For those of us who don’t know what Aspartame is. It is really the technical name for some of the most famous non calorie brands out there. NutraSweet, Canderal and Equal are among the three most famous brands. These artificial and non calorie sweeteners are used as a substitute for sugar by diabetics and people trying to control their weight almost all over the world. It is also present in many other well known brands including sodas, chewing gum and candy bars.

Aspartame was actually accidentally discovered in 1965 by James Schlatter, while working in a chemical laboratory. As he was recrystallizing aspartame from ethanol, some of the mixture spilled on the outside of the flask and got onto his fingers. Later when he licked his fingers to pick up a piece of paper, he noticed aspartame’s sweet taste.

This discovery was then reported by the Journal of the American Chemical Society and later studies were conducted to test it’s safety for human use. In one of the tests conducted, Aspartame was fed to infant monkeys mixed with milk, one monkey died within 300 days and five others (out of seven total) had grand mal seizures. Other studies also conducted later caused brain damage in mice.

For this reason aspartame was not approved by the FDA  for eight years because of the seizures and brain damage it produced in lab animals. However, it was approved for use in dry foods only in 1981. Even after huge opposition, aspartame was finally approved for use in beverages as well, and now it is a common ingredient in many store products all over the world.

Aspartame is dangerous for many reasons other than the adverse addects on animals noted above. Aspartame is composed of 10% Methanol wood alcohol which is a deadly poison. This poison is slowly released in the small intestine after a chemical reaction with a specific enzyme. This gradual absorption can be sped up if aspartame is heated or stored improperly. Methanol is then broken down in the body and forms formic acid and formaldehyde, which are toxic. Hence, making methanol a strong toxic poison which has a very slow rate of excretion from the body.

A few facts about Aspartame:

• Methanol can cause serious vision problems.
• Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen which interferes with DNA replication, and causes birth defects.
• Humans are more toxic to methanol than animals because of the absence of some key enzymes that are usually present in animals but not human bodies.
• The recommended daily use of methanol by the EPA is 7.8 mg/day yet a one liter carbonated beverage contain 56 mg of aspartame.
• The small amounts of methanol present in fruit juices is never alone, but accompanies ethanol which reverses any adverse reaction caused by methanol alone.
• Aspartame causes slow damage in those  who do not immediately have a bad reaction to it and continue consuming it.
• Aspartame can mimic the symptoms and/or worsen diseases such as: Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes, Birth defects, Brain Cancer, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Lymphoma, Lyme Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), Depression, and other such physical and psychological diseases.
• Amongst the many symptoms of Aspartame are: Abdominal pain, anxiety attacks, asthma, bloating, edema, burning eyes or throat, chest pains, chronic cough, diarrhea, depression, excessive thirst or hunger, weight gain, impotency, muscle spasms, insomnia, inability to concentrate, burning in urination, rapid heart beats, poor memory and irritability.

So why was Aspartame approved by the FDA and why is there a continual use of it without any checks. This fact could be explained by this simple quote. In 1969, former Commissioner of the FDA, Dr. Herbert L. Ley was quoted as follows (Griffin 1974):

“The thing that bugs me is that people think the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is protecting them — it isn’t. What the FDA is doing and what the public thinks it’s doing are as different as night and day.”

References:

1. HolisticMed.com -Provides references to some of the materials used in this article.

2. Sweet Misery -A Documentary about aspartame and interviews with some of its many victims.

3. DoorWay.com – History of Aspartame (with references and links)

4. Griffin, G. Edward, 1974. “World Without Cancer,” America Media, Westlake Village, California. Quote from “Autopsy On The A.M.A.,” San Francisco Chronicle, January 2, 1970, page 42.

5. Aspartame – What you don’t know can hurt you: Aspartame is by far the most dangerous substance on the market that is added to foods.

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