Pilots on Aspartame
Interview on WOR Radio NYC
Following from WOR Radio HOST/ Dr. Robert Atkins
Interview w/Mary Nash Stoddard:
All right, let's start taking calls you're on WOR, let's talk to Herb on Long Island.
Herb: Hello, Dr. Bob, I'd just like to relay a story about my daughter who just happened to be the first female jet pilot in the USAF. About five years ago, she came home on Thanksgiving weekend leave and she drank a lot of diet sodas. She had a bad spell here. A weak spell. But, when she got back to base, she went through a medical, and they determined that she had heart palpitations and arrhythmia.
Dr. Atkins : Were they alert to the possibility at this point in history, five years ago of diet sodas being the cause? Did they themselves think of diet sodas as the possible problem?
Herb: Yes. And, they determined that it might be the diet sodas and the artificial sweeteners.
Dr. Atkins: Mary, you should, take credit for that, I think. For giving that index of suspicion to everybody connected with caring for pilots that that is a possibility.
Mary : That's wonderful. We have done a lot of work with the FAA. Off the record, they are with us. But, on the record they can't say anything.
Herb: Also, in her group, in the Air Force, there were other pilots who were grounded because of heart problems. They discontinued using all their artificial sweeteners for one month and their flying status was restored to them. My daughter's retired now.
Dr. Atkins: Let's talk to Joy in New Jersey, Joy, you're on WOR.
Joy: Yes, good evening, Dr. Atkins and Ms. Stoddard. I experienced a severe problem with aspartame about ten years ago. I put it in my coffee. Within three minutes, I had such a headache I couldn't stand on my feet. I had palpitations and dizziness. I was deathly sick. I thought I was going to end up in the hospital.