http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1184
corporate corruption of health sciences, International Journal of
Occupational and Environmental Health, entire issue, 2005 Oct-Dec: Gary N
Greenburg, OEM-L: aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid) toxicity,
Murray 2005.07.14

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1183
UK Co-op chain bans MSG and 21 food dyes; health food desire in UK, Asia,
France: Feed Me Better school lunch campaign, Jamie Oliver: Caroline Walker
Trust: Lindsay Partos, Novis NutraIngredients.com: Murray 2005.07.13

[ Comments by Rich Murray are in square bracketts.
These news reports all arrived Monday July 11. They indicate a rapidly
evolving worldwide citizen consensus for healthy, non-toxic food. It is
unprecendented for a huge business to take its own initiative to ban MSG and
21 food dyes.

http://www.truthinlabeling.org/ Truth in Labeling Campaign [MSG]
Adrienne Samuels, PhD The toxicity/safety of processed
free glutamic acid (MSG): a study in suppression of information.
Accountability in Research 1999; 6: 259-310. 52-page review
P.O. Box 2532 Darien, Illinois 60561
858-481-9333 adandjack@...

http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/ Food Intolerance Network
Sue Dengate sdengate@... ]
*************************************************************

From: "Gary Greenberg" <gngreenberg@...>
To: <Occ-Env-Med-L@...>
Subject: IJOEH Vol. 11, No. 4 Oct-Dec, 2005 Contents
Date: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 11:01 PM

---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
Sender: Occupational & Environmental Medicine for Clinicians & Public
Health Professionals <Occ-Env-Med-L@...>
Poster: Gary Greenberg <gngreenberg@...>
Subject: IJOEH Vol. 11, No. 4 Oct-Dec, 2005 Contents
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On 7/13/05, Joeladou@... wrote:

International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health
IJOEH Vol. 11, No. 4 October-December, 2005
Corporate Corruption of Science

Guest Editor: David S. Egilman, MD, MPH,
Susanna Rankin Bohme, AM
Never Again Consulting, Attleboro, MA 02703, USA. degilman2@...

Over a Barrel: Corporate Corruption of Science and Its Effects
on Workers and the Environment
David S. Egilman, MD, MPH,
Susanna Rankin Bohme, AM

Industry Influence on Health and the Environment: Fantasy,
Paranoia, Reality? An Insider's Personal Experience
James Huff, PhD
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of
Health, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA. huff1@...

Maximizing Profit and Endangering Health: Corporate Strategies
to Avoid Litigation and Regulation
Susanna Rankin Bohme, AM,
John Zorabedian, (860) 347-3331 ext. 219 jzorabe-dian@...
David S. Egilman, MD, MPH

Lifting the Veil of Secrecy from Industry Funding of Nonprofit
Health Organizations Michael F. Jacobson, PhD
Center for Science in the Public Interest, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW Suite
300, Washington, DC, USA. mjacobson@...

Business Bias: Or How an Increased Risk of Cancer and Other
Diseases May Be Underestimated or Remain Undetected in
Epidemiological Studies
Valerio Gennaro, MD, PhD,
Lorenzo Tomatis, MD
Servizio di epidemiologia ambientale e biostatistica, Istituto nazionale per
la ricerca sul cancro, Largo R. Benzi 10, 16132 Genova.
valerio.gennaro@...
Cave 25/r, 34011 Aurisina (Trieste), Italy. ltomatis@...

Abuse of Epidemiology: The Automobile Manufacturers Manufacture
a Defense to Asbestos Liability
David S. Egilman, MD, MPH,
Marion A. Billings

Safeguarding Scientific Evaluations of Governmental Agencies: A
Case Study of OSHA and 1,3-Butadiene
Peter Infante, DDS, DrPH 703-534-6811, pinfante@...

Industry Efforts to Weaken EPA Health Assessment of 1,3-
Butadiene
Jennifer Beth Sass, PhD
Senior Scientist, Natural Resources Defense Council nrdcinfo@...

Ethyl leaded gasoline: How a Classic Occupational Disease Became
an International Public Health Disaster
William Kovarik, PhD Radford University wkovarik@...

Mining and Mendacity or How to Keep a Toxic Product in the
Marketplace
Jock McCulloch, PhD jock.mcculloch@...

Fluoride Poisoning: A Puzzle with Hidden Pieces
Phyllis J. Mullenix, PhD

The Dirty Work of "Recycling" America's Sewage Sludge
Caroline Snyder, PhD cgsnyder@...

Genetic Engineering in Agriculture and Corporate Engineering in
Public Debate: Risk, Public Relations, and Public Debate over
Genetically Modified Crops
Rajeev Patel, MSc PhD,
Robert J. Torres, MS, PhD,
Peter Rosset, MSc, PhD
http://www.evergreenreview.com/101/articles/rosset.html
www.foodfirst.org The Institute for Food and Development Policy
398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618 USA
Tel: 510-654-4400 Fax: 510-654-4551

Who's Afraid of National Laws?: Pesticide Corporations Use Trade
Negotiations to Avoid Bans and Undercut Public Health
Protections in Central America
Erika Rosenthal, JD, MSL erosenthal@...

A Systemic Approach to Occupational and Environmental Health
Skip Spitzer, MA spitzer@...
Skip Spitzer, Pesticide Action Network North America (831) 423-8670
Program Coordinator: Corporate Accountability and Industrial Agriculture;
Internet Coordinator
http://www.panna.org/ panna@... (415) 981-1771

Letter to the Editor

Response to Rothman and Arellano
David S. Egilman, MD, MPH,
Susanna Rankin Bohme, AM


http://www.ems.org/daubert/contacts.html
Peter F. Infante, DDS, DrPH
Dr. Peter Infante is a Fellow of the American College of Epidemiology. From
1983 through 2002 Dr. Infante directed the Office of Standards Review at the
Ocupationational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA,) with
responsibility for evaluation and regulation of toxic substances in the
American workplace.
Previously Dr. Infante was Director of the Office of Carcinogen
Identification and Classification at OSHA, where he was responsible for
identifying and classifying toxic substances according to their cancer
causing properties. From 1975-78, Dr. Infante worked as an epidemiologist
and Acting Director of the Biometry Section of the Industry-wide Studies
Branch of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH),
where he conducted research on various occupational cancer hazards
including, vinyl chloride, benzene, beryllium, asbestos, aromatic amines,
fiber glass, etc.

Dr. Infante has worked as an epidemiologist for both state and Federal
government in the area of cancer and birth defects. Has served on numerous
national and International panels, including the International Agency for
Research on Cancer and advisory committees including those advising the
National Cancer Institute, the President's Cancer Panel, the Office of
Technology Assessment of the US Congress, the National Academy of Sciences
Committee on Toxicology on issues related to occupation and cancer.

Dr. Infante has testified before regulatory bodies in both the US and
Canada, and several times before the US Congress on matters of industrial
pollution. He testified before the World Trade Organization as part of its
deliberations on the banning of asbestos containing products from the
European Union countries.
Contact Information: 703-534-6811, pinfante@...
*************************************************************


Int J Health Serv. 2003; 33(4): 769-812.
The beryllium "double standard" standard.
Egilman DS, Bagley S, Biklen M, Golub AS, Bohme SR.
Never Again Consulting, Attleboro, MA 02703, USA. degilman2@...

Brush Wellman, the world's leading producer and supplier of beryllium
products, has systematically hidden cases of beryllium disease that occurred
below the threshold limit value (TLV) and lied about the efficacy of the TLV
in published papers, lectures, reports to government agencies, and
instructional materials prepared for customers and workers.
Hypocritically, Brush Wellman instituted a zero exposure standard for
corporate executives while workers and customers were told the 2 microgram
standard was "safe."
Brush intentionally used its workers as "canaries for the plant," and
referred to them as such.
Internal documents and corporate depositions indicate that these actions
were intentional and that the motive was money.
Despite knowledge of the inadequacy of the TLV, Brush has successfully used
it as a defense against lawsuits brought by injured workers and as a sales
device to provide reassurance to customers.
Brush's policy has reaped an untold number of victims and resulted in mass
distribution of beryllium in consumer products.
Such corporate malfeasance is perpetuated by the current market system,
which is controlled by an organized oligopoly that creates an incentive for
the neglect of worker health and safety in favor of externalizing costs to
victimized workers, their families, and society at large.
Publication Types: Historical Article PMID: 14758859



http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/members/2005/7716/7716.html free full text
Environ Health Perspect. 2005 Jul;113(7):809-12.
Vinyl chloride: a case study of data suppression and misrepresentation.
Sass JB, Castleman B, Wallinga D.
Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC, USA.

When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its 2000
update of the toxicological effects of vinyl chloride (VC), it was concerned
with two issues: the classification of VC as a carcinogen and the numerical
estimate of its potency.
In this commentary we describe how the U.S. EPA review of VC toxicology,
which was drafted with substantial input from the chemical industry,
weakened safeguards on both points.
First, the assessment downplays risks from all cancer sites other than the
liver. Second, the estimate of cancer potency was reduced 10-fold from
values previously used for environmental decision making, a finding that
reduces the cost and extent of pollution reduction and cleanup measures.
We suggest that this assessment reflects discredited scientific practices
and recommend that the U.S. EPA reverse its trend toward ever-increasing
collaborations with the regulated industries when generating scientific
reviews and risk assessments.
Key words: angiosarcoma, cancer, corporate, EPA, industry, IRIS, polyvinyl
chloride, PVC, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, vinyl chloride.
PMID: 16002366


http://toxsci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/63/1/74 free full text
Toxicol Sci. 2001 Sep; 63(1): 74-81.
Methylmercury-induced decrement in neuronal migration may involve
cytokine-dependent mechanisms: a novel method to assess neuronal movement in
vitro.
Sass JB, Haselow DT, Silbergeld EK.
Program in Human Health and the Environment and Department of Epidemiology
and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland 21201,
USA. esilbergeld@...

A major toxic effect associated with methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in
developing humans is damage to the nervous system, which involves inhibition
of cell migration, particularly in the cerebellum.
The mechanisms by which MeHg impairs neural migration are not fully known,
especially at low doses.
In this paper we report on a novel method for observing and quantitating the
movement of individual cells in primary cultures of murine neonatal
cerebellar cells, which offers an opportunity to assess the role of
endogenous and exogenous factors on neural migration.
We have used this system to test the hypothesis that treatment with
methylmercury would inhibit movement of granule cell neurons, possibly via a
cytokine-mediated mechanism.
We demonstrate that LPS (50 ng/ml) increases movement of neurons,
concomitant with increased levels of TNF-alpha and IL-6 secreted protein,
and IL-1alpha mRNA. Treatment with LPS did not increase the number of
neurons that moved, but, of the cells that did move, exposure to LPS
significantly increased the total distances moved.
Treatment with methylmercury (0.1 microM) decreased the number of moving
cells and inhibited overall distance traveled by granule cells.
PMID: 11509746



Mullenix PJ; Denbesten PK; Schunior A; Kernan WJ,
"Neurotoxicity of sodium fluoride in rats,"
Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 1995 March-April, 17(2): 169-177.

Abstract:
Fluoride (F) is known to affect mineralizing tissues, but effects upon the
developing brain have not been previously considered.
This study in Sprague-Dawley rats compares behavior, body weight, plasma and
brain F levels after sodium fluoride (NaF) exposures during late gestation,
at weaning or in adults.
For prenatal exposures, dams received injections (SC) of 0.13 mg/kg NaF or
saline on gestational days 14-18 or 17-19.
Weanlings received drinking water containing 0, 75, 100, or 125 ppm F for 6
or 20 weeks, and 3 month-old adults received water containing 100 ppm F for
6 weeks.
Behavior was tested in a computer pattern recognition system that classified
acts in a novel environment and quantified act initiations, total times and
time structures.
Fluoride exposures caused sex- and dose-specific behavioral deficits with a
common pattern.
Males were most sensitive to prenatal day 17-19 exposure, whereas females
were more sensitive to weanling and adult exposures.
After fluoride ingestion, the severity of the effect on behavior increased
directly with plasma F levels and F concentrations in specific brain
regions.
Such association is important considering that plasma levels in this rat
model (0.059 to 0.640 ppm F) are similar to those reported in humans exposed
to high levels of fluoride.

See also comment in: Neurotoxicology and Teratology, 1995 Nov-Dec; 17(6):
685-688 .


http://www.nteu280.org/Fishbowl/julyfishbowl.htm

EPA WANTS SCIENTIST OUT FOR PUBLISHING PAPERS CRITICAL OF SLUDGE RULE by
Caroline Snyder.
(Caroline Snyder is Professor Emeritus at the Rochester Institute of
Technology where she taught environmental studies for 20 years and chaired
the Science, Technology , and Society Division before taking early
retirement. She has studied the sludge spreading issue extensively She
served as co-chair of New Hampshire's Sludge Management Advisory Committee
and is a member of the Sierra Club Sludge Task Force. The Sierra Club
opposes land application of sewage sludge because they believe that current
rules are not protective of health or the environment.)

EPA did not take kindly to a two-page commentary by microbiologist David
Lewis published by the British science journal Nature ("EPA Science:
Casualty of Election Politics." Nature. 1996. 381:731-732). In it, Lewis
talked about how poor science behind many of EPA's regulations stand to harm
public health and the environment, rather than protect. Having worked at
EPA's research laboratory in Athens, GA for over 30 years, Lewis has a
wealth of first-hand knowledge on the subject.

In the early 1990's, Lewis led a team of researchers from Washington
University Medical School and Loma Linda University's School of Dentistry,
which discovered that the AIDS virus could survive disinfection in dental
equipment. The findings, which Lewis published in Lancet and Nature
Medicine, led to new heat-sterilization standards for dentistry worldwide.

When Nature published a second article by Lewis, which was critical of EPA's
sludge rule (Lewis, DL, et al. 1999. "Influence of environmental changes on
degradation of chiral pollutants in soils." Nature. 401:898-901), the agency
removed his director, Dr. Rosemarie Russo, for approving the research
publication.

Based on ethics rules requiring "reasonably prominent" disclaimers,
Washington EPA officials retaliated by accusing Lewis of violating ethics
rules. The print size Nature used for his disclaimer, saying he was not
speaking for EPA policy, was smaller than that used in the body of the
article. Lewis, of course, had no way of knowing what sizes of print the
journal would use for different parts of his article. Department of Labor
investigators found that EPA had applied its ethics rules in a
discriminatory manner, and later determined that EPA also denied his
promotion in a discriminatory manner.

Although the Labor Department ruled in his favor in these cases, EPA
demanded that he resign by age 55 (May 28, 2003) for criticizing the
Agency's policies. EPA's Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the National
Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) also took Lewis's supervision out of the
hands of his local managers. Everything with his name associated with it had
be approved by headquarters.

In a settlement agreement dated October 7, 1998, EPA offered Lewis an
opportunity to conduct research at the University of Georgia for up to four
years under an Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA) assignment if he would
agree to resign after it was over. The purpose of the IPA, according to his
IPA Assignment Agreements, was for him to apply his research on pathogens in
dental or medical devices to EPA's mission.

EPA's offer posed no financial or career benefit to Lewis. The Agency paid
him no money and refused to grant him the promotion he had been unfairly
denied. They did pay $25,000 in attorney fees; however, Lewis's attorney
had taken the case on contingency. Lewis, therefore, did not personally owe
attorney fees. Furthermore, Dr. Russo told Lewis that she would approve an
IPA assignment without a settlement agreement, as she had done for many
others at the Athens laboratory.

Although Lewis had nothing to gain financially from EPA's offer, he had
everything to lose in terms of why he went to work for EPA in the first
place. His life's work has been protecting public health and the
environment. He was the only scientist at EPA who would listen when several
mothers and fathers argued that sewage sludge, which EPA approved as a cheap
fertilizer, had taken the lives of their children. Hundreds more across the
country were sick with the same illnesses that even appeared to affect farm
animals and family pets.

To keep his job, Lewis would have had to turn his back on sick people and
grief-stricken mothers and fathers who were being taxed to pay his
government salary. For anyone with any heart or conscience, Lewis said,
there was really no other honorable choice than to fold under EPA's pressure
to resign. EPA had dead-ended his career and going to the University of
Georgia was the only way he could continue his research on pathogens in
sludge. He could have a government job, or do it, but not both.

Broken agreement What Lewis did not know was that EPA did not plan to let
him continue his work on sludge at the University of Georgia. What he
thought would be four years of unhampered research turned into an unending
battle against the combined efforts of EPA, Synagro Technologies, Inc, and
the Water Environment Federation (WEF) to stop his research on sludge.
Synagro, based out of Houston, TX, is the leading sludge company and the WEF
is a national trade association for the sludge industry.

Both Synagro and the WEF appealed directly to EPA Administrator Christie
Todd Whitman and other top EPA officials to withdraw EPA's support for
Lewis's research. EPA was all too happy to work with the sludge industry
and go after Lewis. At least one EPA official in the Office of Water went so
far as to publicly distribute Synagro materials attacking Lewis's
credibility. On another occasion, he solicited help from Synagro in writing
a negative internal EPA peer-review of Lewis's research on sludge.

First documented cases Overcoming strong opposition from EPA and the sludge
industry, Lewis' research on sludge was recently published in a British
medical journal ("Interactions of pathogens and irritant chemicals in
land-applied sewage sludges (biosolids)" D. L. Lewis, et al BMC Public
Health 2002, 2:11 (28 Jun 2002)
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/2/11).

The Journal of Environmental Science & Technology
also featured the research in a 7-page article in their
July 1, 2002 issue. This is the first time illnesses and deaths among
residents exposed to sewage sludge have been documented in the medical and
scientific literature. Simultaneously, the National Academy of Sciences
released a report on July 3 citing Lewis work and supporting the science
issues he raised.

Altogether, Lewis's research on sludge prompted two hearings by the full
Committee on Science in the U.S. House of Representatives, an EPA Office of
Inspector General audit of the EPA's mishandling of science behind the 503
Sludge Rule, and an earlier-than-planned review of that science by the
National Academy of Sciences.

Last May, the President of the United States signed the No Fear Act, which
was intended to better protect federal employees from discrimination and
retaliation. This legislation was drafted by the Science and Judiciary
Committees partly as a result of the hearings into EPA's retaliations
against Lewis and his director for his publications in Nature.

Responding to a request from Lewis's attorney that he be allowed to stay at
EPA, the Agency's Office of General Counsel replied on June 11, 2002,
stating "should Dr. Lewis refuse to resign or retire no later than May 28,
2003, the Agency will unilaterally effect his resignation on that date."

Two weeks after receiving this letter, Lewis was invited to brief China's
Ministers of Public Health, the Environment, and Agriculture in mid-October
on his sludge research. When forwarding the invitation to EPA managers,
Lewis questioned how he should explain to Communist China's leaders that
he is being terminated for criticizing government policies and cannot
continue his EPA research.



Axelson O, Balbus JM, Cohen G, Davis D, Donnay A, Doolittle R, Duran BM,
Egilman D, Epstein SS, Goldman L, Grandjean P, Hansen ES, Heltne P, Huff J,
Infante P, Jacobson MF, Joshi TK, LaDou J, Landrigan PJ, Lee PR, Lockwood
AH, MacGregor G, Melnick R, Messing K, Needleman H, Ozonoff D, Ravanesi B,
Richter ED, Sass J, Schubert D, Suzuki D, Teitelbaum D, Temple NJ, Terracini
B, Thompson A, Tickner J, Tomatis L, Upton AC, Whyatt RM, Wigmore D, Wilson
T, Wing SB, Sharpe VA. Related Articles, Links Re: Regulatory Toxicology
and Pharmacology.
Int J Occup Environ Health. 2003 Oct-Dec;9(4):386-9; author reply 389-90. No
abstract available.
PMID: 14664493 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Jacobson MF, Sharpe VA, Angell M, Ashford NA, Blum A, Chary LK, Cho M, Coull
BC, Davis D, Doolittle RF, Egilman D, Epstein SS, Greenberg M, Hooper K,
Huff J, Joshi TK, Krimsky S, LaDou J, Levenstein C, Miles S, Needleman H,
Pellegrino ED, Ravanesi B, Sass J, Schecter A, Schneiderman JS, Schubert D,
Soffritti M, Suzuki D, Takaro TK, Temple NJ, Terracini B, Thompson A,
Wallinga D, Wing S. Related Articles, Links Editorial policies on financial
disclosure.
Nat Neurosci. 2003 Oct;6(10):1001. No abstract available.
PMID: 14513030 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]


Breilh J, Branco Jefer C, Castelman BI, Cherniack M, Christiani DC,
Cicolella A, Cifuentes E, Clapp R, Cole DC, Corn M, De Ben S, Diaz R,
Egilman D, Finkelstein Y, Franco G, Frank AL, Friedman L, Gassert TH,
Gochfeld M, Greenberg M, Hansen ES, Hay A, Hogstedt C, Huff J, Joshi TK,
Kriebel D, Laborde A, LaDou J, Levenstein C, Levin SM, Loewenson R, Mikheev
M, Montenegro R, Naidoo R, Ozonoff D, Partanen T, Pendito RI, Povey G,
Richter ED, Robbins A, Rodrigues Correa Filho H, Rosenman KD, Samuels SW,
Sousa SV, Schwartz BS, Siqueira CE, Soskolne CL, Spiegel J, Stephens C,
Mansoureh T, Takaro TK, Teitelbaum DT, Tickner JA, Tomatis L, Victora C,
Waltner-Toews D, Wedeen RP, Wegman DH, Wesseling C, Wing S, Yassi A. Related
Articles, Links Texaco and its consultants.
Int J Occup Environ Health. 2005 Apr-Jun;11(2):217-20. No abstract
available. PMID: 15875903
*************************************************************

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@... 505-501-2298
1943 Otowi Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505 USA
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 187 members, 1,183 posts in a public, searchable archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1182
Joining together: short review: research on aspartame (methanol,
formaldehyde, formic acid) toxicity: Murray 2005.07.08 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1071
research on aspartame (methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid) toxicity: Murray
2004.04.29 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1143
methanol (formaldehyde, formic acid) disposition: Bouchard M et al, full
plain text, 2001: substantial sources are degradation of fruit pectins,
liquors, aspartame, smoke: Murray 2005.04.02 rmforall

Fully 11% of aspartame is methanol-- 1,120 mg aspartame in 2 L diet soda,
almost six 12-oz cans, gives 123 mg methanol (wood alcohol). If 30% of
the methanol is turned into formaldehyde, the amount of formaldehyde is 18
times the USA EPA limit for daily formaldehyde in drinking water, 2 mg in 2
L water.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/927
Donald Rumsfeld, 1977 head of Searle Corp., got aspartame FDA approval:
Turner: Murray 2002.12.23 rmforall

http://www.dorway.com/upipart1.txt
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/262
aspartame expose 96K Oct 1987 Part 1/3: Gregory Gordon, UPI reporter:
Murray 2000.07.10 rmforall

http://www.dorway.com/enclosur.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/53
aspartame history Part 1/4 1964-1976: Gold: Murray 1999.11.06 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/928
revolving door, Monsanto, FDA, EPA: NGIN: Murray 2002.12.23 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/841
RTM: Merisant Co., MSD Capital, Dell Computer Corp., NutraSweet Co.,
JW Childs Assc.: aspartame-neotame toxicity 2002.07.10 rmforall


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/876
hyperthyroidism (Graves disease) in George and Barbara Bush, 1991--
aspartame toxicity? Roberts 1997: Murray 2002.10.09 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/874
re "dry drunk": Bisbort: danger to President Bush from aspartame
toxicity: Murray: 2002.02.24 2002.09.29 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1065
politicians and celebrities hooked on diet sodas (aspartame):
Murray 2004.03.24 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1108
faults in 1999 July EPA 468-page formaldehyde profile:
Elzbieta Skrzydlewska PhD, Assc. Prof., Medical U. of Bialystok, Poland,
abstracts -- ethanol, methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid, acetaldehyde,
lipid peroxidation, green tea, aging: Murray 2004.08.08 2005.07.11

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1067
eyelid contact dermatitis by formaldehyde from aspartame, AM Hill & DV
Belsito, Nov 2003: Murray 2004.03.30 rmforall [ 150 KB ]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1070
critique of aspartame review, French Food Safety Agency AFSSA 2002.05.07
aspartamgb.pdf (18 pages, in English), Martin Hirsch:
Murray 2004.04.13

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/957
safety of aspartame Part 1/2 12.4.2: EC HCPD-G SCF:
Murray 2003.01.12 rmforall EU Scientific Committee on Food, a whitewash

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1045
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/scf2002-response.htm
Mark Gold exhaustively critiques European Commission Scientific
Committee on Food re aspartame ( 2002.12.04 ): 59 pages, 230 references

http://www.eatright.org/Nutritive(1).pdf
J Am Diet Assoc. 2004 Feb; 104(2): 255-75.
Position of the American Dietetic Association: use of nutritive and
nonnutritive sweeteners. American Dietetic Association.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1068
critique of aspartame review by American Dietetic Association Feb 2004,
Valerie B. Duffy & Madeleine J. Sigman-Grant: Murray 2004.04.03 rmforall


C. Trocho (1998):
"In all, the rats retained, 6 hours after administration, about 5% of the
label, half of it in the liver."

They used a very low level of aspartame ingestion, 10 mg/kg, for rats, which
have a much greater tolerance for aspartame than humans.
So, the corresponding level for humans would be about 1 or 2 mg/kg.
Many headache studies in humans used doses of about 30 mg/kg daily.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/925
aspartame puts formaldehyde adducts into tissues, Part 1/2
full text, Trocho & Alemany 1998.06.26: Murray 2002.12.22 rmforall

http://ww.presidiotex.com/barcelona/index.html full text
Formaldehyde derived from dietary aspartame binds to tissue components in
vivo.
Life Sci June 26 1998; 63(5): 337-49.
Departament de Bioquimica i Biologia Molecular,
Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.
http://www.bq.ub.es/cindex.html Línies de Recerca: Toxicitat de
l'aspartame http://www.bq.ub.es/grupno/grup-no.html
Sra. Carme Trocho, Sra. Rosario Pardo, Dra. Immaculada Rafecas,
Sr. Jordi Virgili, Dr. Xavier Remesar, Dr. Jose Antonio
Fernandez-Lopez, Dr. Mariā Alemany [male]
Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021521, FAX: (93)4021559
Sra. Carme Trocho "Trok-ho" Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021544,
FAX: (93)4021559
alemany@... bioq@... josefer@...
rafecas@... remesar@...

Abstract:
Adult male rats were given an oral dose of 10 mg/kg aspartame,
14C-labeled in the methanol carbon.
At timed intervals of up to 6 hours, the radioactivity in plasma and several
organs was investigated.
Most of the radioactivity found (>98% in plasma, >75% in liver) was bound to
protein.
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 1/12th to 1/10th of that
of liver.
In all. the rats retained, 6 hours after administration, about 5% of the
label, half of it in the liver.

The specific radioactivity of tissue protein, RNA and DNA was quite uniform.
The protein label was concentrated in amino acids, different from
methionine, and largely coincident with the result of protein exposure to
labeled formaldehyde.
DNA radioactivity was essentially in a single different adduct base,
different from the normal bases present in DNA.
The nature of the tissue label accumulated was, thus, a direct consequence
of formaldehyde binding to tissue structures.

The administration of labeled aspartame to a group of cirrhotic rats
resulted in comparable label retention by tissue components, which suggests
that liver function (or its defect) has little effect on formaldehyde
formation from aspartame and binding to biological components.
The chronic treatment of a series of rats with 200 mg/kg of non-labeled
aspartame during 10 days results in the accumulation of even more label when
given the radioactive bolus, suggesting that the amount of formaldehyde
adducts coming from aspartame in tissue proteins and nucleic acids may be
cumulative.

It is concluded that aspartame consumption may constitute a hazard because
of its contribution to the formation of formaldehyde adducts. PMID: 9714421

[ Extracts ]
"The high label presence in plasma and liver is in agreement with the
carriage of the label from the intestine to the liver via the portal vein.
The high label levels in kidney and, to a minor extent, in brown adipose
tissue and brain are probably a consequence of their high blood flows (45).
Even in white adipose tissue, the levels of radioactivity found 6 hours
after oral administration were 1/25th those of liver.
Cornea and retina, both tissues known to metabolize actively methanol
(21,28) showed low levels of retained label.
In any case, the binding of methanol-derived carbon to tissue proteins was
widespread, affecting all systems, fully reaching even sensitive targets
such as the brain and retina....

The amount of label recovered in tissue components was quite high in all the
groups, but especially in the NA rats.
In them, the liver alone retained, for a long time, more than 2 % of the
methanol carbon given in a single oral dose of aspartame, and the rest of
the body stored an additional 2 % or more.
These are indeed extremely high levels for adducts of formaldehyde, a
substance responsible of chronic deleterious effects (33), that has also
been considered carcinogenic (34,47).
The repeated occurrence of claims that aspartame produces headache and other
neurological and psychological secondary effects-- more often than not
challenged by careful analysis-- (5, 9, 10, 15, 48) may eventually find at
least a partial explanation in the permanence of the formaldehyde label,
since formaldehyde intoxication can induce similar effects (49).

The cumulative effects derived from the incorporation of label in the
chronic administration model suggests that regular intake of aspartame may
result in the progressive accumulation of formaldehyde adducts.
It may be further speculated that the formation of adducts can help to
explain the chronic effects aspartame consumption may induce on sensitive
tissues such as brain (6, 9, 19, 50).
In any case, the possible negative effects that the accumulation of
formaldehyde adducts can induce is, obviously, long-term.
The alteration of protein integrity and function may needs some time to
induce substantial effects.
The damage to nucleic acids, mainly to DNA, may eventually induce cell death
and/or mutations.
The results presented suggest that the conversion of aspartame methanol into
formaldehyde adducts in significant amounts in vivo should to be taken into
account because of the widespread utilization of this sweetener.
Further epidemiological and long-term studies are needed to determine the
extent of the hazard that aspartame consumption poses for humans."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/864
Butchko, Tephly, McMartin: Alemany: aspartame formaldehyde
adducts in rats: Murray 2002.09.08 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 W.C. Monte. ]
In the same report, Schiffman concludes on page S49, not citing any
research after 1997, "Thus, the weight of the scientific evidence
indicates that aspartame does not cause headache."
Dr. Susan S. Schiffman, Dept. of Psychiatry, Duke University
sss@... 919-684-3303, 660-5657

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/911
RTP ties to industry criticized by CSPI: Murray: 2002.12.09 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/846
aspartame in Merck Maxalt-MLT worsens migraine,
AstraZeneca Zomig, Eli Lilly Zyprexa,
J&J Merck Pepcid AC (Famotidine 10mg) Chewable Tab,
Pfizer Cool Mint Listerine Pocketpaks: Murray 2002.07.16 rmforall

Migraine MLT-Down: an unusual presentation of migraine
in patients with aspartame-triggered headaches.
Newman LC, Lipton RB Headache 2001 Oct; 41(9): 899-901.
[ Merck 10-mg Maxalt-MLT, for migraine, has 3.75 mg aspartame,
while 12 oz diet soda has 200 mg. ]
Headache Institute, St. Lukes-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY
Department of Neurology newmanache@...
Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
Innovative Medical Research RLipton@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/855
Blumenthall & Vance: aspartame chewing gum headaches Nov 1997:
Murray 2002.07.28 rmforall

Harvey J. Blumenthal, MD, Dwight A Vance, RPh
Chewing Gum Headaches. Headache 1997 Nov-Dec; 37(10): 665-6.
Department of Neurology, University of Oklahoma College of Medicine,
Tulsa, USA. neurotulsa@...
Aspartame, a popular dietetic sweetener, may provoke headache in some
susceptible individuals. Herein, we describe three cases of young women
with migraine who reported their headaches could be provoked by chewing
gum sweetened with aspartame. [ 6-8 mg aspartame per stick chewing gum ]

Subject: Re: Murray: Butchko:
Tephly: critique of Trocho report Apr 2002 8.29.2
Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 09:49:56 +0200
From: Mariā Alemany <alemany@...>
To: "Rich Murray" <rmforall@...>
References: 1

Dear Rich,

Thank you for the opportunity to say something about the "paper" by Tephly
that followed our study on the incorporation of aspartame-derived methanol
label into DNA and protein of rats.
I don't know if responding to that publication is worth the effort.

Surprisingly, a serious journal, such as Life Sciences published a rebuttal
of our previous paper as a normal "research paper", but including no new
information neither experimental work.
This is only a sample of the "scientific" power of the advocates of
aspartame.

Anybody can extract conclusions from this anomaly, but it seems to me that
there was nothing new in that pamphlet that may add information to what we
already explained in our paper.
The responses to the questions raised by Tephly are already in our paper,
which means that either that it was not read or, worst, it was misread.

The presence of aspartame-derived label in DNA and protein adducts is
unquestionable and unquestioned, and agrees with previous studies.
Then, what importance has the mechanism of incorporation?
There were adducts, and they represent loss of function and mutation.
That was our thesis.

The reference to previous studies showing very low levels of formaldehyde in
blood do not refute our data.
First of all, measuring formaldehyde is tricky,
and in any case, the circulating levels would be below the current limit of
detection for most of the methods used.
That is the current explanation for the low levels of methanol in plasma
after aspartame loading: they are zero, using most of the methods available
for methanol, since the expected levels are currently below the limit of
detection...

In addition, it is not logical to expect to find measurable levels of
formaldehyde in a medium (blood) containing a huge amount of protein.
Formaldehyde reacts immediately with proteins because it is highly reactive:
that is the reason why we have found it in cell protein and DNA.
It is absurd to expect it to forfeit binding with cell proteins and go all
the way into the bloodstream!
Remember that formaldehyde is used to preserve corpses precisely because it
binds protein (including those of putrefactive bacteria) and prevents its
degradation.

The "alternative" point expressed by Tephly, suggesting that aspartame
methanol-label goes all the way into formic acid and the C1 pathway was
thoroughly refuted by us, using experimental data.
There was no labelled methionine nor thymine in protein and DNA respectively
in the rat protein we recovered from rats treated with aspartame.
This means--unequivocally-- that the label present in DNA and protein
adducts was NOT incorporated into amino acids or nucleic acid bases.
The only explanation for our data was that the label was in the form of
formaldehyde adducts.

If this explanation does not satisfy other scientists, they are free to
repeat the experiment and show where we went wrong, or to probe and prove
experimentally their hypotheses.
Otherwise, our results stand unchecked and, consequently, should be deemed
true.

I hope that this information will help any attentive reader understand why
we have left for good this field of study.

Best regards.
------------------------------
Prof.Dr. Mariā Alemany
Grup de Recerca Nitrogen-Obesitat
Departament de Nutriciķ i Bromatologia
Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona
Av. Diagonal, 645; 08028 Barcelona Espanya/Espaņa/Spain
tel. +34 93 403 4606; fax: +34 93 403 7064; E-mail: alemany@...

Life Sci 1999; 65(13): PL157-60. [ letter, usually not peer reviewed ]
Comments on the purported generation of formaldehyde and adduct
formation from the sweetener aspartame.
Tephly TR Thomas R. Tephly 319-335-7979 thomas-tephly@...
ttephly@... Department of Pharmacology
The University of Iowa, Iowa City 52242, USA.

A recent paper by Trocho et al. (1) describes experiments meant to show that
formaldehyde adducts are formed when rats are administered the sweetener
aspartame.
These authors assume that the methanol carbon of aspartame generates
formaldehyde which then forms adducts with protein, DNA, and RNA.
Doses employed range widely.
In this letter, studies which have been published previously and which were
not cited by these authors are reviewed in order to put into perspective the
disposition of methanol and formaldehyde in monkeys and humans, species
relevant to the toxicity of methanol and its toxic metabolite, formic acid.
PMID: 10503962, UI: 99431287

[ A number of pro-aspartame studies by Tephly and associates, invariably
funded by the aspartame industry (Monsanto, NutraSweet) are criticized in
detail at:

http://www.HolisticMed.com/aspartame mgold@...
Aspartame Toxicity Information Center Mark D. Gold
12 East Side Drive #2-18 Concord, NH 03301 603-225-2100
http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/abuse/methanol.html
"Scientific Abuse in Aspartame Research"

Gold points out that industry methanol assays were too insensitive to
properly measure blood methanol levels. ]


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1016
President Bush & formaldehyde (aspartame) toxicity: Ramazzini Foundation
carcinogenicity results Dec 2002: Soffritti: Murray 2003.08.03 rmforall

p. 88 "The sweetening agent aspartame hydrolyzes in the gastrointestinal
tract to become free methyl alcohol, which is metabolized in the liver
to formaldehyde, formic acid, and CO2. (11)"
Medinsky MA & Dorman DC. 1994; Assessing risks of low-level
methanol exposure. CIIT Act. 14: 1-7.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Dec; 982: 87-105.
Results of long-term experimental studies on the carcinogenicity of
formaldehyde and acetaldehyde in rats.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Lambertin L, Lauriola M, Padovani M, Maltoni C.
Cancer Research Center, European Ramazzini Foundation for Oncology and
Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy. crcfr@...

Formaldehyde was administered for 104 weeks in drinking water supplied
ad libitum at concentrations of 1500, 1000, 500, 100, 50, 10, or 0 mg/L
to groups of 50 male and 50 female Sprague-Dawley rats beginning at
seven weeks of age.
Control animals (100 males and 100 females) received tap water only.
Acetaldehyde was administered to 50 male and 50 female Sprague-Dawley
rats beginning at six weeks of age at concentrations of 2,500, 1,500,
500, 250, 50, or 0 mg/L.
Animals were kept under observation until spontaneous death.
Formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were found to produce an increase in total
malignant tumors in the treated groups and showed specific carcinogenic
effects on various organs and tissues. PMID: 12562630

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2002 Dec; 982: 46-69.
Results of long-term experimental studies on the carcinogenicity of
methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol in rats.
Soffritti M, Belpoggi F, Cevolani D, Guarino M, Padovani M, Maltoni C.
Cancer Research Center, European Ramazzini Foundation for Oncology and
Environmental Sciences, Bologna, Italy. crcfr@...

Methyl alcohol was administered in drinking water supplied ad libitum at
doses of 20,000, 5,000, 500, or 0 ppm to groups of male and female
Sprague-Dawley rats 8 weeks old at the start of the experiment.
Animals were kept under observation until spontaneous death.
Ethyl alcohol was administered by ingestion in drinking water at a
concentration of 10% or 0% supplied ad libitum to groups of male and
female Sprague-Dawley rats; breeders and offspring were included in the
experiment.
Treatment started at 39 weeks of age (breeders), 7 days before mating,
or from embryo life (offspring) and lasted until their spontaneous death.
Under tested experimental conditions, methyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol
were demonstrated to be carcinogenic for various organs and tissues.
They must also be considered multipotential carcinogenic agents.
In addition to causing other tumors, ethyl alcohol induced malignant
tumors of the oral cavity, tongue, and lips.
These sites have been shown to be target organs in man by epidemiologic
studies. Publication Types: Review Review, Tutorial PMID: 12562628

Surely the authors deliberately emphasized that aspartame is well-known
to be a source of formaldehyde, which is an extremely potent, cumulative
toxin, with complex, multiple effects on all tissues and organs.

This is even more significant, considering that they have already tested
aspartame, but not yet released the results:

p. 29-32 Table 1: The Ramazzinni Foundation Cancer Program
Project of [200] Long-Term Carcinogenicity Bioassays: Agents Studied

No. No. of Bioassays Species No. Route of Exposure
108. "Coca-Cola" 4 Rat 1,999 Ingestion, Transplantal Route
109. "Pepsi-Cola" 1 Rat 400 Ingestion
110. Sucrose 1 Rat 400 Ingestion
111. Caffeine 1 Rat 800 Ingestion
112. Aspartame 1 Rat 1,800 Ingestion

http://members.nyas.org/events/conference/conf_02_0429.html
Soffritti said that Coca-Cola showed no carcinogenicity.

It may be time to disclose these important aspartame results.


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1018
aspartame toxicity coverup increases danger of corporate meltdown:
Michael C. Carakostas of Coca-Cola: Murray 2003.08.11 rmforall
http://www.isrtp.org/new_members/members1.htm
The International Society of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology
Carakostas, Michael C., DVM, PhD Director/Scientific & Regulatory
Affairs The Coca-Cola Company PO Drawer 1734 Atlanta, GA 30301
T. 404/676-4234 F. 404/676-7166 E-mail: mcarakostas@...
http://www2.coca-cola.com/ourcompany/columns_aspartame.html [photo]
Aspartame: The world agrees it's safe By Michael Carakostas, DVM, PhD
Director, Scientific and Regulatory Affairs, Coca-Cola

It is commendable that Carakostas mentions the core problem, albeit
disparagingly, and overlaid with multiple untruths: "During digestion,
aspartame yields a very small amount of methanol-- as do many other food
substances. The body converts this methanol to formaldehyde, which is
instantly converted to formate. Formate is quickly eliminated as carbon
dioxide and water."

Carakostas deceptively make claims, unsupported by research, that the amount
of methanol from aspartame is "very small", that many foods release as much,
and that little of the inevitable formaldehyde or formic acid toxic products
accumulate in body tissues. This executive, with a PhD in veterinary
science, is deceiving people about very serious multiple toxicities.

Thus, there is evidence here cited from 1973 to 2004 that research and
reviews by immense vested interests about aspartame must be scrutinized with
the greatest skepticism. The greatest Internet myth about aspartame is
this: "Aspartame is the most thoroughly tested food additive in history."

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/857
www.dorway.com: original documents and long reviews of flaws in
aspartame toxicity research: Murray 2002.07.31 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/858
Samuels: Strong: Roberts: Gold: flaws in double-blind studies re
aspartame and MSG toxicity: Murray 2002.08.01 rmforall

"Survey of aspartame studies: correlation of outcome and funding
sources," 1998, unpublished: http://www.dorway.com/peerrev.html
Walton found 166 separate published studies in the peer reviewed
medical literature, which had relevance for questions of human safety.
The 74 studies funded by industry all (100%) attested to aspartame's
safety, whereas of the 92 non-industry funded studies, 84 (91%)
identified a problem. Six of the seven non-industry funded studies
that were favorable to aspartame safety were from the FDA, which
has a public record that shows a strong pro-industry bias.
Ralph G. Walton, MD, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern Ohio
Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, Youngstown,
OH 44501, Chairman, The Center for Behavioral Medicine,
Northside Medical Center, 500 Gypsy Lane, P.O. Box 240 Youngstown,
OH 44501 330-740-3621 rwalton193@...
http://www.neoucom.edu/DEPTS/Psychiatry/walton.htm

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/622
Gold: Koehler: Walton: Van Den Eeden: Leon:
aspartame toxicity: Murray 2001.06.04 rmforall four double-blind studies

Headache 1988 Feb; 28(1): 10-4
The effect of aspartame on migraine headache.
Koehler SM, Glaros A PMID: 3277925, UI: 88138777
Shirley M. Koehler, PhD 904-858-7651 skoehler@...
http://www.med.umich.edu/abcn/alpha/alpha-K.html#Koehler
Alan Glaros glarosa@... 816-235-2074

They conducted a double-blind study of patients, ages 18-55, who had
a medical diagnosis of classical migraines (normally having 1-3
migraines in 4-weeks), who were not on medications (other than
analgesics), and who suspected that aspartame had a negative effect on
their migraine headaches. The subjects were given 1200 mg daily,
aspartame or placebo, for four weeks, about 17 mg/kg. The placebo
group had no increase in headaches. Approximately half of the subjects
(5 of 11) who took aspartame had a large, statistically significant
(p = 0.02), increase in migraine headache frequency, but not in
intensity or duration, compared to baseline or placebo. Only 11 of
25 subjects completed the program: 8 dropped out, 4 began new
medications, 2 had incomplete records. They were at home.
Since 1/3 of the subjects dropped out, they may have been choosing
to avoid headaches-- were they unpaid? To achieve statistical
signifance with only 11 subjects hints that the incidence rate from
aspartame is very high, about 1/2, for migraine cases who believe
that they are hurt by aspartame.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1077
eight depressed people react strongly to aspartame, Prof. Ralph G. Walton,
MD, 1993 double-blind study, full text: Murray 2004.04.26 rmforall

Walton, RG, "Adverse reactions to aspartame: double-blind challenge in
patients from a vulnerable population," 1993, with Robert Hudak and
Ruth J. Green-Waite, Biological Psychiatry, 34 (1), 13-17.
Ralph G. Walton, MD, Prof. of Clinical Psychology, Northeastern Ohio
Universities, College of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, Youngstown,
OH 44501, Chairman, The Center for Behavioral Medicine,
Northside Medical Center, 500 Gypsy Lane, P.O. Box 240 Youngstown,
OH 44501 330-740-3621 rwalton193@...
http://www.neoucom.edu/DEPTS/Psychiatry/walton.htm

Eight depressed patients, ages 24-60, and five non-depressed controls,
ages 24-56, employed at the hospital, were given for 7 days either
aspartame or a placebo, and then after a 3 day break, given the
opposite. Each got 2100 mg aspartame daily, 30 mg/kg bodyweight,
equal to 10-12 cans of diet soda daily, about a gallon. Despite the
very small number of subjects, the results were dramatic and
statistically significant. The eight depressed patients reported with
aspartame, compared to placebo, much higher levels of nervousness,
trouble remembering, nausea, depression, temper, and malaise. (For each
symptom, p<0.01) The five normals did not report strong enough
differences between aspartame and placebo to be significant.
Initially, the study was to be on a group of 40, but was halted by the
Institutional Review Board because of severe reactions among 3 of the
depressed patients.

Again, statistical significance with only 8 depressed patients:
"In this study, patients most often began to report significant
symptoms after day 2 or 3." The incidence rate is very high,
indeed, about 1/3. The most common symptoms are entirely typical
of thousands of case histories.

Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, T.D. Koepsell, W.T. Longstreth, Jr,
G. van Belle, J.R. Daling, B. McKnight, "Aspartame ingestion and
headaches: a randomized crossover trial," 1994, Neurology, 44, 1787-93
Steven K. Van Den Eeden,PhD 550-450-2202 skv@...
Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program
3505 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611-5714
http://www.dor.kaiser.org/dorhtml/investigators/Stephen_Van_Den_Eeden.html

In their introduction, they comment:

"In addition, the FDA had received over 5,000 complaints as of July,
1991 in a passive surveillance system to monitor adverse side effects.
(17) Neurologic problems constitute the primary complaints in these
and several other case series, with headaches accounting for
18 to 45 %,depending on the case series reported. (17-19)"

Subjects, ages 18-57, were recruited who believed they got headaches
from aspartame, but were otherwise mentally and physically healthy.
They were paid $ 15 total, and were at home. Of the 44 subjects, 32
contributed data to the 38-day trials: a week of inert placebo, a week
of either aspartame or placebo, followed by a week of the opposite, and
then this two-week cycle repeated. The daily dose was about 30 mg/kg.
"The proportion of days subjects reported having a headache was
higher during aspartame treatment compared with placebo treatment
(aspartame = 0.33, placebo = 0.24; p = 0.04) (table 5)".
Of the 12 subjects not included in the data, 7 reported adverse
symptoms before withdrawing.

Again, statistical significance with a moderate number of healthy
subjects, willing to be recruited by a newspaper ad, who believed
aspartame hurt them. The number of headaches for each subject
for each treatment week are given: it appears that 4 subjects
had the strongest increase in headaches from the run-in week
or placebo week to their first week on aspartame, jumping from 0 to 5,
1 to 6, 1 to 4, 0 to 5 headaches per week. So, about 4 of the 44
healthy people recruited for the study, who believed aspartame hurt
them, had a stong increase in headaches from the first week of daily
asparame exposure, while 7 reported adverse symptoms before leaving,
a total of 11 out of 44, an incidence ratio of 1/4.

This is sky high, if we consider that, if the incidence ratio for the
about two hundred million users in the USA is 1 of 100, that is 2
million cases. It is plausible that the incidence ratio lies between 1
and 10 out of 100 for continuous daily exposure. These three flames
should have set off alarm bells, with extensive follow-up studies and
much more careful study of thousands of case histories. But these
little flares were adroitly smothered by thick blankets of industry
funded fluff.
*************************************************************
http://www.readthelabel.org.uk/ Additives Survivors' Network (UK)
Geoff Brewer <geoffbrewer@...>
http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/mom/aspartame/aspartame.html
http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2000/srogers/sarah.html
Sarah Rogers <sr8442@...>
http://www.react.ie/Health/Nutrition/Aspartame.htm Ireland
http://members.tripod.com/~mission_possible/scotland_branch.html
http://www.aspartame.ca/indexa.html John T. Linnell <admin@...>
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/AspartaMalcache.htm
http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/ Australia FAILSAFE diet
http://www.bradymax.com/nzaa/ New Zealand
http://www.reseauproteus.net/therapies/nutritio/aspartame.htm France
http://ww2.grn.es/avalls/aspa1.htm Spain
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Falls/8669/ Brazil
http://www.phd.com.br/aspartame.htm
http://hem.passagen.se/mission.possible.sweden/
http://home.online.no/~dusan/foods/aspartame.html Norway
http://www.ostara.org/aspartam/#menue Germany
http://www.aspartaam.nl/info/product.html Holland, in Dutch
http://www.laleva.org/ <archimede@...> Italy 9 languages
http://www.laleva.cc/alimenti/alimenti.html aspartame vs stevia 4.17.03
http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/aspartame.htm Greece
http://www.cseindia.org/html/cola-indepth/index.htm India
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