peer review panels, often the same people who sit on the boards of major chemical and drug manufacturing companies--the real control of health care in this country. This monopoly over research and publishing may in part explain why foundations such as the Epilepsy Institute and the diabetic organizations endorse a product that is really injurious to the consumer. "It's funding," says Mary Nash Stoddard succinctly. "The Diabetic Association is funded by all the diet soft drink and sweetener companies." She has a photo showing an oversize check for $75,000 presented to the American Dietetic Association from the NutraSweet™ Co. The American Dietetic Association is the board that oversees all registered dietitians and the food served in institutions, hospitals and care facilities. "These are licensed professionals and they have prostituted themselves to the artificial sweetener companies.... They have allowed, because of this funding, the NutraSweet™ PR people to write their facts in their fact sheet on artificial sweeteners -- on their own product! They are definitely in bed together. You can't get around that. The Epilepsy Association, the Diabetic Association, the Dietetic Association and many, many other [health organizations] are beholden to the sweetener industry.

"Virtually all of the research that has been done since the 80s has been tainted by Monsanto and NutraSweet™ funding of the studies," continued Mary.

POLITICAL INTRIGUE

"If you go into the political scenario behind it, which we do in our report called Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame, you will see all of the intrigue up to the Supreme Court with the former Monsanto Chemical [attorney] now seated on the Supreme Court, Judge Clarence Thomas.... It's definitely a horrible web of political and scientific intrigue."

PILOTS AT RISK

Mary says she met an F16 pilot in Washington, DC who asked her to continue her public fight against Aspartame because it poses a serious risk for pilots. She says he reported "We're having seizures. We're losing our medical certification to fly. This is a danger that the flying public needs to know about... and they're not being told. You know, the FAA will talk about just about anything except the danger to the flying public associated with the pilot using Aspartame or the controller in the tower using it and getting blurred vision at the wrong time. This has caused many accidents, I believe, in aviation. In our Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame, we have a whole section, reprints from flying magazines, including The U.S. Air Force Flying Safety Magazine which warned its pilots, two different times in 1992, to stay away from diet drinks and Aspartame if you want to keep your medical certification to fly. If you don't get seizures from it, you may have heart attack problems and you'll lose your medical, you'll lose your job and all that training and all that money for your license is down the drain. Believe me, pilots do not want to lose that."

WHAT YOU CAN DO

"One of the top priority poisons in our food supply today, and that of our children," Mary maintains, "is Aspartame. Beyond a doubt, it has the potential of being the deadliest neurotoxin known to man." She advises the first thing we do is to eliminate this poison from your diet. Don't buy any product that has the word Aspartame, NutraSweet™ or Equal™ (and now: Neotame) listed in the ingredients. Also keep an eye open for a new product coming out called Joe Sweet which is a combination of sugar and Aspartame.

Mary also urges us to return the products with these ingredients that we already have in our homes to the store, even if they are already opened. That way the manufacturer, not the grocer, will absorb the cost. The manufacturer needs to know that a growing number of concerned consumers will not buy anything with this poison in it.

You can join the all-volunteer Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and order Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame on amazon.com. This 200 page fact report by Mary Nash Stoddard is an excellent resource for information. . Visit them on the web at http://www.aspartamesafety.com/

This article was prepared by Sally O'Hara.

ASPARTAME & LIVER CANCERS (peer-reviewed medical Journal article)

2012-02-12T13:36:00.000-06:00

(My Letter to a Liver Cancer patient: "A cursory search of our literature produced the following compelling examples of liver damage from the methanol and formaldehyde breakdown components of aspartame. If you were using aspartame prior to your liver cancer diagnosis then there is a very strong possibility your aspartame use played a part in the development of your particular cancer. See the evidence below. If you need more, we have it. Best - Mary Nash Stoddard/author Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame)"

J Pharm Pharmacol. 2000 May;52(5):547-52.
Protective effect of N-acetylcysteine on rat liver cell membrane during methanol intoxication.
Dobrzyñska I, Skrzydlewska E, Kasacka I, Figaszewski Z.
Institute of Chemistry, University in Bialystok, Poland.
Abstract
Methanol is oxidized in-vivo to formaldehyde and then to formate, and these processes are accompanied by the generation of free radicals. We have studied the effect of N-acetylcysteine on liver cell membrane from rats intoxicated with methanol (3.0 g kg(-1)). Evaluation of the effect was achieved by several methods. Lipid peroxidation and surface charge density were measured. An ultrastructural study of the liver cells was undertaken. The concentration of marker enzymes of liver damage (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase) in blood serum was measured. Methanol administration caused an increase in lipid peroxidation products (approximately 30%) as well as in surface charge density (approximately 60%). This might have resulted in the membrane liver cell damage visible under electron microscopy and a leak of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase into the blood (increase of approximately 70 and 50%, respectively). Ingestion of N-acetylcysteine with methanol partially prevented these methanol-induced changes. Compared with the control group, lipid peroxidation was increased by approximately 3% and surface charge density by approximately 30%. Alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activity increased by 9 and 8%, respectively, compared with the control group. The results suggested that N-acetylcysteine was an effective antioxidant in methanol intoxication. It may have efficacy in protecting free radical damage to liver cells following methanol intoxication.
PMID: 10864143 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
METHANOL (10% OF ASPARTAME MOLECULE)
Methanol is a type of alcohol not intended for human or animal consumption. It's common to find methanol in products like anti-freeze, canned heating sources like Sterno, varnish, windshield wiper fluid, paint thinner, and fuel additives. Methanol poisoning is extremely serious and can result in death within a few hours if not immediately treated.
As little as a couple of tablespoons (about 14-28 ml) of methanol can causemethanol poisoning in children. In adults, two ounces (56 ml) may causemethanol poisoning. Ingestion of methanol is cause for very grave concern and immediate hospital treatment.
Methanol poisoning has a number of symptoms. These include bizarre behavior, falling into a coma, extreme dizziness, severe headaches and seizures. Methanol poisoning can render a person temporarily blind, dilate the pupils and cause blurred vision. The digestive system starts to immediately reject methanol and symptoms may include severe stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea. Methanol also disrupts liver and pancreatic function. Even with treatment, methanol poisoning can cause permanent liver damage.
Other symptoms in methanol poisoning are difficulty breathing, signs of lowoxygen levels through blue fingernails and lips, complete fatigue and cramps in the legs. These symptoms when taken together represent a medical emergency, and you should contact 911 or emergency services in your country immediately if you suspect methanol poisoning. You should not attempt to induce vomiting with syrup of ipecac unless you are instructed to do so by emergency services.
Treatment for methanol poisoning is fairly intensive. Many patients have a nasal-gastric tube inserted with activated charcoal, which helps "pump the stomach." Patients are observed for sharp declines in blood pressure, seizures, or stopping breathing. It is quite common for people to need dialysis, and most people are also given an antidote to methanol in the form of ethanol. As symptoms develop, other medications, like anticonvulsants may be needed. Many people require breathing support like a respirator.
If you do suspect methanol poisoning, it's important to take any suspected containers with methanol with you to the hospital. Lab analysis can roughly determine how much methanol a product contains which can help predict the degree of symptoms. You should not, however, waste time searching for methanol containers if you don't know what a person has consumed.
Most cases of methanol poisoning are accidental. Unfortunately, some alcoholics may actually consume methanol on purpose. This frequently causes irreversible blindness and can quite easily result in death. To prevent this, some methanol products have emetic properties added, which make a person immediately throw up after drinking them. This may not completely rid the body of methanol and hospital treatment is still necessary, even if a person immediately throws up after drinking methanol.

http://avogadro.chem.iastate.edu/MSDS/methanol.htm

Material Safety Data Sheet
Methyl Alcohol, Reagent ACS, 99.8% (GC)

FORMALDEHYDE IS A BREAKDOWN PRODUCT OF METHANOL IN ASPARTAME:

Life Sci. 1998;63(5):337-49.
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo.
Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X, Fernández-López JA, Alemany M.
Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
Abstract
Adult male rats were given an oral dose of 10 mg/kg aspartame 14C-labelled in the methanol carbon. At timed intervals of up to 6 hours, the radioactivity in plasma and several organs was investigated. Most of the radioactivity found (>98% in plasma, >75% in liver) was bound to protein. Label present in liver, plasma and kidney was in the range of 1-2% of total radioactivity administered per g or mL, changing little with time. Other organs (brown and white adipose tissues, muscle, brain, cornea and retina) contained levels of label in the range of 1/12 to 1/10th of that of liver. In all, the rat retained, 6 hours after administration about 5% of the label, half of it in the liver. The specific radioactivity of tissue protein, RNA and DNA was quite uniform. The protein label was concentrated in amino acids, different from methionine, and largely coincident with the result of protein exposure to labelled formaldehyde. DNA radioactivity was essentially in a single different adduct base, different from the normal bases present in DNA. The nature of the tissue label accumulated was, thus, a direct consequence of formaldehyde binding to tissue structures. The administration of labelled aspartame to a group of cirrhotic rats resulted in comparable label retention by tissue components, which suggests that liver function (or its defect) has little effect on formaldehyde formation from aspartame and binding to biological components. The chronic treatment of a series of rats with 200 mg/kg of non-labelled aspartame during 10 days resulted in the accumulation of even more label when given the radioactive bolus, suggesting that 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.
PMID: 9714421 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
http://www.aerias.org/DesktopModules/ArticleDetail.aspx?articleId=40
Formaldehyde: A Human Carcinogen
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a World Health Organization panel of 26 scientists from 10 countries, has concluded that formaldehyde is a human carcinogen. Previously, the WHO has classified formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen. After reviewing the latest epidemiologic studies, the panel determined that there is now sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans, a rare cancer found in developed countries that impacts the back of the mouth and nose. The panel also found limited evidence for cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and "strong but not sufficient evidence" for leukemia.
These findings are significant because the US Environmental Protection Agency has adopted a more less stringent assessment than the WHO. The evidence reviewed by both the EPA and WHO included results from recent studies by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and a study from England showing that exposure to formaldehyde might also cause leukemia in humans. The WHO panel noted that the scientific evidence has not yet determined how formaldehyde would cause cancer and called for more research. The EPA concluded that the studies were contradictory and not thoroughly reviewed.
Check back here for further updates. The section below reviews other health problems associated with formaldehyde.
Other Health Problems Associated With Formaldehyde
Health problems caused by formaldehyde can either be acute which occur immediately or within a few days of exposure or they can be chronic which are long-term health effects that might not show up for many years. Exposure to formaldehyde can result in:
Eye, nose, and throat irritation; possible eye damage
Coughing; Chest tightness; wheezing, and asthma
Fatigue
Skin rash and/or hives
Nausea and/or vomiting
Nosebleeds
Headaches
Dizziness
Cancer (has been shown to cause cancer of the nasal passages in animals)
Exposure to large amounts of formaldehyde may cause pulmonary edema (fluid build-up in the lungs) as well as damage the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system.

Sensitivity among different people varies widely. Some people may become more sensitive to formaldehyde after an initial exposure. It is estimated that 10 percent to 20 percent of the US population have hyperreactive airways, which may make them more susceptible to irritant effects of formaldehyde. Children and adults have developed allergic reactions, including hives, from exposure to formaldehyde. Other persons have developed allergic reactions (such as allergic skin disease and hives) because of either direct skin contact with solutions of formaldehyde or by wearing permanent-press clothing containing formaldehyde.
Decreasing Exposure to FormaldehydeFormaldehyde: A Human Carcinogen
The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a World Health Organization panel of 26 scientists from 10 countries, has concluded that formaldehyde is a human carcinogen. Previously, the WHO has classified formaldehyde as a probable human carcinogen. After reviewing the latest epidemiologic studies, the panel determined that there is now sufficient evidence that formaldehyde causes nasopharyngeal cancer in humans, a rare cancer found in developed countries that impacts the back of the mouth and nose. The panel also found limited evidence for cancer of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses and "strong but not sufficient evidence" for leukemia.
These findings are significant because the US Environmental Protection Agency has adopted a more less stringent assessment than the WHO. The evidence reviewed by both the EPA and WHO included results from recent studies by the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA) and a study from England showing that exposure to formaldehyde might also cause leukemia in humans. The WHO panel noted that the scientific evidence has not yet determined how formaldehyde would cause cancer and called for more research. The EPA concluded that the studies were contradictory and not thoroughly reviewed.
Check back here for further updates. The section below reviews other health problems associated with formaldehyde.
Other Health Problems Associated With Formaldehyde
Health problems caused by formaldehyde can either be acute which occur immediately or within a few days of exposure or they can be chronic which are long-term health effects that might not show up for many years. Exposure to formaldehyde can result in:
Eye, nose, and throat irritation; possible eye damage
Coughing; Chest tightness; wheezing, and asthma
Fatigue
Skin rash and/or hives
Nausea and/or vomiting
Nosebleeds
Headaches
Dizziness
Cancer (has been shown to cause cancer of the nasal passages in animals)
Exposure to large amounts of formaldehyde may cause pulmonary edema (fluid build-up in the lungs) as well as damage the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system.

Sensitivity among different people varies widely. Some people may become more sensitive to formaldehyde after an initial exposure. It is estimated that 10 percent to 20 percent of the US population have hyperreactive airways, which may make them more susceptible to irritant effects of formaldehyde. Children and adults have developed allergic reactions, including hives, from exposure to formaldehyde. Other persons have developed allergic reactions (such as allergic skin disease and hives) because of either direct skin contact with solutions of formaldehyde or by wearing permanent-press clothing containing formaldehyde.
Decreasing Exposure to Formaldehyde

KOMEN FOUNDATION / BREAST CANCERS: SINCE ASPARTAME IN FOOD SUPPLY (1982-PRESENT)

2012-02-05T17:29:00.000-06:00

Susan G. Komen for the Cure, which receives millions of dollars every year from companies like the Coca-Cola Bottling Company, General Mills, and others, all of which use Aspartame in their products, claims that Aspartame is safe. The group even supports sales of Aspartame in the form of Dannon sugarfree Yogurt, with Komen-sponsored pink ribbon lids.

Komen for the Cure continues to lie to women about the nature of breast cancer and studies showing a clear link between Aspartame consumption and breast cancers.
Komen for the Cure is notorious for denying a link between any chemical exposure and breast cancer, fueling instead the myth that most cases of breast cancer are inherited. In reality, less than ten percent of breast cancer cases have a hereditary link, while the more than 90 percent of other cases have a definitive environmental link.

The sad reality is that the Komen Foundation, which is supported by millions of highly-driven individuals who believe the group is working in the best interests of women, continues to expose itself as nothing but a pseudo-scientific, fraudulent research group.

"The organization's continuous denial of sound science in favor of its own baseless opinion on the matter shows that another agenda is at work -- and it is one that, by all appearances, has no basis in actually curing or preventing breast cancer,"claims NaturalNews.com.

Sources for this article include:

http://thetruthaboutstuff.com/published/Bittersweet%20Breast%20Cancer.pdf

http://marystod.blogspot.com/b/post-preview?token=G0-FUTUBAAA.CK9aEHdPnp1QDtB8AbLOpA.mMCOITRk46L234SOHWwAWA&postId=968020619959722604&type=POST
http://motherjones.com/environment/2011/09/breast-cancer-komen-bpa

http://www.aspartamesafety.com

http://naturalnews.com/

Expert on Methanol Alerts Public to Imminent Health Crisis

2011-12-08T09:14:00.000-06:00

Aspartame Submission from Prof. Woodrow C. Monte to EFSA: While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills 241 p -- Ch 12 Autism and other Birth Defects 26 p -- 740 references

Date: Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 8:17 PM
Subject: Aspartame Submission from Professor Woodrow Monte
To: maud.paques@efsa.europa.eu
Cc: Hugues.KENIGSWALD@efsa.europa.eu

Hugues Kenigswald, Chief
                                3 November 2011
Food Additive and Nutrient Division
European Food Safety Authority

Mr. Kenigswald:

            Please consider this a response to your letter of October
14th to Rich Murray requesting my work by November 5th. This is also
a continuation of my official submission to the EFSA call for data on
aspartame on the 7th of July, 2011.

            I explicitly give EFSA permission to exchange the book
chapter I attach to this email with the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee
on Food Additives.

            This is my work, I am the author and I own the copyright
to the work.

            My concern about the safety of aspartame centers on its
11% methanol content. My reservation about its safety has only
deepened over the twenty five years since my first scientific
publication questioning its safety in the Journal of Applied Nutrition
(previously sent to Sandra Adedapo).

            Every molecule of aspartame liberates a molecule of
methanol on consumption and each molecule of methanol metabolizes into
a molecule of formaldehyde within the brain and other vulnerable
tissue of the unsuspecting consumer.

            Formaldehyde is now universally classified as a known
human carcinogen with no safe level of consumption. The health threat
is magnified when this highly reactive substance is produced within
the body from methanol.

            My recent scientific article explains in detail the
premise by which methanol may act as a etiologic agent of
disease.(586)* The reference numbering of this version of my article
can be used on the reference section of my website,
http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/, to easily retrieve original
references where needed for elucidation.

            I am in press of a review of the entire body of methanol
literature as pertinent to aspartame poisoning in a book entitled
While Science Sleeps. The book will be available on Amazon.com very
soon. I recommend it to your committee as a thorough review of the
methanol literature by a food scientist who has never been a
consultant to the industry that profits from the sweetener.

            The recent controversial admission by the U. S.
Environmental Protection Agency that "methanol is a possible cause of
developmental birth defects"(627) and the recent release (this year)
of an internal U.S. FDA memo(677) pointing to aspartame as having
caused birth defects in laboratory animals are significant evidence to
suspect aspartame as the cause of the 25-year-old epidemic of autism,
whose point of origin appears to coincide to within one gestational
period of the date of aspartame's addition to carbonated beverages.

            I have attached a prepublication copy of Chapter 12 of my
book, While Science Sleeps, that deals with autism and aspartame in
order to expedite your committee's reevaluation of the safety of this
substance. I ask that any use of the material herein be sourced to my
in press book, While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills, by Woodrow C.
Monte, Ph.D.

            If I can do anything further to help in your review,
please let me know. In the recent past, I have registered with Sandra
Adedapo of your staff and sent her other information that I hope will
be helpful.

Kindest regards,

Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D - woodymonte@gmail.com

Emeritus Professor of Food Science - Arizona State University

* All references from submitted Chapter 12 of While Science Sleeps.

Wh i l e S c i e n c e S l e e p s © W. M o n t e ( P r e p u b l i c
a t i o n ) P a g e | 1

Reproduction with permission only - http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/contact/

P a g e | 2

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

I A Time When All the Easy Questions Have Been Answered 7

II Methanol: Where Is It Found? How Can It Be Avoided? 20

III Man And Methanol: A Tragic History of Mutation and Deceit 27

IV Formaldehyde Is The Real Problem 44

V The Silent Battle That Turns Methanol Into Disease 64

VI How Methanol Kills 73

VII Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (Heart Disease) 94

VIII Alzheimer's Disease and its Perivascular Nature 122

IX Multiple Sclerosis 136

X Classic Autoimmune Diseases Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis 184

XI Cancers of Aspartame 194

XII Autism and other Birth Defects 216 [ 27 p ]

Bibliography 242

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/references/
740 full text pdfs

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/pdf/1.pdf
(1) Monte WC. Aspartame; Methanol and the Public Health. Journal of
Applied Nutrition 1984;36(1):42-58.

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/pdf/627.pdf
(627) Shelby M. NTP-CERHR Expert Panel report on the reproductive and
developmental toxicity of methanol. Reproductive Toxicology
2004;18:303-90.

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/pdf/677.pdf
(677) Collins TFX. Memorandum: Aspartame shown to cause nural tube
birth defects in the New Zealand rabit, an animal very resistant to
methanol poisoning. Freedom of information: Department of Health
Education and Welfare, Food and Drug Administration; 1978.

A very important message to the European Food Safety Authority
Link below.

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/open-letter-to-hugues-kenigswald/
Read the open letter

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/While%20Science%20Sleeps%20-%20Chapter%2012%20(ref).pdf
Download Chapter 12 of the book "While Science Sleeps"
A compelling must read full of shocking facts

Chapter 12 Slideshow for Download [ 5 MB ]
http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/files/Chapter%2012%20Birth%20Defects%20caused%20by%20Aspartame.ppt

Birth Defects caused by Aspartame

Open Letter to European F. S. A.

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/multiple-sclerosis/
Chapter 9 Slideshow 1

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/the-teachers-paradigm/
Chapter 9 Slideshow 2

http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/birth-defects-caused-by-aspartame/
Chapter 12 Slideshow
Birth Defects caused by Aspartame

http://www.amazon.com/Solving-Mystery-Multiple-Sclerosis-Poisoning/dp/B003L783I0/ref=rsl_mainw_dpl?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER
Dr Monte's DVD on Amazon.com $ 15
Solving the Mystery of Multiple Sclerosis: Is Your Diet Secretly Poisoning You?

92 Symptoms FDA

2011-11-19T13:47:00.000-06:00

Aspartame Symptoms Submitted to the FDA

The following are symptoms attributed to aspartame in complaints submitted to the FDA by the Department of Health and Human Services April 20, 1995.

How Sweet It Isn't: Cancer Expert Keith Block, MD, Advises Avoiding Artificial Sweetener Aspartame
By Leni Kass

Health concerns are mounting about aspartame, the artificial sweetener consumed by more than 350 million people worldwide. Data from a long term, large scale animal study released by scientists from the Ramazzini Foundation for Cancer Research in Bologna, Italy, strongly link the chemical additive to cancer. This research has prompted the European Food Safety Authority to announce the group will review the research "as a matter of high priority, in the context of previous extensive safety data available on aspartame."

In the U.S., the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board is considering whether it has statutory authority to ban aspartame in the state due to worries the sweetener could be contributing to citizens' health problems. In addition, Christine Lydon, MD, a consultant for several of the world's largest sports nutrition companies who has recommended aspartame-containing products to clients for years, has written an article published in the October edition of Oxygen magazine in which she says a review of the scientific research on the substance has convinced her aspartame is a health hazard. "I sat down with a pile of literature two inches thick. After making it through the first 10 pages, I stormed into my kitchen and fed every item of food containing aspartame to the garbage," she writes in the magazine article. "Since that time, I have not had so much as a stick of aspartame sweetened gum."

First declared safe and approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1981 for use in powdered mixes and tabletop sweeteners, by 1996 aspartame was approved for use in all foods and beverages. However, Ralph Walton, MD, a psychiatry professor at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, analyzed the research. He documented that all of the research showing no health risks had aspartame industry-linked sponsorship. On the other hand, 92% of the independent, non-aspartame industry sponsored studies identified one or more problems with aspartame. "That's a glaring disparity," notes Keith I. Block, MD, one of the nation's leading cancer specialists, who is editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed journal Integrative Cancer Therapies. Dr. Block says he has been troubled for years by the possibility the sugar substitute may, in fact, be anything but a healthy dietary choice. He is particularly concerned about the possibility aspartame might be a carcinogen. The Ramazzini Foundation's study concluded aspartame caused cancer of the kidney and peripheral nerves, mainly in the head. Earlier data from the same study published in July showed aspartame in doses closely equivalent to the acceptable daily intake for women caused an increased risk for leukemia and lymphomas in female lab rats.

In addition to concerns about a possible aspartame/cancer link, Dr. Block, Medical/Scientific Director of the Block Center for Integrative Cancer Care and Optimal Health in Evanston, Illinois, and a Clinical Professor, Department of Medical Education, at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago (UIC), and at the Department of Pharmacology, and his colleagues believe the sweetener may produce a host of distressing symptoms in some people. "Women in particular have reported neurotoxic reactions to aspartame and we have observed that skin reactions and gastrointestinal symptoms often disappear in patients who stop consuming aspartame-containing products."

Dr. Block also explains that phenylalanine and aspartic acid, the amino acid components of aspartame, are known to stimulate insulin release – which could actually sabotage a dieter's effort to lose weight. " In addition, high insulin levels tend to amplify the adverse effects of some other growth factors that could ultimately fuel the growth and spread of cancers such as colorectal cancer, prostate cancer and breast cancer," he notes. "I think such theoretical links should at least warrant considering cutting back or eliminating aspartame containing foods in the diet."

What sweetener does Dr. Block recommend? "There are a variety of natural grain and plant-derived sweeteners that do not cause a big spike in blood sugar. nd fruit can often satisfy a 'sweet tooth' while providing many health benefits," he answers. "I also recommend eating smaller meals throughout the day, and eating foods that have a low-glycemic index, such as corn, peas, and black beans. The body requires more time to break down and absorb these foods, and this leads to a more gradual and moderate rise in blood glucose levels. Much research suggests that this kind of dietary strategy will result in better health and greater longevity – and it is a far healthier way to eat than relying on artificial sweeteners."

Leni Kass has been in marketing and public relations for over 15 years. Previously, she worked with teens, and facilitated a therapy group for adolescents with eating disorders. She is cofounder and CEO of Hey U.G.L.Y., Inc. NFP, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that empowers teens with self-esteem building tools, to help them counter challenges such as eating disorders, bullying, violence, substance abuse and suicide. U.G.L.Y. is an acronym that stands for meaning Unique Gifted Lovable You.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Leni_Kass
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Symptoms which May be Due to Aspartame
What kinds of symptoms may occur as a result of ingesting aspartame? They may involve almost any system of the body. Probably the most common are headaches, including migraines. As I mentioned, one can also experience seizures. Some pilots have lost their licenses after having experienced seizures from aspartame. Several articles have appeared in flying magazines.

Other neurologic or psychiatric symptoms include dizziness, unsteadiness, confusion, severe drowziness and sleepiness, numbness, hyperactivity--especially in children, severe depression, irritability, anxiety, aggression, personality changes, insomnia and phobias.

Visual changes may include blurred vision, blindness, pain and reduced tears. Ringing or buzzing in the ears, hearing impairment or noise intolerance occur in some people. Palpitations, shortness of breath or recent high blood pressure may mimic a heart condition.

Other systems that can be affected are the gastrointestinal system, including diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain; the skin, including itching and hives; and the endocrine system, including loss of control of diabetes, menstrual changes, marked weight loss or gain and aggravated low blood sugar.

To see if you are being affected by aspartame, eliminate all aspartame products for about two weeks. If some of your symptoms improve, you may then reintroduce aspartame and see if your symptoms return. If they do, you should probably eliminate aspartame entirely. - Michael Schachter M.D., F.A.C.A.M.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline
[Promoting FDA Recall of Aspartame - since 1987]
phone: 1-214-387-4001
email: marystod@airmail.net
http://www.aspartamesafety.com

National Organic Standards in Jeopardy With New Rules? What Does This Change In Policy Mean To The Consumer?

2011-11-15T23:36:00.000-06:00

November 15, 2011

MEMORANDUM FOR THE NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS BOARD (NOSB)

FROM: Miles McEvoy Deputy Administrator

National Organic Program (NOP)

SUBJECT: Request for Clarification of "Other Ingredients" in Processed Organic Products

The Organic Foods Production Act (OFPA) authorizes USDA to establish the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances. OFPA also grants the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) the authority to recommend adding materials to or removing materials from the National List. The National List identifies substances that may and may not be used in organic crop and livestock production. In general, synthetic substances are prohibited for use in organic production unless specifically allowed, and non-synthetic (natural) substances are allowed unless specifically prohibited. For handling, the National List includes the non-organic substances that may be used in or on processed organic products. OFPA requires that the National List contain an itemized list of each permitted synthetic substance, including its specific use and application. The NOP recognizes that additional clarity is needed regarding non-agricultural ingredients used in processed organic products and listed under § 205.605.

When used as a formulated product, some substances on the National List may contain additional ingredients in various categories, including, but not limited to, carriers, stabilizers, and preservatives. Such "other ingredients" are sometimes referred to as inert ingredients, excipients, or incidental additives. For organic crop and livestock production, these "other ingredients" are specifically outlined in the regulations. For example, each ingredient in a livestock input material (e.g. medication, pesticide, feed additive) must meet one of the following criteria:

• Nonsynthetic (natural) substance which is not prohibited on § 205.604. • Allowed synthetic substances which is allowed on § 205.603. • Synthetic inert ingredient which is allowed on § 205.603(e), if listed on the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List 4-Inerts of Minimal Concern, and used in

combination with allowed pesticide active ingredients. • Excipient, only for use in the manufacture of drugs used to treat organic livestock if the

excipient meets one of the following criteria: Identified by the FDA as Generally Regarded as Safe. Approved by the FDA as a food additive. Included in the FDA review and approval of a new animal drug application or

new drug application.

Additionally, all agricultural ingredients listed in the ingredients list for feed additives and supplements must be organic.

1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Room 2646-South, STOP 0268 Washington, DC 20250-0201

Request for Clarification of "Other Ingredients" in Processed Organic Products Page 2 of 2

For organic crop production, examples of products with multiple ingredients include blended fertilizers, pesticides with inert ingredients, and potting soil with wetting agents. However, each ingredient must meet one of the following criteria:

• Nonsynthetic (natural) substance which is not prohibited on § 205.602. • Synthetic substance which is allowed on § 205.601. • Synthetic inert ingredient which is allowed on § 205.601(m), if listed on the

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) List 4-Inerts of Minimal Concern , and used in combination with allowed pesticide active ingredients. For passive pheromone dispensers, substances on EPA List 3-Inerts of Unknown Toxicity are also allowed.

Currently, the allowance of "other ingredients" in substances on the National List for use in processed organic products is unclear. Several certifying agents and members of the organic trade have asked the NOP to clarify which "other ingredients" are allowed. Since OFPA requires that each non-agricultural ingredient be specifically allowed, and because the National List doesn't specifically list "other ingredients" commonly found in formulated products, the NOP is requesting that the NOSB specify whether these "other ingredients" are allowed.

NOP Request to NOSB

The NOP is requesting that the NOSB develop a policy on "other ingredients" in § 205.605 substances that is comparable to the comprehensive policy for crop and livestock materials. From this point forward, the NOP is requesting that the NOSB consider the presence of any "other ingredients" as part of their review processes. As substances on the National List come up for sunset review, or as new petitions are considered, the NOP requests that NOSB clarify whether any restrictions are warranted for "other ingredients" in § 205.605 substances. Any third-party technical report that the NOP provides will include information on any "other ingredients" commonly found in the substance under review. The NOP is requesting that the NOSB then specify any allowed "other ingredients" in the proposed regulatory text of their recommendation. If the NOSB does not include "other ingredients" in their review and recommendations, then the NOP will conclude that "other ingredients" that are not listed on

§ 205.605 will not be allowed in formulated products.

The NOP recognizes that the NOSB may want to address the subject further in the future with a comprehensive policy for "other ingredients" that may be included in permitted handling materials. Some questions that could be addressed in a future recommendation could include the following:

1. Should all agricultural ingredients that are "other ingredients" be organically produced? 2. Are synthetic preservatives allowed as "other ingredients?"

These steps will allow the NOP to clearly identify which formulated products are allowed under the processing section of the National List. Clear regulations will in turn allow certifying agents and the organic trade to consistently interpret these requirements. The NOP looks forward to working with the NOSB to continue to enhance the integrity of USDA organic products.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/AMSv1.0/getfile?dDocName=STELPRDC5095484

ASPARTAME FACT SHEET (Email, Print & Distribute)

2011-11-14T14:27:00.000-06:00

Aspartame is the name for an artificial, non-saccharide sweetener. In the European Union, it is known under the E number (additive code) E951. Aspartame is the methyl ester of a phenylalanine/aspartic acid dipeptide. It has been the subject of controversy since its initial approval in 1974.
Marketing
This sweetener is marketed under a number of trademark names, including Equal, NutraSweet, and Canderel, and is an ingredient of approximately 6,000 consumer foods and beverages sold worldwide, including (but not limited to) diet sodas and other soft drinks, instant breakfasts, breath mints, cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, cocoa mixes, frozen desserts, gelatine desserts, juices, laxatives, multivitamins, milk drinks, pharmaceutical drugs and supplements, shake mixes, tabletop sweeteners, teas, instant coffees, topping mixes, wine coolers and yogurt. It is provided as a table condiment in some countries. It is also used in some brands of chewable vitamin supplements, children's vitamins and medications. It is common in sugar-free chewing gum and has now been found in some chewing gum that is not sugar free. However, aspartame is not ever suitable for baking because it always breaks down when heated and loses much of its sweetness. Aspartame is also one of the sugar substitutes used by people with diabetes.

"Aspartame is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods."--Mary Nash Stoddard/author Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame <http://www.aspartamesafety.com>
Aspartame is the technical name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure, etc. It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of G.D. Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.

Aspartame was approved for tabletop use, in 1981 and for liquids and carbonated beverages in 1983. It was originally approved for tabletop use on July 26, 1974, but objections filed by neuroscience researcher Dr John W. Olney and Consumer attorney James Turner in August 1974 as well as investigations of G.D. Searle's research practices caused the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put approval of aspartame on hold (December 5, 1974). In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle and made Searle Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.

Aspartame accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA by Dallas-based Aspartame Consumer Safety Network. Many of these reactions are very serious including seizures and death. A few of the 92 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: Phenylalanine; Aspartic Acid and Methanol (wood alcohol). In heat and at body temperature, Aspartame breaks down further into these toxic chemicals: Formaldehyde (embalming fluid); Formic Acid (venom in ant/insect stings) and Diketopiperazine (DKP - Brain Tumor Agent).
What Is Aspartame Made Of?
Aspartic Acid (40 percent of Aspartame)
Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, published a book thoroughly detailing the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. Blaylock makes use of almost 500 scientific references to show how excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid and glutamic acid (about 99 percent of monosodium glutamate (MSG) is glutamic acid) in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.
How Aspartic Acid (and Glutamic Acid) ( Both are interchangeable in affects on body) Cause Damage
Aspartic Acid and glutamic acids act as neurotransmitters in the brain by facilitating the transmission of information from neuron to neuron. Too much aspartate or glutamate in the brain kills certain neurons by allowing the influx of too much calcium into the cells. This influx triggers excessive amounts of free radicals, which kill the cells. The neural cell damage that can be caused by excessive aspartate and glutamate is why they are referred to as "excitotoxins." They "excite" or stimulate the neural cells to death.

Aspartic acid is an amino acid. Taken in its free form (unbound to proteins) it significantly raises the blood plasma level of aspartate and glutamate. The excess aspartate and glutamate in the blood plasma shortly after ingesting aspartame or products with free glutamic acid (glutamate precursor) leads to a high level of those neurotransmitters in certain areas of the brain.

The blood brain barrier (BBB), which normally protects the brain from excess glutamate and aspartate as well as toxins, 1) is not fully developed during childhood, 2) does not fully protect all areas of the brain, 3) is damaged by numerous chronic and acute conditions, and 4) allows seepage of excess glutamate and aspartate into the brain even when intact.

The excess glutamate and aspartate slowly begin to destroy neurons. Known as a cumulative effect. The large majority (75 percent or more) of neural cells in a particular area of the brain are killed before any clinical symptoms of a chronic illness are noticed. A few of the many chronic illnesses that have been shown to be contributed to by long-term exposure to excitatory amino acid damage include:
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
ALS
Memory loss
Hormonal problems
Hearing loss
Epilepsy
Alzheimer's disease
Parkinson's disease
Hypoglycemia
AIDS
Dementia
Brain lesions
Neuroendocrine disorders

The risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great. Even the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB), which usually understates problems and mimics the FDA party-line, recently stated in a review that:

"It is prudent to avoid the use of dietary supplements of L-glutamic acid by pregnant women, infants, and children. The existence of evidence of potential endocrine responses, i.e., elevated cortisol and prolactin, and differential responses between males and females, would also suggest a neuroendocrine link and that supplemental L-glutamic acid should be avoided by women of childbearing age and individuals with affective disorders."

Don't forget: 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:
Headaches/migraines
Nausea
Abdominal pains
Fatigue (blocks sufficient glucose entry into brain)
Sleep problems
Vision problems
Anxiety attacks
Depression
Asthma/chest tightness

One common complaint of persons suffering from the effect of aspartame is memory loss. Ironically, in 1987, G.D. Searle, the manufacturer of aspartame, undertook a search for a drug to combat memory loss caused by excitatory amino acid damage. Blaylock is one of many scientists and physicians who are concerned about excitatory amino acid damage caused by ingestion of aspartame and MSG.

A few of the many experts who have spoken out against the damage being caused by aspartate and glutamate include Adrienne Samuels, Ph.D., an experimental psychologist specializing in research design. Another is Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry, School of Medicine, Washington University, a neuroscientist and researcher, and one of the world's foremost authorities on excitotoxins. (He informed Searle in 1971 that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice.)
Phenylalanine (50 percent of aspartame)
Phenylalanine is an amino acid normally found in the brain. Persons with the genetic disorder phenylketonuria (PKU) cannot metabolize phenylalanine. This leads to dangerously high levels of phenylalanine in the brain (sometimes lethal). It has been shown that ingesting aspartame, especially along with carbohydrates, can lead to excess levels of phenylalanine in the brain even in persons who do not have PKU. There were 20 million unidentified carriers of the PKU gene in the U.S. in 1987.

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 serotonin in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such as depression, sleep and menstrual disorders. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects who chronically used aspartame.

Even a single use of aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In sworn testimony before the U.S. Congress, Dr. Louis J. Elsas showed that high blood phenylalanine can be concentrated in parts of the brain and is especially dangerous for infants and fetuses. He also showed that phenylalanine is metabolised much more effeciently by rodents than by humans.
One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by aspartame was recently published the "Wednesday Journal" in an article titled "An Aspartame Nightmare." John Cook (a Chicago Law Enforcement Officer), began drinking six to eight diet drinks every day. His symptoms started out as memory loss and frequent headaches. He began to crave more aspartame-sweetened drinks. His condition deteriorated so much that he experienced wide mood swings and violent rages. Even though he did not suffer from PKU, a blood test revealed a phenylalanine level of 80 mg/dl. He also showed abnormal brain function and brain damage. After he kicked his aspartame habit, his symptoms improved dramatically.

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. 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 provide a boost to sales of serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control schizophrenia, manic depression and seizures.
Methanol (wood alcohol/toxin) (11 percent of Aspartame molecule)
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 (beginning in the buccal mucosa glands in the mouth, to go rapidly into the bloodstream, bypassing the normal digestive system filters) and then in the small intestine (for every molecule of Aspartame a molecule of Methanol is released into the system) the methanol from Aspartame encounters 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). Good to remember, body temperature is 98.6 deg. Fahrenheit.

Methanol breaks down into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites are toxic." They recommend a limit of consumption of 7.8 mg/day. A one-liter (approx. 1 quart) aspartame-sweetened beverage contains about 56 mg of methanol. Heavy users of aspartame-containing products consume as much as 250 mg of methanol daily or 32 times the EPA limit.

Symptoms from methanol poisoning include headaches, ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the extremities, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis. The most well known problems from methanol poisoning are vision problems including misty vision, progressive contraction of visual fields, blurring of vision, obscuration of vision, retinal damage, and blindness. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen, causes retinal damage, interferes with DNA replication and causes birth defects.

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."

Dr. Monte 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." 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, Burson Marsteller, for a reported thousand dollars a day consulting fee. Dr. Hays later died of Pancreatic Cancer, one of the identified diseases Aspartame triggered in laboratory testing.

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. 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 that which has been seen in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde. The free methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing factor in these illnesses. Other breakdown products of aspartame such as DKP (discussed below) may also have been a factor.

In a 1993 act that can only be described as "unconscionable," the FDA approved aspartame as an ingredient in numerous food items that would always be heated to above 86 degree F (30 degree C).
Diketopiperazine (DKP)
DKP is a breakdown product of aspartame metabolism. DKP has been implicated in the occurrence of brain tumors. Olney noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound that was similar to N-nitrosourea, a powerful brain tumor causing chemical. Some authors have said that DKP is produced after aspartame ingestion. I am not sure if that is correct. It is definitely true that DKP is formed in liquid aspartame-containing products during prolonged storage.

G.D. Searle conducted animal experiments on the safety of DKP. The FDA found numerous experimental errors occurred, including "clerical errors, mixed-up animals, animals not getting drugs they were supposed to get, pathological specimens lost because of improper handling," and many other errors. These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both the test and control animals had sixteen times more brain tumors than would be expected in experiments of this length.

In an ironic twist, shortly after these experimental errors were discovered, the FDA used guidelines recommended by G.D. Searle to develop the industry-wide FDA standards for good laboratory practices.

DKP has also been implicated as a cause of uterine polyps and changes in blood cholesterol by FDA Toxicologist Dr. Jacqueline Verrett in her testimony before the U.S. Senate.

Information used in this article was taken from the pages of:

Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame by Mary Nash Stoddard
<http://aspartamesafety.com/web/deadly-deception/>
<http:www.aspartamesafety.com>
Stoddard's POV <http://marystod.blogspot.com/>
Follow marystod on Twitter: <http://twitter.com/#!/marystod>

METHANOL IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY by the world expert: Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D

2011-11-02T23:26:00.000-05:00

LETTER TO EUROPEAN FOOD SAFETY AGENCY Nov. 3, 2011

My concern about the safety of aspartame centers on its 11% methanol content. My reservation about its safety has only deepened over the twenty five years since my first scientific publication questioning its safety in the Journal of Applied Nutrition (previously sent to Sandra Adedapo).

Every molecule of aspartame liberates a molecule of methanol on consumption and each molecule of methanol metabolizes into a molecule of formaldehyde within the brain and other vulnerable tissue of the unsuspecting consumer.

Formaldehyde is now universally classified as a known human carcinogen with no safe level of consumption. The health threat is magnified when this highly reactive substance is produced within the body from methanol.

My recent scientific article explains in detail the premise by which methanol may act as a etiologic agent of disease.^(586)* The reference numbering of this version of my article can be used on the reference section of my website, http://www.whilesciencesleeps.com/, to easily retrieve original references where needed for elucidation.

I am in press of a review of the entire body of methanol literature as pertinent to aspartame poisoning in a book entitled While Science Sleeps. The book will be available soon. I recommend it to your committee as a thorough review of the methanol literature by a food scientist who has never been a consultant to the industry that profits from the sweetener.

The recent controversial admission by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency that "methanol is a possible cause of developmental birth defects"⁽⁶²⁷⁾ and the recent release (this year) of an internal U.S. FDA memo⁽⁶⁷⁷⁾ pointing to aspartame as having caused birth defects in laboratory animals are significant evidence to suspect aspartame as the cause of the 25-year-old epidemic of autism, whose point of origin appears to coincide to within one gestational period of the date of aspartame's addition to carbonated beverages.

I have attached a prepublication copy of Chapter 12 of my book, While Science Sleeps, that deals with autism and aspartame in order to expedite your committee's reevaluation of the safety of this substance. I ask that any use of the material herein be sourced to my in press book, While Science Sleeps: A Sweetener Kills, by Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D.

If I can do anything further to help in your review, please let me know. In the recent past, I have registered with Sandra Adedapo of your staff and sent her other information that I hope will be helpful.

Kindest regards,

Woodrow C. Monte, Ph.D

Emeritus Professor of Food Science - Arizona State University

Scientific Safeguards Not Working?

2011-10-12T08:03:00.000-05:00

Scientific Safeguards Insufficient to Detect Fakes

Daniel S. Greenberg

Since the scientific community prides itself on openness and mathematical precision, how is it possible for scientists to pull off stunning fakeries?

It turns ou to be astonishingly easy, something on the order of passing a bad check to trusting friends -- and with far less chance of eventually getting caught. That realization is making sinking into the scientific community following recent revelations of fraudulent research at several major institutions. The result has been some unusual introspection about the seamy side of competition and career-building in the profession.

Until the most recent revelations, which concerned a long string of faked research papers by a heart researcher at a Harvard-affiliated hospital, the elders of science offered a simple response when outsiders expressed interest in reports of scientific fakery: It is rare, they insisted, because the internal workings of science virtually guarantee exposure.

How do they guarantee exposure? The answer, offered at congressional hearings and in defensive articles, invariably center on two traditional checks of quality in the scientific process: peer review, whereby scientists examine applications for grants and also review research papers submitted for publication and replication, the process of repeating another scientist's experiments.

These barriers turn out to be porous, as was acknowledged recently by the editor of the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine in an editorial inspired by the author of the faked Harvard studies, Dr. John R. Darsee. "At Harvard," the editorial noted, "Darsee's chicanery compromised the integrity of nine published papers, necessitating the withdrawal of each, in part or in toto. In addition, 21 abstracts had to be withdrawn."

Prior to his Harvard appointment, Darsee was at Emory University, where, the editorial points out, he "compromised the integrity of at least eight published papers. … In addition, he appears to have manipulated or invented the data published in at least 32 abstracts …."

Exposure, inspired by the suspicions of a laboratory worker, who saw Darsee changing entries in a notebook, came after Darsee had been at it for two years at Harvard. It is doubtful the fakeries at Emory would have come to light without the inquiry inspired by the Harvard fakery. How did he get away with it for so long?

Part of the answer is that he was a skilled faker who exploited a trustful atmosphere. But, as has been noted after fakeries have been exposed, the culprits - commonly ambitious begineers on the way up - functioned in an apprentice system where they did the lab work with limits or no supervision but were required to share the credit with their established bosses. As Britain's leading scientific journal, Nature, recently observed: "In at least three of the proven falsifications in the United States, a relatively senior scientst has been in effect a front man for a junior colleague, acting as a general provider of services and funds and putting his name on an occasional published paper. In both these roles, such people have helped make fraud possible, yet it is the junior colleague whose career has been ruined. The natural justice is that arrangement is not easily discerned."

Why did not peer review and replication promptly detect these fakeries? The New England Journal of Medicine, which published two of Darsee's papers upon reccommendations of peer reviewers, concludes that " unless a maledroit cheat fabricates results that are manifestly impossible or inherently contradictory, even the most rigorous peer review is not likely to uncover fraud."

The reason is that peer reviewers, who are busy scientists themselves, assume that the author of a research paper is reporting his observations honestly. Their role is to check for originality, logic and clarity.

As for replication, for very good reasons it rarely is conducted. Agencies that provide funds for research often will not finance a rerun of completed research, particularly in times of budgetary strains. Ad a scientist looking to make his mark knows that distinction is achieved through originality, not by copycat practices.

Could fakery be thwarted with additional safeguards? Yes, but it would be deadly for science if it were to develop a system akin to bank examiner audits.

What is needed, as several of the introspectionists are arguing, is a restoration of close working relationships between junior and senior scientists - something that has suffered in the ear of lucrative consulting opportunities for many specialists. High standards should be established for collecting and storing research data. And when a big name is included on a research paper, its presence should signify participation in the project.

One of the most shocking aspects of the Darsee episode is that many of his co-authors knew nothing of the research in which they were presumed to have participated and, in some cases, claimed they did not know their names were on papers until after publication.

The kindest thing to be said about this system is that it is unwholesome and that if the scientific community does not clean up its affairs, the non-scientific community and Congress, which pays most of the bills for science are likely to lumber into the picture.

__________________________

Daniel S. Greenberg is editor and publisher of Science & Government Reports, an independent newsletter based in Washington D.C. (THE OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1983)

Stoddard's POV: Actor Andy Whitfield's Tragic Death From Non-Hodgk...

2011-09-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Stoddard's POV: Actor Andy Whitfield's Tragic Death From Non-Hodgk...: We are saddened to learn of the death of talented young actor, Andy Whitfield (Spartacus). Very sad especially for one so young. Wanted to s...

Actor Andy Whitfield's Tragic Death From Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. Scientist Looking For Cure.

2011-09-13T08:36:00.000-05:00

We are saddened to learn of the death of talented young actor, Andy Whitfield (Spartacus). Very sad especially for one so young. Wanted to share the research of one of our scientists studying this disease to find a cure for non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and Leukemias: : "The new study released in the European Journal of Oncology by Morando Soffritti and co-workers is a serious warning to all those consuming aspartame sweetened products. This was a carefully done study which clearly demonstrated a statistically significant increase in several types of lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Both of these malignancies have increased significantly in this country since the widespread use of aspartame.

"This study confirmed the previous study by Dr. Trocho and co-workers, which also found the formaldehyde breakdown product of aspartame to be damaging to cellular DNA and that this damage was accumulative. The type of damage was a duplicate of that associated with cancers. Along with this most recent study, this means that drinking a single diet cola sweetened with aspartame every day could increase one's risk of developing a lymphoma or leukemia. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his young widow and family. As one who lost a young husband to brain cancer, I know the devastation this brings to a family. Tragic.

Respectfully,
Mary Nash Stoddard/author Deadly Deception-Story of Aspartame & Founder of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network & Pilot Hotline (since 1987)

(I survived a life threatening blood disorder (Eosinophilia myalgia), very similar to Lymphoma & Leukemia at age 46, while following Weight Watchers recommendation of ™ Equal and ™ NutraSweet in their popular weight loss diet. After eliminating all Aspartame related products from my life, I got well.)

ASPARTAME CONSUMER SAFETY NETWORK AND PILOT HOTLINE FOUNDERS - JAS. TURNER & MARY STODDARD

2011-08-13T17:35:00.000-05:00

The Aspartame / NutraSweet Fiasco

By James S. Turner

Many health-conscious people believe that avoiding aspartame, found in over 5000 products under brand names such as Equal and NutraSweet, can improve their quality of life. The history of this synthetic sweetener's approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), including a long record of consumer complaints and the agency's demonstrated insensitivity to public concern, suggests they're right.

In October 1980 the Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) impaneled by the FDA to evaluate aspartame safety found that the chemical caused an unacceptable level of brain tumors in animal testing. Based on this fact, the PBOI ruled that aspartame should not be added to the food supply.

This ruling capped 15 years of regulatory ineptitude, chicanery and deception by the FDA and the Searle drug company, aspartame's discoverer and manufacturer (acquired by Monsanto in 1985), and kicked off another two decades of maneuvering, manipulating and dissembling by FDA, Searle and Monsanto.

In 1965, a Searle scientist licked some of a new ulcer drug from his fingers and discovered the sweet taste of aspartame. Eureka! Selling this chemical as a food additive to hundreds of millions of healthy people every day would mean many more dollars than limited sales to the much smaller group of ulcer sufferers.

Searle, a drug company with little experience in food regulation, began studies to comply with the law — but which failed to do so. Its early tests of the substance showed it produced microscopic holes and tumors in the brains of experimental mice, epileptic seizures in monkeys, and was converted by animals into dangerous substances, including formaldehyde.

In 1974, however, in spite of the information in its files, the FDA approved aspartame as a dry-foods additive. But the agency also made public for the first time the data supporting a food-additive decision. This data was subsequently reviewed by renowned brain researcher John Olney from Washington University in St. Louis, and other scientists.

Dr. Olney discovered two studies showing brain tumors in rats and petitioned FDA for a public hearing. Consumer Action for Improved Foods and Drugs (represented by the author of this piece) also petitioned for a public hearing based on the approval process having been based on sloppy science and the product's having reportedly caused epileptic seizures in monkeys and possible eye damage.

Dr. Olney had already shown that aspartic acid (one aspartame component) caused microscopic holes in the brains of rats after each feeding. Aspartame also includes phenylalinine, which causes PKU in a small number of susceptible children, and methyl, or wood, alcohol which is neurotoxic in large amounts.

Faced with this array of possible health dangers, FDA granted the hearing requests. In lieu of withdrawing its aspartame approval, the agency prevailed on Searle to refrain from marketing the sweetener until after completion of the hearing process. it then proposed that a Public Board of Inquiry (PBOI) review the matter.

In July of 1975, as the FDA prepared for the PBOI, an FDA inspector conducted a routine review of the Searle's Skokie Ill., testing facilities and found many deviations from proper procedures. This report led the FDA commissioner to empanel a Special Commissioner's Task Force to review Searle's labs.

In December of 1975 the Task force reported serious problem with Searle research on a wide range of products, including aspartame. It found 11 pivotal studies conducted in a manner so flawed as to raise doubts about aspartame safety and create the possibility of serious criminal liability for Searle.

The FDA then stayed aspartame's approval. It also contracted, over serious internal objection, with a group of university pathologists (paid by Searle) to review most of the studies, set up a task force to review three studies and asked the U.S. Attorney for Chicago to seek a grand jury review of the monkey seizure study.

The pathologists paid by Searle only reviewed failure to properly report data and not the study's design or conduct. They found no serious problems. The FDA task force found Searle's key tumor safety study unreliable, but was ignored. The U.S. attorney let the statue of limitations run out, then (along with two aides) proceeded to join Searle's law firm.

While these committees met, the FDA organized the PBOI. Searle, the petitioners and the FDA Bureau of Foods each nominated three members for the board and the FDA commissioner selected one member from each list. the board, which convened in January of 1980, rejected petitioners' request to include the commissioner's task force information in its deliberations. Still, in October 1980, based on its limited review, the board blocked aspartame marketing until the tumor studies could be explained. Unless the commissioner overruled the board, the matter was closed.

In November 1980, however, the country elected Ronald Reagan President. Donald Rumsfeld (former congressman from Skokie, former White House chief of staff, former secretary of defense and since January 1977 president of Searle) joined the Reagan transition team. A full court press against the board decision began.

In January 1981 Rumsfeld told a sales meeting, according to one attendee, that he would call in his chips and get aspartame approved by the end of the year. On January 25th, the day the new president took office, the previous FDA commissioner's authority was suspended, and the next month, the commissioner's job went to Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes.

Transition records do not show why the administration chose Hayes, a professor and Defense Department contract researcher. In July Hayes, defying FDA advisors, approved aspartame for dry foods — his first major decision. In November 1983 the FDA approved aspartame for soft drinks — Hayes' last decision.

In November 1983 Hayes, under fire for accepting corporate gifts, left the agency and went to Searle's public-relations firm as senior medical advisor. Later Searle lawyer Robert Shapiro named aspartame NutraSweet. Monsanto purchased Searle. Rumsfeld received a $12 million bonus. Shapiro is now Monsanto president.

Shortly after the FDA soft-drink approval, Searle began test marketing, and complaints began to arrive at the FDA — of such reactions as dizziness, blurred vision, headaches, and seizures. The complaints were more serious than the agency had ever received on any food additive, At the same time, scientists began looking more closely at this manufactured chemical sweetener.

In 1985, the FDA asked the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to review the first 650 complaints (there are now over 10,000). CDC found that the symptoms in approximately 25% of the complainants had stopped and then restarted, corresponding with their having stopped and then restarted, either purposely or by accident, aspartame consumption.

The CDC also identified several specific subjects whose symptoms stopped and started as they stopped and started consuming aspartame. The FDA discounted the report. The day the FDA released the CDC report, Pepsi Cola — having obtained an advance copy — announced its switch to aspartame with a worldwide media blitz.

Former White House Chief of Staff Rumsfeld owed a debt of gratitude to former White House confidante and Rumsfeld friend Donald Kendal, Pepsi's chairman. The Pepsi announcement and aggressive marketing (millions of gumballs, a red and white swirl, tough contracts) made NutraSweet known in every home.

At the same time, according to data released in 1995, human brain tumors like those in the animal studies rose 10% and previously benign tumors turned virulent. Searle and FDA's deputy commissioner said the data posed no problem. Two years later this same FDA official became vice president of clinical research for Searle.

From 1985 to 1995, researchers did about 400 aspartame studies. They were divided almost evenly between those that gave assurances and those that raised questions about the sweetener. Most instructively, Searle paid for 100% of those finding no problem. All studies paid for by non-industry sources raised questions.

Given this record, it is little wonder that many health-conscious people believe avoiding NutraSweet improves their quality of life. If and when a scientific consensus concludes that aspartame puts some, if not all, of its consumers at risk, it will be much too late. The point is to eat safely now. Remember: the brain you save may be your own.

James S. Turner, Esq., is a partner in the 27-year-old Washington, D.C. consumer-interest law firm of Swankin and Turner. He is the author of The Chemical Feast: The Nader Report on the Food and Drug Administration, Making Your Own Baby Food, and a number of law journal and popular media articles.

Courtesy STODDARDS POV: http://marystod.blogspot.com/

email: marystod2001@yahoo.com

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

Jeff July 3, 2011 at 2:44 pm: I have never looked at the facts but have not been happy with the taste of these products. I never started using these products because of the taste they have. I always said to people who drink theses products a lot, " cant you taste that"? They usually respond
" taste what?" The foul chemical taste from your drink. I think the more you use these foul products , the more you get used to the taste and might even get hooked on them. I know plenty of people hooked on diet soft drinks, think it is these chemicals? I do but I have nothing to support it. I just support it by what i see every day . People hear no sugar or loose weight and they flock like sheep, it will never change. People are to lazy and or content to do any investigating of there own. If as a nation we keep this attitude with all things we will loose control of it all cause nobody will care enough to find out or do anything about it. The government lies, about everything. It is set up that way and the people who lie make the rules of how to lie and get away with it. I for one am going to be more involved when it comes to anything that is in my food or drink, cause the health and health problems in this nation are getting worse not better and there are reasons for it.
REPLY
Victoria Hammond June 22, 2011 at 1:22 am: Just found this site, after being given an apparently dead stevia plant, which I am watering, because the leaves have not wilted, are still green, and I may be able to save it, and will plant it. For many years, I avoided aspartame, found that it was causing terrible problems in many people, and know that the corruption in government is crimes against humanity, and we do not charge them, they are given bonuses in the millions while killing us with their lies. Monsanto is evil, and needs to be dismantled, to start with. Searles as well. let us take back our government. feed our children safely, and stop their evil.
REPLY
Becca May 31, 2011 at 12:56 pm: I drank aspartame, which was in the soft drink, Tab, for years as my mother encouraged it to control my weight. But, frankly it never did. Over time, a switched to non-soft drinks like tea and sweetened my tea with just a tad of Equal. One packet was last several days. But, that also had problems, even with the tiny amount I consumed daily.
At first there were headaches, followed by blurred vision. I couldn't see with my glasses, and I couldn't see without them. And, the headaches remained. Even changes in eye glass prescriptions, didn't help. When I read an online article by a former nurse about aspartame, I wondered if that was the reason for both my headaches and my blurred vision. Looking up aspartame at the National Library of Medicine, TOXNET data bases, I found the Hazardous Substances Data Bank and traced the metabolites (break down process). And just as Betty had written, aspartame breaks down ultimately to an ant poison in our bodies.
Trashing aspartame and never purchasing anything containing it again, really helped. My vision problems cleared up to age-related rather than poison related (I still need glasses for reading, but not always for driving). The headaches disappeared. And, my weight problem, well it's still there. I have to watch what and how much I eat, and I have to exercise constantly to maintain, otherwise I gain.
I never went back to sugar, but avoided artificial sweeteners like aspartame, and others created in a chemical laboratory. The new one which is stealthily put into sweetened foods (even some organic foods) is Neotame. No testing for human or animal health problems. No labeling. The reason: Monsanto makes the product and their lobbyist/vice president is in charge of food safety at the U.S. FDA. Michael Taylor, appointed by the first President Herbert Walker Bush and Dan Quayle seems to have a lifetime position at the FDA making policy and keeping their products on the market regardless of the studies coming in from around the world, and regardless of other countries banning their products and genetically modified agriculture, all created by Monsanto. The FDA does NOT protect our health. They protect corporate wealth.
REPLY
Lois May 13, 2011 at 7:36 pm: I have found out the hard way to avoid Aspertame. I was drinking a diet drink daily that was processed with Aspertame along with diet desserts that contained Aspertame. I lost the use of my left arm and quit the Aspertame use. A couple of years later I forgot that Crystal Light contained Aspertame and drank quite a bit of it. I started having symptoms of a heart attack, went to the ER and was told they couldn't find anything. I asked myself what I had done differently and remembered the episode that I had before. Cut out the Crystal Light and all symptoms disapeared. I shudder to think what might have happened to me had I not discontinued the Aspartame usage.
REPLY
Sheila de Koekkoek February 21, 2011 at 11:46 am: Alarmed by the corruption of organisations the world relies on. Wonderful to get all this information to back up the fact that we have long known that Aspartame was dangerous. I would like to know how safe Stevia is. I see this webiste is Stevia.net but there is no information on Stevia.
REPLY
Jenny February 18, 2011 at 4:59 pm: Just wish more people had enough ambition to care and know about all of these terrible things that so greatly affect every single one of us in so many ways. However, it seems like the more people who do know the truth & try to help educate people on the truths behind the FDA and the whole government, and it's crude operations, the less interested people are becoming in the various topics and issues and as a result they then shy away from getting involved. I guess it's just easier to ignore it all, take a few prescription pills, keep going to the doctor (who is only practicing, yes practicing, and on them at that!) and continue life as they know it- because after all… there is nothing they can do about it, right? People are getting so sick in the world and it all is caused mainly by things like this and they don't even recognize that we are the only ones who can do something about it, I hope people choose to get more involved in the very near future because the human race has become it's own worst enemy, and we don't need any more enemies. I really appreciate it articles like this one where people who do know the truth choose to speak up and tell the facts of the whole story and not just parts of it that alter their whole perception of the issue at hand. THIS IS HUGE, IT AFFECTS US ALL, IT IS A SERIOUS MEDICAL RISK, it's the gov't saying, go ahead, give everyone a small dose of poison in all kinds of things they already like to consume, tell them it isn't a risk, collect money, collect money, collect money, create more opportunities to collect money some more, and it just goes on and on. How do these assholes sleep at night, don't they have kids? Do they even consider using this crap in their daily diet…. I bet none of them do, I bet none of them have even considered it…..

Sugarcane v. High Fructose Corn Syrup? Which Will Win? Stakes Are High in Legal Battle.

2011-08-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Dublin Dr Pepper pits itself as David vs. Goliath against big Dr Pepper

Teresa Gubbins, Pegasus News

Dr Pepper Bottling Company of Dublin pits itself as the little David vs. the big Goliath in its response to the federal lawsuit filed by Plano-based Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc.

This is the lawsuit Dr P filed on June 30 to terminate its licensing agreement with Dublin Dr Pepper, to get them to stop using the "Dublin Dr Pepper" name and stop selling Dublin Dr P on their website.

Dublin Dr Pepper's response, issued on August 9, accuses Dr Pepper Snapple of being inconsistent. To wit:

Before filing the lawsuit, Dr Pepper Snapple's corporate website provided links to Dublin Dr Pepper's website and toll-free number. (They've since taken it down.)
Dr Pepper Snapple hasn't sued other bottlers who also sell Dr Pepper online, in North Carolina and Missouri. (Uh-oh for those guys.)
Dr Pepper Snapple President and CEO Larry Young touted Dublin Dr Pepper in an interview, calling it "the original Dr Pepper formula with the Imperial Sugar in it," and saying that their following was "unbelievable."

Dublin Dr Pepper is sought by soda fanatics because it contains Imperial cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. It's incontestably delicious and should be available everywhere. The big Plano Dr Pepper even released a limited-edition made-with-sugar version last year for its anniversary, although they did manage to muck it up by supplementing the cane sugar with beet sugar.

One thing that Dublin Dr Pepper does not acknowledge is that some of its product did show up in Tom Thumb stores as recently as 2009. One consumer says he bought it there in 2008, and I still have two cans from a six-pack I bought at Tom Thumb in 2009. Doesn't it seem likely that Plano Dr Pepper may have spotted this contraband product in its own backyard?

Sugar in sodas is definitely coming back. The Throwback versions of Pepsi and Mountain Dew, which started out as a temporary item, are now available year-round. Dr Pepper Snapple may be slow to respond like the Goliath it is, but it seems likely they'll eventually start selling a sugar version year-round, too.

There was a rally on July 30 in Dublin, and there's now an I Support Dublin Dr Pepper Facebook page.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Marystod: "If a little guy tries to sue a big corporation, it's dubbed 'frivolous,' by media and the powers that be. Corporations can do it w/o retribution by media, etc. I was an expert witness for the Defense, when a big guy (Monsanto) sued a mom/pop dairy in Waco for labeling their product 'bovine growth hormone free.' Labels w/the words 'sugarfree' are used all the time and the sugar companies don't try to sue makers of those products! Torts were only 'reformed,' under our last President, in favor of the corporations and against the little guys. And, that's the way things work now! I've visited the Dublin plant several times and bought sodas there. They really are better and better for us than HFCS or Aspartame! Wake up and smell the sugarcane, Plano D.P. It may be the wave of the future passing you by!"

Aspartame Diet Drinks Cause Wt. Gain in Peer-Reviewed Scientific Studies on Humans

2011-08-11T11:46:00.000-05:00

Sweet Debate

Do artificial sweeteners contribute to rather than combat obesity?

By Trout Lowen

Drink diet soda. Switch to low-fat or no-fat products. Cut down on or eliminate sugar. People who are overweight, have diabetes, or have metabolic syndrome hear advice like this all the time. But is it the right advice?

Some say it isn't. Results from several large-scale population studies suggest that regular consumption of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose, particularly in diet soda, may actually contribute to rather than combat weight gain and type 2 diabetes.

No study so far has identified a direct causal link between artificial sweeteners and weight gain or diabetes, and proving one is difficult because there are so many confounding factors. But the positive association raises interesting questions: Do artificial sweeteners, most of which are hundreds of times sweeter than sugar, increase our desire for more and sweeter foods? Do diet soda drinkers overestimate the number of calories they're saving and then eat more? Do artificial sweeteners somehow disrupt or alter the body's processes in ways we don't yet understand? Or are those who are prone to weight gain or who have a family history of diabetes more likely than others to consume diet soda?

Of Mice and Man
In late June, epidemiologists and nutritional immunologists from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio presented the results of two new studies at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). One study found that artificially sweetened soft drink consumption was associated with increased waist circumference in elderly people. The second found aspartame raised glucose levels in diabetes-prone mice.

The human study tracked diet soda consumption and waist measurement in 474 participants in the San Antonio Longitudinal Study of Aging at enrollment and at three follow-up exams over 10 years. As a group, participants who consumed artificially sweetened soft drinks saw a 178 percent greater increase in waist circumference compared with those who did not, and those who consumed two or more beverages containing artificial sweeteners per day saw a 500 percent (or almost three times greater) increase. "That's quite a statistically significant trend," says Sharon P. Fowler, M.P.H., co-author of the study.

That study reinforced the results of Fowler and colleagues' earlier analysis of San Antonio Heart Study data published in Epidemiology in 2008 that looked at the relationship between consumption of beverages containing artificial sweeteners and weight gain. That analysis showed that subjects who were 25 to 64 years old at baseline who consumed more than 21 artificially sweetened beverages per week almost doubled their risk for obesity over the next seven to eight years, compared with nonconsumers, and that their adjusted body mass indices increased 47 percent more than those of nonusers.

Both of the San Antonio studies support the findings of an earlier analysis of data from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging presented at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society in 2009. That analysis found artificial sweetener consumers were younger and heavier, and had a higher body mass index than nonconsumers, although the number of calories and the amount of fat, carbohydrates, and protein consumed was the same in both groups. Three other studies published in Circulation and Obesityin 2007 and 2008 also showed an association between consumption of artificially sweetened soda and the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

In the mouse study presented at the ADA meeting, 40 diabetes-prone mice were divided into two groups. Both were fed a high-fat diet. Half of the mice were also fed high doses of aspartame. After three months, the mice that were given aspartame weighed the same or slightly less than the control mice, had better lipid and triglyceride levels, and their nonesterified fatty acids were much lower, Fowler says. But their fasting glucose values were 37 percent higher. In addition, 69 percent of the mice fed aspartame became hyperglycemic compared with 31 percent of the control group.

Other Explanations

But could artificial sweeteners be changing human chemistry? Some researchers think they may increase consumers' desire for ever-sweeter tastes. As a group, artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar—saccharine is 300 times sweeter than sugar, aspartame 180 times sweeter, and sucralose 600 times sweeter. Some experiments have shown that sweet taste, whether it's derived from sugar or artificial sweeteners, increases appetite. One study found drinking aspartame-sweetened water increased appetite in normal-weight adult males, but swallowing an aspartame capsule did not. In another study, aspartame, saccharine, and acesulfame potassium were all associated with an increased motivation to eat more.

Other research suggests that artificial sweeteners do not provide the same food reward that natural sweeteners do, and that may contribute to increased appetite and, as a result, weight gain. There are also other variants on theories about behavior that may explain the study results. People may overestimate the calorie-saving benefits of artificially sweetened foods and eat more as a result. Study subjects may over-report their consumption of artificially sweetened soda when they are really drinking sugar-sweetened soda. Those mostly likely to drink diet soda may already have difficulty maintaining weight or have a family history of obesity or diabetes.

What about Sugar?
Although there is concern that artificial sweeteners may contribute to obesity and the diseases associated with it, there's clear evidence that sugar, particularly as it's consumed in sweetened beverages, is a major contributor to weight gain and the development of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. A recent meta-analysis of studies involving nearly 20,000 people in four countries published in Diabetes Care in 2010 found sugar consumption was associated with development of both metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. In a lecture made popular on YouTube, Robert H. Lustig, M.D., professor of pediatrics in the division of endocrinology at the University of California, makes the case that sugar consumption is the main cause of obesity and diabetes and that it ought to be considered a toxin. Yet multiple studies have shown consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages including soft drinks, fruit drinks, ice teas, and energy and vitamin water drinks is rising in the United States and around the world. Sugar-sweetened beverages are now the primary source of added sugars in this country.

Trout Lowen is a Minneapolis freelance writer.

Aspartame in Gum Can Cause Cancer

2011-08-09T09:39:00.001-05:00

Thyroid Disease and Aspartame - Athlete's and Former U.S. President's Grave's Dz. (Hyperthyroidism)

2011-08-03T07:04:00.000-05:00

(Response to Dallas Morning News article from Mary Nash Stoddard

)

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network's efforts to educate the consuming public and healthcare professionals is well known, and documented on our website: www.aspartamesafety.com. Now, virtually every web site on the Internet which features information about the adverse effects of aspartame and Neotame is using our original research (at U.T. Southwestern Medical School, etc.) to support their writings. Without affirmation, in most  cases, and with added editorial commentary in many, but at least our educational efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Although we are Dallas-based, our work has been featured by media on five continents. As founder, I have conducted a multi-national lecture tour and been paid as a visiting professor [the first non-M.D. to address the class] locally at U.T. Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

The threat of illness from consumption of the diet sweetener, aspartame, is real and has been felt by many locally and all around the world, as documented by our organization. Therefore, we appreciate the mention of adverse reactions in your interesting article. Thank you for including it as a result of your background research on this topic.

Please allow me to add: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network is not in a battle with Coca Cola, Pepsi, or any other manufacturer who uses the FDA approved sweetener in their product. Our efforts have been directed at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and their flawed [in this case at least] approval process.
All best regards,
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline [since 1987]
http://www.aspartamesafety.com

P.S. I am sure you noticed the following wire story out this past week re: Texas Olympic's Reaction to Aspartame. He used our information to reverse his illness:

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/athens/swimming/2004-06-10-dumais_x.htm

Posted 6/10/2004 10:03 PM     Updated 6/11/2004 1:04 PM

Disease diagnosis doesn't deter diver     By Vicki Michaelis, USA TODAY

ST. PETERS, Mo. - Justin Dumais was just so tired. Seven months ago, he
hardly could muster the energy for a shower, let alone for the 10-meter
dives he had been practicing more than half his life.

Justin Dumais, left, and his brother Troy compete during the 2004 Olympic
Team Diving Trials.    Photo By James A. Finley, AP

Initially, he thought he was overtraining. After two weeks, he went to his
doctor, who detected a high white-blood-cell count and sent him to a
specialist. The diagnosis: Graves' disease, which causes overproduction of
thyroid hormone.

Dumais, headed to the Athens Olympics in August after winning the 3-meter
synchronized event at this week's U.S. trials, was perplexed.

The disease most often strikes middle-aged women.
"A 25-year-old male elite athlete is about as far from the stereotypical
Graves patient as you can get," he says.

Now, he has his doctors baffled.
He began taking medication in February but continued doing his own research.
He found a nutritionist who suggested he cut aspartame, an artificial
sweetener found in products such as diet soda, from his diet.
In mid-March, he quit diet soda and his medication.
Now, Dumais feels so much better, he questions whether he really has Graves'
disease, which has no known cure.

He returned to the 10-meter board two weeks ago and will compete in the
individual platform finals Saturday
.
This isn't the tough part, he says. That came in January, when he and his
synchro partner, his brother Troy, had to do well enough at a World Cup to
earn the USA an Olympic spot in the event.

"If Troy and I weren't there, chances are we weren't going to bring back the
spot, and that was our event," Justin says.

The Dumais brothers, who are from Ventura, Calif., and train in The
Woodlands, Texas, have won the last three national titles in 3-meter
synchro. They are considered the USA's best chance for a diving medal in
Athens.

Before the critical World Cup, they decided to trim the difficulty of their
dives because of Justin's condition. Going into their final dive, they were
behind and had to improvise with moves they hadn't tried in a long time.

"We had to fake it," Justin says. "That was a true competitive moment
because we were down going into the last dive, and we knew we needed it. We
said, 'All right, this is the Olympics, right now.' And we wound up doing
the best dive of the competition."

They finished fourth at the World Cup, high enough to earn the spot.
Over the last seven months, Justin and Troy haven't trained together very
much. Neither considered it a handicap. Troy, a 2000 Olympian, continued
training for the individual events. He leads the men's springboard going
into tonight's finals.

"I have to do my dives, and I have to believe that he's going to be ready
when the time comes," Troy says.

Justin was ready this week. The duo won the 3-meter synchro event by such a
wide margin they didn't need their final dive for a winning point total.
****************************************************************

from article by Paul Newberry, AP reporter,  at end of this post:

"Justin had to overcome a debilitating thyroid condition that struck in
December, causing him to lose 15 pounds and making it difficult just getting
out of bed.

The condition was initially diagnosed as Graves disease, a serious illness
that also struck Olympic track star Gail Devers and would have prevented
Justin from joining the military.

But a change in diet cured the symptoms quicker than expected, so the
doctors are still trying to determine what went wrong. The illness also had
an unexpected benefit, bringing the brothers closer together.

"We've had to learn to trust each other the last couple of months because I
haven't been there physically," Justin said."
****************************************************************

These observations appear relevant to the occurrence of Graves disease
in both former President George Bush and his wife, Barbara.

(Extracts)  Case I :  A 34-year-od university professor (environmental
studies) developed classic primary hyperthyroidism
after she began using considerable amounts of products containing
aspartame-- specifically, 4-5 cans of a diet soda daily, four liters of
a diet cola weekly, 3-4 servings of diet ice cream a day, and ohter
products (gelatin; gum; breath mints).  Such consumption was
superimposed on her added capacity as a supervisor of aerobics classes
to attain "the mean, fit look". She had enjoyed excellent health until
then.

The patient suffered severe sweats and attacks of sinus tachycardia (up
to 180 beats per minute).  Other suggestive aspartame-realated features
included recent vascular headaches, bilateral decreased vision, dry
eyes, tinnitus, severe  dizziness, tremors, "numbness and shooting
pains in the arms and legs,"  confusion and memory loss,
slurred speech, extreme swings in mood (including thoughts of suicide
that never had been experienced previously), personality changes (almost
leaving her husband and children), a paradoxic gain of weight despite
her physical activity, itching, abdominal pain, thinning of the hair,
menstrual problems, and swelling of the lips, tongue and eyes.
She then evidenced a goiter.

She had been adopted by a couple unrelated to her parents.
Her biologic mother was diabetic.

She received propranolol and propylthiouracil.  Radioiodine therapy was
then recommended.   Since no search for "an environmental trigger" had
been attempted, this keen educator opted for a delay in order to review
the events preceding her illness.  She regarded a doctor's suggestion
that her hyperthyroidism has been caused largely by stress as "a
copout".

The only plausible factor that seemed pertinent was the considerable
use of aspartame-containing products.  Her extreme fatigue, headache,
swelling of the eyes, depression, tachycardia and several other
symptoms abated within a few days after abstaining from them.
The thyroid studies progressively improved, and normalized within three
months.  An "accidental retest" from drinking aspartame-sweetened tea
promptly precipitated most of her symptoms.
There was no recurrence over the ensuing two years notwithstanding her
cessation of all medication, continuing a full academic teaching
schedule and aerobics instruction, and rearing three children.

Case 2  This 39-year-old woman developed Graves disease after her
stepsister (Case 1).  She was an insulin-dependent diabetic who began
using aspartame products to avoid sugar.  Shortly thereafter, her blood
glucose concentrations became highly erratic, coupled with loss of
urinary bladder control (ascribed to diabetic neuropathy.)

The patient sought advice from her stepsister when the diagnosis of
hyperthyroidism was made.  A comparable clinical remission ensued after
abstaining from aspartame products, along with striking improvement of
her bladder function and diabetes control.  The latter are consistent
with my repeated experience that aspartame products can cause loss of
diabetes control, and aggravate or simulate diabetic retinopathy and
neuropathy. (1-4)

Case 3  A 43-year-old woman began ingesting two cans of aspartame
containing diet cola, one liter of another aspartame soda, one glass of
a dietetic mix, and one serving of an aspartame gelatin daily for two
years to avoid sugar because of noninsulin dependent diabetes.  She
experienced multiple symptoms five months later that resulted in the
loss of her job.  They included palpitations, tachycardia, unexplained
chest pains, severe headache, dizziness, two grand mal seizures,  (5)
paresthesias, slurred speech, "anxiety attacks,"
swelling of the tongue, and painful swallowing [dysphagia].

The diagnosis of Graves disease was subsequently made.
She then chanced to read an article citing comparable complaints in
persons having reactions to aspartame products.  Her symptoms improved
within weeks after avoiding them... and then disappeared.
They recurred one month after resuming aspartame, coupled with neck
discomfort and dysphagia attributed to "an overactive thyroid".

Case 4  A 54-year-old woman had consumed increasing amounts of
aspartame-containing products-- including 15 packets of a tabletop
sweetener in hot drinks daily.  She had been energetic until her health
"mysteriously deteriorated with a bewildering number of symptoms so
varied and strange that it didn't make sense".  She did not smoke or
drink alcohol.

The diagnosis of Graves disease was made.  She received methimazole and
propranolol, with improvement of her tachycardia.

The patient's other symptoms within the previous year included fatigue,
anxiety, headache, "fuzzy mind,"  depression, recurring abdominal pain,
tinnitus and insomnia.  She had gained weight, despite "light eating
habits" until losing weight when her hyperthyroidism became overt.

The contributory role of aspartame products came under suspicion by her
daughter, who had rarely used aspartame products, when she stayed with
the patient for four days after beginning treatment for Graves
disease.  After adding the tabletop sweetener and drinking diet colas,
she began to experience "extreme irritability which felt totally
irrational and uncontrollable," depression, tremors, panic attacks and
difficult breathing.  These symptoms disappeared when she returned to
her own home, but promptly recurred after purchasing the tabletop
sweetener.  "Then it clicked."  She and her mother promptly improved
after abstaining from aspartame products.

Case Reports: Prior Graves Disease
A 44-year-old executive developed headaches, blurred vision in both
eyes, and irritability ("being short with my staff and clients.")
These complaints began six months after consuming 2-3 cans of diet soda
and chewing five sticks of aspartame gum daily.  They abated after he
avoided such products -- only to recur predictably on eight separate
challenges.  A subtotal thyroidectomy for Graves disease has been done
in 1963.

A 49-year-old female realtor had been treated for Graves disease five
years previously.  She experienced palpitations, severe dizziness,
intense nausea, and an unexplained rise of blood pressure after
ingesting three cans of diet soda and other aspartame products daily.
Her symptoms disappeared within one month after stopping them.  They
promptly recurred on three separate challenges.

A 43-year-old nutritionist had been treated for Graves disease 20 years
previously.  She developed severe depression and visual problems for
the first time within two weeks after consuming 8-10 glasses of an
aspartame drink daily.
These complaints disappeared within two days after
avoiding the beverage.  She refused to ingest it again on a trial basis.

A 59-year-old female writer underwent two partial
thyroidectomies for Graves disease three decades previously, and then
received radioiodine therapy.  She suffered severe headaches, abdominal
pain, bloat, and diarrhea after beginning to ingest diet colas, a
tabletop sweetener containing aspartame (5-6 packets daily), and other
aspartame products.  These complaints subsided within two days after
avoiding them...only to recur within 30 minutes on two challenges....

Aspartame Consumption and Hyperthyroidism: Common Denominators

The occurrence of Graves disease in these patients while consuming
aspartame products is explainable by the cumulative effect of several
factors. These include (a) voluntary severe caloric restriction, (b)
increased energy demands relating to excessive exercise and other
physical activity, and (c) metabolic derangements caused by aspartame
and its metabolites.  The latter include changes in satiety,
alterations of neurotransmitter and hormonal homoestasis (insulin,
growth hormone, glucagon, cholecystokinin) by the amino acid components
of aspartame and their stereoisomers, and the effects of free methanol,
a metabolic poison. (2,3).

I previously emphasized the precipitation of Graves disease and
thyroiditis following voluntary severe caloric restriction to lose
weight, (7-8), especially with concomitantly increased physical
activity.

The vulnerability of two stepsisters to hyperthyroidism also may have
been influenced by their family history or past history of diabetes
mellitus.  It is widely recognized that diabetics have a greater
tendency to develop thyropathies.  Mention was made earlier that
aspartame products can aggravate diabetes and its complications. (1-4)

Possible Insights into a Presidential Disease

The affliction of former President George Bush and his wife with
primary hyperthyroidism intrigued the medical profession.
Public health sleuths sought some offending substance in their
environment, especially the contamination of water at several "First
Family" residences. Failure to uncover such an agent led many to regard
the occurrence of Graves disease in each spouse as coincidental.

The encounter of two biologically unrelated stepsisters who developed
Graves disease, as well as other aspartame reactors who became
hyperthyroid, justifies considering the etiologic or contributory role
of this chemical in the hyperthyroidism of President and Mrs. Bush.
Such an association appears to have validity of these reasons.
* There is information "from highly reliable sources" that they
frequently consumed aspartame in the form of
both beverages and a tabletop sweetener.
* Being highly conscious of their weight as public figures,
both spouses undoubtedly limited their caloric intake.
* The 66-year-old President took pride in continuing his athletic
activities.

WHAT ABOUT SUGAR SUBSTITUTES??

This is an excerpt from nutritionist, Ann Louise Gittleman's book, Your
Body Knows Best.....

"What about Sugar Substitutes? Since we know that sugar will elevate
insulin levels, creating the risk of obesity, diabetes, and heart
disease, what about artificial sweeteners?

I remember well the story of Jan Smith, from Idea Today (September,
1991) who at 35 taught bench and low-impact aerobics and circuit
training.
She also drank a lot of diet soda sweetened with NutraSweet and  ate a
lot of sugar-free foods, also containing NutraSweet.
Although she seemed to be fine, Jan suddenly began gaining weight,
topping out at 30 pounds above her usual weight.

She began losing her hair, her skin broke out, and she suffered from
headaches, heart palpitations, and mood swings severe enough to be
suicidal. Her cholesterol sharply increased and she developed ear and
vision problems, shooting pains in her limbs and problems with her
menstrual cycle.  Jan worked out even harder to try to
combat the weight gain, but then her blood pressure shot up.

Doctors finally diagnosed Graves' disease and told her she had to have
her thyroid removed or she would die.
Fortunately, Jan had a background in environmental science.
She began to investigate, and discovered her body
lacked chromium, an essential mineral that aspartame (also known as
Equal and NutraSweet) removes from the body. She linked her symptoms,
including--surprisingly--her sudden weight gain, to the use of diet
foods laced with NutraSweet that she had
begun using in earnest about 18 months earlier.

Within a month of quitting the NutraSweet and all the products it was
found in, Jan's symptoms (and the extra weight) disappeared.
Many people, in an attempt to avoid sugar, use sugar substitutes.
Aspartame (known as NutraSweet and Equal) is an ingredient in more than
3,000 foods, including diet sodas and diet foods like sugar-free yogurt
and powdered drink mixes. Toothpaste, sugar-free gum, pudding, packaged
desserts, dietetic foods, sweets for diabetics, and just about any
product you can think of that used to have sugar in it now may have
aspartame instead.

Aspartame is a combination of three substances: the amino acid
phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol (wood alcohol).
Each of these has been known to cause serious side effects.

Phenylalanine, for example, lowers or blocks production of serotonin,
an amine that sends messages from the pineal gland in the brain. This
blockage is a potential cause of carbohydrate cravings, PMS symptoms,
insomnia, and mood swings.

In some circumstances, people may be getting excessively high levels of
methanol; it is estimated that on a hot day after exercising, if you
drink three 12 ounce cans of diet soda, you could easily be consuming
as much as eight times the Environmental Protection Agency's recommended
limits for methanol consumption.
[Thus, 600 mg aspartame gives 66 mg methanol,
which is 8.5 times the EPA daily limit for drinking water of 7.8 mg
daily methanol.]

Exercise can be a component in the dangers of aspartame. Jan, who now
avidly supports the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network (ACSN) in
Dallas, Texas 214-387-4001, pointed out that aspartame and its
breakdown products (including free-form wood alcohol) can race
through the system of very fit person who has a high metabolic rate.

When you work out, the activity of all your body systems
is intensified, and so are reactions to whatever is in the body at the
time. Ironically, it seems that fitness instructors are particularly
prone to drinking diet soda with NutraSweet in between classes,
and so may be in the most danger.

Far from being the answer to the sugar problem, aspartame has instead
spurred numerous complaints from unsuspecting consumers, which now
represent 80 - 85 percent of all food complaints registered with the
Food and Drug Administration. Among 93 different symptoms are
attributed to aspartame use, including dizziness, headaches, loss of
equilibrium, ear problems, hemorrhaging of the eyes, and visual
impairment.

The dangers of artificial sweeteners have become so widespread that the
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network now offers scientific information
and acts as a clearinghouse of information on adverse reactions. Three
Senate hearings have been conducted on the safety of aspartame, and the
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) in Washington, D.C.,
now lists it as the third-worst additive.
Since you never know how much you could be ingesting, I suggest you
completely avoid any foods with added NutraSweet
or any other artificial sweetener."

submitted by:
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network
email: marystod@airmail.net
http://www.aspartamesafety.com

Xylitol Facts: Try A Safer Alternative To Aspartame and Neotame Sweeteners

2011-07-31T18:33:00.000-05:00

I believe pure, unadulterated Stevia and Xylitol are probably the safest commercially-produced artificial sweeteners. Next, I'll do a similar updated article on Stevia sweeteners.

Xylitol is in the Spry gum I buy and my Spry toothpaste. As with all the other artificial sweeteners, we run the risk of having the manufacturer integrate Xylitol with Neotame [the new monster version of aspartame] for added sweet taste, without the added calories. Neotame is attempting to stealthily broaden its client base by mixing with all the other sweeteners, including sugar, and not having to declare its presence on the ingredient label. I read it on one of their sales websites. Neotame is now being sprayed on cereals in a patented method. It's in Roman Meal whole wheat breads, Campbell soups, Sunny D for kids and pretzel snack items, among other things.

I don't recommend heavy use of any sweetener, natural or artificial. But, until just the other day, when I ordered a box of Stevita chewing gum with only stevia, Xylitol was the only FDA-approved artificial sweetener I trusted. I am going to switch to SteviaDent, just because I believe Stevita Stevia is a bit more safe. Xylitol is said to have a slight side effect of diarrahea for some people. Here are some Xylitol facts for those who've asked our opinion on this sweetener.

Official ACSN website: www.aspartamesafety.com

Stoddard's POV Blog: http://marystod.blogspot.com/

Xylitol:

Polyols, energy-reduced sugar alcohols, are nutritive sweeteners with slightly less calories than true sugar. Often called sugar replacements, these sugar alcohols are derived from fruits or produced commercially from dextrose. The most common include: sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol and maltitol.

Here's what my friends at LaLeva wrote about Xylitol:

Xylitol To The Rescue!

During World War II, Finland was suffering from an acute sugar shortage. With no domestic supply of sugar, the Finns searched for an alternative. It was then that the Finnish scientists rediscovered xylitol, a low-calorie sugar made from birch bark. It had, in fact, been known to the world of organic chemistry since it was first manufactured in 1891 by a German chemist.

By 1930, xylitol had been purified, but it wasn't until World War II that the sugar shortages forced researchers to look at alternative sweeteners. It was only when xylitol was stabilized that it became a viable sweetener in foods. It was also during this time that researchers discovered xylitol's insulin-independent nature. (It metabolizes in the body without using insulin.)

By the 1960s, xylitol was being used in Germany, Switzerland, the Soviet Union, and Japan as a preferred sweetener in diabetic diets and as an energy source for infusion therapy in patients with impaired glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Since then, many other countries, including Italy and China, have been producing xylitol for use in their domestic markets-and with remarkable health benefits. It has been relatively unknown in the U.S.A. and Australia, primarily because cheap supplies of cane sugar made the more expensive xylitol less economically. viable.

Xylitol is a natural substance found in fibrous vegetables and fruit, as well as in corn cobs and various hardwood trees like birch. It is a natural, intermediate product which regularly occurs in the glucose metabolism of man and other animals, as well as in the metabolism of several plants and micro-organisms. Xylitol is produced naturally in our bodies; in fact, we make up to 15 grams daily during normal metabolism.

Although xylitol tastes and looks exactly like sugar, that is where the similarities end. Xylitol is really sugar's mirror image. While sugar wreaks havoc on the body, xylitol heals and repairs. It also builds immunity, protects against chronic degenerative disease, and has anti-aging benefits. Xylitol is considered a five-carbon sugar, which means it is an antimicrobial, preventing the growth of bacteria. While sugar is acid-forming, xylitol is alkaline enhancing. All other forms of sugar, including sorbitol, another popular alternative sweetener, are six-carbon sugars, which feed dangerous bacteria and fungi.

Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1963, xylitol has no known toxic levels. The only discomfort that some sensitive people may notice initially when. taking large amounts is mild diarrhea or slight cramping.

Since the body makes xylitol daily, as well as the enzymes to break it down, any discomfort usually disappears within a few days as the body's enzymatic activity adjusts to a higher intake.

Xylitol has 40% fewer calories and 75% fewer carbohydrates than sugar and is slowly absorbed and metabolised, resulting in very negligible changes in insulin. About one-third of the xylitol that is consumed is absorbed in the liver. The other two-thirds travels to the intestinal tract, where it is broken down by gut bacteria into short-chain fatty acids.

Xylitol looks, feels, and tastes exactly like sugar, and leaves no unpleasant aftertaste. It is available in many forms. In its crystalline form, it can replace sugar in cooking, baking, or as a sweetener for beverages. It is also included as an ingredient in chewing gum, mints, and nasal spray.

Xylitol And Oral Health

Tooth decay and gum disease are serious problems. According to the American Dental Association, 75% of American adults over the age of 35 suffer from some form of periodontal disease.1 Needless to say, diet plays a major role in dental heath. When there is an excess of sugar in the diet, this weakens the immune system and creates an acidic environment; thus oral health suffers. The mouth is home to over 400 strains of bacteria. Most of these are benign, but when sugar enters the scene, it feeds the destructive strains, allowing them to proliferate.

Periodontal disease is basically caused by bacteria. These deposits permit the growth of bacteria that cause inflammation of the gums. The bacteria also release minute amounts of toxins that break down guru tissue, thereby helping the infection to progress. Plaque is an invisible, sticky film of saliva and food residue that constantly forms on the teeth. Ongoing low-grade bacterial infection also burdens the immune system.

Bacteria help to create plaque and they also thrive within it. Unless removed, plaque formed along the gum-line can lead to gum disease. When left untreated, plaque at or below the gum line hardens into tartar.
Periodontal disease takes two forms: simple gum inflammation, called gingivitis, and a more severe gum infection, called periodontitis, which may lead to tooth loss and receding gums.

Gingivitis results from the build-up of plaque and tartar which irritate the gum or periodontal tissue. The more advanced state of gum disease, periodontitis, occurs when inflammation of the gums is accompanied by bone and ligament destruction. Bleeding gums are usually the first indication that gum disease is developing, but obvious symptoms may not always be present.

Gum infection can also lead to other serious health problems. It doubles the risk of stroke, triples the risk of heart attack, increases the incidence of premature, low-weight babies, and also contributes to bronchitis, pneumonia, and emphysema. In fact, the same bacteria that cause gum disease end up either directly or indirectly infecting your heart and arteries. A study conducted at the University of Minnesota in 1998 found that rabbits injected with tooth plaque developed blood clots which led to heart disease. 2 It seems that the bacteria first attack the bones and gums in the mouth and then enter the bloodstream through small cracks in the gums.

Eating sugar causes tooth decay by creating a highly acidic condition in the mouth. Acidity strips tooth enamel of minerals, causing it to weaken and making it more vulnerable to attack by bacteria, leading to tooth decay or demineralization. Ordinarily, saliva bathes the mouth with an alkaline solution that neutralizes all acidity and actually remineralizes the teeth. Saliva also washes away leftover bits of food and helps the digestion process. But when saliva turns acidic because of too many sweets, bacteria in the mouth have a feeding frenzy. These nasty bacteria, along with carbohydrate waste, stick to the teeth and tongue and hold the acid close to the teeth where it eats away enamel. Virtually whatever food you ingest, the remaining particles become food for plaque-producing bacteria. Using xylitol helps to raise plaque pH, thereby reducing the time that teeth are exposed to damaging acids, as well as starving harmful bacteria of their food source.

Xylitol is a dentist's dream. It reverses all these destructive effects of sugar on oral health. Xylitol is non-fermentable and therefore cannot be converted to acids by oral bacteria, thus it helps to restore a proper alkaline/acid balance in the mouth. This alkaline environment is inhospitable to all the destructive bacteria, especially the worst variety, Streptococcus mutans. It also inhibits plaque formation.

Using xylitol right before bedtime, after brushing and flossing, protects and heals the teeth and gums. Unlike sugar, it can even be left on the teeth overnight. With proper use, xylitol actually stops the fermentation process leading to tooth decay. Long-term use suppresses the most harmful strains of oral bacteria, making a long-lasting change in those bacterial communities. Xylitol even has the ability to enhance the mineralization of the enamel. It is most effective in treating small decay spots. Although larger cavities won't go away, they can harden and become less sensitive.

Consistently using small amounts of xylitol tends to increase protective factors in saliva. Xylitol stimulates saliva flow and helps keep salivary minerals in a useful form. Prolonged xylitol use increases the buffering capacity and protective factors in saliva. Increased saliva production is especially important for people suffering with a dry mouth due to illness, aging, or drug sideeffects.

Since the oral environment becomes less acidic with continued xylitol use, it is advisable to chew xylitol gum or suck a xylitol mint after every meal or after eating sweet snacks. The best news is that studies have shown that xylitol's effect is long-lasting and possibly even permanent.

Xylitol has recently received positive support in the Journal Of The American Dental Association. "Xylitol is an effective preventive agent against dental caries... Consumption of xylitol containing chewing gum has been demonstrated to reduce caries in Finnish teenagers by 30-60%. Studies conducted in Canada, Thailand, Polynesia, and Belize have shown similar results.... " 3 A study conducted at Harvard School of Dental Medicine concluded that: "Xylitol can significantly decrease the incidence of dental caries." 4

Another unexpected benefit came from a Finnish study which showed that children whose teeth are colonised between 19 and 31 months of age by Streptococcus mutans bacteria are more likely to have a large number of cavities. Most children acquire this bacteria from their mother's saliva through food tasting, sharing cups, and kissing. The study showed a dramatic 70% reduction in tooth decay among children whose mothers chewed xylitol gum.5

Xylitol, however, isn't just for the young. In a paper published in the Journal Of The American Geriatrics Society, researchers tested 111 adults, aged 60 and older, over a 12-month period. All were frail but healthy adults. In the study, one group of volunteers chewed no gum, a second chewed gum containing xylitol, and a third group chewed gum containing both xylitol and an antimicrobial. In the two groups receiving gum, the participants chewed two pieces for 15 minutes, two times per day. At the end of the study, the researchers reported that the group who received xylitol gum had substantially lowered their risk of developing thrush, a fungal or yeast infection that can cause mouth soreness. (The group who received xylitol plus the antimicrobial had equal benefits.) It had also reduced their risk of developing angular cheilitis, a condition in which sores develop in the corners of the mouth. The researchers noted that xylitol gum can provide a "real clinical benefit" to frail, elderly people.6

Xylitol And Ear, Nose & Throat Infections

Recurring middle-ear infections pose a great health threat to children. Tubes are often inserted into the eardrum in children with these recurring infections to reduce the fluid that is attempting to wash out the infection from the middle ear. While this procedure sometimes helps to reduce the frequency of infections, it is also designed to help with hearing.

Language, a critical part of learning, is built by auditory input during the first two years of life-the same period when ear infections are most common. If this input is dampened by infection or fluid in the middle ear during this important period, it can cause learning problems.

One researcher demonstrated that, even when properly treated, recurrent middle ear infections during the first two years result in significant impairment in reading ability up to the age of nine.7 Another study followed children longer and showed significant learning and social problems extending up to age eighteen.8

One of xylitol's versatile benefits is its ability to inhibit the growth of bacteria that cause middle-ear infections in young children. In two recent studies involving over 1,000 children, xylitolflavored chewing gum was found to reduce the incidence of middle-ear infections by 40%, significantly decreasing ongoing middle-ear complications and the need for antibiotics.

Regularly washing the nose with a spray containing xylitol decreases the number of harmful bacteria and stimulates normal defensive washing of this area. A clean nose reduces problems with allergies and asthma that originate from nasal irritants and pollutants.

Current research shows how bacteria attach to cells in the body, causing infection. Some sugars like xylitol are known to be able to interfere with this binding, blocking the attachment of the major infection-causing bacteria that live in the nose. Dr. Lon Jones, a physician in Plainsview, Texas, reported that the use of a xylitol nasal spray in his practice prevented 93% of ear infections and resulted in comparable reductions in sinus infections, allergies, and asthma.9

Xylitol has been shown to be effective in inhibiting Candida Albicans, a serious systemic yeast problem, and other harmful gut bacteria including H. Pylori, implicated in periodontal disease, bad breath, gastric and duodenal ulcers, and even stomach cancer.

Xylitol And Osteoporosis

Another exciting benefit from xylitol is its role in reversing bone loss. Studies in Finland found that xylitol maintained bone density in rats that had their ovaries removed. Without ovaries, estrogen levels plummeted and so did the bone density in rats that were not given xylitol. However, in the rats that had ovaries removed and were given xylitol, bone density actually increased.10 Another study showed that xylitol was effective in decreasing age-related bone loss in older male rats by 10%. 11

In an unprecedented action, the Finnish researchers made bold recommendations for human application of their studies. They suggested that an effective human dose would be about 40 grams daily. The scientists speculated that xylitol's bone density-enhancing properties are due to its ability to promote intestinal absorption of calcium. Including xylitol in one's diet is certainly an enjoyable way to reap the benefits of greater bone density, along with other health benefits.

Xylitol And Insulin Resistance, Diabetes Hypertension, And Hormonal Imbalances

Consuming sugar and other refined carbohydrates results in the rapid release of glucose, or blood sugar. In response, the pancreas secretes insulin to usher glucose into the cells, where it is burned for energy. Excess glucose stresses the system, and over time the cells become less responsive to insulin. This condition, known as insulin resistance, is a huge health problem and it is estimated to affect half the American population. Insulin resistance is associated with abnormalities in cholesterol and triglyceride levels, hypertension, increased risk of heart disease, and diabetes.

The dramatic rise in type-2 diabetes since the mid-1900s directly coincides with our increased consumption of sugar. One long-term study of more than 65,000 women demonstrated that a high-sugar, low-fibre diet increased the risk of type-2 diabetes by 250%. Another recent study found that excessive intake of sugar was the single most important dietary risk factor for heart disease in women and for men. It has been estimated that sugar intake may account for more than 150,000 premature deaths from heart disease in the United States each year.12

Xylitol has been demonstrated in repeated clinical studies to be very slowly metabolised. In fact, on the glycemic index, which measures how quickly foods enter the bloodstream, sugar is rated at 100 and xylitol at just seven! Xylitol is a natural insulin stabilizer, therefore it causes none of the abrupt rises and falls that occur with sugar. In fact, it actually helps in stopping sugar and carbohydrate cravings. Foods sweetened with xylitol will not raise insulin levels. This makes it a perfect sweetener for people with diabetes as well as those wanting to lose weight. There is a growing consensus amongst anti-aging researchers that maintaining low insulin levels is a key to a successful anti-aging program.

Insulin resistance also plays a significant role in hormonal imbalances, including those that lead to breast cancer. High insulin levels increase the production of estrogens, leading to an estrogen-dominant condition, and also interfere with healthy ovarian function. Insulin resistance is a major cause of a growing hormonal problem called polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). PCOS causes the ovaries to become anovulatory, which means that the normal cyclic production of estrogen followed by progesterone either ceases or becomes dysfunctional. Insulin stimulates the ovaries to produce predominantly male hormones, which, in combination with higher insulin and glucose levels, increase weight gain around the waist-a body type that is a risk factor for breast cancer. Signs that the body is being exposed to higher levels of the male hormones include acne, loss of head hair, and an increase in body hair. Lowering insulin levels is crucial for not only treating PCOS but also resolving most other hormonal imbalances, including those leading to breast cancer.13

Dr. John Lee, author of What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer, explains the connection between insulin resistance and breast cancer:

"Overeating junk food makes you fat. Increased body fat and lack of exercise lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to further craving of sugary carbohydrates to generate energy for the body. More insulin is released in response to increased carbohydrate intake, leading to more weight gain. More fat leads to more estrogens, which, in turn, lead to earlier breast development and menstruation. Earlier onset of menstruation leads to more ovulatory cycles and a greater lifetime exposure to estrogens without adequate progesterone. A greater lifetime exposure to estrogens increases breast cancer risk.

"Simultaneously, increased consumption of simple carbohydrates, coupled with insulin resistance, leads to polycystic ovaries and lack of ovulation during menstrual cycles, resulting in excess production of androgens and estrogens, along with inadequate production of progesterone. Excessive estrogen production in the absence of progesterone production leads to estrogen dominance and increased breast cancer risk. Use of contraceptive hormones increases insulin resistance, exacerbating all the above problems."14

Using xylitol instead of sugar, as well as reducing intake of high-glycemic, refined carbohydrate foods, helps to lower the risk not only of PCOS but also of ovarian cysts, fibroids, endometriosis, PMS, hot flashes, weight gain, and depression.

The Safer Sweetener

Increased sugar consumption has bedeviled Western cultures with more and more health problems, many of which are putting an enormous strain on healthcare systems. Finally, there is an answer to our collective prayers for something truly healthy that can also satisfy our sweet tooth. Over 1,500 scientific studies have found that the more you use xylitol, the more you can eliminate sugar cravings, reduce insulin levels, and alkalinize your body. It's a great aid on the way to good health and long life.

Imagine never having to feel those twinges of guilt when you bite into a xylitol-sweetened brownie. Or how about increasing your bone density while enjoying your favorite hot drink with two spoonfuls of xylitol crystals, or knowing that xylitol-sweetened chewing gum is preventing cavities and gum disease?

With xylitol, you can now have your sweet tooth and treat it, too!

References

1. Zeines, Victor, DDS, MS, FAGD. Healthy Mouth, Healthy Body. Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2000, p. 55.

2. ibid., p. 29.

3. Beiswanger, BB, Boneta AE, Mau MS, Katz BP, Proskin HM, Stookey GK. The effect of chewing sugar-free gum after meals on clinical caries incidence. J. Am. Dent. Assoc. 1998;129:1623-6.

4. Hayes, Catherine, DMD; DMSc. The effect of non-cariogenic sweeteners on the prevention of dental caries: A review of evidence. Harvard School Of Dental Medicine. See the http://www.lib.umich.edu/dentlib/nihcdc/abstracts/hayes.html Internet website.

5. How Xylitol-containing Products Affect Cariogenic Bacteria. J. Am. Dent. Assoc., April 2000.

6. J. Am. Geriatrics Soc. 2002;50. See the www.globalaging.org/health/world/medgum.htm Internet website.

7. Luotonen M, Uhari M, Aitola, L et a1. Recurrent otitis media during infancy and linguistic skills at the age of nine years. Pediatr Infect. J. 1996;15:854-8.

8. Bennett KE, Haggard MP, Silva PA, Stewart IA. Behavior and development effects of otitis media with effusion into the teens. Arch. Dis. Child 2601 Aug;85(2):91-5.

9. See www.nasal-xylitol.com Internet website.

10. Svanberg M; Mattila P, Knuttila M. Dietary xylitol retards the ovariectomyinduced increase of bone turnover in rats. Calcif. Tissue Int. 60:462-466.

11. Mattila P, Svanberg, M, Knuttila, M. Increased bone volume and bone mineral content in xylitol-fed aged rats. Gerontology 2001;47:300-305.

12. Carbohydrates: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. Dr. James Whittaker Newsletter, vol. 13, no. 4, April 2000.

13. John, Lee MD. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Breast Cancer. Warner Books, 2002, p. 61.

14. ibid, p. 62.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Courtesy Mary Nash Stoddard/author Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame:

Founder Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline (since 1987)

Official ACSN website: http://www.aspartamesafety.com

Stoddard's POV Blog: http://marystod.blogspot.com/

To book a dynamic Speaker on the topic of Sweeteners:

email: marystod@airmail.net

ASPARTAME U.S. FDA APPROVAL VIOLATES THE DELANEY CLAUSE

2011-07-31T11:33:00.000-05:00

Aspartame Illegally Approved By U.S. FDA In Violation of The Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act

Mary Nash Stoddard/author Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame

Delaney clause,

a 1960 amendment to the 1938 Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act regulating food additives. It prohibits the use of any food substance found to be carcinogenic in humans or animals. Food products not previously found to be carcinogenic were classified historically as "Generally Regarded As Safe," or GRAS.

Dr. Ralph Walton quote: "Aspartame should never have been approved and furthermore, the FDA scientists at the time did not want it approved but they were over-ruled by the FDA Commissioner, Arthur Hull Hayes. It was a unilateral decision, a political decision and not one based on medical and scientific data."

FDA knew aspartame caused cancer. An adenocarcinoma was found in a 1972 animal study, pp 6, 67, 70 of Bressler Report. FDA toxicologist and scientist, Dr. Adrian Gross, in testimony to the Senate, noted aspartame caused cancer on 8/1/85 and said: "In view of these indications that the cancer causing potential of aspartame is a matter that had been established beyond any reasonable doubt, what is the reasoning behind a refusal by the FDA to apply the legal Delaney Amendment to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act in the case of aspartame approval?" This statement was addressing brain cancer in laboratory animals fed DKP in aspartame.

The Delaney Amendment makes it illegal to allow any residues of cancer causing chemicals in foods. Concluding his Senate testimony, Dr. Gross asked, "Given the cancer causing potential of aspartame, how would the FDA justify its position that it views a certain amount of aspartame as constituting an allowable daily intake or safe level of it? Is that position in effect not equivalent to setting a tolerance for this food additive and thus a violation of that law? And if the FDA itself elects to violate the law, who is left to protect the health of the public?" The FDA's own toxicologist testified that aspartame is on the market because FDA violated the law. [Delaney Clause]

The results were kept under FDA seal for 3 decades. The Bressler Report and other studies should have prevented FDA from approving aspartame for human consumption. Especially given the fact that Brain tumors were covertly removed from the rats and kept hushed up until almost 20 years later.

http://www.laleva.org/eng/2009/11/fda_hid_research_damning_to_aspartame.html

1) "The present record does not contain data which demonstrate that the use of APM in soft drinks will not result in the adulteration of the beverages under section 402(a)(3) of the FDC Act 21 U.S.C. 342(a)(3), which provides that a food is adulterated if it contains, in whole or in part, "a decomposed substance or if it is otherwise unfit for food";

1980, Dr. John Olney submitted scientific data to a United States Food and Drug Administration Public Board of Inquiry showing that aspartic acid, the excitotoxic ingredient in aspartame, caused holes in the brains of mice.

Dr. Olney stated that it warranted special emphasis that excitotoxins act by an acute but silent mechanism requiring only a single exposure to toxic concentrations for CVO neurons to be quietly destroyed; and

Dr. Olney stated that Searle failed to establish the safety of its product, aspartame, for use in children's food, and that all age comparative data support the following conclusions: (1) orally administered excitotoxins destroy CVO neurons at any age; (2) immature animals are most vulnerable; and (3) the toxic threshold increases only gradually between birth and adulthood.

A: Among other things, it's about 10% methanol (wood alcohol,) famous for causing blindness in alcoholics. In the body, methanol metabolizes into formaldehyde, a neurotoxin; formic acid, a venom in ant stings; and diketopiperazine, which causes brain tumors in animals. It's so bad that in July of 1983, the National Soft Drink Association presented official objections to putting aspartame in beverages.

###

Info courtesy:

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline (since 1987)

http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/
http://marystod.blogspot.com/
http://www.aspartamesafety.com/

http://aspartamesafety.com/web/interviews/interview-published-in-nutrition-healing/
http://aspartamesafety.com/web/deadly-deception/

Is diet soda really better for your health?

2011-07-29T11:48:00.000-05:00

Is diet soda really better for your health?

Are Artificial Sweeteners Safe? Press Rel. Addresses Issue

2011-07-24T08:33:00.000-05:00

Are Artificial Sweeteners Really Safe? Ask the Experts

(PRWEB) October 17, 2005 -- For over two decades, experts on artificial sweeteners sounded the warnings. With backgrounds in Law and Journalism, they answer the questions everyone is asking today. Are aspartame and sucralose really safe? Are Class Action suits in the works?

This topic is 'hotter than hot,' with new sweeteners like Neotame and Splenda approved by the FDA for foods, drinks, medications, vitamins and gum. How safe is our food supply?

In 1987, Washington consumer advocate, James Turner, Esq., asked broadcast journalist and appointed Texas state judge, Mary Nash Stoddard to head the fledgling anti-aspartame movement and take it international, which she did and the rest is history.

For nearly two decades, Aspartame Consumer Safety Network has supplied peer-reviewed, scientific, documented information and support to mainstream media, other consumer organizations, the general public, and health care professionals on five continents. Following the brain tumor death of her young husband, in 1985, Stoddard suffered a serious reaction (Eosinophilia) to the artificial sweetener, aspartame. Upon cessation of use, her symptoms abated.

Stoddard kicked the campaign into high gear when she gave testimony at the November 3, 1987 U.S. Senate Hearings on the safety of aspartame. She and Aspartame Consumer Safety Network cofounder, Turner are the only campaigners on the Internet who were actually there to give Senators their testimony. They are the only ones on the net who have qualified in court as Expert Medical Witnesses on this topic.

Stoddard was a member of the national President's Council On Food Safety from 1998 to 1999 and is a current voting member of the Texas Radio Hall of Fame. She received an award for her work from the Government of Mexico, following a keynote address to their conference on sweeteners in 1998. Stoddard was the first non-M.D. paid to teach a class on aspartame safety at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, and has guest lectured at numerous colleges and universities all over the U.S.

Long before artificial sweeteners became a 'hot' topic, the team of Stoddard and Turner were heating up broadcasting airwaves and generating dozens of articles in print [in flying magazines and top newspapers all over the world], to their credit. Appearing nationally on NBC's TODAY Show, CBS' Sixty Minutes and CNN. With articles about ACSN leaders in The Dallas Morning News, Mademoiselle magazine, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The New York Post, U.S. Air Force Flying Safety magazine, London Daily Mirror and others.

Thousands of websites have jumped on the bandwagon to echo Stoddard's and Turner's warnings, using the information disseminated originally, by Dallas and Washington based, Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline, founded in 1987.

One strangely anonymous source even went so far as to turn ACSN's well documented scientific information into bizarre gibberish - in the so-called, Nancy Markle email and the newer Sweet Poison email - resulting in a botched attempt to discredit Stoddard and Turner's credibility with media and the public.

Are there safe alternatives to artificial sweeteners such as aspartame/Equal & NutraSweet and the new sucralose/Splenda? Ask Stoddard (marystod@airmail.net) and Turner. They know.

###

http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/

http://marystod.blogspot.com/
http://www.aspartamesafety.com/

Insulin Pen for Diabetics Contains Neuro-excitatory Amino Acid Says MSG Expert Samuels

2011-07-18T12:42:00.000-05:00

INSULIN DEPENDENT DIABETICS FYI

(Answer to a question from an Aspartame Consumer Safety Network blog reader who wants to avoid all of the components of Aspartame and Neotame in her medications and diet.)

NovoRapid Penfill 100U/ML (insulin aspart) contains:

disodium phosphate dihydrate
glycerol
hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide if pH adjusted
insulin aspart
metacresol
phenol
sodium chloride
water for injections
zinc chloride

The pharmaceutical firm that produces this product refers to "Insulin Aspart" as the generic name of the drug. However, I found the following on Wikipedia.

"Insulin aspart (marketed by Novo Nordisk as "NovoLog/NovoRapid") is a fast acting insulin analogue. It was created through recombinant DNA technology so that the amino acid, B28, which is normally proline, is substituted with an aspartic acid residue. This analogue has increased charge repulsion, which prevents the formation of hexamers, to create a faster acting insulin. The sequence was inserted into the yeast genome, and the yeast expressed the insulin analogue, which was then harvested from a bioreactor."

Therefore, this product definitely contains aspartic acid, a neurotoxic amino acid that has been found by neuroscientists, in animal studies, to act the same as does glutamic acid, and in an additive fashion with glutamic acid. As you know, aspartic acid is approximately 40% of aspartame.

In addition, I note that the product contains a phosphate. We have found that some MSG-sensitive people with little tolerance for MSG, including me, act similarly to phosphates. Phosphates are known to leach calcium and magnesium, two minerals known to be involved in the metabolism of glutamate. This may explain the MSG-type reactions. I know that aspartame sensitive people react similarly from MSG, but I do not know if some react to phosphates. I would suspect that they do. - Jack Samuels

______________________________________________________________________________________

(submitted by Jack Samuels, founder of Truth In Labeling campaign re: MSG)

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin-dependent_diabetes_mellitus

http://www.aspartamesafety.com

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Phenol:

Is not suitable for everyone and some people should never use it. Other people should only use it with special care. It is important that the person prescribing this medicine knows your full medical history.

Your prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all if you:

are allergic to nuts or almond oil

Furthermore the prescriber may only prescribe this medicine with special care or may not prescribe it at all for a neonate or a child.

Over time it is possible that Phenol can become unsuitable for some people, or they may become unsuitable for it. If at any time it appears that Phenol has become unsuitable, it is important that the prescriber is contacted immediately.

breast-feeding is not recommended while having this medicine

Phenol, Version 3, last updated 19 Dec 2008

http://www.medicines.org.uk/guides/phenol/

Fwd: Lymphoma/Leukemia Blood Disorders Epidemic - Latest Valid Scientific Study Re: Formaldehyde Connection

2011-07-16T17:16:00.000-05:00

Lymphoma/Leukemia Blood Disorders Epidemic - Latest Valid Scientific Study Re: Formaldehyde Connection

Pass It On to Friends: Epidemic of Blood Disorders linked to Artificial Sweetener Aspartame by Respected Medical Research Group.

This is a valid study showing a possible link to the artificial sweetener aspartame which breaks down to formaldehyde:

Aspartame and Lymphoma / Leukemia

A long-term study linking aspartame ingestion to lymphomas and leukemias in animals. The full study can be read at: http://www.ramazzini.it/fondazione/docs/AspartameGEO2005.pdf. Neurosurgeon Russell Blaylock M.D. commented: "The new study released in the European Journal of Oncology by Morando Soffritti and co-workers is a serious warning to mothers and all those consuming aspartame sweetened products." This was a carefully done study which clearly demonstrated a statistically significant increase in several types of lymphomas and leukemias in rats. Both of these malignancies have increased significantly in this country since the widespread use of aspartame.

"This study confirmed the previous study by Dr. Trocho and co-workers, which also found the formaldehyde breakdown product of aspartame to be damaging to cellular DNA and that this damage was accumulative. The type of damage was a duplicate of that associated with cancers. Along with this most recent study, this means that drinking a single diet cola sweetened with aspartame every day could increase one's risk of developing a lymphoma or leukemia. (Look for aspartame as an active or inactive ingredient in: almost all chewing gum; low fat yogurt; low fat dressings; jello; puddings; crystal light; sugar-free kool aid; flavored bottled waters; breath fresheners; mouthwash; OTC and Rx meds; kids vitamins; frozen low fat desserts, etc. Sometimes "Contains Phenylalanine" is on label instead of "aspartame," but it's the same thing. Sunny D for kids now contains unmarked aspartame-formula-based sweetener, Neotame - 13,000 times sweeter than sugar!)

"They also found an increased incidence of malignant brain tumors, even though it was not statistically significant. This does not mean there is no association to brain tumors, since only the animals exposed to aspartame developed the tumors. With children and pregnant women drinking the largest amount of diet colas, this puts their children at the greatest risk of developing one of these horrible diseases. Their study found that even low doses of aspartame could cause these malignancies; yet, the higher the dose, the more cancers that were seen."

A followup study was published in Environmental Health Perspectives showing that there was a significant increase in cancer of the kidney and peripheral nerves. The full published study can be found in PDF format at: http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/8711/8711.pdf.

Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline
[Promoting FDA Recall of Aspartame - since 1987]
P.O. Box 2001 - Frisco, TX 75034 - U.S.
phone: 1-214-387-4001
email: marystod@airmail.net
http://www.aspartamesafety.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

An Overdue Ban On A Dangerous Sweetener

CHICAGO, IL, August 15, 2009 --/WORLD-WIRE/-- The artificial sweetener aspartame has been shown to cause cancer in lab rats, and should be banned for human consumption, warns the Cancer Prevention Coalition.

Under the explicit provisions of the 1958 Delaney Law, which requires an automatic ban on carcinogenic food additives, the Coalition is calling on Dr. Margaret Hamburg, the newly appointed Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and public health advocate, to promptly ban the continued use of aspartame.

First discovered in 1965 by the pharmaceutical company G.D. Searle, aspartame is an artificial sweetener marketed by Ajinomoto Sweeteners under trademark names including Nutrasweet, Equal and Canderel.

Aspartame is the second most widely used artificial sweetener in the world. It is found in more than 6,000 products including carbonated and powdered soft drinks, hot chocolate, chewing gum, candy, desserts, yogurt, and tabletop sweeteners, as well as some pharmaceutical products like vitamins and sugar-free cough drops. More than 200 million people worldwide consume it.

The sweetener has been used for more than 30 years, having first been approved by the FDA in 1974.

After saccharin, aspartame is the commonest sweetener, consumed by over 200 million people worldwide, and represents about 60% of the artificial sweetener market.

Aspartame provides food, soft drinks, candy and chewing gum manufacturers with substantial cost savings compared to sugar, which is 200 times less sweet. Aspartame is a sweetener without calories, which helps people control their weight.

Studies of the carcinogenicity of aspartame performed by producers of the sweetener have been negative.

But Cancer Prevention Coalition Chairman Samuel S. Epstein, MD warns that the use of aspartame in foods, vitamins and pharmaceuticals is based on false safety information and political maneuvering going back more than 30 years.

In January 1976, then Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Alexander M. Schmidt, MD testified before Congress that Hazleton Laboratories, under contract to Searle, had been charged with falsifying toxicological data on aspartame.

The FDA convened a Public Board of Inquiry to review concerns about the sweetener's carcinogenic effects in experimental animals. In 1980, the Board concluded that aspartame could "contribute to the development brain tumors."

Dr. Epstein points out that FDA then recommended that, pending confirmation of these findings, the sweetener should no longer be used.

However, then Searle Chairman Donald Rumsfeld, later Secretary of Defense in the Bush Administration, vowed to "call in his markers," to get the sweetener approved.

On January 21, 1981, the day after Ronald Reagan's inauguration, Searle re-applied to the FDA for approval to use aspartame as a food sweetener, and Reagan's new FDA commissioner, Arthur Hayes Hull, Jr., appointed a 5-person Scientific Commission to review the Board of Inquiry's decision.

It soon became clear that the panel would uphold the ban by a 3-2 decision, but Hull then installed a sixth member on the commission, and the vote became deadlocked. He then personally broke the tie in aspartame's favor.

Hull later left the FDA under allegations of impropriety, then took a position with Burston-Marsteller, the chief public relations firm for Searle and for Monsanto, which purchased Searle in 1985.

Dr. Epstein is not alone among doctors in his concern about the sweetener.

In a July 25, 2009 letter to the new FDA commissioner, H.J. Roberts, M.D., a Florida internist and diabetes expert, drew her attention to the dangerous health effects of aspartame in foods and other products.

"My own data base encompasses over 1400 individuals who have suffered major disorders that could be directly ascribed to the use of these products, including gum," wrote Dr. Roberts, who authored the books "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic," and "Aspartame Disease: an FDA Approved Epidemic."

There have been other calls to ban the sweetener, including one in the UK earlier this year, when Member of Parliament Roger Williams cited "compelling and reliable evidence for this carcinogenic substance to be banned from the UK food and drinks market altogether."

Dr. Epstein says the evidence on the carcinogenicity of aspartame was strongly reinforced in a unique feeding test conducted on rats in an Italian laboratory.

In 2005, based on highly sensitive and life-long feeding tests in groups of about 200 rats and at doses less than usual human dietary levels, the prestigious Italian Ramazzini Foundation confirmed that aspartame is unequivocally carcinogenic. A high incidence of cancers was induced in multiple organs of the lab rats fed the sweetener, including lymph glands, brain and kidney.

Dr. Epstein says rats were fed aspartame beginning in the early fetal stage of life, resulting in their lifelong exposure to aspartame.

"This resulted in a still higher increase in the incidence of cancers at sites, including those previously reported," he says.

The Ramazzini study was reported in the November 2005 issue of "Environmental Health Perspectives," the peer-reviewed journal of the United States' National nstitute of Environmental Health Sciences.

"Our study has shown that aspartame is a multipotential carcinogenic compound whose carcinogenic effects are also evident at a daily dose of 20 milligrams per kilogram of body weight (mg/kg), notably less than the current acceptable daily intake for humans," the Ramazzini authors wrote.

Currently, the acceptable daily intake for humans is set at 50 mg/kg in the United States and 40 mg/kg in Europe.

In April 2007, the results of this study were presented by Ramazzini scientists at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

Not surprisingly, says Dr. Epstein, these findings have been sharply challenged by the sweetener industry, major sweetener users, such as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Nestlé and Monsanto, and also by the industry-oriented scientific journal "Critical Reviews in Toxicology."

In view of the new scientific evidence of aspartame's carcinogenicity and the political gamesmanship that led to its original approval by the FDA, Dr. Epstein is urging the new FDA Commissioner, Dr. Hamburg, to impose an immediate ban on the use of aspartame for human consumption.

Childhood Obesity Trigger

2011-07-14T12:23:00.000-05:00

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Last Updated: Wednesday, 8 August 2007, 06:31 GMT 07:31 UK

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Printable version

Diet food 'may fuel obesity risk'

Diet foods for children may inadvertently lead to overeating and obesity, say researchers.

In tests on young rats, animals given low-calorie versions of foods were induced to overeat, whether they were lean or obese.

The researchers believe low-calorie versions of usually high-calorie foods disrupt the body's ability to use taste to regulate calorific intake.

The University of Alberta study appears in the journal Obesity.

Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters

Dr David Pierce
University of Alberta

Lead researcher Professor David Pierce said: "Based on what we've learned, it is better for children to eat healthy, well-balanced diets with sufficient calories for their daily activities rather than low-calorie snacks or meals."

The researchers found that young rats given low-calorie foods began to overeat during their regular meals.

However, older, adolescent rats also fed diet foods did not show the same tendency to overeat.

Taste cues

The researchers believe the older rats did not overeat because they, unlike the younger rats, were able to rely on a variety of taste-related cues to correctly assess the energy value of their food.

In contrast the younger animals learned to match tastes usually associated with food high in calories with low-fat alternatives, and so carried on eating to try to get their calorie count up when in fact it had already reached a healthy level.

Professor Pierce said the research underlined the importance of promoting a balanced diet and exercise as the best ways to keep children fit and healthy.

He said: "Diet foods are probably not a good idea for growing youngsters."

Obesity is a significant risk factor for both type-2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and soaring rates are posing an increasing public health problem.

Dr Colin Waine, chairman of the UK National Obesity Forum, sounded a note of caution about extrapolating from rats to humans.

But he said: "It is an interesting theory, especially with the amount of low calorie foods which are around now.

"It reinforces the need to try to teach children healthy eating habits from early in life."

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Kidney Dz and Cancer Triggered in Lab by Aspartame (in small amts.)

2011-07-09T10:35:00.000-05:00

Aspartame alert: Diet soda destroys kidney function
Thursday, December 17, 2009 by: E. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Scientists from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston have revealed results from a study outlining some of the effects of artificial sweeteners on the body. Conducted on a group of 3,000 women, the results indicated that those who drank two or more artificially-sweetened beverages a day doubled their risk of more-rapid-than-normal kidney function decline.

The study accounted for various other risk factors including the woman's age, her blood pressure, if she smoked, and if she had any other pre-existing conditions such as heart disease or diabetes. The 11-year study evaluated the effects of all sweetened drinks on progressive kidney decline and discovered that two or more diet drinks leads to a two-fold increase in rapid kidney decline incidences.

Though study results did not show any correlation between sugar- or corn syrup-sweetened drinks and the onset of rapid kidney decline, these ingredients are implicated in causing diabetes and obesity and should not be perceived as safe merely because they did not have a direct correlation in this particular study topic. It is no surprise that diet sodas were the primary offenders in the study.

Studies on aspartame
When aspartame was first approved in the 1970s under the name "NutraSweet", studies were submitted as supposed proof that the artificial chemical was safe. The FDA initially approved the chemical in 1974 for use in a limited number of foods based upon the studies submitted by G.D. Searle Co., the company that invented aspartame.

Following a discovery made shortly thereafter by a research psychiatrist who found that aspartic acid, a primary ingredient in aspartame, caused holes to form in the brains of mice, the FDA decided to form its own internal task force to investigate the initial claims made by the Searle Co.

What the agency discovered was a series of falsified claims, compromised study results, and missing information. The claims made in favor of aspartame were so dubious and the evidence so faulty that the FDA decreed that a grand jury should investigate Searle Co.'s claims. Unfortunately, the case failed to move forward when U.S. Attorney Thomas Sullivan and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Conlon failed to initiate any legal action. Conlon was later hired by the law firm that represented Searle Co.

Investigation revealed that aspartame had caused tumors, seizures, brain holes, and death in many of the studies. All negative findings had been altered or scrubbed from the final reports delivered to the FDA when aspartame was first reviewed.

Time and time again the question over whether aspartame is safe has led to investigations that never go anywhere. Studies are continually released in support of the chemical's safety even though they fail to address the results of other studies that show it to be harmful.

Other artificial sweeteners:
A study published in the January, 2008 issue of the Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health revealed that the newer artificial sweetener, sucralose, alters gut microflora and inhibits the assimilation of dietary nutrients.

Commonly marketed as being "made from sugar," sucralose (Splenda) had undergone no long-term human studies to verify its safety in humans. Like aspartame, initial studies revealed negative reactions by lab animals on whom it was tested, indicating that there could be the same potential problems in humans.

The EU Food Commission, Canadian health officials, and the U.S. FDA all rejected the initial studies submitted by McNeil Nutritionals, the marketers of sucralose, because of the negative results. However they encouraged the company to continue researching until they "got it right". McNeil simply lowered the levels of sucralose used in their studies until an acceptable limit was found. After several tries, sucralose was finally approved.

Stevia, a safe alternative
A great many varieties of artificial sweeteners have been approved, many scandalously, despite the fact that safe, natural alternativesexist. Stevia, for instance, is a sweet herb from South America that is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar. Claiming inadequate safety research, the FDA has long refused the herb from being included on the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) list.

Up until last year, all forms of stevia could only be sold as dietary supplements. The extract could not be labeled as a "sweetener" and it could not be included in any food items.

Once the parent companies of both Pepsi and Coca-Cola discovered how to manipulate and patent a segment of stevia, however, it suddenly became safe to use as a sweetener and is now sold on grocery store shelves in packets similar to the artificial sweeteners. The FDA reluctantly added the natural stevia extract to the GRAS list as well.

Stick with natural and unprocessed:
When it comes to health, a person's best bet is to avoid artificial sweeteners altogether. There are plenty of preferable, safe alternatives such as stevia which will allow for a little extra sweetness without all the harmful side effects.

Sources for this story include:
http://www.aspartamesafety.com

The results of this new study are very important to everyone - more importantly, to those with a genetic predisposition to kidney disease. The study focuses mostly on diet drinks, but chewing gums, which virtually all now contain aspartame and/or the super-aspartame Neotame, which is blocked from all ingredient lists, even though the products contain neotame, the new NutraSweet product 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. I have all the science saying how the buccal/sublingual absorption through the mouth is perhaps the most efficient transport system of all - taking toxins directly into the brain and bloodstream from the mouth and throat. (MNS)

Articles Related to This Article:

• The link between aspartame and brain tumors: What the FDA never told you about artificial sweeteners

• Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures

• Aspartame promotes grand mal seizures, say health experts

• Aspartame found to cause breast cancer, leukemia and lymphomas in latest animal experiments

• Nutrasweet - A Look at the History of Deception Behind Its Marketing (Part 2)

Related Articles:
• The link between aspartame and brain tumors: What the FDA never told you about artificial sweeteners.
• Aspartame consumption strongly associated with migraines and seizures.
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• Nutrasweet - A Look at the History of Deception Behind Its Marketing (Part 2)

Tags: Aspartame, Artificial Sweeteners, FDA, NutraSweet, Equal, Sugar, Mary Nash Stoddard, pilots, Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline

2011-07-08T19:20:00.000-05:00

Aspartame: The Real Story

by Annemarie Colbin, Ph.D.

Sugar is bad for you, right? It has calories and makes you fat. Therefore, anything that tastes sweet and doesn't have calories is preferable, because it won't make you fat. Right? That is the thinking that supports the widespread use of artificial sweeteners. Millions of people guzzle soft drinks sweetened with aspartame, the compound sold under the trade names Nutrasweet and Equal. This ingredient is found in all kinds of diet foods, in toothpaste, and sprinkled out of small packets into coffee and tea. It is sold worldwide. It is also associated with thousands of reports of adverse effects. Most of the information that follows was taken from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet, written by Lendon Smith, MD, former Network Physician at NBC-TV and well-known author and pediatrician. Aspartame (the technical name is L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanyl-methyl-ester) is considered to be about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is virtually calorie free. When ingested and metabolized, it breaks down into three substances: phenylalanine (50%), one of the amino acids needed for the production of neurotransmitters essential to brain function. While this sounds OK, it is not: people with PKU (phenylketonuria) are missing the enzymes to break down this amino acid and may end up with an excess that causes brain damage. For susceptible people, phenylalanine will be neurotoxic and might cause seizures. aspartic acid (40%), which can cause brain damage in fetuses methanol (10%), an alcohol wich turns into formaldehyde, a known toxic substance used, among other things, as embalming fluid. Early studies in the 1970's found that aspartic acid causes holes in the brains of mice. (I find this an interesting bit of information, in the light of current concerns with "spongiform encephalopathy," or mad cow disease, and Creuzfeld-Jacob disease, in all of which the brain becomes sponge-like with holes in it). Monkeys fed aspartame died or had grand mal seizures; however, these studies were not submitted to the FDA when approval for aspartame was requested. The request was approved by then FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., in 1981, after he overruled the Public Board of Inquiry's recommendation to ban this artificial sweetener. Two months before quitting the post, Hayes approved the use of aspartame in soft drinks, even though the National Soft Drink Association had warned the FDA that aspartame was breaking down in warm climates. From the early '80's, consumer complaints began pouring into the FDA related to aspartame use. Among the symptoms reported are the following: headaches

nausea

vertigo

hearing loss

tinnitus

insomnia

numbness and tingling of extremities

blurred vision

blindness

eye problems

memory loss

slurred speech

mild to suicidal depression

personality changes

violent episodes

mood changes

anxiety attacks

hyperactivity

heart arrhythmia

edema or swelling

gastrointestinal disorders

seizures

skin lesions

muscle cramps

joint pains

fatigue

PMS

menstrual irregularities

chest pain

increased appetite

Artificial sweeteners can increase appetite because as the sweet taste hits the mouth, a message is passed on to the body that carbohydrates are coming in; then the pancreas swings into action and sends insulin into the bloodstream. As there are no actual carbohydrates, the insulin lowers the blood sugar and appetite increases. In this manner, artificial sweeteners can contribute to hypoglycemia. Scientific studies show mixed results; some find no increase effects on hyperactivity with aspartame, others find that individuals with mood disorders do react with headaches or increased number and severity of depressive symptoms. "Anecdotal reports" are simply people telling what happened to them; while the scientific community does not accept these as valid, sensible human beings might at least pay attention. Where there's smoke there's fire. In addition to the above symptoms, aspartame use can mimic a number of autoimmune diseases.

In addition to MS, aspartame may also either mimic or trigger the following illnesses: fibromyalgia

chronic fatigue syndrome

Epstein-Barr

post-polio syndrome

lyme disease

epilepsy

hypothyroidism

ADD

Meuniere disease

Alzheimer disease Fortunately, most of these symptoms are reversible, and disappear once aspartame is discontinued. This noxious substance, so ubiquitous in our commercial food supply, should be recalled by the FDA and retested as a drug. As it is not classified as a drug, the manufacturers are not obligated to monitor its adverse effects! Senator Howard Metzenbaum had written a bill warning pregnant women, infants and children against ingesting aspartame, on the suspicion of its relationship to seizures, changes in brain chemistry, and adverse neurological and behavioral symptoms; as is to be expected, the bill got killed. What I found really interesting is that the US Air Force has formally warned all pilots to refrain from consuming aspartame-sweetened diet drinks, as they found them linked to grand mal seizures, vertigo, heart disease, and suicidal depressions. Aspartame interferes with the production of the calming neurotransmitter serotonin. Isn't it really interesting that sales of the antidepressant Prozac, which encourages the production of serotonin, have gone through the roof in the last few years?

For further information, you can contact the following:

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network; Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder. P.O. Box 2001 - Frisco, TX 75034; tel. 214-387-4001. E-mail:marystod@airmail.net. Stoddard's book: Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame.

To sweeten your food without white sugar and without artificial sweeteners, stick to the real thing: fruit both fresh and dry, juices, maple syrup, grain malts. Yes, they do have calories like normal food does, but they will not fool and confuse your body, and won't put you at risk for autoimmune or neurological disorders.

If you really like drinking sweet fizzy drinks, here is a simple recipe: Apple Mint Fizz

1/3 cup unfiltered apple juice

1/3 cup cold mint tea

1/3 cup seltzer water

Mix and enjoy at room temperature or over ice,

with a slice of lemon if you like. You can make all kinds

of variations on this recipe with juices, teas, and seltzer water.

Courtesy: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network - www.aspartamesafety.com/

Aspartame - Sweet but Deadly

2011-07-04T18:56:00.000-05:00

Sweet but Deadly

Aspartame, found in NutraSweet and Equal, could be hurting us all!

By Mary Nash Stoddard

Who are the real villains in today's society? I believe they are the chemical and pharmaceutical companies who knowingly pollute our children's food supply for profit and those in government who aid and abet them.

Aspartame, also known as NutraSweet and Equal, is arguably the most toxic substance in our food supply today. Aspartame disease has become an epidemic in our world that must be recognized and addressed.

How did we get to this point and what do we do about it?

The one constant in the lives of people around the world is the need for food. Everyone has to eat. The legal drug lords (pharmaceutical and chemical companies) capitalize on this and have stealthily assumed control of our food supply, with the active participation of their consorts at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), leaving the poor consumer unprotected and at great risk.

Politics, not Science

It's all about politics - not at all about science. The artificial sweetener aspartame was approved through fraudulent means.

Deaths of lab animals were covered up. Brain tumors, mammary tumors, pancreatic tumors, and uterine tumors went unreported. Discovered as a drug for peptic ulcers in the sixties, aspartame first was approved in 1974. That approval was rescinded before it could get to market, because of the brain tumor issue.

Alternatives

Healthy alternatives to aspartame include turbinado sugar, succanat, honey, maple syrup, rice and barley syrups, fruit juice concentrates, fructose and the herbal sweetener stevia.

At the time, the National Soft Drink Association lodged formal objections with the U.S. Senate, again because of the brain tumor issue. the maker of aspartame, G.D. Searle Company, was being investigated by U.S. prosecutors, but at the last minute, the lawsuit was dropped because the U.S. Attorney, Samuel Skinner, rescued himself and defected to the NutraSweet law firm of Sidley & Austin. Skinner then went on to become head of the U.S. Department of Transportation and eventually chief of staff in President Bush's administration.

Meanwhile, President Reagan's FDA director, Arthur Hull Hayes Jr., approved aspartame for table-top use in 1981, and when it won final approval for use in aqueous solutions in 1983, Hayes quit the FDA and went to work for the NutraSweet public relations firm of Burson Marsteller, for $1,000 a day.

What it is and What is it in?

Aspartame is a toxin whose effects are cumulative. It can be found in over 5,000 products. These include diet soft drinks, sports drinks, gum, coffees, teas, Kool-Aid type drinks, children's vitamins, antibiotics, frozen dairy desserts such as ice cream and yogurts, and much more. It is very difficult to live without consuming aspartame.

Aspartame is an extremely complex molecule. It is 50 percent phenylalanine, 40 percent aspartic acid, and 10 percent methanol. Each of these substances can be dangerous by themselves and even more dangerous as they work together.

Phenylalanine

Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid. Individuals with phenylektoneuric (PKU) lack an enzyme necessary for breaking down and eliminating excess amounts of phenylalanine. In children with this disorder, phenylalanine accumulates to toxic levels (20 - 30 times higher than normal), which gradually causes more and more damage to the developing brain. Approximately 20 million carriers of the PKU gene are also at risk for PKU and do not know it.

Those with PKU should be aware of all sources of phenylalanine in their diets. Human testing has shown that phenylalanine levels in the blood were increased significantly in subjects who chronically used aspartame. (Wurtman and Walker, "Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function," Proceedings of the First International Meeting on Dietary Phenylalanine and Brain Function, Washington, Dd.C., May 8, 1987).

According to Dr. Louis Elsas, head of genetics at Emory University in Atlanta, the phenylalanine in aspartame can quadruple on the side of the placenta during pregnancy, thereby causing a possible 10 percent drop in I.Q. scores of children born under these conditions.

Disease Mimic

Aspartame not only causes individual symptoms, it can mimic entire syndromes. The CFIDS (chronic fatigue and immune deficiency syndrome) Newsletter calls it the "sweet poison, NutraSweet," because it can mimic the symptoms of CFIDS. It can also cause grand mal seizures. According to H.J. Roberts, M.D., it can cause decreased vision, pain in the eyes, decreased tears, ringing in the ears, hearing impairment, headache, dizziness and unsteadiness, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, sleepiness, slurring of speech, numbness and tingling, tremors, depression, irritability, aggression, anxiety, insomnia, phobias, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, itching, hives, menstrual changes, weight gain, hair thinning and hair loss, urinary burning and frequency, excessive thirst, fluid retention, bloating, increased infection, and even death. It also can mimic epilepsy, brain tumors, fibromyalgia, systemic lupus, Alzheimer's disease, Lou Gehrig's disease, multiple sclerosis, Lyme Disease, Graves' disease, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and heart ailments.

Products Containing Aspartame

Aspaartame is now found in over 5,000 products worldwide. It is difficult to provide any listing of these, as the list is in a constant state of flux. Many products vacillate between having it in their formula one week, and not having it the next, or vice versa. The best action to take is to read the labels closely.

Most importantly, phenylalanine can also lead to a lowering of the seizure threshold. Dr. Richard Wurtmand, professor of neuroendocrine regulation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), has presented the FDA with data that indicate that aspartame affects brain phenylalanine and tyrosine levels.

Why no action...?

"Eighty-five percent of all complaints registered with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concern aspartame's adverse reactions."

This could affect the synthesis of neurotransmitters (brain "messengers") and bodily functions. Aspartame act as as a "mind-altering" drug in disturbing the chemical balance of the brain. Aspartame obstructs the production of serotonin, which is a key neurotransmitter that keeps moods levels and sleep patterns normal, and controls the menstrual cycle in woman.

Aspartic Acid

Aspartic acid is a neuroexcitatory amino acid; that is, an amino acid that plays a role in stimulating the nervous system. Aspartic acid caused "silent" lesions - often called "holes in the brain" - in the brains of the lab animals. It also changed the lab animals' DNA - the third generation of pups were born morbidly obese and sexually dysfunctional.

Dr. Russell L. Blaylock, a professor of neurosurgery at the Medical University of Mississippi, writing in "Excitotoxins: The Tastes that Kills", details the damage that is caused by the ingestion of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame. According to Blaylock, excess free excitatory amino acids such as aspartic acid are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and myriad of other acute symptoms.

Methanol (wood alcohol)

Methanol is the bond that holds the phenylalanine and aspartic acid together and is perhaps the most dangerous component of aspartame. It is released within ten minutes of consumption.

Very simply, methanol is wood alcohol and is toxic. It is well-known in the literature for doing damage to the eyes, liver, brain, and other organs of the body. Any product that contains methanol should send up a red flag in our minds.

The absorption of methanol into the body is hastened when free methanol is ingested, and free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above 85 degrees F (30 C). This would occur when an aspartame-containing product is improperly stored or is heated.

Methanol breaks down into formaldyhyde (embalming fluid), formic acid (ant sting venom), and diketopiperazine (DKP). All are highly toxic. DKP may just be the most problematic of all, because it has caused brain tumors in lab tests.

John W. Olney, a professor in the department of psychiatry at Washington University's School of Medicine and a neuroscientist and researcher, noticed that DKP, when nitrosated in the gut, produced a compound similar to a powerful brain tumor-causing chemical.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and causes retinal damage and birth defects and interferes DNA replication. Aspartame can exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's standards for safe levels of formaldehyde ingestion.

One of the arguments that the sweetener industry uses to refute much of this is that the amino acids found in aspartame are natural and are broken down by the body. However, phenylalanine and aspartic acid, when produced synthetically in the lab, do not behave in the same manner as when found in nature. They have been shown to cross the brain's blood barrier. In their natural state, these amino acids are found in perfect balance with all the other ameliorating amino acids. Methanol, when found in nature, is always accompanied by ethanol, which neutralizes its toxic effect. There is no ethanol in aspartame, only methanol.

Aspartame is a prescription for disaster.

A Greater Danger Ahead?

On December 22, 1997, Monsanto (manufacturers of aspartame and artificial bovine growth hormone) applied for a patent to market a new sweetener, based on the aspartame formula, called Neotame. This will be 7,800 times sweeter than aspartame, which is 200 times sweeter than sugar.

Mary Nash Stoddard is a founder of the burgeoning international anti-aspartame movement, with her Aspartame Consumer Safety Network. She is recognized as the foremost aspartame authority (qualifying in courtroom proceedings as an expert witness), and her work has been featured on thousands of radio and television news and talk shows around the world, including Nightline and 60 Minutes.

http://www.aim4health.com/nutrasweet.htm

Neotame - Unhealthy New Molecule Appearing in World's Food Supply

2011-07-04T13:12:00.000-05:00

Neotame – Hidden Danger in World's Food Supply

By Mary Nash Stoddard
Founder: Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline (since 1987)

DALLAS TX - July 4, 2011 -- Everyone wants to indulge a sweet tooth, without suffering the inevitable consequences of weight gain. But, be aware of the hidden (not listed on ingredient labels) dangers of Neotame sweetener in almost everything consumed by humans, and now even in feed for livestock raised for human consumption.

In 1998, Monsanto applied for FDA approval for a monster molecule, "based on the aspartame formula" with one critical addition: 3-dimethylbutyl [listed on EPA's most hazardous chemical list]. Neotame is touted as being 13,000 times sweeter than sugar.

On July 5, 2002 – Monsanto's Neotame molecule was approved by the US FDA over formally registered objections of the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and others. (Long term effects on humans are unknown.) Read the full release on The Aspartame Consumer Safety Network.

The food labeling requirements required for aspartame have now been dropped for Neotame, and no one is clear why this was allowed to happen. Neotame has been ruled acceptable, and without being included on the list of ingredients.

Ever ready to give the public what it craves – guilt-free, low calorie treats that taste as good as sugar, is the multi billion dollar sweetener industry. The sugar industry pales by comparison, in the profit generating arena. Fake sugars, in the form of Aspartame and now the Aspartame super clone, Neotame, give 'foodies' and fitness fanatics false hope and the empty promise that all can 'have our cake and eat it, too.' Not necessarily so.< http://www.latimes.com/health/boostershots/la-heb-diet-soda-weight-gain-20110701,0,2598431.story>

Controversy has swirled around the artificial sweetener, Aspartame, now also known as AminoSweet, since its FDA approval in 1982. Virtually all corporate sponsored scientific studies show aspartame to be perfectly safe. Virtually all independently done studies show just the opposite. In the lab, Aspartame was shown to cause the following forms of cancers: brain tumors, pancreatic tumors, breast tumors and uterine tumors. Five deaths are registered with FDA. In more recent tests, leukemia, lymphoma and kidney cancers were discovered as well.

There is a parallel issue with which to compare the Aspartame issue. That of cigarettes and the deadly effects of smoking. The massive Tobacco Industry is able to produce large volumes of scientific studies showing smoking does not cause: lung cancer, heart disease, strokes or death. Today, mainstream science accepts the fact that smoking can be deadly and addictive. So it is with Aspartame, whose approval was based, not on scientific fact, but as an issue of public policy.

One form of subliminal advertising, called Product Placement, was successfully used in the 30′s through the 60′s, by the Tobacco Industry, in films, later on television and in newspaper articles. Product Placement has been successfully employed, in like manner, for Aspartame products, such as diet sodas, etc. Popular actors on sit coms asking pointedly for a Diet Coke, for example. Only once, in the film, I Love Trouble, have I noted seeing a diet drink consumed by the villain. This was in a film about a mythical chemical company which produced a neurotoxic bovine growth hormone product. and aspartame. Hint: Starts with an "M." Sound familiar?

Ironically, prior to U.S. government approval of this controversial new sweetener, Neotame was approved by the regulatory agency in Australia, the day after Donald Rumsfeld (former CEO of the drug company that falsified tests to gain Aspartame approval in the U.S.), was in that country for a one day meeting with government officials. Coincidence? Maybe.

What's the latest, in-your-face, profit making method utilized by the makers of Neotame, partnering with a Health Care company in India? The most recent Press Release from the company explains novel new uses proposed for the ubiquitous new Aspartame formula-based sweetener, Neotame (Sweetos):

EnSigns Health Care Pvt Ltd and The NutraSweet Co USA have recently launched 'Sweetos', a cattle feed sweetener. Sweetos has been developed with Neotame, a high intensity sweetener.

Amino acids based sweetener Neotame is 8,000 to 13,000 times sweeter than sugar and is a patented product of the NutraSweet Co USA. Ensigns is one of the leading manufacturer of Sweetos, low calorie sweeteners for the food industry. Together the two companies have launched this sweetener to be added to cattle feed.

Presently, molasses is used as a feed sweetener to mask the low palatable taste of certain non-conventional feed ingredients. But, the prices of molasses have sky rocketed due to its use as a raw material in alcohol production and other chemical manufacturing industries. Besides, there are stringent regulatory measures for purchase and use of molasses.

"Sweetos is an economical substitute for molasses. Sweetos guarantees the masking of unpleasant tastes and odor and improves the palatability of feed. This product will be economical for farmers and manufacturers of cattle feed. It can also be used in mineral mixture," said Craig Petray, CEO, The NutraSweet Company.

Sweetos is 20 per cent cheaper than molasses, which costs Rs 14 per kg. While Sweetos is priced at Rs 11 per kg, which is available in both powder and liquid form. Ensigns' has a manufacturing facility at Wagholi, where the company manufactures low calorie sweeteners for the food and beverage (F&B) industry containing sucralose. "We are in talks with the animal husbandry department to reach out to farmers and are trying to tie up with extension services with co-operative societies as well. Cattle consume more fodder when mixed with Sweetos. This product has great export potential as well," said Mohan Nair, chairman, Ensigns Health Care.

The NutraSweet Company is looking at launching the same product in Brazil soon. It will also launch tabletop sweeteners and products in India. India also has approved the usage of Neotame in the F&B industry in July 2010. Ensigns, therefore, also plans to replace its sucralose based sweetening products with Neotame soon.

Diet sweeteners being used to fatten cattle, by causing them to eat more feed, before they become your favorite burger, steak, cheese or other dairy product? This NutraSweet produced document proves our point that Aspartame, Neotame and related sweeteners cause weight gain, loss of appetite control (and cancers) – in animals and humans.

Find out more about which neuroexcitatory sweeteners are in your foods, beverages and chewing gums. Eliminating them could be a life saving decision.

###

Mary Nash Stoddard is a freelance investigative journalist, lecturer, expert medical witness, former member President's Council on Food Safety, voting member Texas Radio Hall of Fame and founder of Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline (1987-present). Mary edits the toxicology source book, Deadly Deception Story of Aspartame. Her articles appear regularly in print publications and on the Internet on a Food Safety Blog:

http://twitter.com/#!/marystod/

http://marystod.blogspot.com/
http://www.aspartamesafety.com/

http://www.stoddardmedia.com/

Aspartame Effects - At Rec. Daily Maximum Dose

2011-06-27T18:24:00.000-05:00

The effect of aspartame administration on oncogene and suppressor gene expressions.

Gombos K, Varjas T, Orsos Z, Polyak E, Peredi J, Varga Z, Nowrasteh G,

Tettinger A, Mucsi G, Ember I.

Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Public Health University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary. katalin_gombos@yahoo.comBACKGROUND: Aspartame (L-phenylalanineN-L-alpha-aspartyl-1-methyl ester) is an artificial sweetener with widespread applications. Previously published results have shown that among rats receiving aspartame a significant increase of lymphoreticular neoplasms, brain tumours and transitional cell tumors occurred. The aim of our short-term experiment was to investigate the biological effect of aspartame consumption by determining the expressions of key oncogenes and a tumour suppressor gene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: After one week per os administration of various doses of aspartame to CBA/CA female mice, p53, c-myc, Ha-ras gene expression alterations were determined in individual organs.

RESULTS: The results showed an increase in gene expressions concerning all the investigatedgenes especially in organs with a high proliferation rate: lymphoreticular organs, bone-marrow and kidney.

CONCLUSION: Aspartame has a biological effect even at the recommended daily maximum dose.

In Vivo. 2007 Jan-Feb;21(1):89-92.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=17354619&query_hl=2&itool=pubmed_DocSum

PMID: 17354619 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLI

SEN. TED KENNEDY'S LETTER STATING ASPARTAME CONCERNS TO MARY NASH STODDARD, FOUNDER ACSN

2011-06-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

Dallas - Jun. 14, 2011 -- This morning I was doing some filing and came across this first letter from Sen. Teddy Kennedy to me. He was especially interested in the aspartame issue, since it can affect people with phenylketonuria. His sister, Rose [named after her mother], suffered severe mental retardation, due to intake of phenylalanine in foods. She spent her life in an institutional setting. Her condition was responsible for her family fighting for the 'heel-stick test,' given all newborns today in the hospital as a test for PKU. As a direct result of that Hearing, there is a federal law requiring the words: Contains "Phenylalanine" to be printed on the label of every product containing aspartame. (Unfortunately, no such law protects the public against damages from the toxic Aspartame super clone: Neotame.)This is a warning to PKU individuals. There is, however, no such warning to the unidentified 20 million Carriers of the PKU gene in the US alone. Since PKU runs in his family, I certainly hope Sen. Kennedy was not ingesting anything containing aspartame, in an effort to lose weight, prior to his traumatic death from Brain Cancer (experienced in the laboratory by lab animals fed Aspartame). My husband, Mike Stoddard, died of Brain Cancer in 1985 and I know firsthand the agony it causes, not only the victim, but the family as well. I have many reports in our files on Aspartame-induced brain tumors and grand mal seizures associated with aspartame use, including those of Military and Airline Pilots and children.

I enjoyed meeting Sen. Kennedy at the Senate Hearing as we worked together to organize Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline in 1987. I also gave testimony to the Senate during that hearing, and sent out press releases letting media know of the event. Members of the press had not been contacted by anyone before I called to inform them of the hearing. It ended up being extensively covered, due to our news release. It seems, I turned out to be giving Testimony as well as being the de facto Publicist for the Sen. Hearing on the Safety of Aspartame, Nov. 3, 1987. Many breaking news stories were fed to news agencies and networks that evening, based on our original contacts with the National Media in Washington and the stories continue, 24 years later. Which prompts many to ask, "Why is Aspartame still on the market?" Our answer? "Ask the US FDA."

Hon. Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder
Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline (since 1987)
www.aspartamesafety.com

________________________________________________________________<http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,872970,00.html?iid=chix-sphere>

Written on US Senate Letterhead by Sen. Edward Kennedy to Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder of the original Aspartame Awareness Campaign that went international, under the expert guidance of James Turner, Esq. and Hon. Mary Nash Stoddard, in 1987:

Edward M. Kennedy

Massachusetts

United States Senate

Washington DC 20510

August 27, 1987

Ms. Mary Nash Stoddard, President

Aspartame Victims and Their Friends

PO Box 780634 - Dallas Texas 75378

Dear Ms. Stoddard:

Thank you for your letter concerning NutraSweet (Aspartame).

I share your concern about recent studies that have shown that Aspartame may be less than totally safe. Senator Metzenbaum has raised serious questions about the safety of Aspartame, and the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources will most likely hold hearings in the near future on this subject. In these hearings (actually held Nov. 3, 1987), we would hope to provide an opportunity for concerned citizens, biomedical researchers, and industry representatives to provide testimony on the safety or possible toxic effects of Aspartame.

Thank you for sharing your views on this most important topic.

Sincerely,

Edward M. Kennedy

EMK/rjd

_______________________________________________________________