House Concurrent Resolution #132 for Health Department panel to decide
aspartame ban by early 2010, Hawaii Rep. Josh Green MD, Health Committee
Chair: Murray 2008.03.12
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_03_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1525
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www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2008/bills/HCR132_.pdf

Hawaii House of Representatives H.C.R. No. 132, Twenty-fourth Legislature,

State of Hawaii -- House Concurrent Resolution

Requesting the Director of Health to form a work group to explore the need
to ban or better label products containing the artificial sweetener
aspartame.

WHEREAS, discovered in 1965, aspartame was first approved in the United
States in 1981 and is one of the most widely used artificial sweeteners; and

WHEREAS, when metabolized by the body, aspartame is broken down into two
common amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine, and a small amount of a
third substance, methanol; and
[ Note: the aspartame molecule becomes equal numbers of aspartic acid,
phenylalanine, and methanol molecules (which although light weight, are more
chemically active by far, being turned quickly into nearly the same number
of molecules of formaldehyde and then formic acid, enough to have toxic
effects in every cell in the body by binding with and impairing DNA, RNA,
and protein molecules. ]

WHEREAS, these three substances occur in similar or greater amounts in
common foods; and
[ Note: methanol and formaldehyde are also supplied by dark wines and
liquors (the major cause of "morning after" hangovers), tobacco and wood
smoke, fumes from faulty furnaces, heaters and stoves, many fruits and
vegetables (when heated in canning, fermented, or degraded by colonic
bacteria), mobile homes and RVs, particleboard, new buildings, new cars,
carpets, drapes, and furniture, mortuaries, medical training and research,
many cleaners and disinfectants, many personal care products ranging from
leather to hair dyes, and more, including many Asian foods. ]

WHEREAS, aspartame continues to be the subject of strong public controversy
regarding its safety; and

WHEREAS, some studies have recommended further investigation into the
possible connection between aspartame and diseases such as brain tumors,
brain lesions, and lymphoma; and
[ Note: the range of symptoms also includes headache, fatigue, poor memory,
irritability, lassitude, mania, anxiety, depression, "brain fog", insomnia,
dizziness, many body pains and muscle cramps, restless legs, interstitial
cystitis, eye and vision problems, tinnitus, dry eyes and mouth, skin
rashes, diarrhea or constipation, partial paralysis (often confused as MS),
ideopathic seizures, weight gain or loss, blood sugar swings, craving and
addiction, impaired fertility and pregnancy, "spontaneous" abortion,
premature birth, low birth weight, birth defects, sudden infant death
syndrome, autism, and early diabetes -- this dazzling litany of outcomes is
the natural result of chronic, long-term, low-level exposure to formaldehyde
and formic acid. Naturally, there are countless interactions with other
drugs and toxins, as well as major and complex individual genetic
variations.

Cheap, safe folic acid protects against formaldehyde toxicity in most
people. ]

WHEREAS, some human and animal studies have found adverse effects and some
have found no adverse effects; and [ Note: almost all industry and vested
interest funded research claims no evidence of problems, while the opposite
is found by independent teams. ]

WHEREAS, while there have been a number of studies on the effects of
aspartame on people, there is a great deal of argument by both proponents
and opponents on the methods used in the testing and whether accurate
representations of the consequences of average consumption by people have
been achieved by these studies; and [ Note: a major need is to focus on the
effects for long-term heavy users, above 6 12-oz cans daily diet drink, from
vulnerable groups like fetus, infants, kids, teens, students, difficult
critical jobs like police, pilots, military, and nuclear plant operators,
pregnant women, seniors, obese, diabetic, depressed, violent criminal,
cancer, and, especially, over-worked PR agents lavishly funded to defend
aspartame as, "the most tested food additive in history".

WHEREAS, the Internet has become a tool for many to spread and promote the
opinion they adhere to as fact whether it is that aspartame is a neurotoxin
derived from toxic sludge or it is a harmless product enabling a healthy
lifestyle; and

WHEREAS, while many may find that the simple answer to the problem is to not
purchase or use any product containing aspartame in it, there are those who
maintain that some products do not specifically list aspartame as an
ingredient, rather it is hidden under the label of "natural flavors"; now,
therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth
Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate
concurring, that the Director of Health is requested to form a work group to
explore the need to ban or improve labeling for products containing the
artificial sweetener aspartame; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the members of the work group should include:

(1) One member from the House of Representatives appointed by the Speaker of
the House of Representatives;

(2) One member of the Senate appointed by the President of the Senate;

(3) The Director of Health or the director's designee;

(4) The President of the Calorie Control Council or the President's
designee; and
[ the preminent aspartame lobby ]

(5) The President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Beverage
Association or a designee;
[ With their original name, The National Soft Drink Association, they
condemned aspartame on July 28, 1983 in a detailed critique:
http://dorway.com/dorwblog/?page_id=60 ]

(6) The President of the Hawaii Society of Naturopathic Physicians or a
designee;

(7) The Founder of Mission Possible International or a designee; and

(8) Two consumers appointed by the Director of Health; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the work group is requested to submit a report of its
findings, as well as any suggested legislation, to the Legislature no later
than 20 days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2010; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution
be transmitted to the Director of Health,
President of the Calorie Control Council, webmaster@...;
President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Beverage Association,
info@...;
President of the Hawaii Society of Naturopathic Physicians,
dr_nguyen@...;
and Founder of Mission Possible International, Betty Martini,
bettm19@...


Offered by Josh Green, MD March 4, 2008

Honorable Rep. Josh Green, M.D., Chair, Health Committee
repgreen@...;
6th Representative District
Hawaii State Capitol, Room 327
415 South Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96813
phone 808-586-9605; fax 808-586-9608
From the Big Island, toll free 974-4000 + 69605

Hawaiian aspartame ban bills in House and Senate challenge
corporate clout, Sen. J. Kalani English & Suzanne Chun Oakland,
Rep. Calvin K.Y. Say & Mele Carroll: Murray 2008.01.25
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_01_01_archive.htm
Friday, January 25, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1505
____________________________________________________

www.hawaiind.org/index.htm
Hawaii Society of Naturopathic Physicians
750-D Kapahulu Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816 808-732-6996
Dr. Ye Nguyen - President dr_nguyen@...;
Dr. Monique Yuen - Vice President: drmoniqueyuen@...;
Dr. Karen Tan - Treasurer
Dr. Madeleine Portuondo madeleine_portuondo@...;
____________________________________________________



methanol impurity in alcohol drinks [ and aspartame ] is turned into
neurotoxic formic acid, prevented by folic acid, re Fetal Alcohol
Syndrome, BM Kapur, DC Lehotay, PL Carlen at U. Toronto,
Alc Clin Exp Res 2007 Dec. plain text: detailed biochemistry,
CL Nie et al. 2007.07.18: Rich Murray 2008.02.24
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Sunday, February 24, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1524


[ Rich Murray comments: As a medical layman volunteer information
activist for aspartame and related toxicity issues since January 1999,
I note with appreciation the remarkable exponential progress on all
fronts, including a rapidly emerging consensus about the primary
importance of all toxicity challenges for our world.

This lengthy review features in detail two quite different, revolutionary
contributions, from Canada, and England and China.

It is indicative of our times that the CL Nie et al. study, 2007
appears in a free, open access journal-- indeed,
as all life and death information must.

Following rather vigorously, indeed blindly, the imperatives of
single-minded, profit-driven capitalist competition -- manipulating
adroitly research, education, media, citizens, governments -- many
great global corporations have inevitably created results that
oppose the common good. Alcohol and tobacco are well known.

Realistically, any further manipulations can only lead to inevitable
and even sudden corporate meltdowns, in the context of an
unfettered, cooperative, democratic global information forum,
the Internet.

Now, it is as easy and cheap to compose and instantly post a
30-page review as 3 pages a decade ago -- and such reviews
are archived forever in multiple collections, open via global search
engines to a billion Net citizens.

Perforce, and increasingly happily, all societal entities will have to
operate by high and shared voluntary universal standards
for the common good. ]


http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00541.x

Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research
Volume 31 Issue 12 Page 2114-2120, December 2007

Bhushan M. Kapur, b.kapur@...;
Arthur C. Vandenbroucke, PhD, FCACB
Yana Adamchik,
Denis C. Lehotay, dlehotay@...;
Peter L. Carlen carlen@...;
(2007) Formic Acid, a Novel Metabolite of Chronic Ethanol
Abuse, Causes Neurotoxicity, Which Is Prevented by Folic Acid
Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research 31 (12), 2114-2120.
doi:10.1111/j.1530-0277.2007.00541.x

Abstract

Background:
Methanol is endogenously formed in the brain and is present as a
congener in most alcoholic beverages.

Because ethanol is preferentially metabolized over methanol (MeOH)
by alcohol dehydrogenase, it is not surprising that MeOH
accumulates in the alcohol-abusing population.

This suggests that the alcohol-drinking population will have higher
levels of MeOH's neurotoxic metabolite, formic acid (FA).

FA elimination is mediated by folic acid.

Neurotoxicity is a common result of chronic alcoholism.

This study shows for the first time that FA,
found in chronic alcoholics, is neurotoxic
and this toxicity can be mitigated by folic acid administration.

Objective:
To determine if FA levels are higher in the alcohol-drinking
population and to assess its neurotoxicity in organotypic
hippocampal rat brain slice cultures.

Methods:
Serum and CSF FA was measured in samples from both ethanol
abusing and control patients, who presented to a hospital emergency
department. [ CSF = Cerebral Spinal Fluid ]

FA's neurotoxicity and its reversibility by folic acid were assessed
using organotypic rat brain hippocampal slice cultures using clinically
relevant concentrations.

Results:
Serum FA levels in the alcoholics
(mean ± SE: 0.416 +- 0.093 mmol/l, n = 23)
were significantly higher than in controls
(mean ± SE: 0.154 +- 0.009 mmol/l, n = 82) (p < 0.0002).

FA was not detected in the controls' CSF (n = 20),
whereas it was >0.15 mmol/l in CSF of 3 of the 4 alcoholic cases.

Low doses of FA from 1 to 5 mmol/l added for 24, 48 or 72 hours
to the rat brain slice cultures caused neuronal death as measured by
propidium iodide staining.

When folic acid (1 umol/l) was added with the FA,
neuronal death was prevented. [ umol = micromole ]

Conclusions:
Formic acid may be a significant factor in the neurotoxicity of
ethanol abuse.

This neurotoxicity can be mitigated by folic acid administration
at a clinically relevant dose.

Key Words:
Formic Acid, Folic Acid, Methanol, Neurotoxicity, Alcoholism.
____________________________________________________


Note: many recent aspartame bans.....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1426
ASDA (unit of Wal-Mart Stores WMT.N) and Marks & Spencer
will join Tesco and also Sainsbury to ban and limit aspartame,
MSG, artificial flavors dyes preservatives additives, trans fats, salt
"nasties" to protect kids from ADHD: leading UK media:
Murray 2007.05.15

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNMmessage/1451
Artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose) and coloring agents
will be banned from use in newly-born and baby foods,
the European Parliament decided: Latvia ban in schools 2006:
Murray 2007.07.12

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1341
Connecticut bans artificial sweeteners in schools, Nancy Barnes,
New Milford Times: Murray 2006.05.25

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1369
Bristol, Connecticut, schools join state program to limit artificial
sweeteners, sugar, fats for 8800 students, Johnny J Burnham,
The Bristol Press: Murray 2006.09.22


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1513
metabolic syndrome is tied to diet soda, PL Lutsey, LM Steffen,
J Stevens, Circulation 2008.01.22: role of formaldehyde and
formic acid from methanol in wines, liquors, or aspartame?:
Murray 2008.02.21

"But the one-third who ate the most fried food increased their risk
by 25 percent, compared with the one-third who ate the least, and
surprisingly, the risk of developing metabolic syndrome was 34
percent higher among those who drank one can of diet soda a day
compared with those who drank none.

"This is interesting," said Lyn M. Steffen, an associate professor of
epidemiology at the University of Minnesota and a co-author of the
paper, which was posted online in the journal Circulation on Jan. 22.
"Why is it happening? Is it some kind of chemical in the diet soda,
or something about the behavior of diet soda drinkers?""

"The diet soda association was not hypothesized
and deserves further study."

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

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1511
vinyl acetate, ethyl alcohol, or aspartame in womb increases later
cancers in adults with lifetime exposure in many studies, M Soffritti
et al, Ramazzini Foundation, Basic Clin. Pharm. Toxicol. 2008 Feb.:
Rich Murray 2008.02.07

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.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1453
Souring on fake sugar (aspartame), Jennifer Couzin,
Science 2007.07.06: 4 page letter to FDA from 12 eminent
USA toxicologists re two Ramazzini Foundation cancer studies
2007.06.25: Murray 2007.07.18

30 female pet store rats drinking lifelong 13.5 mg aspartame,
1/3 packet of Equal, had 33% with obvious tumors -- also bulging,
sick, and missing eyes, paralysis, obesity, skin sores -- agrees with
Ramazzini Foundation results, Victoria Inness-Brown:
Murray 2008.02.15
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Friday, February 15, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1521


http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1490
details on 6 epidemiological studies since 2004 on diet soda (mainly
aspartame) correlations, as well as 14 other mainstream studies
on aspartame toxicity since summer 2005: Murray 2007.11.27

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1340
aspartame groups and books:
updated research review of 2004.07.16: Murray 2006.05.11

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1469
highly toxic formaldehyde, the cause of alcohol hangovers, is
made by the body from 100 mg doses of methanol from
dark wines and liquors, dimethyl dicarbonate, and aspartame:
Murray 2007.08.31


old tiger roars -- Woodrow C Monte, PhD -- aspartame causes
many breast cancers, as ADH enzyme in breasts makes methanol
from diet soda into carcinogenic formaldehyde -- same in dark
wines and liquors, Fitness Life 2008 Jan.: Murray 2008.02.11
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Monday, February 11, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1517

"Alcohol dehydrogenase ADH is required for the conversion of
methanol to formaldehyde (112).

ADH is not a common enzyme in the human body -- not many cells
in the human body contain this enzyme.

The human breast is one of the few organs in the body with a high
concentration of ADH (190b), and it is found there exclusively in the
mammary epithelial cells, the very cells known to transform into
adenocarcinoma (190c) (breast cancer).

The most recent breast cancer scientific literature implicates ADH
as perhaps having a pivotal role in the formation of breast cancer,
indicating a greater incidence of the disease in those
with higher levels of ADH activity in their breasts (190a)."

role of formaldehyde, made by body from methanol from foods
and aspartame, in steep increases in fetal alcohol syndrome, autism,
multiple sclerosis, lupus, teen suicide, breast cancer, Nutrition
Prof. Woodrow C. Monte, retired, Arizona State U., two reviews,
190 references supplied, Fitness Life, New Zealand
2007 Nov, Dec: Murray 2007.12.26
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.htm
Wednesday, December 26 2007
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1498


bias, omissions, incuriosity = opportunity, aspartame safety
evaluation, Magnuson BA, Burdock GA, Williams GM, 7 more,
2007 Sept, Ajinomoto funded 98 pages html [ $ 32 pdf ]:
Murray 2007.09.15
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.htm
Saturday, September 15, 2007

MSG and Aspartame -- A Personal Story, TV health reporter
Dick Allgire (vegetarian) healed of migraines and panic attacks:
Murray 2008.02.12
http://rmforall.blogspot.com/2008_02_01_archive.htm
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/1520


"Of course, everyone chooses, as a natural priority, to enjoy
peace, joy, and love by helping to find, quickly share, and positively
act upon evidence about healthy and safe food, drink, and
environment."

Rich Murray, MA Room For All rmforall@...
505-501-2298 1943 Otowi Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505

http://RMForAll.blogspot.com new primary archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
group with 120 members, 1,525 posts in a public archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartame/messages
group with 1,080 members, 22,439 posts in public archive
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