Does anyone know the dangers of Aspartame in products out there?

Answer 1

Health

DANGERS OF ASPARTAME

Britain's best selling sweetener was condemned as dangerous and potentially toxic in a report compiled by some of the world's biggest soft drinks manufacturers - who now buy tons of it to add to diet drinks. Coca Cola, Pepsi and other manufacturers produced the report in the early l980s before the sweetener aspartame, had been approved for use in America. It warns that it can affect the workings of the brain, changes behavior and even >encourages users to eat extra carbohydrate, so destroying the point of using diet drinks.

The documents were unearthed last week under freedom of information legislation. It follows a decision by researchers at King's College in London to study suspected links between aspartame intake and brain tumors.

Britons drink more than 9 billion cans or bottles of pop a year, of which about half contain artificial sweeteners. Aspartame, made by Monsanto and also marketed under the name NutraSweet, is 200 times sweeter than normal sugar and is used in many popular low caloric foods and drinks. It has been declared safe in a number of studies and has been approved for use in both America and Europe.

There has, however, always been concern at the tendency to break down, producing methanol, which is both toxic in its own right and which breaks down further to produce formic acid and formaldehyde, phenylalanine, another breakdown product of aspartame, is also dangerous to people with phenyketonuria, a common enzyme deficiency.

The 30 page aspartame report was drawn up under the auspices of America's National Soft Drink Association (NSDA) whose governing body at the time included senior Coca Cola and Pepsi executives. It says: "We object to the approval of aspartame for unrestricted use in soft drinks." It then lists ways in which aspartame was believed directly to affect brain chemistry, including the synthesis of vital neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

Other papers obtained with the NSDA documents show the Food and Drug Administration also had misgivings. Despite this it approved aspartame.

**** Adamson, of the NSDA, said that in l983, he evaluated the data on aspartame and posed a number of questions. Once they were answered, it no longer had concerns about the safety of aspartame in carbonated drinks. Ben Deutsch, a spokesman for Coca Cola, referred questions to the NSDA.

End of Report:



This secret report, the protest of the National Soft Drink Association is on web at www.dorway.com and explains that it was illegal to put aspartame in carbonated beverages.

"The present record does not contain data which demonstrate that the use of aspartame 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 or if it is otherwise unfit for food." Indeed, the present record strongly suggests that the rapid degradation of aspartame in soft drinks and the consequent loss of sweetness may well result, under certain actual time and temperature conditions, in products which would be adulterated under section 402. Without data which demonstrate that aspartame sweetened beverages will not be adulterated under section 402 (a) (3) , Searle has not met its burden of proof under section 409 (c) (3) (B) of the FDC Act. 21 U.S.C. 348 (c) (3) (B)."

Aspartame decomposes into a witches brew of toxins, including iketopiperazine, a tumor agent. In original studies aspartame triggered brain, mammary, pancreatic, uterine, ovarian and testicular tumors, and pituitary adenomas, etc.

Furthermore, Searle knew it would do it in the population as well. The secret trade information also on web has them admitting that they have to consider complete conversion to DKP and if the FDA found out they couldn't get it approved. The FDA admitted they knew in the Food Chemical News when FCN published Jennifer Cohen's report on an experiment with Diet Coke.

Robert Cohen's daughter was then 12 years old and wanted to find out why her diabetic grandmother almost died of aspartame. She had Winston Laboratory do an analysis of Diet Coke in an incubator, at room temperature and in the fridge. Winston Lab analysis showed even in the fridge aspartame had broken down to DKP and formaldehyde. This report is also on web. Monsanto bought Searle in l985.

The NSDA also said (Docket No. 82F-0305) "Aspartame is inherently, markedly and uniquely unstable in aqueous media. In a liquid, such as a soft drink APM will degrade as a function of temperature and pH. Higher temperatures and more acidic liquids increase the rate of degradation. Higher temperatures may also affect the degradation products which are formed."

The Trocho study demonstrated following aspartame ingestion, significant amounts of formaldehyde accumulate in the tissues. Formaldehyde is known to bind strongly to proteins and nucleic acids, forming adducts that are extremely difficult to eliminate through normal metabolic pathways. They demonstrated that labeled methanol (as formaldehyde) accumulated in high concentrations in the liver (50%) and in lower, but substantial, concentrations in the kidney, adipose tissue, brain and retina. Within the cell, they found large amounts located within the DNA. (Trocho C., Pardo R, et al. Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in vivo. Life Sciences 63: 337-349, l998.

Coke and Pepsi knew all this and yet sent diet pop to the Persian Gulf where soldiers say it sat in the 120 degree Arabian sun on pallets for as long as 8 weeks at a time, and they drank them all day. They were drinking formaldehyde cocktails. It is no wonder the symptoms of Desert Storm Syndrome are identical to the symptoms of Aspartame Disease now declared a world epidemic by H. J. Roberts, M.D. Page S 5508 in the NSDA document says "Aspartame decomposes extensively in soft drinks under moderate conditions." These were not moderate conditions. Coke and Pepsi both knew the gun was loaded! **** Adamson said NSDA posed a number of questions and once they were answered they no longer had concerns about the safety of aspartame. What answer did they give that explained away decomposition into poison?????

On 2/26/2000 The Atlanta Journal Constitution reported that Coke is closing their New York store, and Vegas world attraction. Aspartame victim Betty Blythe wrote Chairman of the Board, Summerfield Johnston, Jr. of Coca Cola about her symptoms and received a reimbursement check for $21.00. On the back it said: "By acceptance and endorsement of this check the payee releases and discharges Coca Cola Bottling Co. of Indianapolis from all liability of whatsoever nature for loss cost, or damage caused by or arising out of this accident." And its a stamp. Payment for 12 years of suffering??!!

Answer 2

Aspartame controversy
Aspartame has been the subject of a vigorous public controversy regarding its safety and the circumstances around its approval. Some studies have also recommended further investigation into connections between aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors, brain lesions, and lymphoma. These findings, combined with notable conflicts of interest in the approval process, have engendered vocal activism regarding the possible risks of aspartame.
Please see the webpage for more details on Aspartame.

Answer 3

Aspartamic acid molecules which travel to the brain, via the bloodstream, attach themselves to the neurons in the brain and destroy them, affecting human memory progressively, with continual long term use.

A long term user of aspartame may therefore hasten the onset of Alzheimers disease or other memory related diseases.

Other (probably safer) sugar free options like left-handed sugar, Stevia sugar etc.

Answer 4

Aspartame has been linked to many cases of Cancer and that is why most people stay away from diet pop or most anything made with artificial sweetener.

Answer 5

Aspartame is one of the most tested substances ever tested by the FDA. There is no proven dangers to humans.

Answer 6

Well the FDA says its safe, but of course like anything only use it in moderation:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/dockets/02p0317/02P-0317_emc-000418.txt

http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qa-adf9.html

http://www.caloriecontrol.org/aspartame.html

, but there are a lot of articles on the web touting the dangers of aspartame.

Snopes is a great resource for finding the truth, at least for the stupid chain letters people send you:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/aspartame.asp

of course there are tons of articles out there saying its bad as well:

http://www.mercola.com/article/aspartame/dangers.htm

Answer 7

It was said to have caused cancer in lab rats...but we are not lab rats. There are no proven cases in which Aspartame sweetners have caused any ill effects on humans. I use it all the time, and will continue to use it.

Answer 8

proven to cause cancer in lab animals
but many refuse to believe this
Stuff ain't good for ya and in 2o years the proof with be there to support this.
Remember DDT, they all thought was the miracle bug killer

Answer 9

It is just a sweetener.

Answer 10

I USE IT , HEARD IT CAN CAUSE WEIGHT LOSS AND SOMETIMES HIGH BLOOD SUGAR READINGS , EVEN THOUGH IT'S USED BY DIABETICS!