Aspartame
is, by far, the most dangerous substance on the market that is
added to foods.
Aspartame is the technical
name for the brand names NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, and Equal-Measure.
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 dry goods in 1981 and for carbonated beverages in 1983. It
was originally approved for dry goods 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. Many of these reactions are very serious
including seizures and death.(1) A few of the 90 different 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 three chemicals: aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol.
The book "Prescription for Nutritional Healing," by
James and Phyllis Balch, lists aspartame under the category of
"chemical poison." As you shall see, that is exactly
what it is.
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,
recently 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.(3)
How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage
Aspartate and glutamate
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. 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."(4)
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:(5)
- 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.
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 seratonin
in the brain to decrease, leading to emotional disorders such
as depression. It was shown in human testing that phenylalanine
levels of the blood were increased significantly in human subjects
who chronically used aspartame.(6)
Even a single use of
aspartame raised the blood phenylalanine levels. In his 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.(7)
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 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.(8)
As Blaylock points
out in his book, 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. Blaylock goes on to point
out that 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 provid a boost to sales of seratonin
reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control schizophrenia
and seizures.
Methanol (aka wood
alcohol/poison) (10 percent of aspartame)
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 in the small intestine
when the methyl group of aspartame encounter the enzyme chymotrypsin.
The absorption of methanol
into the body is sped up considerably when free methanol is ingested.
Free methanol is created from aspartame when it is heated to above
86 Fahrenheit (30 Centigrade). This would occur when aspartame-containing
product is improperly stored or when it is heated (e.g., as part
of a "food" product such as Jello).
Methanol breaks down
into formic acid and formaldehyde in the body. Formaldehyde is
a deadly neurotoxin. An EPA assessment of methanol states that
methanol "is considered a cumulative poison due to the low
rate of excretion once it is absorbed. In the body, methanol is
oxidized to formaldehyde and formic acid; both of these metabolites
are toxic." 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.(9)
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.(10)
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."(11)
He 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."(10) 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.(11)
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.(9) The troops of Desert Storm were "treated"
to large amounts of aspartame-sweetened beverages, which had been
heated to over 86 degrees F in the Saudi Arabian sun. Many of
them returned home with numerous disorders similar to what has
been seen in persons who have been chemically poisoned by formaldehyde.
The free methanol in the beverages may have been a contributing
factor in these illnesses. Other breakdown products of aspartame
such as DKP (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 byproduct
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.(12) 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.(11)
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.(13)
Return
to Information Library |