Many
people, especially diabetics, are deceived into thinking that “Sugar
Free” is a healthy substitute for refined sugar. It is NOT! It is a PURE
chemical POISON!
The
chemical name of Sugar Free is ‘Aspartame’ and is sold as 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.
It
is low-calorie (4kcal/g) and up to 200 times sweeter than sugar.
Thousands of foods and drinks around the world use it as a sugar
substitute, including cereals, sugar-free chewing gum, low-calorie
(diet) soft drinks and table top sweeteners.
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). Then 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. A few of the 90 different documented
symptoms listed in the report as part of aspartame dangers are:
Headaches/Migraines,
Dizziness, Seizures, Nausea, Numbness, Muscle spasms, Weight Gain,
Depression, Rashes, Fatigue, Irritability, Tachycardia (fast Heart
Beats), Insomnia (Sleeplessness), Vision problems, Hearing loss, Heart
palpitations (able to feel your own heart beats. Normally you cannot),
Breathing difficulties, Anxiety attacks, Slurred speech, Slurred speech,
Tinnitus (a noise in the ears), Vertigo, Abdominal pains, Asthma/chest
tightness, Memory Loss & 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: Brain tumors, Multiple Sclerosis, Epilepsy,
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Parkinson's Disease, Alzheimer's Disease,
Mental Retardation, Lymphoma, Birth defects, Fibromyalgia &
Diabetes.
Aspartame is composed of three chemicals: aspartic acid (40%), phenylalanine (50%) and methanol (10%).
1. Aspartic Acid (40% 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 or MSG is
glutamic acid) in our food supply are causing serious chronic neurological disorders and a myriad of other acute symptoms.
Nerve damage by Aspartate (and Glutamate)
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.
The
Blood Brain Barrier (which protects the brain from excess glutamate and
aspartate as well as toxins) is-
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), Parkinson's disease, ALS,
Hypoglycemia, Memory loss, AIDS, Hormonal problems, Dementia, Epilepsy,
Brain lesions, Alzheimer's disease, Neuroendocrine disorders
The
risk to infants, children, pregnant women, the elderly and persons with
certain chronic health problems from excitotoxins are great.
Aspartame
in diet sodas, or aspartame in other liquid form are absorbed more
quickly and have been shown to spike plasma levels of aspartic acid.
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.)
2.Phenylalanine (50% 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 serotonin
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.
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 metabolized much more efficiently by rodents than by
humans.
One account of a case of extremely high phenylalanine levels caused by aspartame was recently published by 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.
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 provide a boost to sales of
serotonin reuptake inhibitors such as Prozac and drugs to control
schizophrenia and seizures.
3.Methanol a.k.a wood alcohol/poison (10 % 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 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).
Methanol
breaks down into 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." 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."
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:
"...[S]low
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 beverage. He then left for a
position with G.D. Searle's public relations firm.
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 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. These sloppy laboratory procedures may explain why both
the test and control animals had 16 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.
AFTER KNOWING ALL THESE Would YOU CONTINUE TO CONSUME ASPARTAME?
Consume Green Coffee Extract to become SLIM without dieting or Exercising !
Consume Green Coffee Extract to become SLIM without dieting or Exercising !
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