| Deeply disturbing is the only way one can describe | | | | symptoms began to disappear. For three years, she |
| the numerous reports of ill health exppressed by | | | | suffered - missing numerous days at work - and yet |
| individuals consuming an artificial sweetener called | | | | one small diet change allowed her to regain her life. |
| aspartame. For years now I sincerely believed it was | | | | Giving up aspartame. |
| only a matter of time before asparatame in its many | | | | ARE YOU SUFFERING FROM ASPARTAME |
| forms would be removed from the market but after | | | | POISONING? |
| years of use and thousands upon thousands of | | | | The best method to determine if your symptoms |
| horror stories from very sick consumers, aspartame | | | | are related to aspartame consumption is to remove |
| is now being used in more products than ever | | | | all aspartame from your diet for one week or longer |
| before. | | | | and see if your symptoms improve. Once you are |
| By way of this article I would like to provide a | | | | feeling better, try aspartame again. If you reacquire |
| general understanding of aspartame poisoning (also | | | | symptoms you will have a most compelling reason to |
| known as aspartame disease), spurring the reader | | | | never touch the stuff again. |
| forward to: (a) research the topic to acquire an even | | | | It is amazing to think that numerous symptoms are |
| greater understanding; (b) recognize one's own | | | | being misdiagnosed everyday and in turn are being |
| toxicity if it exists and take action; and/or (b) ravage | | | | treated with a pharmaceutical drug. Apparently we |
| one's house and make a bonfire in the backyard with | | | | have one more successful marketing maneuver |
| all illicit products found. But please, I beg of you, do | | | | attributable to this brilliant industry actually responsible |
| not hand over your stash to a dieting relative; | | | | for discovering and marketing aspartame and now |
| homeless shelter; or any other member of your | | | | making a great deal more money on the diseases |
| immediate community in need of nourishment. The | | | | and conditions it triggers! I sometimes wonder why |
| garbage container is the only place fit to receive this | | | | the pharmaceutical drug industry has not gone into |
| poison. | | | | the business of death as well, buying up all the |
| WHAT IS ASPARTAME? | | | | mortuaries across the country to insure they profit |
| Aspartame is the most common sweetening additive | | | | from each one of us, every moment from birth to |
| being used in approximately 6,000 consumer foods, | | | | grave. |
| beverages, multivitamins, frozen desserts, cereals, | | | | DEADLY TIMELINE: A FEW KEY EVENTS |
| pharmaceutical products, and tabletop sweeteners | | | | By way of background, these are just a few of the |
| sold worldwide. If a product is described as "reduced | | | | events surrounding the discovery and approval of |
| calorie", "low calorie", "reduced sugar", "light" or "diet" | | | | aspartame: |
| then closely review the ingredients. Consider all of the | | | | 1965 - James M. Schlatter, a chemist in the employ of |
| following ingredients as relating to aspartame and | | | | G.D. Searle & Company synthesized aspartame in the |
| avoid: Equal, NutraSweet, Spoonful, Benevia, | | | | course of producing an anti-ulcer drug candidate. He |
| NatraTaste, Canderel, Acesulfame-k or Sunette and | | | | discovered the sweet taste quite by chance when |
| in the European Union, it is also known under the E | | | | he accidentally licked his finger contaminated with |
| number (additive code) E951. In Australia, instead of | | | | aspartame. |
| aspartame, the words "Phenylketonurics: Contains | | | | Fall 1967 - Dr. Harold Waisman, a biochemist at the |
| Phenylaline" may be used. | | | | University of Wisconsin, conducts aspartame safety |
| Aspartame contains three major components: | | | | tests on infant monkeys on behalf of the Searle |
| methanol, phenylalanine, and aspartic acid. All three | | | | Company, Monsanto. Of the seven monkeys that |
| chemicals individually have been shown to either | | | | were being fed aspartame mixed with milk, one dies |
| stimulate brain cells to death, disturb hormone | | | | and five others have grand mal seizures. |
| balances in the brain, or act as nerve poison. It is | | | | September 30, 1980 - The Public Board of Inquiry |
| most certainly an unnatural and even life threatening | | | | concludes NutraSweet should not be approved |
| substance. | | | | pending further investigations of brain tumors in |
| Once aspartame reaches the small intestine, it is then | | | | animals. The board states it "has not been presented |
| broken down into methanol as a metabolic | | | | with proof of reasonable certainty that aspartame is |
| by-product called diketopiperazine (DKP). DKP | | | | safe for use as a food additive." |
| produces a compound very similar to N-Nitrosourea, a | | | | January 1981 - Donald Rumsfeld, CEO of Searle, |
| powerful brain tumer-causing chemical. In addition, the | | | | states in a sales meeting that he is going to push to |
| methanol contained in aspartame breaks down into | | | | get aspartame approved within the year. Rumsfeld |
| formic acid and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde | | | | goes as far as to declare he will use his political pull in |
| accumlates near DNA and causes serious damage. It | | | | Washington, rather than scientific means, to make |
| has been noted that if a drink containing aspartame is | | | | sure it gets approved. |
| stored at temperatures exceeding 85 degrees for a | | | | January 21, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan's |
| week or more, there would be no aspartame left in | | | | transition team, which includes Donald Rumsfeld, CEO |
| the beverage, just the components it breaks down | | | | of G.D. Searle, hand picks Dr. Arthur Hull Hayes Jr. to |
| into, like formaldehyde, formic acid, and DKP. All of | | | | be the new FDA Commissioner. |
| these substances are known to be toxic to humans. | | | | July 15, 1981 - In one of his first official acts, Dr. |
| On June 27, 1996, the FDA approved aspartame for | | | | Arthur Hayes Jr., the new FDA commissioner, |
| use in goods which are heated thereby allowing this | | | | overrules the Public Board of Inquiry, ignores the |
| process to occur even before we consume the | | | | recommendations of his own internal FDA team and |
| product. Perhaps they were thinking why wait until it | | | | approves NutraSweet for dry products. |
| gets to the intestines to become formaldehyde and | | | | September 1983 - FDA Commissioner Hayes resigns |
| DKP. Let's just get on with the poisoning! I would bet | | | | under a cloud of controversy about his taking |
| money that no member of the FDA consumes | | | | unauthorized rides aboard a General Foods jet. |
| products containing aspartame. | | | | General Foods is a major customer of NutraSweet. |
| Some of the damage to our health may occur as a | | | | Burson-Marsteller, Searle's public relation firm which |
| result of the rapid breakdown of aspartame causing | | | | also represented several of NutraSweet's major |
| spikes of phenylalanine and aspartic acid which can | | | | users, immediately hires Hayes as senior scientific |
| upset chemical balances and cross the blood-brain | | | | consultant. |
| barrier, as well as unnatural spikes in levels of | | | | In a 1993 act that can only be described as |
| methanol in places the body does not normally | | | | unconscionable, the FDA approved aspartame as an |
| encounter it as within metabolic processes, raising | | | | ingredient in numerous food items that would always |
| concerns as to its safe containment and elimination. | | | | be heated to above 86°degrees F (30°Degrees |
| The effects of aspartame poisoning are known to be | | | | C). |
| cumulative. For some it will take months, years, or | | | | February 1994 - the U.S. Department of Health and |
| even decades to show itself by way of neurological | | | | Human Services released the listing of adverse |
| damage, others will not be able to tolerate even the | | | | reactions reported to the FDA (DHHS 1994). |
| smallest amount. | | | | Aspartame accounted for more than 75% of all |
| Aspartame is also known to cause birth defects so | | | | adverse reactions reported to the FDA's Adverse |
| you can imagine small, developing children are | | | | Reaction Monitoring System (ARMS). |
| particularly susceptible to its ill effects. You need to | | | | June 27, 1996 - without public notice, the FDA |
| make certain that your child is not ingesting this | | | | removed all restrictions from aspartame allowing it to |
| chemical and certainly look into whether or not your | | | | be used in everything, including all heated and baked |
| child's school is offering products containing | | | | goods. |
| aspartame. | | | | WHY DOES ASPARTAME PERSIST AS A FOOD |
| SYMPTOMS OF ASPARTAME POISONING: | | | | ADDITIVE? |
| The following symptoms are listed on the Aspartame | | | | Aspartame has been the subject of vigorous public |
| Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet:headaches, | | | | controversy regarding its safety and the |
| nausea, vertigo, insomnia, numbness, blurred vision, | | | | circumstances surrounding its approval for many |
| blindness and other eye problems, memory loss, | | | | years. Several studies have also recommended |
| slurred speech, depression, personality changes, | | | | further investigation into alleged connections between |
| hyperactivity, stomach disorders, seizures, skin | | | | aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors, brain |
| lesions, rashes, anxiety attacks, muscle cramping and | | | | lesions and lymphoma and yet it persists as a food |
| joint pain, loss of energy, symptoms mimicking heart | | | | additive. |
| attacks, hearing loss and ear ringing, and loss or | | | | One would surmise from all accounts - numerous |
| change of taste. | | | | testimonials provided, persistent public outcry, and |
| Aspartame disease mimics or worsens the following | | | | strong scientific evidence demonstrating the health |
| conditions and should not be consumed even in the | | | | dangers of aspartame - the FDA is indeed driven by |
| smallest quanity if afflicted: | | | | power and greed just as the corporations marketing |
| Fibromyalgia, Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's | | | | this poison. For this reason and because of the |
| Disease, Lupus, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities, | | | | questionable and unethical way the matter has been |
| Diabetes, Epilepsy, Alzheimer's Disease, Chronic | | | | handled by the FDA, I do believe corruption is clearly |
| Fatigue Syndrome, Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, | | | | present in this governmental agency sanctioned with |
| Attention Deficit Disorder, Panic Disorder, Depression | | | | guarding our safety. |
| and other Psychological Disorders. Many reactions are | | | | These findings, combined with notable conflicts of |
| quite serious, including seizures and death. | | | | interest in the approval process, have provoked |
| I personally know one woman who suffered for | | | | vocal activism regarding the possible risks of |
| three years from vertigo, nausea, depression, anxiety | | | | aspartame. In fact, in New Mexico they are working |
| attacks and ringing in the ear. She saw every | | | | on banning the substance altogether. Several |
| specialist, tried numerous pharmaceutical drugs, even | | | | countries, including Japan, have already done so. I do |
| considered a recommended surgery. Her diet was | | | | believe its days (perhaps years) are numbered but I |
| never discussed to see if these symptoms were | | | | urge you to not to become a casualty or class action |
| related to aspartame poisoning. On my advice she | | | | member in the interim. |
| tried eliminating aspartame from her diet and the | | | | |