Murray: aspartame toxicity long review 8.14.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/862 long review

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

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages
for 863 posts in a public, searchable archive

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/861 brief review

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/860
RTM: FDA: objections to neotame approval 8.3.2 rmforall 38 pages

In the USA alone, about 200 million use this ubiquitous product of a
billion-dollar industry, first approved by a corrupt FDA in 1974 and
1981. In 1985, Monsanto purchased G.D. Searle, and made Searle
Pharmaceuticals and The NutraSweet Company separate subsidiaries.
In 2000 Monsanto sold off all its aspartame units.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/841
RTM: Merisant Co., MSD Capital, Dell Computer Corp., NutraSweet Co.,
JW Childs Assc.: aspartame-neotame toxicity 7.10.2 rmforall

If 1% of users have a problem with aspartame, that would be two million
in the USA alone. Thousands of people complained to the FDA since 1981,
and in recent years on the Internet.

Read all labels!-- aspartame is in almost all diet sodas, many drink
mixes, instant breakfasts, cereals, cake mixes, cookies, yogurts,
puddings, jellos, chewing gums, breath mints, candies, toothpastes,
laxatives, even vitamins and medicines. Absorption through the skin in
the mouth is especially strong, close to the brain.

Users who quit often experience much immediate healing, but some
symptoms may last for weeks. Heavy users may suffer weeks of painful
withdrawal symptoms. Also avoid all forms of MSG (glutamate),
legally mislabeled as "hydrolyzed vegetable protein" or even
"natural flavoring". Actually, all artificial sweeteners lack proof of
safety. It's fun to mix club soda with juices.
A long-used herbal sweetener, stevia, is entirely safe and
widely available. A corrupt FDA has refused to attest its safety:
www.holisticmed.com/sweet/stv-alert.txt
http://www.dorway.com/stevia.html stevia, splenda, others

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://www.aspartameispoison.com/contents.html 34 chapters

July 5 2001 I turned 59 July 3, and got a wonderful, long-anticipated
gift from H.J. Roberts, MD, FACP, FCCP.:
"Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic". I will be studying this
very helpful comprehensive review carefully, and composing summary
posts on almost all of the 34 chapters, to explore this immense
tapestry of data, observations, conclusions, and questions, making it
easier for potential readers to decide whether to pay the price,
$ 85.00 postpaid. The size of a Santa Fe phone book, the 1038
pages are 8.5X11, and appear to be composed in HTML. I will
quote various passages, and give comments. Roberts' style is
throughout lucid, dignified, high-minded, plain-spoken, direct,
calm, succinct, and often shows a dry wit.

wp 7 ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
Several added points deserve clarification for critical readers.
ITEM 1: I wrote this book myself. (The term "authentic" comes from
a Greek word meaning "one who does things with his own hands.")
There were no collaborators, "ghost writers," or editors.

p 8 Corporate Neutrality:
I take pride in my corporate neutrality. No grants or salary were
received for this effort, which originated in clinical practice.

p 27 EVOLVING DOUBTS: "GOING PUBLIC'
Like most physicians, the author had no reason to doubt the
scientific basis for its safety when aspartame was approved by
the FDA [in July, 1981]. My attitude changed, however, after
repeatedly encountering serious reactions in my patients
(Section 2) that seemed justifiably linked to use of such
products.

These doubts increased after learning by mid-1986 that over
10,000 consumers had sent complaints to the FDA, the
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the manufacturer,
interested investigators, and consumer organizations.

p 28 More On the Author's Background:
The reader is entitled to specifics about the author's interest and
credentials.
At the time my observations on aspartame disease first evolved,
I was a primary-care internist, medical consultant, and
director of a corporate-neutral medical research organization.
Patients with a broad spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic
difficulties were seen, generally after having consulted with a
number of physicians and clinics. The unique role stemmed from
having authored many scientific articles and books. The first,
"Difficult Diagnosis: A Guide to the Interpretation of Obscure
Illness (W.B. Saunders Company, 1958), has been used by
more than 60,000 physicians in the United States.

In the mid-1980s, I became aware of subtle changes and
challenges pertaining to both the diagnosis and management
of patients whose difficulties later could be related directly
to the use of aspartame products.

A 16-year-old girl (Case III-2) had recurrent seizures that
baffled several neurologists. Her convulsions stopped after
avaoiding aspartame products. An attack was then reproduced
within three hours following rechallenge with one small serving
of an aspartame pudding."

[This paragraph epitomizes the 1200 case reports that are the
foundation of this text.]

These insights led to routinely inquiring of "problem patients"
about aspartame consumption. Their prompt improvement
following abstinence indicated an evolving public health
problem... at least within the context of my practice.
Numerous persons having "mysterious ailments" came to
realize that they were afflicted with aspartame disease when
striking improvement occurred after stopping such products.
Virtually every day became a learning experience as I
delved into the numerous facets of aspartame disease.

[This indicates that a single doctor who inquires about
aspartame use by all his own clients is likely to find many
cases a week of aspartame disease, and this in turn is
evidence for a huge degree of prevalence. Skeptical
professionals have an opportunity to confirm or refute
this in their own clinical practice. I will gladly post any
observations, and critical reviews, pro or con, sent to me,
on http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/messages ]

p 31 On July 30, 1986, I presented my data on 100
aspartame reactors at a press conference in West Palm Beach...
I delivered my first scientific report on 360 aspartame reactors
to the Section on Medicine of the Southern Medical Association
on November 10, 1986. The first article on 496 aspartame
reactors appeared in the January 1987 edition of "On Call",
official publication of the Palm Beach County Medical Society.

The flood of calls and letters from grateful aspartame "victims" and
their families dispelled my earlier misgivings about "going
public." A husband wrote, "Without someone publishing this
information that was so helpful to me, my wife could have died
from illness due to this cause."

p 6 I have engaged in independent patient-based clinical research
involving various realms for more than four decades. They
include pesticides (notably pentachlorophenol), products
contaminated with toxic metals, arbitrary severe caloric
restriction, megadoses of vitamin E, antistatic clothes softeners,
fluoridation of water, and even vasectomy. I repeatedly
stressed two pertinent issues. First, a long time may be
required to identify the hazards of new products and
medical interventions, particularly drugs and industial chemicals.
Second, it may take even longer for these risks to be
acknowledged by physicians and public health officials.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/859
RTM: Roberts: the life work of a brilliant clinician:
aspartame toxicity 8.2.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/790
RTM: Moseley:
review Roberts "Aspartame Disease: An Ignored Epidemic" 2.7.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/782
RTM: Smith, Terpening, Schmidt, Gums:
full text: aspartame, MSG, fibromyalgia 1.17.2 rmforall
Jerry D Smith, Chris M Terpening, Siegfried OF Schmidt, and John G Gums
Relief of Fibromyalgia Symptoms Following
Discontinuation of Dietary Excitotoxins.
The Annals of Pharmacotherapy 2001; 35(6): 702–706.
Malcolm Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
BACKGROUND: Fibromyalgia is a common rheumatologic disorder that is
often difficult to treat effectively.
CASE SUMMARY: Four patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia syndrome
for two to 17 years are described.
All had undergone multiple treatment
modalities with limited success. All had complete, or nearly complete,
resolution of their symptoms within months after eliminating monosodium
glutamate (MSG) or MSG plus aspartame from their diet.
All patients were women with multiple comorbidities
prior to elimination of MSG.
All have had recurrence of symptoms whenever MSG is ingested.

Siegfried O. Schmidt, MD Asst. Clinical Prof. siggy@...
Community Health and Family Medicine, U. Florida, Gainesville, FL
Shands Hospital
West Oak Clinic Gainesville, FL 32608-3629 352-376-5071

Debbie J. Hypes painfreeliving@... 304-872-4141 (Case # 1 of 4)
P.O Box 25 Lookout, WV 25868-0025 She has about 1,000 on her local
mailing list, and has been a volunteer activist since 1997. Her guide
first came out in 1997: http://www.Pain-Free-Living.net
"The Food Plan: How To Do It" $ 5 by mail, free by email.
Her sister Darlene, now 47, cured her own severe fibromyalgia in 1995
by using an elimination diet, and then Debbie also cured herself by
1997. Their doctor, Siegfried Schmidt, paying attention, tried it on
two selected women, who got well, and are his third and fourth cases.

CASE 1
A 40-year-old white woman was diagnosed in 1987 with moderately
aggressive fibromyalgia symptoms that had been very difficult to manage
with traditional approaches.
She also had atypical chest pain and carpal tunnel syndrome.
This patient did a tremendous amount of reading in the
lay press regarding fibromyalgia, allergies, food allergies, and “food
toxins."
She treated her daughter, who had a number of skin allergies, with a
diet that was basically additive-free,
with an emphasis on corn derivatives and MSG.
When her daughter's allergy problem resolved,
the woman decided to follow the same dietary regimen.
The patient had, over time, what she and her
physician considered complete resolution of fibromyalgia symptoms. The
carpal tunnel symptoms disappeared, she began to sleep better, and
believed that her memory improved as well. The patient rechallenged
herself with the food products she felt were the offending agents, and
the symptoms returned. She restricted her diet again, and the symptoms
resolved.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/846
RTM: 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 7.16.2 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
RTM: Blumenthall & Vance:
aspartame chewing gum headaches Nov 1997 7.28.2 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]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/830
RTM: Tholen: Diet Coke has 5 ppm formaldehyde from aspartame
5.29.2 rmforall [~200 mg aspartame in 12-oz diet soda]
For 6 cans of diet soda, this is 5 times the daily limit of 1 PPM for
formaldehyde in drinking water, set by the EPA.
http://www.geocities.com/aspartame_survivors/tholen.html
For a science project, Randy Tholen, age 11, paid $ 180 to have
six cans of Diet Coke analyzed on Mar 7 2002 by Bill Katz 952-942-1774
at Braun Intertec Corporation Lab Braun Intertec Corporation
http://www.brauncorp.com/
(800) 279-6100 (952) 941-5600 fax (952) 833-4701
Mail: 6875 Washington Ave. S. Minneapolis, MN 55439
E-Mail: Webmaster@...

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.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. Marià Alemany (male) Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021521, FAX:
(93)4021559
alemany@... bioq@...
josefer@...
rafecas@... remesar@...
Sra. Carme Trocho Fac. Biologia Tel.: (93)4021544, FAX: (93)4021559

Abstract:
Adult male rats were given an oral dose of 10 mg/kg aspartame,
[The FDA limit for humans is 30 mg/kg, but rats are over ten times more
resistant to methanol toxicity, so this is a very low dose for rats.]
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.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/628
Rich Murray: Professional House Doctors: Singer: EPA: CPSC:
formaldehyde toxicity 6.10.1 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/863
RTM: FDA (Section E) Wilson:
CIIN info: formaldehyde toxicity 7.11.99 8.5.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/645
Rich Murray: 18 recent formaldehyde toxicity [Comet assay] abstracts
6.25.1 rmforall

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
Seizure and mania after high intake of aspartame. 1986
Psychosomatics; 27: 218-20.

An age 54 woman with 20 years of depression had been stable for 11
years with medication. She had a grand mal seizure, followed by
mania, insomnia, flight of ideas, and irritability. A brief
hospitalization and CT scan found no apparent cause. After three
weeks, this led to psychiatric hospitalization. Two days later,
it was found that during the several weeks before the seizure and
onset of mania, she had started using aspartame in place of sugar
in her iced tea, a gallon daily. Four days later, the mania subsided,
and 13 months later she continued to function well, and enjoying her
large amounts of iced tea, with sugar, not aspartame.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/32
Murray: Drake: aspartame & panic attacks 9.13.86 10.30.99 rmforall
Miles E. Drake, MD
Panic attacks and excessive aspartame ingestion. [one case]
Lancet 1986 Sep 13; 2(8507): 631.
Department of Neurology and Psychiatry,
Ohio State University Medical Center, Columbus, Ohio 43210, USA

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/31
Murray: Wurtman: aspartame & seizures 11.9.85 10.30.99
Wurtman RJ Aspartame: possible effect on seizure susceptibility.
Lancet 1985 Nov 9; 2(8463): 1060.
Richard J. Wurtman, Ph.D. dick@... 617-253-3091
Professor of Neuroscience
Prof. of Health Sciences and Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technlogy Cambridge, Mass. 02139

"The possible role of aspartame in seizure induction," 1987,
Proceedings of the First International Conference on Phenylalanine
and the Brain, Wurtman, RJ, Walker E (eds.), Center for Brain
Sciences and Metabolism Charitable Trust, Cambridge, England:

Nine cases, ages 19 to 91, briefly summarized: "Case 4: A 61
year-old woman had been in excellent health until she began consuming
an average of half a gallon per day of sugar-free beverages prepared
with "Crystal Light" mixes. She experienced the onset of headaches,
in the absence of a previous headache history. After three months of
daily headaches, she experienced a generalized seizure and was
hospitalized. CAT scan and EEG were normal. After discontinuing
the use of all aspartame-containing products, she has been
headache- and seizure-free."

These reports are clinical anecdotes, hospital observations, not
controlled scientific experiments. The necessary next step is a
double-blind study, in which neither the researcher nor the subjects
know when there is an inert placebo or the active drug. However, it
is very easily to conduct misleading double-blind studies. For
instance, several studies on the safety of MSG used aspartame as
the "neutral" placebo control drug!

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/858
RTM: FDA: (Section B) Samuels: Strong: Roberts: Gold: flaws in
double-blind studies re aspartame and MSG toxicity 8.1.2 rmforall

Here are three more realistic double-blind studies:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/622
Rich Murray: Gold: Koehler: Walton: Van Den Eeden: Leon:
aspartame toxicity 6.4.1 rmforall

Koehler SM, Glaros A The effect of aspartame on migraine headache.
1988 Headache; 28(1): 10-14.
Shirley M. Koehler, PhD 904-858-7651 skoehler@...
Dept. of Psychology Brooks Rehabilitation Hospital
3599 University Blvd. South, Jacksonville, FL 32216
Alan Glaros glarosa@... 816-235-2074

They conducted a double-blind study of patients who had a medical
diagnosis of migraines, 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 who took aspartame had a large increase in headaches.

Walton RG Adverse reactions to aspartame: double-blind challenge
in patients from a vulnerable population., with Robert Hudak
and Ruth J. Green-Waite, 1993 Biological Psychiatry; 34 (1): 13-17.

Eight depressed patients and five non-depressed controls 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. The five normals did not report
strong enough differences between aspartame and placebo to be
significant.

Stephen K. Van Den Eeden, Koepsell TD, Longstreth WT Jr, van Belle G,
Daling JR, McKnight B Aspartame ingestion and
headaches: a randomized crossover trial.
1994 Neurology; 44: 1787-93. Division of Research,
Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program
3505 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611-5714
skv@... 510-450-2202
http://www.dor.kaiser.org/dorhtml/investigators/Stephen_Van_Den_Eeden.html

In their introduction, they commented,

"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 were recruited who believed they got headaches from
aspartame, but were otherwise mentally and physically healthy. Of the
32 subjects, 18 completed 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 900 mg, 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)".
The methanol dose in 2 L of diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/12-oz can
methanol, is 112 mg methanol, 10% of the aspartame. [The EPA limit is
7.8 mg/day in water for methanol, a cumulative poison.]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/623
Rich Murray: Simmons: Gold: Schiffman: Spiers:
aspartame toxicity 6.4.1 rmforall

Schiffman SS, Buckley CE 3d, Sampson HA,
Massey EW, Baraniuk JN, Follett JV, Warwick ZS
Aspartame and susceptibility to headache.
N Engl J Med 1987 Nov 5; 317(19): 1181-5.
Department of Psychiatry, Duke University, Durham, N.C. 27710.
Dr. Susan S. Schiffman Dept. of Psychiatry Duke University
www.duke edu sss@... 919-684-3303, 660-5657.

She has over 100 obviously competent experimental studies and
reviews since 1971 in PubMed. Her major field is the deterioration
of smell and taste in seniors and AIDS patients from exposure to
drugs, chemicals, and pollutants-- one wonders if she ever considered
the effects of aspartame, since smell and tase impairment are known to
result from exposure to aspartame or formaldehyde.

"Loss of taste" is one of 90 symptoms from many case reports of
aspartame toxicity, summarized in:
Department of Health and Human Services. "Report on All Adverse
Reactions in the Adverse Reaction Monitoring System." (February 25
and 28, 1994).

Abstract (Schiffman et al, 1987):
We performed a double-blind crossover trial of challenges with 30 mg of
aspartame per kilogram of body weight or placebo in 40 subjects who
reported having headaches repeatedly after consuming products
containing aspartame. The incidence rate
of headache after aspartame (35 percent)
was not significantly different from that after placebo (45 percent)
(P less than 0.50). No serious reactions were observed, and the
incidence of symptoms other than headache following aspartame was also
equivalent to that after placebo. No treatment-related effects were
detected in vital signs, blood pressure, or plasma concentrations of
cortisol, insulin, glucagon, histamine, epinephrine, or norepinephrine.
Most of the subjects were well educated and overweight and had a family
or personal history of allergic reactions. The subjects who had
headaches had lower plasma concentrations of
norepinephrine (P less than 0.0002) and epinephrine (P less than 0.02)
just before the development of headache.
We conclude that in this population, aspartame is no more
likely to produce headache than placebo.

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

"Other industry researchers have cited this study as evidence that
aspartame does not induce headaches (Butchko 1994, Leon 1989, Moser
1994). In addition, Yost (1989) claimed that aspartame is not more
likely to cause headache than placebo. Tollefson (1992) of the FDA
cited this Schiffman study as evidence that aspartame does not cause
headaches. (The Tollefson review was discussed in detail in the
Seizure Research Abuse section).

"What these researchers fail to mention is that the Schiffman (1987)
research is useless because of major design flaws. It is also
particularly troubling that none of the above-mentioned authors
cited the Koehler (1988) double-blind study!

"Before we discuss the major flaws of the Schiffman study, I will
present some background information. The study was partially funded
by Monsanto/NutraSweet and conducted at the Searle Center at Duke
University. (G.D. Searle is owned by Monsanto.) Susan Schiffman
performed her research at the "Searle Center" at Duke University.
The Searle Center is under the guidance of William Anlyan, a former
G.D. Searle director. Schiffman is a former General Foods and G.D.
Searle consultant. The FDA helped design the study protocol.
[Gordon 1987, page 500 of US Senate 1987; Shapiro 1987, page 403
of US Senate 1987].)

"Schiffman (1987) major flaws:

1. The aspartame was given for only one day.

2. The aspartame was given in encapsulated form which would lower the
toxicity by eliminating the sudden absorption of the excitotoxic amino
acid and methanol (Stegink 1987). The absorption of the excitotoxin is
gradual, somewhat closer to what happens when ingesting food. The
methanol is absorbed more slowly and that may significantly reduce
toxicity as happens when food in the stomach slows methanol absorption
(Posner 1975).

3. There was no baseline frequency of headaches determined before
administering aspartame or placebo.

"It is very important to note the main distinction between the Koehler
(1988) study and the Schiffman (1987) study. While both studies used
capsules, which would be expected to significantly reduce aspartame
toxicity, and both studies used subjects who claimed to have headaches
from aspartame, the Koehler (1988) study administered aspartame for
four weeks, while the Schiffman (1987) study administered the
aspartame for only one day!

"When one examines the double-blind studies funded by the aspartame
industry, a pattern develops. Industry-supported research on subjects
who have reported serious reactions to aspartame is almost always
one day long and the aspartame is administered in capsules (e.g.,
Hertelendy 1993, Rowen 1995, Schiffman 1987). Industry-supported
research that lasts several weeks is usually performed on individuals
that might be expected to experience adverse reactions after at least
several months of aspartame use (e.g., Shaywitz 1994) or on individuals
even less susceptible to short-term aspartame toxicity, but where more
sensitive neurological tests were conducted (e.g., Spiers 1998). The
longer (but still relatively short) industry-supported research
(3-6 months) usually uses healthy subjects who would likely only
experience serious adverse reactions after many months or several
years of aspartame use (e.g., Leon 1989, Trefz 1994). While the length
of the study is not the only flaw in these industry-sponsored studies,
there appears to be an obvious pattern of exceptionally short studies
used on more susceptible subjects. It would appear that the
manufacturer funds research with protocol designs virtually guaranteed
to find no adverse reactions!" [end of Gold quote]

"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

http://www.aspartame.org/ The Aspartame Homepage (pro-aspartame)
To their credit, they also give:
http://www.aspartame.org/critics.html Sites by Aspartame's Critics

http://www.dorway.com/wmonte.txt
Dr. Woodrow C. Monte Aspartame: methanol, and the public health.
Journal of Applied Nutrition 1984; 36 (1): 42-54.
(62 references) Professsor of Food Science
Director of the Food Science and Nutrition Laboratory
Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287
6411 South River Drive #61 Tempe, Arizona 85283-3337
602-965-6938 woody.monte@... [now retired in New Zealand]
The methanol from 2 L of diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/can, is
112 mg, 10% of the aspartame. The EPA limit for water is 7.8 mg daily
for methanol (wood alcohol), a deadly cumulative poison. Many users
drink 1-2 L daily. The reported symptoms are entirely consistent
with chronic methanol toxicity. (Fresh orange juice has 34 mg/L, but,
like all juices, has 16 times more ethanol, which strongly protects
against methanol.)

Abstract: Aspartame (L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine methyl ester), a new
sweetener marketed under the trade name NutraSweet, releases into the
human bloodstream one molecule of methanol for each molecule of
aspartame consumed.

This new methanol source is being added to foods that have considerably
reduced caloric content and, thus, may be consumed in large amounts.
Generally, none of these foods could be considered dietary methanol
sources prior to addition of aspartame. When diet sodas and soft
drinks, sweetened with aspartame, are used to replace fluid loss
during exercise and physical exertion in hot climates, the intake of
methanol can exceed 250 mg/day or 32 times the Environmental
Protection Agency's recommended limit of consumption for this
cumulative toxin (8).
[EPA limit: 7.8 mg/day in water. A 12-oz can of diet soda gives 20 mg
methanol.]

There is extreme variation in the human response to acute methanol
poisoning, the lowest recorded lethal oral dose being 100 mg/kg
[6,000 mg for a 60 kg person] with one individual surviving a dose
over ninety times this level (55). Humans, due perhaps to the loss of
two enzymes during evolution, are more sensitive to methanol than any
laboratory animal; even the monkey is not generally accepted as a
suitable animal model (42). There are no human or mammalian studies to
evaluate the possible mutagenic, teratogenic, or carcinogenic effects
of chronic administration of methyl alcohol (55).

The average intake of methanol from natural sources varies but limited
data suggests an average intake of considerably less than 10 mg/day (8).

[A 12-oz can of diet soda has 20 mg methanol.] Alcoholics may average
much more, with a potential range of between 0 and 600 mg/day,
depending on the source and in some cases the quality of their
beverages(15).

Ethanol, the classic antidote for methanol toxicity, is found in
natural food sources of methanol at concentrations 5 to 500,000 times
that of the toxin (Table 1). Ethanol inhibits metabolism of methanol
and allows the body time for clearance of the toxin through the lungs
and kidneys (40, 46).

The question asked is whether uncontrolled consumption of this new
sweetener might increase the methanol intake of certain individuals to
a point beyond which our limited knowledge of acute and chronic human
methanol toxicity can be extrapolated to predict safety. [end of
Abstract]

Monte's study explains:

"Methanol (methyl alcohol, wood alcohol), a poisonous substance (60),
is added as a component during the manufacture of aspartame (47). This
methanol is subsequently released within hours of consumption (51)
after hydrolysis of the methyl group of the dipeptide by chymotrypsin
in the small intestine (40) as it occurs in soft drinks after
decomposition of aspartame during storage or in other foods
after being heated (48). Regardless of whether the aspartame-derived
methanol exists in food in its free form or still esterified to
phenylalanine, 10% of the weight of aspartame intake of an individual
will be absorbed by the bloodstream as methanol within hours after
consumption (51).
[So, a daily dose of 2100 mg aspartame, used in some experimental
tests, gives 210 mg of methanol.]

"Methanol has no therapeutic properties and is considered only as a
toxicant (20).
The ingestion of two teaspoons is considered lethal in humans (19).

"An average aspartame-sweetened beverage would have a conservative
aspartame content of about 555 mg/liter (48, 51) and therefore, a
methanol equivalent of 56 mg/liter (56 ppm). For example, if a
25 kg child consumed on a warm day, after exercising, two-thirds of a
two-liter bottle of soft drink sweetened with aspartame, that child
would be consuming over 732 mg of aspartame (29 mg/kg). This alone
exceeds what the Food and Drug Administration considers the 99 +
percentile daily consumption level of aspartame (48). The child would
also absorb over 70 mg of methanol from that soft drink. This is almost
ten times the Environmental Protection Agency’s recommended daily limit
of consumption for methanol.

"To look at the issue from another perspective, the literature reveals
death from consumption of the equivalent of 6 gm of methanol (55, 59).
It would take 200 12 oz. cans of soda to yield the lethal equivalent of
6 gm of methanol. [Monte's point is that the methanol dose from 2 L of
diet soda, 5.6 12-oz cans, 20 mg/12-oz can methanol, 112 mg methanol,
is too close to the lethal dose, 6000 mg, according to the usual
standards for other toxins. The EPA limit is 7.8 mg/day in water for
this cumulative poison.]

"A striking feature of methyl alcohol syndrome is the asymptomatic
interval (latent period), which usually lasts 12 to 18 hours after
consumption.

"Patients may complain of lethargy, confusion, and impairment of
articulation, all frequently encountered signs in moderate central
nervous system (CNS) intoxications resulting from other toxic
compounds (20). Patients may also suffer leg cramps, back pain,
severe headache, abdominal pain, labored breathing, vertigo and
visual loss, the latter being a very important clue to making a
diagnosis of methanol poisoning (20).

"Many of the signs and symptoms of intoxication due to methanol
ingestion are not specific to methyl alcohol. For example, headaches,
ear buzzing, dizziness, nausea and unsteady gait (inebriation),
gastrointestinal disturbances, weakness, vertigo, chills, memory
lapses, numbness and shooting pains in the lower extremities hands
and forearms, behavioral disturbances, and neuritis (55). The most
characteristic signs and symptoms of methyl alcohol poisoning in humans
are the various visual disturbances which can occur without acidosis
(55), although they unfortunately do not always appear (20). Some of
these symptoms are the following: misty vision, progressive
contraction of visual fields (vision tunneling), mist before the eyes,
blurring of vision, and obscuration of vision (20, 55)."
[End of quotes from Monte study]

http://www.dorway.com/barua.html
Dr. J. Barua (ophthalmic surgeon), Dr. Arun Bal (surgeon)
Emerging facts about aspartame.
Journal Of The Diabetic Association Of India 1995; 35(4):
(79 references) barua@...
"...the total amount of methanol absorbed will be approximately
10% of aspartame ingested. An EPA assessment of methanol states
that methanol, 'is considered a cumulative poison due to the low rate
of excretion once it is absorbed. The absorbed methanol is then
slowly converted to formaldehyde...'"
"Reaction of formaldehyde with DNA has been observed,
by spectrophotometry and electron microscopy, to result in
irreversible denaturation."
"DKP has been implicated in the occurence of brain tumors."

Two teams find hot aspartame releases DKP, a potent carcinogen:
Lin SY, Cheng YD
Simultaneous formation and detection of the reaction product of
solid-state aspartame sweetener by FT-IR/DSC microscopic system.
Food Addit Contam 2000 Oct; 17(10): 821-7.
Biopharmaceutics Laboratory,
Department of Medical Research & Education
Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Shih-Pai, Taiwan,
Republic of China. sylin@...
and
Leung SS, Padden BE, Munson EJ, Grant DJ
Hydration and dehydration behavior of aspartame hemihydrate.
J Pharm Sci 1998 Apr; 87(4): 508-13.
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455-0343, USA.
Sophie S. Leung, PhD
Dolores J. Grant, PhD grant1@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/804
RTM: Hetle & Eltervaag: 2001 thesis
abstract: aspartame brain damage in mice:
Sonnewald 1995 study full text 2.17.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/346
WebMD: Barclay: Barth:
survey shows aspartame hurts memory in students 11.9.00
http://www.psy.tcu.edu/psy/barth.htm
Timothy M. Barth Department of Psychology t.barth@...
Texas Christian University TCU Box 298920 Fort Worth, TX 76129
Chairman, Physiological Psychology 817-921-7410

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/760
Kovatsi L, Tsouggas M
The effect of oral aspartame administration on the
balance of magnesium in the rat.
Magnes Res 2001 Sep; 14(3): 189-94.
Laboratory of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece kovatsi@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/689
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://www.medscape.com/MedGenMed/braintumors
Lennart Hardell, M.D., PhD, in 1999 reported in Sweden that both
cell phone use and heavy aspartame use correlate with increased
brain cancers lennart.hardell@... +46 19 602 15 46

http://www.dorway.com/blayenn.html
Russell L. Blaylock, MD dodd@...
Excitotoxins, neurodegeneration and neurodevelopment.
The Medical Sentinel Journal 1999 Fall; (95 references)
russell@... 601-982-1175

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@...

Health Press hlthprs@... 505-474-0303
http://www.healthpress.com/in-bad-taste.html
George R. Schwartz, M.D. drgschwartz@...
"In Bad Taste: The MSG Symptom Complex"
http://www.healingresearch.org/

Dr. Singer offers expert diagnosis, evaluation, advice, and
case summaries for the medical, insurance, and legal needs of
victims of the wide range of toxins in modern society, including
pesticides, mercury, MSG, fluoride, and aspartame:
http://members.aol.com/neurosite/
http://members.aol.com/DonationDrive/SingerPesticideNeuro.html
Singer, RM (1999, expected).
Neuropsychological evaluation of bystander exposure to pesticides.
The Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 9(1)
Raymond M. Singer PhD, PA
36 Alondra Road Santa Fe, New Mexico 87505
180 E. 79th Street Suite 1-C New York, N.Y. 10021
(505) 466-1100 Fax: (505) 466-1101 raysinger@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/857
RTM: www.dorway.com: original documents and long reviews of flaws in
aspartame toxicity research 7.31.2 rmforall

http://www.dorway.com David O. Rietz over 12,000 print pages
Mission-Possible-USA Betty Martini 770-242-2599
Bettym19@... dorietz@...
http://www.dorway.com/asprlink.html many links
http://www.dorway.com/nslawsuit.txt Jeff Martin, Attorney
http://www.dorway.com/upipart1.txt
UPI reporter Gregory Gordon: 96K 3-part expose Oct 1987
http://www.dorway.com/doctors.txt
What many informed doctors are saying/have said about aspartame

Aspartame Consumer Safety Network and Pilot Hotline [1987-2001]
Mary Nash Stoddard, Founder & President
P.O. Box 780634 Dallas, TX 75378 .
214-352-4268 marystod@...
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/index.html
http://web2.airmail.net/marystod/espanol.htm
Toxicology Sourcebook: "Deadly Deception: Story of Aspartame"

http://www.mbschachter.com/aspartame.htm
"How Safe is the Artificial Sweetener, Aspartame?"
Michael B. Schachter, M.D., F.A.C.A.M.
Schachter Center for Complementary Medicine
Michael B. Schachter, M.D., F.A.C.A.M.
2 Executive Boulevard, Suite 202
Suffern, NY 10901. http://www.mbschachter.com/
914-368-4600 office@...

"The Dangers of Aspartame" discussion forum: many long reports by
Rich Murray: http://www.bevnet.com/bevboard/

http://google.com gives 105,000 websites for "aspartame" , while
http://groups.google.com/ finds on 700 MB of posts from 20-years of
Usenet groups, 72,300 posts, and
http://www.AllTheWeb.com gives 177,012, the top four being leading and
very well informed volunteer anti-aspartame sites.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/PubMed/ lists 712 aspartame items.

http://www.readthelabel.org.uk/ Additives Survivors' Network (UK)
geoffbrewer@...

http://www.aspartame.ca/ John T. Linnell admin@...
http://www.aspartame.ca/page_a10.html
Canadian Class Action Law Suit

http://allergies.about.com/health/allergies/library/weekly/aa012901a.htm

Adverse Reactions to Aspartame Judy Tidwell allergies.guide@...

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/802
RTM: 700.club.com: CBN:
Totheroh & Robertson: aspartame expose 2.13.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/805
RTM: Ive:
UK Daily Mirror Magazine: aspartame toxicity 2.18.2 rmforall

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aspartameNM/message/813
[also on http://www.rense.com/general20/bushaspertameAL.htm
Contact Jeff Rense <jr@...> ]
RTM: (corrected)
danger to President Bush from aspartame toxicity 2.24.2 rmforall

The great health advantages of a no-fat vegetarian diet are well
described by Dr. John A. McDougall at http:www.drmcdougall.com ,
which has copious scientific references and Net links, and at
http://www.vegsource.com
**********************************************************

Serious symptom syndrome summary:
Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal, Canderel, Benevia) is reported by
scientific studies and case histories to be toxic: * headaches
* many body and joint pains (or burning, tingling, tremors, twitching,
spasms, cramps, or numbness) * fever, fatigue
* "mind fog", "feel unreal", poor memory, confusion, anxiety,
irritability, depression, mania, insomnia, dizziness, slurred speech,
ringing in ears, sexual problems, poor vision, hearing, or taste
* red face, itching, rashes, burning eyes or throat,
dry mouth or eyes, mouth sores * hair loss
* obesity, bloating, edema, anorexia,
poor or excessive hunger or thirst * breathing problems
* nausea, diarrhea or constipation * coldness * sweating
* racing heart, high blood pressure, erratic blood sugar levels
* seizures * birth defects * brain cancers * addiction
* aggrivates diabetes, autism, ADHD, allergies,
and interstitial cystitis (bladder pain)
**********************************************************

http://members.tripod.com/~mission_possible/scotland_branch.html
http://www.aspartame.ca/ Canada
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/4578/ Canada
http://www.cybernaute.com/earthconcert2000/AspartaMalcache.htm
http://www.reseauproteus.net/therapies/nutritio/aspartame.htm
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.aspartaam.nl/info/product.html Holland, in Dutch
http://www.laleva.org/ Italy
http://www.laleva.org/alimenti/dorwayaspartame.html
http://users.westnet.gr/~cgian/aspartame.htm Greece
**********************************************************


http://www.msnbc.com/local/kprc/A257844.asp
http://www.click2houston.com/hou/news/stories/news-20001127-153529.html
KPRC-TV Health@...

Aspartame Might Be More Sour Than Sweet
HOUSTON, 11:28 p.m. CST November 27, 2000 -
Do you love diet soda or hot chocolate? What
about fat-free yogurt or sugar-free gelatin?
While those products might taste good and be less filling -- in the
calorie department -- one M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
neurologist is warning that some of them may not be good for you. Why?
Because among the dozens of ingredients in
these products is one called aspartame.
"I think there's enough evidence to suggest this is not a good thing
for folks," Dr. Arthur Forman told News2Houston.
Forman believes that aspartame may cause several serious
problems, such as headaches to
seizures and irritability to birth defects.
The doctor said that some studies, including one by Dr. John
Olney from Washington University, shows that aspartame may be
linked to brain tumors.
But one of the least known side effects, an ironic one, is that
aspartame, which is found in many diet foods,
may increase your appetite.
"Many patients find it stimulates the appetite," Forman said.
Forman says that aspartame contains an amino acid called
phenylalanine, which causes insulin to be released, triggering hunger.
Some people are allergic to phenylalanine and can suffer brain
damage and other complications if they take it.
Aspartame also contains aspartic acid and methanol, which breaks
down to formaldehyde in the body.
Forman believes that pregnant women
and children should not consume aspartame.
"There are mechanisms to see this is causing serious problems for
some folks," Forman said. "I don't recommend it for anyone, frankly."
But FDA spokeswoman Sheryl Baylor says consuming aspartame is OK.
"The FDA does believe it's safe," Baylor said.
Baylor said that after the agency conducted studies on aspartame,
it approved it, except for people who are allergic to phenylalanine.
She acknowledged, however, that any substance can cause side effects.
"We continue to look at the product and review complaints," Baylor said.

For those concerned, Baylor and Forman suggest checking labels
closely, because many products containing aspartame could surprise you,
like some laxatives and children's vitamins. The FDA says that it is
the law that if a product contains aspartame,
it must be listed on the label.
Aspartame Toxicity Info Center http://www.holisticmed.com/aspartame/
Sugar Substitutes: Americans Opt for Sweetness and Lite
http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fdsugar.html

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030
1-800-392-1611 (USA) / 1-713-792-6161
Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Program in Pharmacology
Department of Integrative Biology, Pharmacology, and Physiology
The University of Texas Medical School
P.O. Box 20708 Houston, Texas 77225-0708
Telephone: 713-500-7502 Fax: 713-500-7455
Arthur D Forman adforman@...
Associate Professor, Clinical Neuro-Oncology 713-794-1286
1515 Holcombe Blvd Box 0100 Houston, TX 77030

Medical School: Hahnemann University School Of Medicine
Internship: Hahnemann University School Of Medicine
Residency: Brigham & Women's Hospital (Boston, MA, )
Radcliffe Infirmary (Oxford, , England )
Fellowship: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Degrees: MD, BA
Board Certification: Neurology
Clinical Interests: Neurologic effects of systemic cancer:
I have interests in toxic effects of therapy,
treatment of metastatic disease, stroke in cancer patients,
migraines in cancer patients.
Director, Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory
Clinical and research interests: Toxicity of therapy
to the central nervous system
******************************************************

WebMD: Barclay: Barth:
survey shows aspartame hurts memory in students 11.9.00

Thursday, November 09, 2000
What's Put in Your Mouth Could Go to Your Head
Diet Can Affect the Brain -- for Better or Worse
By Laurie Barclay, MD WebMD Medical News
Reviewed by Dr. Jacqueline Brooks

Nov. 8, 2000 -- There's good news and bad news when it comes to diet
and memory. The bad news is that the artificial sweetener aspartame
may make memory worse, but the good news is that eating breakfast,
fruits, and vegetables may help make it better. That's according to
research presented at a Society for Neuroscience meeting this week in
New Orleans.

Since NutraSweet, or aspartame, became popular as a sugar substitute
for the weight conscious, some users have complained of memory
problems and headaches that disappear when they cut back on how much
they use. Previous studies couldn't confirm this link, suggesting that
the types of memory impairments studied were different from those
reported by the patients, explains researcher Timothy M. Barth, PhD,
chairman of psychology at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.

Or, aspartame users might be dieting because of low self-esteem and
anxiety over their body image. If they also were anxious about their
intellectual function, they might be more prone to report perceived
memory problems.

To help sort out the possibilities, Barth's group gave 90 college
students a nutrition survey and a memory questionnaire. Aspartame
users reported more memory problems than nonusers, especially
forgetting that a task was completed until it was started again,
forgetting to perform a task at a certain time, or forgetting a
regular routine.

Although these findings suggest that aspartame users as a whole
believe they have memory problems, they performed about the same as
nonusers on short-term memory tests, like remembering a word list, a
phone number, or a series of faces. While these tests measure memory
for something that just happened, they may not reflect memory problems
these people have in their lives outside of the study...

Aspartame is broken down into substances that are unhealthy for the
brain, but the body may be able to protect the brain from limited
amounts. "Maybe the normal safeguards break down with time, with
stress, and with heavy exposure," Barth says. People with brain injury
may be especially vulnerable to the effects of aspartame, as are the
elderly and young children. And future studies might need to look at
long-term memory problems after years of heavy aspartame use.

Many students in Barth's study drank four to six diet sodas -- or more
each day. "Occasional use might be OK, but no one in my lab drinks
diet soda," Barth says.

Timothy M. Barth has 16 studies listed in PubMed, 1982-2000.
http://www.psy.tcu.edu/psy/barth.htm
Tmothy M. Barth Department of Psychology t.barth@...
Texas Christian University TCU Box 298920 Fort Worth, TX 76129
Chairman, Physiological Psychology 817-921-7410
*********************************************************

Edelberg: WholeHealthMD.com: aspartame, methanol, formaldehyde 2.23.00

WholeHealthMD LLC
632 Broadway, 5th floor
New York, NY 10012 212-651-8500
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/contactus/0,1562,,00.html
http://www.wholehealthmd.com/askexperts/
askexperts_viewt/0,1327,12,00.html

My husband and I have been using Equal instead of regular sugar on
cereals, in drinks, and even in recipes. We're recently hearing
comments like "aspartame causes Alzheimer's" and "you're ingesting
formaldehyde if you use those sugar substitutes." Is any of this true?

According to chief medical consultant David Edelberg, M.D.,
FDA approval is no guarantee that a substance is risk-free. For
example, the artificial sweetener cyclamate was approved for years
until studies showed that in high doses it could cause cancer in
laboratory animals. Possible cancer links, based on animal studies,
have also been reported with saccharin (Sweet 'n Low).
Though there have not been any direct links between the use of
artificial sweeteners and cancer in people, some health experts
remain concerned.

Dr. Edelberg notes that both NutraSweet and Equal contain
aspartame, a compound that is made from amino acids and
methyl alcohol. Once it is absorbed, aspartame can decrease
the availability of the amino acid tryptophan and reduce the
brain level of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Because these
changes are associated with sleep disturbances and mood
disorders, patients with high blood pressure, Parkinson's
disease, attention deficit disorder, and probably mood
disorders should be careful about using aspartame. However,
such changes do not result in Alzheimer's disease, the cause
of which remains unknown.

Most people probably don't notice a thing when using these
sweeteners. However, Dr. Edelberg comments that "some
people who use lots of aspartame might discover that their
headaches, memory loss, mood swings, or fainting spells clear
up when they sweeten with a little honey instead. In my
practice, which covers a lot of people who just don't feel well, I
routinely take patients off aspartame if they tell me they're
using it."

Actually, you're not ingesting formaldehyde when you use
aspartame, but rather methyl alcohol, which is converted into
formaldehyde by the liver. Methyl alcohol is, of course, used
in antifreeze, and it's the formaldehyde conversion that causes
all the unpleasantness associated with drinking the stuff. Dr.
Edelberg notes, however, that the amount of methyl alcohol
contained in Equal is very small, so using it is not the same as
sipping antifreeze!

Instead of aspartame and other artificial sweeteners, Dr.
Edelberg usually recommends that his patients use stevia (a
natural sweetener that is extracted from a South American
plant), honey, molasses, maple syrup, or Sucanat, an organic
granulated sweetener evaporated from freshly squeezed
sugarcane juice.
Date Posted: 02/23/2000
*********************************************

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/about/biofull/0,1302,4,00.html
Special interests
Dr. Edelberg has a long-standing interest in chronic illnesses that
have eluded conventional treatment, especially those prevalent in
people under age 60, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome,
migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia and back pain.

Board certified Internal medicine and gerontology
Medical degree University of Illinois
Internship Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center, Chicago
Residencies Vanderbilt and Northwestern University Hospitals
Academic appointments Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Rush Medical College, Chicago;
Section Chief, Holistic & Internal Medicine,
Illinois Masonic Medical Center
Other Founder, American WholeHealth

As a practicing physician for more than 25 years, Dr. Edelberg
brings a wealth of clinical expertise to WholeHealthMD. From the
mid-1970s to the early 1990s, Dr. Edelberg was medical director of
Health First, Chicago's largest privately held group of primary-care
clinics.

In 1993, he founded American WholeHealth, a national network of
health-care centers specializing in integrative care (an approach
that combines the best of conventional and alternative medicine.)

http://www.wholehealthmd.com/about/biofull/0,1302,4,00.html
Dr. Edelberg is chief medical advisor of WholeHealthMD and the
WholeHealthMD Advisor newsletter. He has written many articles,
consulted on numerous books, and often speaks to mainstream
physicians about alternative and integrative medicine. He lives
with his wife and two sons in Chicago.

"One morning recently, it came to me that on virtually every
working day for the past 30 years I have been taking care of
patients one-on-one, listening as people revealed their lives and
pains, their anxieties and worst fears. 'Boy!' I thought, 'What a
long time!'

"Then, it also occurred to me that I'm lucky to still immensely
enjoy what I do and that I was actually looking forward to the
patients I'd be seeing later that afternoon. And, looking back over
those three decades, I decided that the five finest words any
doctor can ever hear are: 'I think I'm feeling better.'"
***************************************************

Rush Medical College Chicago, Illinois 60612
http://www.rushu.ush.edu/medcol/
medcol@... 312-942-6913

American Whole Health, Inc. http://www.AmericanWholeHealth.com
Corporate Headquarters
11150 Sunset Hills Road
Reston, Virginia 20190 (703) 437-6336 FinchC@...
****************************************************