http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1007
10 ml (grams) methanol can cause blindness: Greenberg:
Murray 7.3.3 rmforall

[It is certain that high levels of aspartame use, above 2 liters daily
for months and years, must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid
toxicity, since 11% of aspartame (1,120 mg in 2L diet soda, 5.6 12-oz
cans) is 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol), immediately released into the
body after drinking (unlike the large levels of methanol locked up in
molecules inside many fruits), then quickly transformed into
formaldehyde, which in turn becomes formic acid, both of which in
time are partially eliminated as carbon dioxide and water.

Trocho C, Alemany M, et al in June 26 1998 Life Sciences
(Life Sci 1998 Jun 26; 63(5): 337-49) found the high tissue levels of
formaldehyde from the methanol component of aspartame given to rats by
oral dose to be in liver, kidney, brain, retina:

"Label present in liver, plasma and kidney was in the range of 1-2% of
total radioactivity administered per g or mL, changing little with time.
Other organs (brown and white adipose tissues, muscle, brain, cornea and
retina) contained levels of label in the range of 1/12 to 1/10 th of
that of liver. In all, the rat retained, 6 hours after administration
about 5% of the label, half of it in the liver." Rich Murray]

Subject: [OEM] ProMED: MeOH in vodka, UK
Date: Wed, 2 Jul 2003 06:58:43 -0400
From: Gary Greenberg <Gary.Greenberg@...>
To: Occ-Env-Med-L@...

METHANOL CONTAMINATION, VODKA - UK: ALERT
***************************************
A ProMED-mail post <http://www.promedmail.org>
ProMED-mail, a program of the International Society for Infectious
Diseases <http://www.isid.org>

Date: 29 Jun 2003
Source: Evening Star 29 Jun 2003 22:00 [edited]

http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/Content/news/story.asp?datetime=29+Jun+2003+22%3A00\
&tbrand=ESTOnline&tCategory=News&category=News&brand=ESTOnline&itemid=IPED27+Jun\
+2003+15%3A00%3A38%3A537

Hunt launched for toxic vodka

Vodka laced with poisonous methanol may be on sale in shops in Suffolk.
Trading Standards officers are on the hunt for bottles branded S
Petersbourg and St. Petersburg; any found will be withdrawn from sale.

Bottles have already been found in the Waltham Forest area of East
London containing dangerously high levels of methanol, which can lead to
abdominal pain, breathing problems, and even coma if swallowed
[ingested].

The bottles have the following markings:

S Petersbourg Vodka - A white front label with: S Petersbourg in black
lettering and Vodka in red lettering 70cl,e, 37.5 percent Vol.

Gold crown with cross swords and 2 red lions at the top, and a gold
image of buildings at the bottom.

A white back label with: S Petersbourg in black lettering and Vodka in
red

'Produced and bottled by cod.ACCISA GE A0002A - NE (GE)' '70cl,e, 37.5
percent and the bar code 8003151000006.'

The bottles found so far also bear the lot code L601-02.

St. Petersburg Vodka bottles have been found in 1-litre bottles and have
identical labelling except for being 1LTR volume instead of 70cl, and
have a different spelling on the label.

Anyone who thinks they may have bought a bottle matching either of these
descriptions should contact the Trading Standards Advice Line on 01473
584358.

The symptoms can be delayed for several hours, so anyone who thinks they
have drunk any of this contaminated vodka is advised to see their doctor
as a priority.
- --
ProMED-mail promed@...

[Methanol (wood alcohol) is produced from the destructive distillation
of wood. Epidemics of methanol toxicity have resulted from the
consumption of methanol-contaminated whiskey. The formation of 2 toxic
metabolites, formaldehyde and formic acid, causes methanol poisoning.
The elimination rate depends upon the folate pool, which in primates is
generally small, and consequently primates (including humans) are more
sensitive to methanol toxicity than other animals.

Methanol is widely available in formulations including antifreeze,
windshield washer fluid, Sterno canned heat, shellacs, various paints,
paint removers, varnishes, duplicating fluids, and gasoline additives.

Fatalities have been reported after ingestion of 15 ml or 3 teaspoons of
a 40 percent solution, although 30 ml is generally considered a minimal
lethal dose. With aggressive medical care it is possible to survive the
ingestion of 500-600 ml. However, consumption of as little as 10 ml may
cause blindness, with the amount varying with the individual.

Methanol is well absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract, and peak
levels occur generally within 30-90 minutes. It is distributed into
tissues, so concentrations in the vitreous humor and optic nerve are
high. The highest concentrations are found in the kidney, liver, and
gastrointestinal tract, with smaller concentrations in the brain,
muscle, and adipose tissues. Methanol is oxidized 10 times more slowly
than ethanol. Consequently there is a longer elimination half-life.

Onset of symptoms varies between 40 minutes and 72 hours post-ingestion.
Co-ingestion with alcohol will delay the appearance of symptoms, but the
absence of symptoms does not exclude serious toxicity. The usual latent
period is 12-24 hours.

Clinical signs may include headache, vertigo, lethargy, and confusion,
which are common in mild-to-moderate ethanol intoxications. Coma and
convulsions appear in severe cases, probably as a result of cerebral
edema. Methanol produces little to no euphoria, unlike ethanol.

Blurred vision, decreased visual acuity, and photophobia (sensitivity to
light) are common complaints. Constricted visual fields, fixed and
dilated pupils, retinal edema, and hyperemia of the optic disk are
common clinical findings. Prompt initial therapy is necessary to reverse
symptoms, though visual defects have persisted in up to 25 percent of
severe cases. Methanol is a mucosal irritant and may produce nausea,
vomiting, and abdominal pain, not unlike large doses of ethanol.

Early in the clinical course, gut decontamination with ipecac or lavage
may be indicated. However, if the methanol is mixed with ethanol, these
patients may not realize something is out of the ordinary until it is
too late for this type of treatment to be helpful.

Intravenous administration of ethanol in a 10 percent dextrose solution
may be helpful. As ethanol prolongs the elimination half-life of
methanol, the treatment may take several days and the patient should be
hospitalized. Dialysis may be necessary to prevent kidney failure as
well. - Mod.TG]

[OEM-L Mod: Better than ethanol, Fomepizole (4-methylpyrazole) inhibits
alcohol dehydrogenase and does not trigger delerium, fetal risks, liver
injury gastropathy and frequent vomiting. Also, Folinic acid
(leucovorin) is recommended for restoration of 1-carbon metabolism, esp
for MeOH exposure. -G]
--
Gary N. Greenberg, MD MPH Sysop / Moderator Occ-Env-Med-L MailList
gary.greenberg@... Duke Occupat, Environ, Int & Fam Medicine
OEM-L Maillist Website: http://occhealthnews.net
************************************************************************

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1002
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/message/15477
aspartame review: methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid toxicity:
Murray 7.3.3 rmforall

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA 505-986-9103

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/983
aspartame & formaldehyde toxicity: Murray 7.3.3 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
for 1007 posts in a public searchable archive 103 members

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/ 15494 posts 682 members

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/989
EU votes 440 to 20 to approve sucralose, limit cyclamates & reevaluate
aspartame & stevia: Murray 4.12.3 rmforall

http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame (12.4.2): 59 pages, 230 references

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/910
formaldehyde & formic acid from methanol in aspartame:
Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

It is certain that high levels of aspartame use, above 2 liters daily
for months and years, must lead to chronic formaldehyde-formic acid
toxicity, since 11% of aspartame (1,120 mg in 2L diet soda, 5.6 12-oz
cans) is 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol), immediately released into the
body after drinking (unlike the large levels of methanol locked up in
molecules inside many fruits), then quickly transformed into
formaldehyde, which in turn becomes formic acid, both of which in
time are partially eliminated as carbon dioxide and water.

However, about 30% of the methanol remains in the body as cumulative
durable toxic metabolites of formaldehyde and formic acid-- 37 mg daily,
a gram every month. [J. Nutrition 1973 Oct; 103(10): 1454-1459.
Metabolism of aspartame in monkeys. Oppermann JA, Muldoon E, Ranney RE.]
If 10% of the methanol is retained as formaldehyde, that would give 12
mg daily formaldehyde accumulation, about 60 times more than the 0.2 mg
from 10% retention of the 2 mg EPA daily limit for formaldehyde in
drinking water.

Bear in mind that the EPA limit for formaldehyde in drinking water is
1 ppm, or 2 mg daily for a typical daily consumption of 2 L of water.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/835
RTM: ATSDR: EPA limit 1 ppm formaldehyde in drinking water July 1999
5.30.2 rmforall

This long-term low-level chronic toxic exposure leads to typical
patterns of increasingly severe complex symptoms, starting with
headache, fatigue, joint pain, irritability, memory loss, and
leading to vision and eye problems, and even seizures. In many cases
there is addiction. Probably there are immune system disorders, with a
hypersensitivity to these toxins and other chemicals.

Confirming evidence and a general theory are given by Pall (2002):
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/909
testable theory of MCS type diseases, vicious cycle of nitric oxide &
peroxynitrite: MSG: formaldehyde-methanol-aspartame:
Martin L. Pall: Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/946
Functional Therapeutics in Neurodegenerative Disease Part 1/2:
Perlmutter 7.15.99: Murray 1.10.3 rmforall

http://google.com gives 149,000 websites for "aspartame" , with the top
9 listings being anti-aspartame, while
http://groups.google.com/ finds on 700 MB of posts from 20 years of
Usenet groups, 79,300 posts, the top 10 being anti-aspartame.
http://www.AllTheWeb.com gives 239,091, the top 5 being leading and
very well informed volunteer anti-aspartame sites.
http://teoma.com/index.asp gives 42,900 websites, the top 7 are anti.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ lists 734 aspartame items.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/915
formaldehyde toxicity: Thrasher & Kilburn: Shaham: EPA: Gold: Murray:
Wilson: CIIN: 12.12.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/934
24 recent formaldehyde toxicity [Comet assay] reports:
Murray 12.31.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/935
Comet assay finds DNA damage from sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin in
mice: Sasaki YF & Tsuda S Aug 2002: Murray 1.1.3 rmforall
[Also borderline evidence, in this pilot study of 39 food additives,
using a test group of 4 mice, for DNA damage from for stomach, colon,
liver, bladder, and lung 3 hr after oral dose of 2000 mg/kg aspartame--
a very high dose.]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/961
genotoxins, Comet assay in mice: Ace-K, stevia fine; aspartame poor;
sucralose, cyclamate, saccharin bad: Y.F. Sasaki Aug 2002:
Murray 1.27.3 rmforall [A detailed look at the data]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/939
aspartame (aspartic acid, phenylalanine) binding to DNA:
Karikas July 1998: Murray 1.5.3 rmforall
Karikas GA, Schulpis KH, Reclos GJ, Kokotos G
Measurement of molecular interaction of aspartame and
its metabolites with DNA. Clin Biochem 1998 Jul; 31(5): 405-7.
Dept. of Chemistry, University of Athens, Greece
http://www.chem.uoa.gr gkokotos@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/960
aspartame & MSG: possible role in autoimmune hepatitis:
Prandota Jan 2003: Murray 1.15.3 rmforall

http://www.dorway.com/tldaddic.html 5-page review
Roberts HJ Aspartame (NutraSweet) addiction.
Townsend Letter 2000 Jan; HJRobertsMD@...
http://www.sunsentpress.com/ sunsentpress@...
Sunshine Sentinel Press P.O.Box 17799 West Palm Beach, FL 33416
800-814-9800 561-588-7628 561-547-8008 fax

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/669
1038-page medical text "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic"
published May 30 2001 $ 85.00 postpaid data from 1200 cases
available at http://www.amazon.com
over 600 references from standard medical research

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/925
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 1/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 6.26.98: Murray 12.22.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/926
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 2/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 6.26.98: Murray 12.22.2 rmforall

http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Trocho C, Pardo R, Rafecas I, Virgili J, Remesar X,
Fernandez-Lopez JA, Alemany M ["Trok-ho"]
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue
components in vivo. Life Sci 1998 Jun 26; 63(5): 337-49.
Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular, Facultat de Biologia,
Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
http://www.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html
Maria Alemany, PhD (male) alemany@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/864
Murray: Butchko, Tephly, McMartin: Alemany: aspartame formaldehyde
adducts in rats 9.8.2 rmforall
Prof. Alemany vigorously affirms the validity of the Trocho study
against criticism:
Butchko, HH et al [24 authors], Aspartame: review of safety.
Regul. Toxicol. Pharmacol. 2002 April 1; 35 (2 Pt 2): S1-93, review
available for $35, [an industry paid organ]. Butchko:
"When all the research on aspartame, including evaluations in both the
premarketing and postmarketing periods, is examined as a whole, it is
clear that aspartame is safe, and there are no unresolved questions
regarding its safety under conditions of intended use."
[They repeatedly pass on the ageless industry deceit that the methanol
in fruits and vegetables is as as biochemically available as that in
aspartame-- see the 1984 rebuttal by Monte, below.]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/911
RTP ties to industry criticized by CSPI: Murray: 12.9.2 rmforall
************************************************************************